It does not help Israel counter claims of racism and intolerance when a TV station, albeit a private one, screens an offensive skit on Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary.
The Australian reported:
In the program, Israeli comedian Yair Shlein joked that since Christians “deny the Holocaust, then I want to deny Christianity.” Following protests, he later apologised to Arab Israeli Christian dignitaries.
This has brought protests to the Israel government from the Vatican who, perhaps, see an opportunity to counter recent protests about Holocaust-denier Bishop Richard Williamson who the Vatican recently rehabilitated.
Israel is a free country and free speech is practised there as in any other free democratic country. However, when will Israelis realise that they have to be careful about the image they are projecting and the fuel they are providing to its enemies.
Case in point: who should come out on the side of outrage? None other than the very nice people in Hezbollah. freerepublic.com reported that: “Hezbollah blasts sacrilegious Israeli show (that offends Christianity!) A Hezbollah representative stated: “It was not surprising to see ‘Zionists’ broadcast such sacrilegious material, given their history, which is filled with ‘the massacre of prophets, destruction of mosques and churches and offensive behavior toward Islamic and Christian sanctities…” The hypocrisy, inaccuracy and thinly veiled anti-Semitic “Zionists” and “massacre of prophets” bits are pretty much common currency for “The Party of God”
This isn’t the post to rebut every single one of Hezbollah’s statement which says a lot more about them than it does about Jews.
But all this does not absolve Yair Shlein. The Israeli government made an immediate apology to the Vatican (and Shlein himself admitted the error). Let’s hope that Israeli broadcasters do not repeat any further affronts to Christianity, Islam or any other religion or group.
I always think “How would I react if this were a Christian talking about Jewish beliefs” and I base my reaction on that. To say I am disappointed is an understatement. But it is indicative that Israel has to tread so carefully. How did the Vatican learn of this? No doubt mischievous elements in Israel ran screaming to Pope Benedict. But in other countries religious ‘jokes’ go unreported and ignored.
See the full text here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2190138/posts