How Israel became South Africa by Margaret Wente

Which evil regime finds itself in the crosshairs of Canada’s largest church? Israel, of course.

It’s a bad old world out there. Tens of thousands are being raped in war-torn eastern Congo. In Sudan, a woman faces 40 lashes for daring to wear pants. The Iranians have brutally suppressed a peaceful uprising and shot protesters in the streets. The tyrants who run Burma have sentenced the brave Aung San Suu Kyi to more house arrest.

So which evil regime finds itself in the crosshairs of Canada’s largest church? Israel, of course.

The United Church of Canada (which seems to be more interested in social justice than in God) is engaged in one of its periodic wrangles over Israel. Is Israel really, really bad, or just sort of bad? Should the church call for a boycott of Israeli universities or just stop buying Jaffa oranges? These questions are consuming a large portion of its general council meeting this week in Kelowna. To their credit, delegates have backed off from the most offensive stuff. They’ve decided not to refer to Israel as an “apartheid state.”