"The U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation is not asking any other nation in the world to endure routine rocket attacks on civilian centers by a terrorist group." -- Mark Tooley

Contact: Jeff Walton, Institute on Religion and Democracy, 202-682-4131, 202-413-5639 cell, jwalton@TheIRD.org

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- A U.S.-based anti-Israel coalition with church groups has asked its supporters to urge President Obama to investigate Israel's alleged violations of U.S. weapons laws. The call came quickly after Israel responded militarily to Hamas's ongoing rocket attacks on Israeli civilians.

"Israel's attacks against the Gaza Strip are being committed with U.S. weapons given to Israel as military aid by the U.S. taxpayer," the U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation complained. "These weapons are being misused by Israel in violation of the U.S. Arms Export Control Act to commit grave human rights abuses of Palestinians."

The U.S. Campaign equates Israel to Apartheid South Africa, advocates boycotts and divestment against Israel, and opposes U.S. support for Israel across the board. Religious groups among its members include the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, the American Friends Service Committee, the Methodist Federation for Social Action, United Methodist Board of Church and Society, Lutherans for Justice in the Holy Land, and the Episcopal Peace Fellowship.

IRD President Mark Tooley commented:

"The U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation, with its religious advocates of 'human rights,' has fully unveiled its true intent, by opposing Israel's right even to react against years of rocket attacks by Hamas. For them, there can be no peace or justice in the Middle East until Israel just goes away.

"By 'human rights' the U.S. Campaign means exclusively criticizing Israel for all Middle East strife and ignoring transgressions by Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, Hezbollah, Syria, Iran, and every other actor in the region.

"The U.S. Campaign does not really support Israel's right to exist, much less to defend itself. The U.S. Campaign and its member groups are not asking any other nation in the world to endure routine rocket attacks on civilian centers by a terrorist group.

"The plight of Palestinian Christian would not in the least concern these U.S. church groups if Israel were not the villain. Compare the ink and verbiage expended on the few tens of thousands of Palestinian Christians versus millions of Egyptian Coptic Christians, whose plight now under Muslim Brotherhood rule is of virtually no interest to these church crusaders for 'human rights.'"