Shorts: U.S.

Lantos criticizes pope

washington (jta) | Rep. Tom Lantos (D-San Mateo) wrote to Pope Benedict XVI that he is concerned the pontiff excluded Israel from a list of countries recently hit by terrorist attacks.

Lantos, a Holocaust survivor, sent a letter to the pope this week, expressing disappointment at the omission of Israel from a list of countries the pope recently identified as being affected by terrorism, which included Egypt, Turkey, Iraq and Britain.

"As the only Holocaust survivor ever to serve in the United States Congress, I know from personal experience the dangerous consequences when the world selectively ignores atrocities done under the guidance of a murderous ideology," Lantos wrote in the letter. "I had hoped that those days were behind us." A Palestinian suicide bomber killed five civilians in Netanya on July 12, and Israelis were killed and wounded in rocket and mortar attacks a week later.

The pope's pronouncement has sparked a war of words between Israel and the Vatican.




Jewish leaders condemn church declarations

washington (jta) | American Jewish groups called on the Disciples of Christ denomination to reconsider recent anti-Israel declarations.

In a letter released last week, representatives of the three major Jewish denominations and other large Jewish organizations expressed "grave concern" at the church's recent call for Israel to tear down its West Bank security barrier.

But the letter commended the church for rejecting the use of economic sanctions, including divestment, against Israel. Signatories included the Anti-Defamation League, Orthodox Union, American Jewish Committee, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, American Jewish Congress, Union for Reform Judaism and United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism.