ADL Criticizes Anti-Abortion Center’s Western Wall Motif
Latest update: July 21st, 2012
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The Wailing Wall in the background, and 60 crosses in the foreground
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Mark Holick
The Anti-Defamation League blasted a plan by evangelical pastors in Kansas to build a replica of the Western Wall as part of an anti-abortion monument as “an outrageous affront to the Jewish people.”
The International Pro-Life Memorial and National Life Center is being planned by pro-life activists in Wichita. According to its website, http://www.prolifememorial.com, the wall will be “an exact replica of the Western Wall at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.”
The wall will be fronted with 60 white cross that “symbolize 60 million abortions…60 million little baby boys and girls have been murdered since 1973 in America alone. The International Pro-life Center will endeavor to stop this world wide genocide.”
The activists behind the initiative view the Western Wall – which is also referred to as the Wailing Wall on the website – as the symbol that commemorates Jewish suffering during the Holocaust, and want their replica to memorialize the 60 million aborted fetuses.
“The International Pro-life Center will be a national and international focal point to connect and integrate a variety of services which have the goal of promoting, bring healing, and enhancing human life,” the website says.
The ADL called the proposed center and a perversion of Judaism’s holiest site.
“Over the years we have seen a number of anti-abortion groups compare abortion to the Holocaust, but this takes the misuse of Jewish symbolism and history to another level,” Abraham Foxman, ADL’s national director, said in a statement issued Monday. “The Western Wall, this monumental symbol of Jewish grief and redemption is being co-opted and distorted to promote an anti-abortion agenda and message. Members of the pro-life movement are entitled to their opinions, but we wish they would not express them at the expense of Judaism’s holiest site and the Holocaust.”
The controversy coincided with another Israel-related Christian initiative – the seventh annual gathering of “Christians United for Israel” (CUFI), which is taking place in Washington, D.C.
The conference, the theme of which was Pro-Israel activity on college campuses, drew 5,000 participants from across the U.S., including Pastor John Hagee, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who spoke via video.
“Without Jerusalem there is no real life in Israel,” Pastor Hagee told a galvanized audience. “The President of the U.S. told people of Jerusalem they can’t build additional homes there. He has no authority to tell them that! They are a democracy!”
JTA content was used in this report.
tell a friendAbout the Author: Solomon Burke is a regular contributor to JewishPress.com
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The ADL and Abe Foxman–are an outrageous affront to the Jewish people!
It is this "memorial" that is an affront! Rabbinic Judaism's position on abortion is quite different from that of the Evangelicals or the Catholics. And to put crosses in front of a depiction of the most important holy site in the world for Jews??? This is an outrage!!!
It is a replica–not the actual site–what private citizens do on private property with private funds is none of your business or the ADL's–this isn't hurting anyone–certainly not Jews or Israel!
Rabbinic Judaism is not genuine Biblical Judaism–as they often rely on extra Biblical texts and often place them above God's written word!
This is a Rabbinic Judaism site. We follow the words of our rabbinic tradition as to how they interpret the Bible.
And would you not be upset if some neo-Nazis were amassing arsenals on private property? Islamic terrorists? I'm reminded of the British Air Minister who objected to bombing the Nazi munitions dumps during the winter of 1940 because private property might be damaged.
Mr. Hall, Your comment about the British Air Minister is a non sequitur–as I was not referring to the prosecution of the second world war or to criminal activity–but rather to peaceful activities of private citizens in this time.
And since you brought it up–those activities are occurring in the USA by Nazi and Islamic organizations–and for the most the government is doing nothing to stop them–and in many cases are encouraging them–especially under the Obama administration.
Also many peaceful private American citizens have arsenals–this is part of American liberty!
I believe there should be another way to gain the attention of those they are trying to reach, without minimizing a very important part of history in order to make a stand on another important issue in our present.
Their use of a replica wall is not the best way to approach the issue of the genocidal mass murder of abortion–but it does not minimize Jewish history in Israel.
Point taken.