Dr. Lancaster, the author of works on Jewish history, has a daughter who lives very near the site of the suicide bombing, and her work involves trying to help the Palestinians.

Carey recently told The Jerusalem Post that he was "ashamed to be an Anglican" following a vote by the Church of England to disinvest from companies whose products are used by the Israeli government in the territories.

Dr. Lancaster has been an outspoken critic of Anglican disinvestment in Israel. "For Jews, disinvestment [in Israel] is not just anti-Zionism, but anti-Semitism. Christians defend their position by saying they are against Israel, not the Jews. Yet there is no call by the Christians to disinvest from countries where Christians are persecuted, or banned. Israel is viewed as the evil nation, that evil democratic nation - that just happens to be the only homeland for the Jewish people in the world."

She has said publicly that Anglicans have betrayed the Jews. The Jewish community in Britain has grown increasingly alarmed by growing anti-Semitism in the Anglican Church, much of it based on ignorance, she says.

"It frequently appears that there are no limits to the hatred and bias that can be expressed against Israel or Zionism. Anti-Semites take comfort from this hatred, and regard it as a cue to attack Jews at random here in Britain. Anti-Semitic incidents' levels since the year 2000 have been the worst recorded in decades. The rise in incidents is appalling. This would have been unthinkable just a few years ago."

Dr. Carey himself has recently come under fire from a group of liberal Church of England bishops, accusing him of being "disloyal" to Archbishop Rowan Williams. They say that his visit to the USA to conduct a confirmation for 300 candidates unable to accept the authority of their own bishops, and his role in the current survey of American bishops on their attitude to the consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson and the future of the Episcopal Church, appear to be offering himself as an alternative leader.

Carey rejected the notion saying; "I am fully supportive of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The authors of the open letter seem intent on creating division where there is none."

END

Presiding Bishop issues statement on conflict in the Middle East

[ENS] Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold has issued a statement expressing his "horror" at the news of the recent bombing in Tel Aviv and reaffirming the Episcopal Church's commitment to condemning violence "on all sides of the drastic and ever worsening conflict in the Middle East." The full text of Griswold's statement follows:

Along with countless others, I received with horror the news of the recent bombing in Tel Aviv, which has left nine people dead and many more injured both physically and emotionally. The Episcopal Church condemns violence on all sides of the drastic and ever worsening conflict in the Middle East. While deeply mindful of the rage and sense of hopelessness the continuing situation provokes among the Palestinian people, I am appalled by any notion that the killing of innocent people can ever be justified. While such an action is always reprehensible, it is all the more disturbing when it comes during the time of Passover. I pray that God will raise up peace makers who will be given the courage and determination to find a way to bring peace to a land and its peoples who for too long have not known peace.

The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold
Presiding Bishop & Primate The Episcopal Church