Unification Church antisemitism controversy

Many Jews feel that certain teachings of the Unification Church are anti-Semitic. Jewish people sensitive to this topic do not claim that the Church is creating any new form of anti-Semitism, but rather that the Church has inherited traditional Christian forms of theological Anti-Semitism that would best be repudiated.

The controvery centers around passages found in Divine Principle, the church's theology textbook. According to Rabbi A. James Rudin, Assistant Director of the Interreligious Affairs Department of the American Jewish Committee,

1. An analysis of this document reveals an orientation of almost unrelieved hostility toward the Jewish people, exemplified in pejorative language, stereotyped imagery, and accusations of collective sin and guilt.
2. Whether he is discussing the "Israelites" of the Hebrew Bible or the "Jews" as referred to in writings of the New Testament period, Rev. Moon portrays their behavior as reprobate, their intentions as evil (often diabolical), and their religious mission as eclipsed.
3. There are over 36 specific references in Divine Principle to the Israelites of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament); each one is pejorative. For example, the "faithlessness" of the Israelites is mentioned four times on a single page (p. 330). (source)

In response to Rabbi Rudin's statement, Rev. Sun Myung Moon published a Statement On Jews And Israel. Here are edited excerpts from that statement:

1. The Unification Movement categorically condemns anti-Semitism, the most hideous, abject and cruel form of hatred. We regard the murder of six million Jews in Europe the result of political short-sightedness and lack of moral responsibility on the part of Germany's political and religious leaders, and [others who] acted too late to block Hitler's ascent to power, postponed the action for his downfall, and did nothing to rescue the victims who were the captives of his satanic plans and designs.
2. The Unification Movement recognizes the divine and natural right of the Jewish people to physical survival and preservation of its specific religious traditions.
3. The Unification Movement regards the Land of Israel as a haven for the Holocaust survivors and sanctuary for all those individual Jews who are trying to escape physical persecution and religious, racial or national oppression.
4. The Unification Movement [will work] for an acceptable accommodation between the Arabs and Jews, and to achieve a genuine and lasting peace in the Middle East, one of the most important corners of the world.
5. The Unification Movement is grateful to God, to His true and righteous prophets and saints of our common spiritual tradition who prepared the foundations on which we stand and organize our struggle. We consider ourselves to be the younger brother of our Jewish... brethren, all of whom are children of our Heavenly Father. We regard it as our duty to respect and serve the elder sons of our Father, and it is our mission to serve Judaism ...
6. The Unification Movement [is] guided by the concepts of Unity and Brotherhood expressed in the Divine Commandments, the foundations of our common spiritual heritage i.e., the Ten Commandments God gave to Moses according to the Bible.