St James's Bethlehem wall was a bridge across the divide

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/21/st-james-bethlehem-bridge-divide

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In your report (18 January) on the possibility of the Church of England appointing a woman bishop by Christmas you say of the main candidates: "Faull is the least controversial candidate. Osborne produced a report friendly to gay clergy 20 years ago that frightened conservatives, and Winkett has been accused of antisemitism after an art installation at her church represented the Israeli separation wall around Bethlehem."

This unsourced statement about Rev Lucy Winkett is below-the-belt journalism. The Guardian was one of few mainstream news outlets to give the Bethlehem Unwrapped event any coverage, so one would think it would avoid repeating such antisemitic innuendo.

This kind of statement is damaging to the reputation of Lucy Winkett and a slur on the congregation, which is fully supportive of the event that took place at St James's church over the 12 days of Christmas. It devalues the real antisemitism which is still a phenomenon in post-Holocaust Europe. St James's has a long-standing and honourable public record of opposition to racism, religious intolerance and injustice in any form, and staunchly defends the right of the state of Israel to exist with secure borders. Tom CookDeputy church warden, St James's church, Piccadilly

• The Anglican church supported the Bethlehem Unwrapped festival, which was organised and celebrated in response to an appeal from the Holy Land Trust and other Christian and Jewish and Israeli organisations which work for reconciliation. Its purpose was to draw attention to the immense difficulties for all those living either side of the Bethlehem separation wall. The message of the festival and of the replica wall was "build bridges not walls". Messages on the wall were encouraged and when I attended the last-night concert a part of the wall was ceremoniously transformed into a bridge. It was inspiring and moving,

I understand there was harsh criticism from some Israelis and from Christian Zionists, but that there was much more support from many Jewish visitors and, as would be expected, from organisations such as Israelis Against Demolition and other Palestinian, Israeli and Jewish organisations working for reconciliation.Leah HoskinLondon

• The decision by Lucy Winkett and Justin Butcher (creative director of the festival) to hold it at St James's was an act of remarkable moral courage, for which they should be congratulated, not vilified. The festival was, explicitly, to support the people of Palestine and Israel, as an act of solidarity for a just and sustainable solution for both communities. Mary StewartLondon

• So the C of E "can now move on to arguing about gay clergy and the blessing of gay marriage", topics of little interest to most people, but which are so much easier for synod to get steamed up about than really important issues such as poverty and inequality. Feeding the hungry, caring for the poor, giving a voice to the voiceless – these should be the priorities of those who claim to follow the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. When they are, then perhaps the church will regain some relevance.Christine YatesGiggleswick, North Yorkshire