Anglican bishop who aided PCUSA in Mideast debate faces 'mushrooming' charges
By John H. Adams
The Layman Online
Friday, December 15, 2006

Bishop Riah Abu El-Assal of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem – whom Presbyterian Church (USA) leaders have frequently called upon to shore up their pro-Palestinian arguments against Israel – is facing "mushrooming" charges of nepotism and graft as a result of an Anglican inquiry, according to The Jerusalem Post.

PCUSA photo of El-Assal El-Assal, who was a prominent and long-time member of the Progressive List for Peace, an organization of Arab and Jewish peace activists, was a resource to the PCUSA in the workup of the 2004 General Assembly resolution that called for divestment of denominational funds in corporations that do business with Israel.

That recommendation was modified substantially by the 2006 General Assembly after both Jewish and Christian groups said the PCUSA was anti-semitic in its Mideast partisanship.

According to The Post, opponents of the bishop want him to resign immediately. The newspaper said it had received a copy of a 35-page report that "concluded that El-Assal arranged to have a tender for the insurance policy of employees of the church's two schools here issued to a company that promised to give half the commission to his son-in-law." the rest