On Sunday evening, January 18, Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) member
Kathleen Kern retrieved a message sent both to her home e-mail and CPT's
mennolink news list with the subject heading SWIFT PUNISHMENT.

Over the text of the message was written KACH INTERNATIONAL WARNING. The
writer stated, "It has been learned that three of your membersxhelp and
assist arab terrroists in smuggling explosives used in recent bombings of the
Hebron Jewish Community in Israel."

"For their safety, [the] above-mentioned terrorists are advised to depart
from the Land of Israel to their own countries in the next 96 hours," the
message concluded.

CPT director, Gene Stoltzfus retrieved a similar message from the answering
machine at the CPT Chicago office that added:

"As [a] humanitarian effort to save their lives, we ask you to
evacuate them from Israel before Wednesday. After Wednesday their lives will
be in jeopardy. This is a warning. This is a last warning. Bye."

In response to these threats, Stoltzfus said, "We are taking precautions and
we plan to continue our work. In this deeply divided situation, this is the
time to stand with our Israeli and Palestinian friends and co-workers."

The team in Hebron, when apprised of the threat, responded,
"The only explosive force we believe in is the power of love- stronger than
hatred, fear, or the enmities they create."

Christian Peacemaker Teams is asking their supporters to hold in their
prayers the Hebron team, its co-workers and those who spread false
information about CPT. Additionally, CPT asks for prayers that God's
truth and love be made manifest amidst the violence under which all of
Hebron's inhabitants live.

Kach, a former Israeli political party created by the late Rabbi Meir Kahane,
has been classified by both the United States and Israeli governments as a
terrorist organization.

Current members of the Hebron team include: Mark Frey (Newton, Kansas),
JoAnne Lingle (Atlanta, Georgia), Anne Montgomery (Brooklyn, New York), Sara
Reschly (Tucson, Arizona), Dianne Roe (Corning, NewYork), Pierre Shantz
(Waterloo, Ontario), Bruce Yoder (Elkhart, Indiana).

RESPONSE TO THREAT AND COUNTER-RESPONSE

In response to the original threatening message (see above), Kathleen Kern
wrote the following:

Dear Mr. Shekhtman,

Please look up "Anabaptism," "Mennonite," "Quaker," or "Church of the
Brethren" in an encyclopedia. We are the spiritual descendants of people who
were burned alive, drowned, and tortured to death in other ways for refusing
to participate in violence at any level-which includes participating in the
military.

We believe that all human beings were created in the image of G-d, and loved
by G-d, and that no one has the right to harm any human being for that
reason. Participating in any action that would physically harm a human
being for us is trayf [i.e. the opposite of "kosher;" unclean.]

It would be more likely that the settlers in Hebron would start serving ham
sandwiches at bar mitzvahs than it would be for anyone serving with
Christian Peacemaker Teams to become involved with explosives or other
objects that could bring harm to others.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Kern

And Mr. Shekhtman responded as follows:

Ms. Kern,

I am on a humanitarian mission to save the lives of those 3 members of your

organization in Hevron.

People are not stupid, nor can you fool anybody. Nobody will go figure if

all of your members are stupid/naiive or 1 or 2; are all of them sympatize

with Hamas or PFLP or ...?

Fact is: they assisted in smuggling explosives later used against Jewish

Community of Hebron.

People not connected with the Hebron Jewish Community nor with the Israeli

Government are angry and the accusing fingers are pointed at those 3.

Federal Laws specifically prohibit assisting terrorism overseas: looks like

your church choose to violate those laws.

Time to get the 3 to Europe ASAP, before it is too late.