a 1953 book by French pacifist Jean Lasserre, La Guerre et L'Evangile. Drawing on Lasserre's view that by and large, "the Old Testament ignores that respect for human life, that unconditional love, that non-violence, which [is] the general climate of the New Testament." Previously, he had stated that "very few people would sanely suggest that the Torah [which is part of the Old Testament] sanctions violence. The reason of course is that these verses and others much like them are subject to various interpretation and contextual assumptions." Criticism An article in the Arab American News criticized Elmasry, stating that: His next gaffe [the first being the October 2004 controversy] was the declaration that Israel's cruelty could be explained by the fact that the Old Testament is full of justification of bloody deeds by the ancient Hebrews. The inescapable corollary is that all Jews are cruel. Of course, his remarks have several flaws. Even if, for the moment, we grant the characterization of the Old Testament, it does not follow that all who claim to follow it see it that way and act accordingly. Second, a more realistic evaluation of these scriptures would recognize that they contain the work of many authors with different views produced over many centuries, with later works often more sophisticated. Amos, who declares, "Let justice flow down like the waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream," can hardly be characterized as bloodthirsty. Finally, Elmasry's take on the Old Testament is un-Islamic. The Quran identifies some of the patriarchs in the Jewish scriptures as prophets, and it speaks respectfully of Jews and Christians as "people of the book". Bnai Brith Canada sharply criticized Elmasry, stating in a press release that Elmasry's "thesis that the Old Testament is the root cause of all hatred and violence in the world" is an "attack on the core of Judaism". The Canadian Jewish community In an article written in June 2007, Elmasry criticised Canadian Jewish intellectuals for, in his opinion, moving to the right of the political spectrum. Elmasry wrote that "social justice once had staunch friends among Canadian Jews", citing in particular David Lewis, but argued that today "many Canadian Jewish intellectuals are assaulting Canada's policies regarding multiculturalism, immigration, and what they consider federal 'giving in' to natives' land claims. They are no longer speaking out against the deterioration of civil liberties in this country" and that "their political agenda