anon , ▁the ▁deleg ation ▁met ▁with ▁members ▁of ▁He z bol lah , ▁which ▁became ▁a ▁cause ▁of ▁controvers y . ▁ ▁Cont ro vers y ▁Ron ald ▁H . ▁Stone , ▁John ▁With ers po on ▁Professor ▁of ▁Christian ▁Eth ics ▁at ▁Pitts burgh ▁The ological ▁Sem inary , ▁attract ed ▁negative ▁media ▁attention ▁during ▁the ▁tour ▁after ▁being ▁quoted ▁as ▁saying , ▁" We ▁tre asure ▁the ▁pre cious ▁words ▁of ▁He z bol lah ▁and ▁your ▁expression ▁of ▁good will ▁toward ▁the ▁American ▁people . ▁Also ▁we ▁pra ise ▁your ▁initi ative ▁for ▁dialog ue ▁and ▁mut ual ▁understanding . ▁We ▁cher ish ▁these ▁statements ▁that ▁bring ▁us ▁closer ▁to ▁you . ▁As ▁an ▁elder ▁of ▁our ▁church , ▁I ' d ▁like ▁to ▁say ▁that ▁according ▁to ▁my ▁recent ▁experience , ▁relations ▁and ▁convers ations ▁with ▁Islam ic ▁leaders ▁are ▁a ▁lot ▁easier ▁than ▁deal ings ▁and ▁dialog ue ▁with ▁Jewish ▁leaders ." ▁ ▁A ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁deleg ation , ▁Re ver end ▁N ile ▁Har per , ▁stated ▁that ▁" The ▁occupation ▁by ▁Israel ▁in ▁the ▁West ▁Bank ▁and ▁Gaz a ▁must ▁end ▁because ▁it ▁is ▁opp ress ive ▁and ▁destruct ive ▁for ▁the ▁Palest in ian ▁people ". ▁ ▁Re action ▁The ▁Anti - Def am ation ▁League ▁( AD L ) ▁critic ized ▁the ▁meeting ▁as ▁ir respons ible , ▁and ▁stated ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁" deep ly ▁disturb ing ▁that ▁leaders ▁of ▁the ▁Pres by ter ian ▁Church ▁would ▁seek ▁out ▁a ▁meeting