November 30, 2008

Attitudes to Christianity
Al HaMakom, November 15, 2007

In a letter printed in Al HaMakom (November 15), Yossi Peles responded to an article in the paper from October 18. The author, Yitzhak Even Esh, wrote in his piece that "I am telling you to take the Christian books you have in the house and burn them, so that no trace should be left [of them] - because the two things don't go together, Judaism and its opposite." Peles took issue with the content and attitude of Even Esh's statement alike. He reminded the paper's readers first of all of the burning of Talmuds in the Middle Ages: "How can you explain your coming to terms - which is a form of agreement by silence [by printing the article without any comment] - with burning the books of members of another religion? Can you decently do to others what is abhorrent to you?" Nor is it true that the New Testament is the "opposite of Judaism": "It's another interpretation, different from yours (and even from mine) of Judaism. Most of the texts in that books are the fruit of Jewish writers and even if I too, like you, reject with both hands the faith that they present, I still understand their value and spiritual and historical importance."

The paper's editor printed on the same page a direct response to Peles's letter, citing a halakhic authority: "A Gentile who writes a Torah scroll with the names [of God] therein, on the one hand the scroll has no sanctity because the names were not written for the sanctification of HaShem [God], and on the other, it is forbidden to treat it with contempt and so it must be put in a genizah [a place for storing holy books which are no longer in a fit state for use]. An idolater who writes a Torah scroll for idol worship, that scroll must be burned. There is no prohibition again such burning because the names written in it have no sanctity because they were not written for the consecration of HaShem according to the faith of Israel, and in order not to give credit to idolatry, the Sages ordained that their books should be burned (Babylonian Talmud Gittin 45b; Maimonides on that place, 6, 8). Likewise, Bibles printed by missionaries which include the New Testament, which is the foundation of the Christian idolatry, must be burned or got rid of by other means, so that they may not be given credit."



Anti-missionary Activity
Mishpaha, November 15; HaModia, November 16; HaZofeh, November 23, 2007

In the midst of the kassam rockets which have been bombarding the town of Sderot for the past several years, Mishpaha (November 15) reported this week that the town has also recently been barraged by missionary activity. "The missionaries weren't satisfied with distributing literature in bustling locations but went from door to door in numerous neighborhoods giving out copies of the 'New Testament' printed in a special edition for the citizens of Sderot, with a thick cover and gold-edged pages, and informing people that the books would serve as an 'amulet' to keep the citizens safe against the kassams ... Their purpose was to frighten the citizens and disseminate amongst them dubious missionary literature and to make them false promises conditional on their walking in the way of that man." When Yad L'Achim was informed of the situation, the organization immediately sent workers to the city "to counter-balance the soul hunters." A similar report in HaModia (November 16) added that the Yad L'Achim workers identified the leaflets as being written by the "infamous missionary Ya'akov Damkani." In their effort to warn Sderot's residents, they "clarified to them the true identity behind the amiable and friendly appearance of the missionaries." Yad L'Achim's director stated in regard to the events: "The recent missionary activity in Sderot proves how vicious the missionaries can be, even in the face of the citizens of a town who are suffering daily from the growing fear of the unceasing flood of kassams. They perceive them as prey for their sinister hunt and scheme to convert them. It is known that members of Yad L'Achim are about to lay their hands on the precise address from which the missionaries are coming in order to be able to stop their activity by legal means." The piece in HaZofeh (November 23), which ran the same story, printed it with the headline "Missionaries promised to residents: 'The New Testament' will protect you against the kassams."


Christians in Israel
BeSheva, November 15; Ma'ariv, November 16; Hadash BeBeit Shemesh, November 9; Yediot Ahronot, November 20, 2007

In the continuing saga of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, Hadash BeBeit Shemesh (November 9) reported on the indictment of two businessmen in the patriarchal real estate scandal - some of the property in question being in Beit Shemesh.

BeSheva (November 15) gave a brief history of the struggle between Ireneos and Theophilos, indicating that three days after the Knesset Ministerial Committee recommended that the Israeli government recognize Theophilos as Patriarch, the Greek Orthodox church petitioned the court in Jerusalem to issue a search warrant for all the personal effects located in the "room in which Ireneos has been hiding since his deposition ... including all valuables, medals, crosses, icons, ancient prayer garments, various rings, and other objects." The petition was made following a perceived increase in traffic to and from the Patriarch's room, with people entering and leaving with suitcases!

According to an article in Ma'ariv (November 16), as part of his efforts to strengthen Ukrainian national identity and independence from Russian influence, the Ukrainian President, Viktor Yushchenko, has decided to open a national Ukrainian church in Israel. To the church, to be built on land in Jerusalem and run by Ukrainian priests and monks, is due to be attached a hostel for Ukrainian pilgrims. The move has angered the Russian Church in Israel and threatens to create a crisis in Israeli-Russian relations if Israel recognizes the church. Since the Ukrainian church has never had an independent presence in Israel, the opening of such a church is dependent upon the approval of the Greek Orthodox Church.

In the wake of negotiations to return the Russian Compound in Jerusalem to Russian control, a report in Yediot Ahronot (November 20) indicated that an agreement has been reached whereby the Russian-Israeli millionaire Arkadi Gaydamak will cover the costs of transferring the Israeli offices located on the premises to their new location. The agreement is due to be signed during 2008 and will consist of the funding of a new building to house the Jerusalem District Court.


Christian Tourism
Haaretz, November 20, 2007

A brief report in Haaretz (November 20) indicated that part of the Blair Plan to be proposed at the Paris Summit due to take place in two months with the purpose of raising funds for development plans includes "the promotion of tourism in Bethlehem through the establishment of new installations and the easing of access for Christian pilgrims."


The Pope and the Vatican
Haaretz, November 18, 19; Ma'ariv, November 12; Jerusalem Post, November 18, 22, 2007

Haaretz (November 19) ran the New York Times Weekly Review story printed in the Jerusalem Post last week regarding King Abdullah's audience with the pope (see previous Review).

A senior Vatican official recently lashed out at Israel for failing to fulfill obligations to which it committed itself in an agreement signed in 1993 (Jerusalem Post, Haaretz, November 18). In an interview posted on Friday November 12th on Terrasanta.net, "an online publication about the Holy Land," Archbishop Pietro Sambi charged that "The Holy See decided to establish diplomatic relations (in 1993) with Israel as an act of faith, leaving to latter [sic] the serious promises to regulate concrete aspects of the life of the Catholic community and the Church." These include the status of expropriated church property, services performed for Israel's Jewish and Arab populations by various Catholic groups, and tax exemptions for the church, together with the granting of permits for Arab Christian clergy traveling to and around the West Bank. Sambi blamed the situation - in which he saw Vatican-Israeli relations prior to the agreement as being better than they are now - on Israel's "'absence of political will.' 'Everyone can see what kind of trust you can give to Israel's promises,' Sambi said." A Vatican spokesman was also quoted as saying that Sambi's views "'reflect his thinking and his personal experience' during the diplomat's former position [as papal envoy] in Israel." The Israeli reaction, as expressed by a Foreign Ministry official, stressed that "'Israel is interested in good relations with the Vatican and Israeli and Vatican officials are working to overcome gaps that exist.'" The article also mentioned the tensions which had erupted earlier this year "when the Holy See's ambassador to Israel initially decided to boycott a Holocaust memorial service because of allegations that during World War II Pope Pius XII was silent about the mass killings of Jews" (Jerusalem Post, November 18).

The same paper reported on November 22 that the "Vatican has distanced itself from comments made by its former ambassador to Israel." According to the article, "While the archbishop's comments are not likely to harm Catholic-Israeli relations in the long-term - an official with the Chief Rabbinate's office told the Jerusalem Post relations have never been better - they underscore the tension within the Catholic Church over its Israel policy. Pope Benedict XVI is an avowed advocate of closer political relations with Israel and theological dialogue with Judaism. However, his views are not held by all within the Roman Catholic Church's hierarchy."

The Post also ran an article quoting from an interview held with the current Vatican ambassador to Israel, Monsignor Antonio Franco. At the center of the discussion was Vatican "frustration over the decade-old failure to reach an agreement with Israel on tax exemptions, amid mounting criticism among senior Vatican officials on the state of relations between the Jewish state and the Holy See." According to the piece, "The total amount of unpaid property tax [deriving from the fact that the church's claim that the property is only used for worship and not for any commercial purposes] amounts to roughly NIS 300 million, with the Latin Patriarchate the biggest offender." Negotiations on the issue between the two sides are due to resume on December 12, with the Vatican said to be willing to "pay only a symbolic fee for the city services they receive." "A secondary issue between the two sides has to do with the legal structure of church authority in the Holy Land, which has been agreed upon but never confirmed by the Knesset." A response to the threatening crisis was given by Rabbi David Rosen, who helped broker the original agreement: "'The Vatican is showing remarkable patience and understanding regarding commitments made by the State of Israel in the Fundamental Agreement, which were to be resolved within two years but which have still not been resolved' ... He added that this patience on the part of the Vatican was a testimony of their commitment to good relations with the Jewish people and the State of Israel."

 NOV 15, 2007

 Anti-missionary Activity
Zman Haifa, October 26; Merkaz Ha'Inyanim, October 29; HaModia, November 8, 2007

The story of the "missionary center" to be established in the Galilee by "evangelists" was run by Merkaz Ha'Inyanim (October 29), a paper providing information for the Ultra-Orthodox public (see previous Reviews).

A piece in HaModia (November 8) reported that Shmuel Halpert, chairman of the religious lobby in the Knesset, recently requested that the current Minister of Tourism honor the agreement his predecessor had made that no "missionary center" would be built in Tiberias (see previous Reviews).

Zman Haifa (October 26) carried a story of Jehovah's Witnesses' activity in the city. According to the report, members of the sect are "approaching children and youth and with smooth talk are telling them Bible stories. They are distributing tracts with the titles 'Troubles will soon pass away' and 'How God takes care of us' ... In them it is written that 'Jehovah's Witnesses are a group of true brethren who embrace the world.'" The "missionaries" attempt to convince the children that only if they follow the way of the Jehovah's Witnesses will they find happiness. A United Torah Judaism member on the local municipal council claimed, "We are talking about an extremist missionary sect with clear anti-Semitic characteristics" - by which he apparently meant the attempt to "destroy every remnant and memory of the Jewish people" through their conversion to Christianity.


Anglican Church
Jerusalem Post, November 2, 4; Haaretz, November 2, 5 (Hebrew and English editions), 2007

Rowan William's one-day visit to Israel last week differed from his previous three in his office as Archbishop of Canterbury (Haaretz, November 5). Whereas previously he had visited Palestinian Christians, this visit was devoted to "a meeting with Israel's chief rabbis and with a special team from the Chief Rabbinate that deals with interfaith dialogue." Despite the fact one of his aims was "to improve relations, even partially, between him and the Church he heads, and the State of Israel and its supporters in the West ... because the Anglican Church, the third largest in the Christian world ... is considered today to be the church most hostile in its attitude toward Israel," most of his remarks as reported in Haaretz dealt rather with Iran and Muslim-Christian dialogue. "'The only way of eliminating [the nuclear] possibility,' the archbishop says, 'would be a preemptive strike, which is against international law.' This he says, would make any possibility of relations with Iran impossible." It is thus apparent that his agenda is indeed dialogue - the religious equivalent to negotiations. His limited success in the latter in Britain he describes as "small things, but I think the alternative - of doing nothing - is worse."

Muslim dialogue is also important to the Archbishop with relation to the situation of Christians in the Palestinian Authority. Recognizing that "Christians have become a minority in areas that once were Christian," Williams countered by blaming Israel: "'I would like to know how much it matters to the Israeli government to have Christian communities in the Holy Land. Are they an embarrassment or are they part of a solution? That is the question ... A better option [than the fence]? I wish I knew. I can only point out the cost, which I think is something that affects Israel in the long term. It encourages the departure of young Palestinians from their environment.'" Even though his remarks on this visit were more muted, Williams found it difficult to lay even part of the responsibility for the situation on the PA itself: "When asked if the PA was responsible [for anti-Christian sentiment amongst the Palestinian communities], the archbishop replied: 'I don't think it's the Palestinian Authority. I think it's the drifting demography in the Palestinian regions.'" According to the report, unlike the Pope, the Archbishop of Canterbury's ability to impose his opinions upon the Anglican Church is limited: "His remarks about Israel are greatly influenced by Palestinian Anglicans who are extremely careful not to accuse their Muslim neighbors of persecution and prefer to level their criticism at Israeli policies." Regarding the Anglican Church's position on divestment from Israeli and international companies which sell equipment to the IDF, Williams repeated what appears to be the "official statement": "I have no commitment to a program of disinvestments. We have an ethical investment policy and certain kinds of investment ... needed to be reviewed in that light. We went through a process that is a routine matter of reviewing our investment policy according to agreed ethical criteria" (Haaretz).

Under the title "Time to renew Anglican Zionism," the Jerusalem Post (November 2) noted that Williams's "sharp criticism of the security barrier," "whether a consequence of misinformation or of bias against Israel or both, was a distortion of the facts. The unfortunate phenomenon of Arab Christian emigration from the Holy Land to the US, Europe and other advanced countries has been going on for decades and is the result of a multitude of factors - educational, social, cultural, and political." The article noted that Williams's statements came "almost 90 years to the day after a fellow Anglican, Britain's foreign secretary Arthur James Balfour, set the groundwork for the creation of the Jewish state." The call for the "renewal of Anglican Zionism" came against this background, the unnamed author remarking that "Sadly, Anglican support for Israel has wavered since then." S/he then suggests that "Perhaps present Anglican censure of Israeli policies has its source in the [Anglican?] Church's expectations that the Jews, God's chosen people, live up to higher moral standards ... Perhaps it is the Christian tendency to come to the aid of the underdog ... But Williams's attitude does not reflect the best interests of his flock in this area, who benefit from the security Israel is seeking to attain and are vulnerable to the same ruthless violence that targets the Jewish state. Israel, with the security barrier, has taken essential steps to safeguard precisely the 'asylum,' the 'safe home' for the Jewish people 'in their native land,' that Balfour envisaged. And, hopefully with the support of intellectually honest allies, 'the full flowering of their genius will burst forth and propagate.'"

Another article in the same paper (November 4) looked at same issue, asking "Does the Anglican Church have an Israel problem?" Starting from the recent American Episcopal "Israel-Apartheid" conference in Boston, sponsored by the Episcopal Divinity School responsible for training many of the Church's future leaders, Rafael Medoff went back in history in order to demonstrate that the current climate is in direct opposition to Anglican and Episcopal positions prior and during the Holocaust. One of Rowan Williams's predecessors, William Temple, appointed to the office in 1942, "did not hesitate to take unpopular positions, such as urging the Allies to grant asylum to all Jewish refugees" - a stance which had a direct influence on Roosevelt's policies in the U.S. While most American Episcopal leaders failed to speak out publicly, the General Theological Seminary in New York and the Berkeley Divinity School in Connecticut were both "co-sponsors of an important 'Inter-Seminary Conference' ... held in New York City in early 1943 to discuss the Nazi mass murders." The Bergson Group, which lobbied for U.S. action to rescue Jews, also included a number of Episcopal leaders. Medoff concluded his historical review by stating that: "Today, as during the Holocaust, there are those within the Episcopal Church whose positions on issues of Jewish concern have raised troubling questions. But it is clear that there are other voices, as well."

According to a brief report in Haaretz (November 2), the Archbishop also called for the release of kidnapped soldiers Eldad Regev, Ehud Goldwasser, and Gilad Shalit in a joint statement issued with the chief rabbis.


Christians in Israel
Haaretz, November 5, 6, pp. 3, 11 (Hebrew and English editions), p. 28, November 8; Israel HaYom, November 6; HaShavua BiYerushalayim, November 1; Ma'ariv, November 6; Yediot Ahronot, November 6; Makor Rishon, November 2, 6; Jerusalem Post, November 6; Business Post, November 6, 2007

The latest developments in the scandal surrounding the Greek Orthodox Patriarch have seen the indictment of two of those involved, Yaakov Rabinowitz and David Morgenstern, for "forgery and fraud," in what the Jerusalem District court "described as 'one of the most sophisticated cases of real estate fraud in the state of Israel.'" The two men were convicted of forging the Patriarch's signature (at the time, Diodorus) and thereby stealing $20 million from the Jewish National Fund by illegally renewing the latter's lease on prime real estate property in Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh (Haaretz, The Marker, Yediot Ahronot, Jerusalem Business Post, Makor Rishon, and Israel HaYom, November 6). According to Haaretz (November 6), the court wrote in its decision, "The suspects cynically took advantage of the strong desire of the state authorities and the JNF to make long-term arrangements for the leasing of property in Jerusalem. The concern of the authorities, which had started to take shape, was that the renewal of the lease would not take place because of the political pressure on the patriarch from various sources in the Palestinian Authority."

Caroline Glick related to precisely this issue in an opinion piece in the Jerusalem Post (November 6) titled "Israel's anti-Zionist leaders." Her take on Theophilos' appointment was that his election "was the consequence of an anti-Jewish campaign of terror by Hamas and Fatah and the Jordanian government against the church and its leaders." As earlier reports have indicated, the Patriarch's position has recently become conditional upon the candidate's agreement not to sell any land to Jews - one of the primary reasons for the dismissal of Theophilos' predecessor (Ireneos). According to Glick, "After Ireneos was ejected from office, Theophilos immediately distinguished himself from his fellow clerics with his enthusiasm for barring Israel and Jews from using church lands. He secured Palestinian and Jordanian backing ahead of the elections by pledging to operate in accordance with Jordanian rather than Israeli law. Jordanian law prohibits all land sales to Jews." Last week's Knesset decision to finally approve Theophilos' appointment is therefore anything but a "simple matter," but embodies the anti-Zionist stance increasingly being adopted by Israel's own leaders: "By accepting Theophilos as Patriarch, Israel is siding with its enemies against itself. It is signaling to Israel's antagonists that terror and extortion continue to pay. Just as terror is viewed as the force which compelled Israel to vacate Gaza and south Lebanon, so in the case of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, Israel's enemies would be justified in believing that their decision to terrorize the church leadership and force it to embrace anti-Semitism and the jihadist aim of ethnic cleansing of Jews from the Holy Land was the right decision."

The Greek Orthodox church is also posing a traffic problem in the country. The high-technology tunnel road recently constructed between Nazareth and Nazareth Elit (Upper Nazareth) at a cost of 400 million dollars will remain closed until the dispute between the Israel National Roads Company (INRC) and the Greek Orthodox Church has been resolved. At issue is a junction which has apparently not been built according to the specification agreed upon by the latter, who provided a portion of the land on which the road has been constructed. At present, the Greek Orthodox church has issued an interim order forbidding the INRC from continuing work on the paving of the multi-lane highway - which, in replacing the old road which had gained the name the "wall of death" because of its dangerous condition, was hoped would significantly lower the current number of accidents and fatalities. The disputed length was due to include an elevated bridge and a roundabout facilitating access to a residential neighborhood where the church had plans to erect a commercial center. The church is claiming that instead of investing 60 million shekels to build the roundabout and junction, the INRC has erected an intersection with traffic lights at the mere cost of five million shekels. Although the INRC is arguing that this is a temporary measure, the "church is unwilling to compromise, fearing that the temporary will become permanent."

In a further church-related affair, HaShavua BiYerushalayim (November 1) reported that it had received information that four months ago Prime Minister Olmert signed an initial agreement with the Russian government according to which the Russian Compound and Sergei's Court in the center of Jerusalem, which belong to the latter, would be returned to it within a year. Figures involved in the negotiations allegedly informed the paper that the Russian Church is planning to construct a hotel for Russian pilgrims on the sites, closing it off to outsiders. The area currently houses the police headquarters, a museum commemorating Jewish underground fighters, the Ministry of Agriculture, and a hospital building. It has been leased to the Israeli government since it was bought by the Czar's family in the middle of the eighteenth century. According to reports from the Prime Minister's office, which confirmed the information received by the paper, the Israeli government will be compensated for the return of the property to the tune of 100 million dollars - a sum with which the government intends to build a new site to house the District Court. The Jerusalem municipality is calling the affair scandalous, it being unknown for a country to transfer strategic property in the heart of its capital to a foreign power. The proper course of action, in its eyes, would be to buy the property outright.

The "Nazareth cross" has recently received substantial backing from an internet company called "A-2-Z" (Haaretz, The Marker, November 8); (for the cross, see previous Reviews). Under the aegis of its international campaign for the project, a huge cross made of tiles will be erected in Nazareth. The tiles, to which a dedication may be added, will be sold to "believers through the internet" on eBay. A-2-Z is said to be planning an "analysis of Christian believers' activity on the internet" in order to identify the target population most likely to purchase the tiles.

Although not strictly within the purview of the Media Review, we have included here two articles on the situation of believers in Gaza. The first, in Haaretz (November 5), relates to the Christian exodus from the strip: "Since Hamas' domination of the Gaza Strip, the pressure on the tiny Christian community - 3,000 persons living in the middle of 1.5 million Muslims - has increased." The pressure recently took a turn toward violence when the manager of the only Christian bookshop in the city, Bible Society worker Rami Ayyad, was murdered a month ago. "It looked like another dwelling of mourners in Gaza. Rows of plastic chairs for the mourning family and their comforters. Colorful plastic wreaths leaning against the wall of the building, and a picture of a young man, pale - shaved in fact - and bespectacled, smiling hesitantly from the posters covering the walls. But the usual sight of the Al Aksa mosque wasn't visible in the pictures and the floral wreaths were accompanied by verses from the New Testament rather than from the Quran. The victim was a member of the Christian community in Gaza." The bookshop, run under the auspices of the Palestinian Bible Society, also functioned as an internet café where residents could receive computer lessons. Immediately following Hamas' overwhelming victory in the 2006 elections, a note was attached to the shop door demanding its instant closure. On October 6, Ayyad left the shop and didn't return home. His body was found the next day in one of the streets of the city; he had been shot in the head and stabbed in the chest, leaving a wife in the eighth month of her third pregnancy and two small children. Although up until now, despite its size, the Christian community has largely lived in harmony with its Muslim neighbors, the climate now seems to be changing: "Many Christians are planning to emigrate at the first opportunity."

This is also the headline of an article in Makor Rishon (November 2): "The Christians in Gaza want to leave." Here, too, the blame is laid at the feet of Hamas. Quoting the British Guardian, the paper claimed that "Hamas' victory is troubling not only to Israel and Bush but also to the Christian community in Gaza, who are saying that they will leave the city because they no longer see their future there following the victory of the fundamentalist Muslim organization." According to the report, Rami Ayyad was kidnapped by anonymous persons and then killed. "This murder exposed the fact that the Gaza Strip is not only 'Hamastan' politically and security-wise, but first and foremost religiously - an extremist fundamentalist Muslim entity. The most serious manifestation of this trend of Islamization in Gaza is the attacks on Christians. The Muslims hate Christians no less than they hate Jews."


The Pope and the Vatican
Jerusalem Post, November 7; Haaretz, November 7; Makor Rishon, November 7, 2007

All three of these articles dealt with the "first ever meeting between a pontiff and a reigning Saudi monarch" - King Abdullah's audience with Benedict XVI last Tuesday. Given Abdullah's position as "the protector of Islam's holiest sites," the Pope fulfilled expectations by raising the question of the "positive presence and work of Christians" in the kingdom and pressing the issue of the ban on open Christian worship and the building of churches (Jerusalem Post, November 7). The meeting came at the request of Abdullah, who is currently touring Europe, the Pope apparently responding as part of his effort to "reach out to all countries that still don't have diplomatic relations with the Holy See, which include Saudi Arabia and China." According to the reports, "The talks were 'warm' and allowed a wide discussion on the need for interreligious and intercultural dialogue among Christians, Muslims and Jews 'for the promotion of peace, justice and spiritual and moral values, especially in support of the family,' the Vatican said in a statement."


Christian Media
Haaretz, November 1, 2007

The continuing saga of Daystar's removal from HOT's cable package has reached the Supreme Court, which heard the former's complaint against the latter this week. The charge claims that while HOT gave the reason for the removal of the Christian broadcasting channel from its cable package as "religious pressure," Daystar has good reason to believe that the true reason lay with the coercion exerted on the cable company by the Orthodox Minister of Communication. In this context, the removal of the station constitutes, in Daystar's opinion, a violation of the freedom of expression: "We would not wish to imagine the possibility that in America Jewish broadcasting channels would be stopped on the grounds that their very existence impinges on the religious sensitivities of some of its citizens."


Christians in the Holocaust
HaModia, November 11, 2007

According to this report, an ancient Torah scroll, rescued from a synagogue in Cologne on Kristallnacht by a Lutheran pastor, has been restored - both physically and geographically. Gustav Meinertz saved the scroll and hid it in his own home. When the war ended, he returned it to survivors who came back to live in the city. The funds for its restoration were provided by the Archbishop of Cologne. It now resides in the new location of the synagogue, on Roosnstrasse.

October 23, 2007

Christian Zionism
Makor Rishon, October 12; HaShavua B'Yerushalayim, October 11; Hadashot Netanya, October 12; Haaretz, October 12, 15; Jerusalem Post, October 18, 2007

Haaretz (October 12) carried an article about the Christian Zionist Sukkot festivities in Jerusalem (see previous Reviews). Relating to Uri Lupolianski's decision not to participate, ICEJ Director Michael Hedding noted: "'We deeply regret that the mayor couldn't come down to see us here at Jerusalem's biggest annual tourist event. Of course, we all know why he didn't come,' he added, hinting at the Chief Rabbinate's ban" on all Jewish participation. "'The people who banned the event are motivated by ignorance and are working out of isolation. But the state is behind us, and religious figures too. We had prominent rabbis come here. Dudu Fisher even came to sing.' Other guests included the families of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, the two Israeli soldiers Hezbollah kidnapped last year." According to the report, "Palestinian Christians stayed away because to many of them, the pro-Zionist Evangelicals are ignoring their own brothers and sisters in Christ ... At the Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center Sabeel in East Jerusalem, such shows of support for Israel by fellow Christians are seen as a form of estrangement from the Palestinian community. 'This is the result of a right-wing highjacking of the evangelistic movement,' Sabeel spokesman Jonathan Kuttab told Haaretz this week."

In a separate report on the same page, the observance of the fifth annual Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem was noted - a ceremony conducted in Jerusalem and broadcast live in 192 countries. "'From small tribal villages in Africa, to the mega-churches of America, Christians around the world were united in prayer on Sunday to demonstrate their allegiance with the biblical command to pray for the peace of Jerusalem,' Robert Stearns, founder of the initiative, said."

Following the Christian Sukkot festivities, Jewish tempers were running hot. Mina Fenton, responsible for foreign relations in the Jerusalem municipal council and a fervent anti-missionary activist, wrote a letter to Makor Rishon (October 12) denouncing the paper's printing of a photo of "a large group of Christian pilgrims carrying a huge banner inscribed with the Tetragrammaton in large Hebrew letters." Her protest centered around the fact that this constitutes an expression of contempt for Judaism and its faith and that Christians believe that the Tetragrammaton is a "designation for 'that man' who is 'God-man and Messiah.'" She also objected to another banner, this one expressing "that man's reign over Jerusalem." Fenton's opinion was that the photo clearly indicated the marchers' true purpose: "The strengthening of their faith and the hastening of their vision, the exaltation of 'that man' precisely in the streets of Jerusalem, his reign over the city and the whole world, the preaching of the gospel from Jerusalem during the march, when thousands of Israeli Jews are cheering them." Fenton claimed that many missionary organizations participated in the march, including the "Messianic Jewish movements which believe in 'that man.'"

Fenton's efforts were further directed toward the dismissal of the director of the municipal authority's Sports Division, the person responsible for the organization of the Sukkot march (HaShavua B'Yerushalayim, October 11). Her claim is that the participation of a much larger number than actually registered constituted a violation of the law. Her true objection lies elsewhere, of course: In her eyes, "the march has turned in recent years into a tool of Christian pilgrims for their Christian-religious purposes which scorn and trample upon the sacred objects of the Jewish people and its faith." The fact that such missionary activity has been allowed to flourish is despicable - and someone must pay.

Attitudes were very different in Netanya, where the city's hotels were filled with Christian pilgrims over Sukkot (Hadashot Netanya, October 12). Special events were organized for the predominantly Swedish and German tourists, who enjoyed a folklore evening in one of the hotels and another in Beit Yochanan with the participation of a Swedish choir.

The Jerusalem Post (October 18) reported on the 6,000-strong twenty-sixth evangelical "Night to Honor Israel" in San Antonio, Texas, organized by John Hagee this week. While some Jewish circles have grave reservations regarding Christian Zionists, this evening was apparently marked by complete unanimity: "If there was one thing missing from the evening, it was nuance. Everyone spoke in superlatives, from Hagee to Jewish talk-show host and keynote speaker Dennis Prager to the Israeli government representatives," while a "common thread" also ran throughout the night: "'Jews look around the world today,' the pastor [Hagee] said, 'searching for allies. You look at the United Nations, that new Tower of Babel. You look to Europe, where the specter of Hitler walks anew. You look to the universities, with their professors backed by Arab money. A new Holocaust seems around the corner. You feel alone. But on behalf of 50 million Evangelicals,' he finished, to shouts of 'Amen' and wild applause, 'I tell you: Israel is not alone!'"

On a different note, Haaretz (October 15) devoted a lengthy article to the German kosher beer "Simcha," whose market success appears to growing in leaps and bounds (see previous Reviews). Objections to its sale are being raised, however, due to claims that while the beer itself might technically be kosher, "'those who are selling it are definitely not. They have contacts with Messianic organizations in Germany and Israel,' says Haim Guski, who writes of the missionary roots of 'Simcha' in his blog Sprachkasse, which documents Jewish life in Germany." It appears that one of the partners in the company producing the beer is Wilfried Guther, owner of a store selling Christian literature, who "identifies himself as a Christian Zionist and as the leader of the organization 'Friends of Israel in Saxony' ... a German Christian evangelical pro-Israel organization." Guther himself argues that the beer has no connection with any missionary activity: "He hopes that the beer will 'demonstrate to Germany the positive side of Israelis' and believes that the dialog between the two states will be conducted more successfully over a mug of beer rather than a glass of water. 'Beer is good for conversation,' he explains." Originally from East Germany, after the fall of the Berlin wall Guther visited Israel before he did West Germany. He plans to donate a percentage of the revenues from Simcha's sales to charities in Israel.


Christian Tourism
Yediot Ahronot, October 15; Yediot Yerushalayim, October 12, 2007

Even if beer is better than water for conversation, holy water is still one of the central attractions for Christian pilgrims. Unfortunately, the water in Mary's well in Ein Karem is currently being contaminated with sewage from local houses not yet connected to the city's system. According to a report in Yediot Yerushalayim (October 12), "Mary's well is considered to be one of the most important tourist sites. According to Christian tradition, Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, met Mary, Yeshu's mother, right next to the well - and thence its name. Christians regard the water from the well as holy and pilgrims from all over the world who come to the place fill bottles from it." Despite the sewage problem, pilgrims are apparently still continuing to visit the site.

Similar bottles of holy water are causing unanticipated problems for the Vatican's new airline: security regulations prohibit the taking of bottles of water on flights (Yediot Ahronot, October 15). Vatican officials are currently consulting with security experts in an attempt to resolve the issue. "Without the holy water from the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan, the pilgrims won't be completely happy," a Vatican official was quoted as stating.


Christians in Israel
Tzomet HaSharon, October 12; Ma'ariv, October 12, 2007

In a rather ironic turn of events, foreign workers in Israel seeking a place in which to worship have been offered the use of the local synagogue (Tzomet HaSharon, October 12). Following the destruction of the building in Kfar Shmaryahu where they were accustomed to worshipping, the workers met to pray in one of its public buildings. Their request to continue to do so was turned down by the local council: "The council does not possess any places of worship. There's a synagogue which serves all the streams of Judaism and is run by the religious council."

According to a report in Ma'ariv (October 12), the church of Mivdad Netofa in the Galilee was originally presided over by Father Ya'akov, who bought the site for the Catholic Church in the 1950s. The Dutch priest survived the Nazi invasion of his homeland and "arrived in Israel with the church's blessing. As a lover of Israel, he chose to purchase the land on the top of the hill as a hermit's residence. The good-willed Father adopted the members of all the faiths around him." Upon his death, and in accordance with his wishes that his legacy should be continued, the site has been occupied by three monks and seven nuns from the Silesian Order in Beit Jamal near Beit Shemesh and the church in Bethlehem.


The Pope and the Vatican
Israel HaYom, October 14, 2007

According to this brief report, the Vatican is set to publicize "disturbing testimonies concerning the period of the crusades ... which are expected to expose a period of sins, adulteries, lies, and intrigues during the pilgrimage to the Holy Land at the end of the middle ages."


Film
Ma'ariv, October 14, 2007

Meir Shnitzer reviewed Raphael Nadjari's film "Psalms" (Israel, 2007) in Ma'ariv (October 14). The film focuses on an Orthodox Jewish family in Jerusalem whose father figure, Eli, suddenly disappears, and his son Menachem's efforts to trace him. Jerusalem and a lost father serve as two of the central motifs and, as Shnitzer states, one needs to "reacquaint oneself with the biblical sources which constitute its basis" in order to understand the movie. Shnitzer implies that the film intends to juxtapose the "father of Christianity" with the father of an Orthodox Jewish family. He suggests a parallelism between Eli's family and Yeshua on the grounds of Jesus' last words on the cross in Hebrew/Aramaic - "my God, my God (Eli, Eli)" - by associating this utterance with the family's mourning, reciting such psalms as "I cry aloud with my voice to the LORD; I make supplication with my voice to the LORD" (Ps. 142:1) and Menachem's feeling of abandonment: "Daddy Eli, why have you forsaken me?" According to the review, the crucifixion represents Jesus' loneliness - reflected in Eli's family's "orphanhood" when he disappears. Shnitzer asserts that the film's central scene is an outstanding example of the "complexity of the interfaith dialog" the film embodies: "The son, Menachem, stands in the heart of Jerusalem distributing books of the Psalms to passersby and attempting to persuade them to pray by means of a financial enticement which he waves in front of their faces. An action in complete contradistinction to that which Yeshua performed when he came to Jerusalem on the eve of his crucifixion and overturned the tables of the moneychangers in the Temple courts because they were replacing prayer with financial business." Although the review is somewhat obscure, it is clear that Shnitzer himself is very knowledgeable about Christianity and the New Testament.

October 10, 2007

Missionary and Anti-Missionary Activity
Makor Rishon, September 23; HaShavua B'Yerushalayim, September 20; Al HaMakom, September 23 pp. 10, 12; HaZofeh, September 26; Jerusalem Post, September 24, 2007

Al HaMakom (September 23, p. 10) and HaZofeh (September 26) both carried the story of the anonymous Messianic Jew who allegedly renounced his faith (see previous Reviews).

A review article by Rabbi Shlomo Aviner entitled "The Christian enemy - the eternal enemy," which was published in Makor Rishon (September 23), surveys the history of Christian missionizing. Starting from Augustine and John Chrysostom, Aviner moved on to Vatican II which, he argued, may have exempted the Jews from the collective guilt of Jesus' death, but then "transferred it to the Jewish leaders, i.e., the Sanhedrin, i.e., the pharisians [sic], which as we all know represents the insult par excellence for Christians." Aviner continued to list the "sins" of the Catholic Church: "Behind this gesture [of the Nostre Aetate] lies the pro-Arab Catholic policy hidden under the guise of neutrality, its support of terror organizations under the guise of justice [tzedek] and humanitarianism, and the rest of its duplicitous ways of undermining the stability of the State of Israel." The Protestants fare no better. While they may not openly shed Jewish blood, their affection - as expressed in the form of Christian Zionism - is like a bear hug which "swallows its prey." The Protestant goal is the annihilation of the Jewish people through a "general anesthetic, i.e., apostasy." According to Aviner, there are eight thousand full-time missionaries in Israel, with another "several tens of thousands" part-time workers. The rabbi focuses much of his attention on the International Christian Embassy, an "umbrella organization" which includes "many other organizations, especially the Messianic Jews who, according to reliable figures, number around 15,000 in the country, some of them apostates (information about all of these may be found on Yad L'Achim's web site)." He concludes: "We thought that we had got rid of them [the missionaries]. We thought that they were our friends [the Christian Zionists]. We were wrong. The Jews are our friends, not the Messianic Jews - but true and innocent Jews."

Two further articles, in Al HaMakom (September 23, p. 12) and HaShavua B'Yerushalayim (September 20), covered the Chief Rabbinate's ban on all Jewish participation in the Christian Sukkot celebrations (see previous Review). The first reported that "the estimate for the extent of the [Messianic Jewish] movement today stands at 15,000 Jews who have converted and are members of 'Messianic Jewish' congregations [kehilot] (according to the book Facts & Myths [original in English]). The essence of their activity is the distortion of the Jewish significance and basis of the Torah, the Bible, and the festivals, and their being made over in a Christian image." HaShavua B'Yerushalayim raised the familiar issue of why the International Convention Center should be allowed to stubbornly insist on hosting the "missionary" events, which were due to include "well-known missionaries, Messianic Jews, Maoz, Tikkun, Dugit, Ebenezer, and Mishkan" - all of which organizations "deliberately make use of Jewish names which cause many to fall into their trap." (Al HaMakom also includes "Jehovah's Witnesses" in this list.) According to this report, despite the rabbinic ban on Jewish participation, the well-known singer and cantor Dudu Fisher accepted an invitation to attend, asserting that "he was participating in the event with the approval of his rabbi and even gave the rabbi's name to those who asked him for it." The paper claimed that when it turned to the rabbi itself, he denied having given permission to anyone to participate and became very angry when he learned that his name was being mentioned in such a context. [Editor's note: It would appear that these articles gained access to a list of Messianic ministries in Israel which includes a printing house, a coffee shop, and a care home for the elderly. Mishkan is a theological journal published by the Pasche Institute of Jewish Studies in cooperation with Caspari Center, and we can unequivocally state that neither Mishkan nor Caspari Center had any role in the Sukkot celebrations organized by the International Christian Embassy. Facts and Myths About the Messianic Congregations in Israel was published by the UCCI, in conjunction with Caspari Center, in 1999. It gives a figure of around 5,000 for the total number in the Messianic congregations in Israel at that time. There is no agreement on the number of Messianic believers today; 15,000 is most likely an unrealistically high number.]

The Jerusalem Post of September 24 printed two letters in relation to Christian Zionism. The first, from Haim Lerner in Ganei Tikva, related to the Zion Oil & Gas company's drilling, claiming that "the relatively paltry sum of $650,000 does not counter the countless generations of suffering and death of our ancestors in the name of Christianity." The second, from Josef Gilboa, reflects a positive Jewish attitude towards Christian Zionism along with an anti-Orthodox stance: "After encouraging a potentially disastrous shmita boycott of Jewish agriculture, the Rabbinate is now attacking the last large constituency in the world that unconditionally supports the Zionist idea, the Evangelicals. It's time to ask the haredi leaders and their allies just what side they are on ... The rabbis fear that ignorant Jews may be tempted by these missionaries; but they should first consider how their policies have made Judaism so unpalatable to so many Jews, who then seek spiritual comfort in foreign cultures."


Christian Zionism
Haaretz, October 2; Yediot Ahronot, October 1; Makor Rishon, October 1; Israel HaYom, September 30; Jerusalem Post, September 23; Ma'ariv, September 30, 2007

Five of these pieces welcomed the phenomenon of Christian Zionism, whose origins in nineteenth-century Britain Elyakim Ha'etzni reviewed in his article in Yediot Ahronot (October 1), which he concluded by blessing the pilgrims: "May you enter our sukka in peace, dear friends. May God grant that people like you may increase greatly." One article (Makor Rishon, October 1) reported on the "rival" celebrations held by the ICZC in Tel Aviv, under Jan Wilhem Van der Hoeven's directorship. The 500 participants were due to march around the government offices in Tel Aviv "as a sign of identification with the IDF and security forces," and then gather for a "convention of support" in Dizengoff Center.

The sixth piece (Haaretz, October 2) reported on developments concerning the establishment of a Christian "spiritual center" in the Galilee (see previous Reviews). Originally initiated by evangelicals, with the support of the former Minister of Tourism, Avraham Hirshson, the project has gradually lost momentum. It is now apparently being revived through the support of new investors who wish to turn the center into a generally Christian - rather than specifically evangelical - site, attuned to "experience" rather than "spirituality." The new center, due to be built on 12 dunams of land at the north end of the Sea of Galilee, will include "a interactive information center, a center for direct television broadcasting from the Sea of Galilee, a travel-guide center for routes of 'the Land of Yeshu,' and more." The center will be surrounded by a park which will contain "trails, water points, seating areas, and prayer corners for sites from the New Testament." The article also contained a brief definition of "evangelicals" for its readers: "Evangelists [the Hebrew term for evangelicals] are a designation for a group of Protestant churches, mostly American. These Christian streams emphasize the idea of 'new birth,' believe in the struggle against Satan, and hold radical right-wing views. Their strong belief in the Bible leads them to fervent support of the State of Israel on the basis of their belief that they must hasten the battle of Gog and Magog. Evangelical preachers have a great influence on top executives in Bush's administration."


Christians in Israel
Yediot Ahronot, September 24, 2007

This piece reported on the unfortunate death of a five-year-old girl in Zichron Ya'akov, whose parents belong to a German Christian group apparently called "Beth-El." The group was begun by Emma Berger in 1963, who came to the country convinced that Armageddon would occur in 2000 and that Israel was the safest place to be at that time. It now numbers around 700, mostly in Zichron Ya'akov and Binyamina, and operates a factory named "Noah's Ark" which manufactures filter systems against chemical, biological, and atomic weapons. The event made the news because the parents do not believe in the use of medical treatment. Most regrettably, while they do allow such treatment to be administered in emergencies, their daughter had already died by the time the ambulance and paramedics arrived.


Christian Sites
Yediot Ahronot, September 24, 2007

In a piece on Banias, in the north of the country, Yediot Ahronot (September 24) noted that "Christian pilgrims are very moved here when they laud one of the most significant events in Christianity which occurred at Banias. Here Peter said to Yeshu: 'You are the Messiah, Son of the living God,' and at that time [Yeshua] bestowed upon him the keys of the kingdom of heaven."


Interfaith Activity
Jerusalem Post, September 21; Kol-Bo, September 26, 2007

The Jerusalem Post (September 21) printed an article on the appearance of a unique "'multi-faith' Jewish renewal gathering" in Jerusalem. "Nava Tehilla" is a Jewish synagogue open to people of all faiths: "Co-founder Michael Kagan stresses that Nava Tehilla is not an 'interfaith' minyan. 'We're not taking a bit of Christianity and Muslim prayer, adding a Buddhist meditation and doing some Jewish stuff. We do a completely Jewish Friday night service and invite people from all faiths to share in the prayer.'" According to the piece, "Nava Tehilla draws its eclectic congregation from a funky mix of New Age-inspired Jews - both Anglos and veteran Israelis, secular and religious - who come from as far away as Tel Aviv and Beersheba; several Western-leaning Muslim Sufi sheikhs; and a Catholic order of nuns known as the Beatitudes who live near Latrun in the center of the country and regularly attend Jewish services around Jerusalem."

According to a report in Kol-Bo (September 26), the prestigious Reali school in Haifa is due to open a new institute in the coming school year - "an international center for education, tolerance, and peace, which will unite under one framework activities which are already taking place around the school." The board created to advise and supervise the new center will include Archbishop Dr. Elias Chacour, Prof. Feisel Azeiza from the Jewish-Arab Center at Haifa University, Prof. Baruch Nevo of Haifa University and the Institute for Demography in Jerusalem, and Dahlia Dorner, a retired Supreme Court judge and herself a graduate of the school.


Anti-Semitism
Ma'ariv, September 30, 2007

A disturbing article in Ma'ariv (September 30) reported on the experiences of a Jewish soldier in the American army, who discovered that it is gradually becoming a fundamental Christian stronghold. When he told his fellow soldiers that he was Jewish he became known as that "****ing Jew" and was accused of killing Christ. He also found that watching Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ was obligatory, together with the playing of computer games which portray an American soldier in Iraq whose duty is to destroy any non-Christian - Muslim or Jew. Weinstein, who has become the object of hate and death threats on account of his organization, "Military Freedom of Religion," claims that "these games blur the distinction between Muslim fanatics and Christian fanatics." According to him, "The American army is totally infected by radical Christians who receive support from their leaders and from people in positions of power."

August 29, 2007

Index HaGalil, August 10; Haaretz, August 20; Yediot Tveria, August 10, 2007

All three papers carried the story of the findings of an archaeological excavation carried out on behalf of the Mekorot water company, which is seeking to run a new sewage pipe through Tiberias. Excavations are required by law in such cases, and the results this time around have been very impressive. A Byzantine church was discovered in the heart of the city, with colorful mosaics which included crosses. The presence of the latter indicates that the church predates 427, when the Church forbade crosses in floor mosaics since it considered the fact that they would be walked on dishonoring to the symbol. The dating also provides evidence that the Jewish city did not prevent Christians from erecting religious edifices during this period, as historians have argued up until now. Three dedicatory inscriptions were found in Greek, one of which read: "Save the soul of your servant, our Lord." Another mosaic contains the alpha and omega - "one of the designations of Yeshu." Other archaeological findings prove that Tiberias was already inhabited during the Bronze Age.

According to Haaretz (August 20), the first church in Tiberias was erected at the instigation of one Joseph, a Jewish believer who "diligently promoted the Christian faith in the middle of the fourth century in the lower Galilee." This Joseph drew the attention of Constantine, who gave him the title "komes" (count), and the authority to build churches. The incident is related by Epiphanius, who states that Joseph eventually constructed a small church in Tiberias before moving on to greater edifices in Beit Shean, Tzippori (Sefforis), and Capernaum. These findings are therefore probably not of Joseph's building, but archaeologists do suggest that they witness to the first Christian construction in the city.

August 14, 2007

Shishi BeGolan, August 3, 2007

This season's excavations have come to an end at Bethesda, with new findings related to the Iron Age gate of the city as well as the plaza in front of it. According to Dr. Rami Arav, the excavation's director, "In the area next to the gate, we found parts of the main street that led into the city from the gate. On this paved road, from the ninth century B.C.E., we plan to lead visitors to the site from the gate."

July 31, 2007

Makor Rishon, July 20, 2007

Arieh Morgenstern of the Shalem Center has published a new book on The Return to Jerusalem (Shalem, no date). Morgenstern's field of expertise is the history of modern Jewish Messianic movements, and this book falls into that category due to the fact that a large part of Jerusalem's revival in the nineteenth century was due to the arrival of the followers of the Gaon of Vilna, who explicitly viewed their settlement in the city as the "beginning of the redemption." The book covers the interaction between the city's growing Ashkenazi community and British missionaries (from the London Society for the Promotion of Christianity Among the Jews) - the latter being seen by the former as possessing diplomatic influence that could be wielded in defense of the Jewish community.

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July 25, 2007