The Media Review is an English-language synopsis of articles that were originally published in the Israeli press. The articles, most of which were written in Hebrew, focus on Messianic Jews and Christianity. This synoptic translation is a Caspari Center exclusive. The Media Review reports what was said in the press irrespective of its accuracy, and the information does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Caspari Center. On occasion the editor includes explanatory matter in brackets, preceeded by the words [Editor’s note:].

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During the week covered by this review, we received 23 articles on the subjects of Messianic Jews, attitudes towards Christianity, Christian Zionism, Christians in Israel, the pope, and archaeology. Of these:

9 dealt with Messianic Jews

2 dealt with attitudes towards Christianity

1 dealt with Christian Zionism

7 dealt with Christians in Israel

2 dealt with the Pope

2 dealt with archaeology

This week's Review continues to focus on Pnina Konforti's struggle to regain her kashrut license, together with events and themes related to Christmas.

Jerusalem Post, December 22; HaShavua BeAshdod, December 18; HaShabbat BeNetanya, December 18; Mishpacha, December 24; Yom l'Yom, December 24; Yediot Ashdod, December 25; Zman HaDarom, December 25; Chadshotei HaSharon, December 18; Din veCheshbon - Netanya and Surroundings, December 11, 2009

In response to Pnina Konforti's appeal to the High Court of Justice to find the Ashdod rabbinate in contempt of its ruling to restore her kashrut license to her, the court "on Monday ordered the Jew for Jesus owner ... to apply for a new kashrut license instead of expecting the justices to immediately find the rabbinate in contempt of court for failing to implement a ruling issued in June ... In its response, the Rabbinate argued that the certificate had to be renewed each year and, therefore, Conforty should submit a new application. But [Eliad] Shraga [Konforti's lawyer] said that the Rabbinate's position was a ruse meant to buy time and avoid implementing the ruling." The justices stated that Konforti must "'submit a formal application including the promise to fulfill all the regular conditions and you will receive an answer. We will be able to adjudicate the case on the basis of that answer, if, indeed, there will be a need to.' The attorneys for the Rabbinate would not promise to approve the application. Attorney Hani Ofek, representing the Chief Rabbinate, told the court that Conforty must apply to the Ashdod Rabbinate. If she were not satisfied with its response, she could appeal to the Chief Rabbinate. Her colleague, attorney Eyal Nun, demanded that the petitioners drop their action altogether ... Meanwhile, all three haredi dailies - Yated Ne'eman, Hamevaser and Hamodia - published a notice signed by more than 100 regional and settlement rabbis giving their full support to [chief Ashdod rabbi] Sheinen against the High Court." In a similar report, Yom L'Yom (December 24) stated that while the court had ignored the charge of contempt, it had "ruled that the kashrut license will be given within thirty days by R. Sheinin or the Chief Rabbinate." Mishpacha (December 24) quoted Sheinin as saying that Pnina Konforti is refusing to accept the rabbinic ruling that a bakery run by convert must have a kashrut overseer present whenever the business is open because of the cost - and that he was very satisfied with the court's decision.

Yediot Ashdod (December 25) noted that, prior to the date of the hearing, Sheinin had sent a personal announcement to those praying in synagogues throughout Ashdod on Erev Shabbat (Friday evening), asking them to pray on behalf of an "exalted purpose: the trial between him and the owner of a bakery in the matter of her kashrut license. Some of the worshipers did not know what he was speaking about, but most did and understood. On Monday of this week, it would appear that the public prayer had been answered." This report stated that the High Court had ruled that the Chief Rabbinate will impose the task of granting the license, within a month, upon another rabbi, a decision which Sheinin greeted with satisfaction, claiming that it alleviated his task. "According to him, it does not matter to him that someone else does the work instead of him, and he does not see the ruling as impinging on his authority. The most important thing is that the ruling which obligated him to violate his faith - a ruling which he ignored for half a year - has been altered." "And what about Konforti? It seems that she still faces numerous bureaucratic obstacles. Sheinin: 'The representative of the Chief Rabbinate argued that she has to renew her application. Only this week did she submit a proper request.'" The remainder of this lengthy article was devoted to a review of Sheinin's controversial career, which includes the making of such public statements as that the tsunami in Thailand - and all other natural disasters, including the kassam rockets - only happen for Israel's sake, to bring her to repent, as well as the denunciation of Christmas and New Years celebrations in the country.

In contrast, Zman HaDarom (December 25) thought that "Pnina Konforti ... could let herself smile on Monday this week, after the Supreme Court ruled that that the Chief Rabbinate must appoint a rabbi within a month to grant a kashrut license to the bakery she runs, in replacement of the Chief Rabbi of Ashdod, R. Joseph Sheinin, who put obstacles in Konforti's way due to her being a Messianic Jew." It further quoted part of the court's ruling, to the effect that, "'In the case before us, the conduct of the rabbinic council and the council in Ashdod arouses a very bad feeling, to say the least. It indicates that, in as far as the matter lies in their hands, only someone who is Jewish can receive the desired kashrut license. Such conduct is unreasonable and unethical, and cannot be encouraged.'" The article thus asserted that, "the stringency [of an ever-present kashrut overseer] proposed by R. Sheinin was disqualified" and that, since he will not grant her a new license under any other conditions, "the responsibility for bestowing it will be placed on the table of the Chief Rabbinate in Israel."

HaShavua BeAshdod (December 18) reported earlier stages of the case, stating that the Chief Rabbi, Shlomo Amar, had called on Knesset members to introduce a bill preventing the Supreme Court from intervening in matters of kashrut, while Chadshotei HaSharon (December 18) also covered the meeting held in Ashdod in support of Joseph Sheinin (see also HaShabbat BeNetanya, December 18).

Following a recent article concerning Stuart Ganolin (see December 16 Media Review), Din veCheshbon - Netanya and Surroundings (December 11) is worth quoting at length: "In recent weeks, the affair of Stuart Ganolin has gained momentum following claims by Yad L'Achim that Ganolin is nothing other than a Christian missionary. Following the eruption of the affair last week with the full and exclusive report in Din veCheshbon, with a full and objective review, I was invited this week to meet with Binyamin, Moshe, and Yossi, who are behind the revelation of the information concerning Stuart Ganolin. The meeting was hosted by Ze'ev Moshe Pisem, known as a peace seeker and a keeper of many commandments. In it, I was presented with a lot of evidence that Stuart has connections with missionary bodies across the world, but none that conclusively proved that he is a missionary or a Christian. 'Why don't you meet with Stuart and Kobi Vaknin [from 'Hope for Sederot'] and present this evidence to them?' I suggested in great innocence. 'I think that's an excellent idea,' Pisem responded, thus leaving the young lads with no choice. The meeting was set to be held at the offices of Din ve-Cheshbon in the presence of anyone wishing to attend. I phoned Kobi Vaknin from 'Hope for Sederot' and asked if he would come to such a meeting. 'Of course,' he said. 'We have nothing to hide.' At a late evening hour, Kobi and Stuart arrived at the offices of Din veCheshbon, directly followed by Binyamin, Moshe, and Yossi, members of Yad L'Achim. The charged meeting began with friendly handshakes, after which the Yad L'Achim members began to hurl serious accusations at Stuart. 'Why do you receive funds from Christian missionary organizations such as the 'Joshua Fund'? they asked. 'Money has no religion. Money is just money, and their aims don't interest us. They never got the names of the needy and never spoke with them,' replied Ganolin and Vaknin. 'Are you faithful to Yeshua?' they asked Stuart. 'No,' he replied. ... R. Moshe Ze'ev Pisem participated in the meeting and heard the two sides. He is accepted by both parties as a higher authority and thus they honored his words and his presence. After Ganolin and Vaknin were presented with the 'proofs' gathered by Yad L'Achim, the former replied to all the claims with full and non-evasive answers. Binyamin and Moshe asked to speak with Pisem alone in order to reach a final decision. Following a twenty minute private conversation, Binyamin exited with the verdict: 'Stuart Ganolin, whether he is a missionary or not, is the most honest person I have ever met. At the moment, we are 75% convinced that he is Jewish and not a missionary.' R. Moshe Ze'ev Pisem heard these words and gave a smile. 'That's the end of the affair,' he said. After another twenty minutes of private conversation, Binyamin and Moshe came out of the room, also in smiles. 'If he is a liar, he is the best liar I've met in my life. We believe that he is not a missionary and not [sic] a Jew.' For the purposes of a video, the latter asked Stuart to declare in front of those present and the Yad L'Achim transcriber that he rejects Yeshua, may his name and memory be blotted out. Here the disturbing affair effectively ended, and Stuart Ganolin was recognized by Yad L'Achim as a Jew born to a Jew and as a person whose whole goal is to perform God's commandments and to help those in need and the victims of terror. A good end."

In laying out the background to the affair, the report states that, in response to Yad L'Achim's allegations, Ganolin wrote the organization a letter denying the charges: "'I was born as a Jew and I shall die as a Jew. I grow a beard because I don't like shaving, and the yarmulke and fringes [I wear] I received as a present from members of 'Hope for Sederot' at a Hanukkah party last year. I understand your fear, but you should know that I have no intention of stealing Jewish souls.' At Yad L'Achim, they ignored Ganolin's letter" - as well as one from Rabbi Steven L. Silver confirming Ganolin's Jewish heritage, on the grounds that his congregation accepts homosexuals and lesbians and therefore "its objectivity is in doubt." Vaknin is reported as lamenting the opposition to his organization and its work in the wake of the affair, despite the fact that many of Sederot's residents have written to thank them for their help.

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Haaretz, December 25; Yediot Ahronot, December 24, 2009

In his regular Haaretz column this week (December 25), Michael Handelzalts was somewhat understandably drawn to a Christian/Christmas theme: "... since [Jesus'] birth (which probably took place more than 2,009 years ago) is being commemorated by Christians around the world today, this is a fitting time to investigate the origins of the words 'old' and 'new' as used adjectivally with 'testament' ... Whose last will and testament is the Bible supposed to be? ... assuming that we are talking about his (her?) testament - and that there is actually an old one and a new one - how can we be sure which is really the last one? Who are the executors and the heirs of this will, and what is the inheritance? Maybe the Koran is actually the last will and testament? ... The first mention of 'old' and 'new' testaments, in reference to collections of sacred writings, was by Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus (ca. 160 - ca. 220 C.E.). Known in English as Tertullian, he was a prolific and controversial early Christian Berber author, born in Carthage, and the first to write Christian Latin literature. But he based his Latin writings on Greek translations of the Scriptures, and his distinction between novum (new) and vetus (old) testament was based on the Greek concept of diatheke, which means both 'covenant' and 'will, testament.' That concept is first found in the Septuagint (the Greek version of the Hebrew Bible), in the book of Jeremiah 38:31 (in the Greek version; in the Hebrew and English version, it is 31:31). Jeremiah lived in the seventh and sixth centuries B.C.E., and warned the people of Israel - in vain - not to take up arms against Babylon. As it is written (Jeremiah 31:31-4) ... in the original Hebrew version of this passage the expression used is brit hadasha - literally, 'new covenant' - which is also used in reference to the New Testament, or Christian Bible (which incidentally cannot be bought in Hebrew at any bookshop in Israel although it is distributed free by local Christian organizations). So it all started with the prophet Jeremiah. And it is interesting to note that the new covenant he mentions is not conditional on the people's behavior, but is an everlasting agreement. Furthermore, it is to be inscribed in peoples' hearts, thus making all priests and preachers superfluous, as it were, and dispensing with the need for religious institutions, such as the Church that evolved later, since every man and woman can legitimately interpret the covenant. The birth of Jesus commemorated on Christmas Day is a result of virginal conception by Mary ... Ben Sira was the son of Jeremiah's daughter - and the fruit of virginal conception. Since she was virtuous and could not have sinned, the assumption was that she fell pregnant while immersing herself in a ritual bath, by the seed of a male who bathed in it beforehand ... To make a short story long, it is possible to see in Ben Sira's book a later, Jewish parody of the story of the virginal conception of Jesus, which is the cause for worldwide celebration today. And this is a fitting coda to our discussion of the new covenant - a term first used in the Old Testament."

For their part, Dudi Goldman and Danny Spector set out to discover the traditions surrounding the date of Christmas (Yediot Ahronot, December 24). Their exploration took them to January 1, the date on which the new year is now celebrated. In the past, however, this event was for many years ascribed to March 25, "since the Christian calendar is not calculated from Yeshu's birth but from Miriam's conception. Thus, if Yeshu was born on December 25, nine months earlier falls on March 25 - the date which Dionysius the Little determined as the beginning of the Christian era ... And if the beginning of the year and Yeshu's birth fall on December 25, what does January 1 mark? As proper for a good Jew, it is the day, of course, on which he was circumcised, eight days after he was born."

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Jerusalem Post, December 25, 2009

The International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem was recently approached by the UNHCR (UN Commission on Human Rights) "about a young Egyptian Christian in a Beersheba jail cell." The person in question was Majed El Shafie, who converted from Islam to Christianity in his native Egypt when he was eighteen, and subsequently "'wrote a book about the differences between Islam and Christianity which soon caused me to be arrested and imprisoned. There were three charges. The first charge was that I was trying to make a revolution against the Egyptian government. The second charge was that, because I was seeking equal rights for Christians, I was accused of trying to change the state religion to Christianity. The third charge was that I worshipped Jesus. So in fact I looked at the judge and I said, "Guilty as charged."'" Following imprisonment and torture, and lengthy hospitalization, Shafie escaped from house arrest and made his way to the Sinai, finally managing to cross to Eilat across the gulf. "'I asked for asylum. I was handed over to the Israeli police and they locked me up again - in the Beersheba jail' ... Malcolm Hedding, [ICEJ's] executive director, recalls, 'Majed gave his story to the authorities and applied for asylum in Israel on the grounds of religious persecution in Egypt. His plight was eventually brought to our attention. The Israeli authorities agreed that Majed was not a criminal and could be placed in our custody on condition that certain guarantees would be furnished by us to the relevant Israeli immigration authorities and security agencies. We provided them. We then officially employed him, gave him lodging and food and integrated him into our staff. At the same time we entered into discussions with the UNHCR and Amnesty International concerning Majed's future. Eventually the Canadian Embassy in Tel Aviv was contacted about the possibility of Majed being repatriated to that country.' Finally in 2002 Majed got approval to enter Canada. The ICEJ Canadian branch continued to support him for two years. Since that time, Shafie has been ordained as a Christian minister and has launched One Free World, his human rights organization. Shafie's December trip to Israel was, in part, a gesture of thanks to a country that gave him a new beginning. He also took the opportunity to affirm his personal support of Israel as a free nation and to take a stand, in solidarity with Israel, against anti-Semitism."

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Haaretz, December 22, 25 (x 3); Jerusalem Post, December 25 (x 2); Yediot haGalil, December 25, 2009

Haaretz (December 25) provided some details of Christmas celebrations across the country. Under the headline, "No snow, but Christmas in Jaffa is jolly all the same," it reported on the festivities being held at the French embassy for staff, which were followed several days later by Jaffa's Christmas procession, organized by the city's Greek Orthodox Scouts: "The children - most of them Arab except for three Philippine girls accompanied by their mothers - wore Santa costumes." A second article, entitled "Bethlehem Christmas isn't all merry as celebrants protest Israeli presence," noted, "The top Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land delivered Christmas wishes yesterday for peace in the Middle East - and prayed for the day when Israel would withdraw from the Palestinian territories" - together with the fact that "the municipality has chosen the festive season to begin a major infrastructure improvement project" around the Old City's Jaffa Gate, the municipality claiming that "the work was being carried out in a way that allowed celebrants to hold their traditional processions ... 'in full coordination with the heads of the Christian communities' through the mayor's adviser on Christian denominations. 'The project will take about a year and a half and will span all holidays on the calendar,' the city said."

Under the headline "Santa's here," an article in honor of the holiday in Yediot HaGalil (December 25) reported on celebrations in Nazareth, prefacing the coverage with a note that, "According to the Christian tradition, Yeshu was born to the virgin Mary in Bethlehem on the site where the Church of the Nativity now stands. Christians believe that Yeshu's birth constitutes the fulfillment of the biblical prophecies about the coming of the Messiah from the house of David, who will redeem the world from its sin and bridge the gap between God and man." A Muslim Arab interviewed stated that nearly everyone in Nazareth joins in the holiday spirit - Christians, Muslims, "'I even know some Jews for whom it's a holiday.'"

In response to the question, "What is your favorite Christmas tradition?" asked of different Christians living in Israel, David Pileggi, rector of Christ Church, answered, "The act of getting ready. I know it's not a concrete tradition like a food or song. In our community, we encourage people to treat this not only as a celebration, but to treat it as a time they can become more spiritual and closer to God. It affords the opportunity not just for fun and presents, but also to deepen our spiritual commitment. And I love the music. It's just wonderful around Christmas." An Ethiopian working in the fruit and vegetable market responded: "The whole courtyard of the Ethiopian Church [in the city center] is filled with people. There are thousands of Ethiopians living all over the world who come to pray here. At Christmas, the church is totally at capacity, there's so much energy." Elias Halabi, the owner of St. Elia Souvenir Shop located next to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, stated, "Going to Bethlehem to see the three wise men. In Bethlehem, you can really feel the Christmas time. Things are busier there. It's being family and making parties, celebrating New Year's and Christmas. Celebrating the season with the family, it's just nice."

A second article, titled "Holly in the holy city," expanded on the first: "Christmas is certainly in the air in the Old City's Christian Quarter, but they'll be hard-pressed to find evidence of the holiday outside the Old City walls. Jewish tourists in Israel for the first time marvel at the lack of Christmas spirit - no 'Deck the Halls' music in coffee shops, no happy-ending made-for-TV specials, and no last-minute-shopping Christmas Eve stampede at the mall. But despite the low level of visible Christmas cheer, the city is still preparing for Christmas and the throngs of holiday visitors in more private ways - inside churches and Russian supermarkets, in the narrow passageways of the Old City and the festive Christmas trees adorning apartments of foreign workers ... This year, thanks to cheap flights from Europe, most of the religious pilgrims coming to Jerusalem are from Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Germany and France, according to an informal count by the Tourism Ministry's information office located inside Jaffa Gate. Given the economic situation, fewer American pilgrims are in the country than in previous years. Christian tourists aren't the only ones going to church on Christmas. Jewish Israelis make up a huge portion of the mass services at all the major churches in Jerusalem. 'We have hundreds of Israeli visitors who are curious about how Christians celebrate Christmas,' says Reverend David Pileggi, the rector of Christ Church in the Old City. 'They're the same kind of people who want to see Slihot [Jewish prayers for repentance] - secular people looking for something unusual or different.' Christ Church will present a four-hour Christmas concert, taking advantage of the excellent acoustics in the stone cathedral, which they expect will draw almost 1,000 people over the course of the night."

A brief note in Haaretz (December 22) reported that, in violation of their own regulations, "Officers from Oz, the immigration police ... broke into a church in South Tel Aviv early yesterday morning to arrest illegal immigrants, causing significant damage ... the immigration police are not permitted enter places of worship. The church they forced their way into was Redemption Power, one of Israel's best known and most popular African churches ... The officers said they broke through the church's ceiling because they thought illegal immigrants were hiding there." A later report (December 25) stated that "African leaders [are] split over church raid in Tel Aviv," some claiming it to be a church and others disputing the allegation. "An eyewitness from the community told Anglo File the place was a church, as did Israeli activists working with the community. They added that people sometimes sleep and live in the church. 'The role of churches is a very complicated issue,' said Fred Uwa from Nigeria, who was elected earlier this year as the president of the African Workers Union, the most prominent and oldest organization representing the community of 6,000-odd African workers living in Israel. 'Harboring illegal migrants violates the law, but police need to respect places of worship.' 'Real churches are not places where people sleep,' said the African workers representative. 'Nobody sleeps at Beit Imannuel Church or Assembly of God. If churches start harboring people, then it should come as no surprise that the immigration authorities start searching such churches.' He added: 'This phenomenon damages the image of Africans in Israel' ... Redemption Power is run by Ghanaian reverend George Gyasi-Baaye, who was not present during the raid. He told Anglo File he founded the church 15 years ago and moved it to Levanda Street two years ago ... Reverend Baaye said 'people sometimes take refuge' in the center. The raid was witnessed by Mavis, the wife of a Ghanaian pastor from the nearby African church of the Assembly of God, from her nearby kindergarten. Mavis, who has been in Israel with her husband for the past eight years, said that Redemption Power was indeed a church. She said she regretted that the children had to watch "six men in uniform knocking on doors and running around with their radios ... Oz officials said they had no knowledge of the Redemption Power center being a church, adding they had intelligence that the place was harboring illegal migrants from Ghana. The unit said it later released the one person detained there."

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Haaretz, December 23 (Hebrew and English editions), 2009

According to this report, "Pope Benedict XVI's decree Saturday of Pope Pius XII's 'heroic virtues' has Rome's Jewish community up in arms. The announcement makes sainthood one step closer for the head of the Catholic church during World War II, who has been accused of not helping the Jews during the war ... Jewish community organizations around the world say the canonization process for Pius XII should wait until the Vatican archives are opened, because this might shed light on Pius' conduct during the Holocaust. The Vatican has said the archives will not be opened before 2014. Benedict's planned visit to Rome's Great Synagogue has been overshadowed by the conflict. 'Even if the visit takes place, the joyous atmosphere [surrounding the visit] has been totally destroyed,' said Guido Vitale, editor of Italy's Jewish newspaper, Pagine Ebraiche. 'I understand the feelings of the Jewish community' [Giovannni Maria] Vian [editor of the Vatican newspaper Osservatore Romano] said, adding, 'The Jews are not the only ones worried about the possibility of his canonization, but at this stage, it would be a mistake on our part to fan the flames.' The Israeli ambassador to the Vatican, Mordechai Levy, agreed with Vian's assessment. 'When considering a church figure connected to Jewish matters, it is appropriate to express an opinion about his historical role, but I am not sure the answers will come from opening the archives. In any event, I believe we don't need to burn our bridges, not with the pope, not with the Vatican and certainly not with the Christian world,' said Levy."

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Israel HaYom, December 22; Haaretz, December 22, 2009

According to these reports, "Yesterday, days before Christmas, archaeologists revealed what they said were the remains of the first dwelling in Nazareth that can be dated back to the time of Jesus - a find that could shed new light on what the hamlet was like during Jesus' childhood there, according to the New Testament. The dwelling and older discoveries of nearby tombs suggest that Nazareth was an out-of-the-way hamlet of around 50 houses on a patch of about four acres (1.6 hectares). It was obviously populated by Jews of modest means who kept camouflaged grottos to hide from Roman invaders, said archaeologist Yardena Alexandre, excavations director at the Israel Antiquities Authority ... 'This may well have been a place that Jesus and his contemporaries were familiar with,' Alexandre said. 'A young Jesus may have played around the house with his cousins and friends,' she said. 'It's a logical suggestion' ... It is not clear how big the dwelling is - Alexandre's team has uncovered about 85 square meters of the house, but it may have been for an extended family and could be much larger, she said ... Alexandre told reporters that archaeologists also found clay and chalk vessels which were likely used by Galilean Jews of the time. The scientists concluded a Jewish family lived there because of the chalk, which was used by Jews at the time to ensure the purity of the food and water kept inside the vessels. The shards also date back to the time of Jesus, which includes the late Hellenistic, early Roman period that ranges from around 100 B.C. to 100 C.E., Alexandre said. The determination was made by comparing the findings to shards and remains found in other parts of the Galilee typical of that period" (Haaretz, December 22). The second article noted that the site is situated close to the Church of the Nativity.

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