During the week covered by this review, we received 13 articles on the following subjects:
Israeli/Jewish Attitudes Concerning Christians
The Pope and the Vatican
Missionary Activity
Archeology
Miscellaneous
Messianic Jews
Israeli/Jewish Attitudes Concerning Christians
Yediot Ashdod, April 12, 2013
This seven-page article takes a look at the status of young Russian immigrants in Israel and the negative attitudes they have to deal with in claiming their right to be called Israeli. Of interest is a short paragraph that mentions the large number of Christian Russians serving in the army. The article then quotes a Russian-Israeli girl, who says, “The saddest thing is that there are Israelis who hate Christians. … My grandfather on my father’s side saved many Jews from the Nazis and he was Christian – think of that. There were thousands of Christians that saved Jews and they never regretted it. Israel is founded on Christians and not just on Jews. Russians fought and won. Say thank you, because that included Christians. I myself am a Jew and an Israeli, and I don’t understand this thing of hatred towards Christians.”
The Pope and the Vatican
Ma’ariv, April 15, 2013
On the eve of Israel’s celebration of 65 years of independence, Ma’ariv conducted a lengthy interview with President Shimon Peres. On the seventh page, Peres mentions his good relations with the former pope (Benedict XVI), saying, “The Vatican is very sensitive to PR. We have an excellent relationship with them. People say our situation is dire. But there are a billion, or a billion and a half Christians whose attitude towards the Jews and to Israel is not like that of the Christians in the Middle Ages. And this pope rose up and said, ‘The Jews are our elder brother. They did not murder Jesus.’ So yes, there is anti-Semitism. But there is also a lot of sympathy towards Israel.”
Missionary Activity
HaMevaser, April 17; Sha’a Tova, April 18, 2013
Yad L’Achim has been receiving complaints from residents of Bnei Brak who claim that missionary material was distributed directly into their mailboxes. The booklet, entitled “It is forbidden – what the rabbis don’t want you to know,” was distributed by the “Christian Messianic Jewish cult.” Yad L’Achim “has warned the public not to fall into the trap and not to peek into the booklet, but to destroy it immediately,” since its purpose is “to convert Jews to Christianity.”
Archeology
Makor Rishon, April 17, 2013
The Antiquities Authority may be trying to hide an archeological find that could shed significant light on the First Temple period, according to Makor Rishon. The find, which is the capital of a column, could indicate the remains of an entire palace of one of the ancient kings of Judah. But when the Antiquities Authority was notified of the find by field guide Binyamin Troper, they told him to “forget everything and keep his mouth shut.”
Sgula, April 17, 2013
This five-page article examines the archeological artifacts found at the site of Kuntilat Ajrud in the Sinai desert in the mid 1970s. The site is significant because of the many inscriptions that were discovered there – 55 in total – from both the kingdom of Judah and the kingdom of Israel. Archeologists estimate that the inscriptions date back to the ninth and eighth centuries BC, from the time of King Jehoash of Judah. According to the article, these inscriptions will be published soon, and will become available to anyone who is interested in researching them further.
BeShvil Haaretz, April 11, 2013
Professor Dror Ben-Yosef presents an extensive survey of the many archeological remains of synagogues scattered across the country. One of the synagogues mentioned is in Korazim, a town mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 11:20-24 and Luke 10:12-16.
Mishpaha, April 11, 2013
This seven-page article follows the controversial career of archeology documentary filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici. Of interest is a snippet toward the end of the article, where Jacobovici presents his latest conspiracy theory. He says: “Only lately the Conclave (of Cardinals) met in order to choose a new pope. They sat in an old chapel called the Sistine Chapel. … I don’t know if any of them bothered to raise their heads and look up at the ceiling, but whoever did saw a variety of paintings from the Renaissance period. The interesting thing is that all the paintings portray events from the Jewish Bible. There is not a single painting that is taken from what they call the ‘New Testament.’ … We know that the paintings were painted at the height of the church’s persecution of the Jews. At the same time, there was an underground group of converso Jews, and Christians who supported them, operating in opposition [to the church]. Just imagine that the painter was planting hidden Jewish spiritual messages right over the heads of the bishops. A subversive message on the ceiling.”
HaPeles, April 11; HaShabat BeNetanya, April 12; Kol Ha’Ir, April 19, 2013
These three articles report on the rare mikveh (ritual bath) from the Second Temple period which was discovered at an archeological dig in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Kiryat Menachem (see April 15, 2013, Media Review).
Miscellaneous
Yediot Ahronot, April 18, 2013
Jurgen Nielsen, who is a knight in the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem, will complete his six-month journey to Jerusalem in three days. Nielsen, who is from Sweden, has walked 4,500 kilometers, and will arrive in the city in time to attend the first International Green Pilgrimage Conference, where he will also be handed the keys to city by Jerusalem’s mayor, Nir Barkat. Nielsen explained that his walk to Jerusalem is meant to reflect the effort that it takes to work for peace in a city that has always been a focal point for conflict and peace. Furthermore, his walk is a symbolic act meant to commemorate the Order’s return to Jerusalem after several hundred years of exile in France.
Messianic Jews
BeSheva, April 11, 2013
This article reported on the sentencing of convicted Jewish terrorist Yaakov Teitel, which was handed down by the Jerusalem District Court last week (see April 15, 2013, Media Review).