September 2 – 2015

During the week covered by this review, we received 14 articles on the following subjects:

The Pope and the Vatican
Political Issues
Christian Zionism
Christian Tourism
History
Miscellaneous
Archaeology

The Pope and the Vatican

Haaretz, August 27, 2015
The Palestinian mission to the United Nations has prepared a draft resolution, specifically mentioning the Vatican alongside itself, “calling for the flags of nonmember observer states to be flown at the UN alongside those of the member states.” However, the Vatican has requested that the Palestinian mission delete all mentions of it, both specific and general, as it does not intend to co-sponsor this initiative.

Pope Francis will be addressing the UN General Assembly on September 25 during his first visit to the United States.

Political Issues

Yediot Ahronot, August 25, 2015
Forty organizations in Brazil have presented a petition condemning Israel’s decision to appoint Danny Dayan as the next ambassador to the country, calling it “a violation of international legitimacy and a challenge to Brazil’s sovereignty” because Dayan formerly served as head of the Yesha Council for the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, and Brazil’s official position is that the settlements are illegal. Although Dayan’s appointment is in fact dependent on Brazil’s endorsement, such endorsements are usually a mere matter of form and opposed only if “the appointment poses a direct threat to the host country’s interests.”

Israel places great importance upon the development of trade relations with Brazil, which, apart from being the largest country in South America, is also the seventh largest economy in the world. Brazil is also home to more than 40 million Israel-loving Christians.

Christian Zionism

Kol Ha’Ir Ashkelon, August 7, 2015
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews has recently met with leaders of the Druze community both in Israel and in Jordan, and has promised them “material and humanitarian help.” Also present at the meeting was Col. Shlomo Arbeli (res.) of Ashkelon, where a recent IFCJ initiative made it possible for elderly immigrant residents of the city to purchase heaters for the winter.

IFCJ funding comes from donations from evangelical Christians all over the world.

Yediot HaGalil, August 21, 2015
A new dental clinic was recently opened in Beit She’an, with a specific focus on providing dental care for low-income families in the area. The clinic, which will be staffed by a dentist, dentist’s assistant, and dental hygienist and equipped with the latest equipment, is funded by donations from the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem.

Christian Tourism

The Jerusalem Post, August 28, 2015
A visit to the Kidron Valley yields details of interest dating from the Second Temple period through to the 19th century, specifically as relates to tombs and burial practices. Of particular note is the 22-meter high Tomb of Absalom; the adjacent Zechariah’s Tomb, hewn out of the mountainside and detached from it completely, the only structure on the valley that is topped by a pyramid; the nearby structure considered by some to be the tomb of King Jehoshaphat, with its ornamental lintel; and more recently, the tomb of Avraham Shlomo Zalman, who was murdered in 1851 and “often considered to be the first victim of Arab terrorism.”

History

Haaretz, August 26, 2015
The prolonged drought in Poland has caused the Vistula River “to fall to its lowest level since measurements were begun in the late 18th century,” revealing Jewish tombstones with Hebrew lettering, a World War II–era Soviet fighter plane with the remains of its pilots still inside, articles of clothing, a pistol, radio equipment, and heavy ammunition.

Haaretz, August 28, 2015
In May 1974, three Katyusha rockets and a bomb consisting of three bazookas was discovered near Jerusalem’s Armon HaNatziv neighborhood. After further investigation it was revealed that the weapons and explosives had been smuggled into the country by Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop Hilarion Capucci. Attempts to deport Capucci having failed, he stood trial at the end of 1974 and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Capucci was pardoned in 1977 by then-President Ephraim Katzir at the request of the pope, and was deported to Rome. Capucci participated in the flotillas to Gaza in 2009 and 2010.

Miscellaneous

Israel Hayom, August 28, 2015
President Reuven Rivlin visited the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes at Tabgha on Thursday, August 27. During his visit, Rivlin emphasized that “Israel will continue to ensure freedom of religion for all her inhabitants.” Rivlin was accompanied on his visit by Major-General Yoav Mordechai, commander of the unit for the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories.

The Jerusalem Post, August 28, 2015
Orthodox Jews in the United States resemble white evangelical Protestant Christians more than any other group, according to a survey report recently released by the Pew Research Center, which surveyed, among other things, the degree to which religion was important in their lives, how often they attend religious services, their views on Israel, and their views on government. Orthodox Union CEO Allen Fagin said, in response to the section on support for Israel, “If the data are correct it’s an interesting piece of information and one that I think we need to pay attention to as we think through on a long-range basis how the American Jewish community will respond to and interact with our brothers and sisters in Israel and the degree in general of American support for Israel.”

Archaeology

Israel Hayom; Maariv, August 25; Israel Hayom; Haaretz; Yediot Ahronot, August 26, 2015
Islamic State forces have blown up the 2,000-year-old Baalshamin temple in Palmyra, and have beheaded Professor Khaled al-Assad (82), who was working at the site, after he reportedly refused to divulge the location of antiquities that had been hidden to preserve them. Al-Assad’s headless body was then hung on one of the Roman columns in the city. Maamun Abdul Karim, head of Syria’s antiquities authority, said, “My heart is wounded. All our fears are coming true; I am seeing the historic city of Palmyra being destroyed before our eyes.” Karim stated as well that the museum at Palmyra has been turned into a Shari‘ah court and a jail, and that the Roman amphitheater has been turned into an execution ground.

Irina Bokova, director-general of UNESCO, has called the bombing a “war crime,” saying that “IS executes people and destroys sites, but will not be able to silence history, and in the end will not succeed in erasing this great culture from the world’s memory. The IS criminals should be brought to trial.”

In addition, IS has declared a caliphate in Sirte in Libya, and declared that their next destination is Italy and the Vatican: “We will destroy the Vatican and execute the Crusader infidels.”