During the week covered by this review, we received 20 articles on the following subjects:
Christians in Israel
Jewish Attitudes Concerning Christians
Interfaith Relations
Israel
The Pope and the Vatican
Christian Tourism
Archaeology
Christians in Israel
Haaretz; The Jerusalem Post, December 24, 2015
In the Haaretz article, emeritus Patriarch Michel Sabah (Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from 1987 to 2008) calls Bethlehem “besieged” and “occupied,” saying that a military order confiscating 101 dunams of Bethlehem land, the decision to expand Gilo—which Sabah calls an “illegal settlement”—as well as “the annexation wall” “separating Bethlehem from its twin city of Jerusalem” constitute the message that Israel “has no respect whatsoever for their [Bethlehem residents’] rights as Palestinians and for their existence in their homeland.” Sabah goes on to say that the reason so many Bethlehem Christians have left the city is not “Islamic extremism” but “Israeli occupation.” He calls upon government leaders to recognize that “the inevitable result of walls, stolen lands and illegal settlements is isolation, rejection and hatred, which are the cause of more insecurity,” to make Bethlehem “a symbol of peace,” and for “a new, just approach to Palestinians.”
The Jerusalem Post article on this issue mentions the annual Christmas motorcade from Jerusalem to Bethlehem and that Patriarch Fouad Twal will conduct the Christmas Eve mass at the Church of the Nativity. It mentions, as well, that the Christmas tree in Manger Square was lit last week, but no fireworks were set off as in former years, that some activists put up a “resistance tree” decorated with empty tear gas canisters, and, as has become traditional, an empty chair is reserved for the late Yasser Arafat during the Christmas Eve mass. According to the article, this change in the celebrations is due to Arafat’s “legacy of terror” as he consistently acted to Islamicize Bethlehem and the region since 1995; Muslim refugees were settled both in Bethlehem and Ramallah since 1948 “to serve as a weapon against Israel”; and that according to Article 7 of the Palestinian Authority constitution, its areas are under Shari’ah law. Due to all this, Palestinian Christians “feel they need to speak out against Israel” since if they do not, “this would be considered tacit support for Israel.”
The Jerusalem Post, December 25, 2015
This article mentions how some members of the Israeli Christian community have been “distancing themselves from their ‘Arab’ identity” by being listed as “Aramean” in their ID cards, and others, such as Father Gabriel Naddaf, have been braving danger to encourage Christian youth to enlist in the IDF, as “service is the easiest way to feel a part of the country.” The article also recounts various examples of terrorism, such as the stabbing of 13-year-old Naor Shalev and how he was treated by an Arab doctor, and the stabber by a Jewish doctor; Sara-Tehiya Litman losing her father and brother to a terrorist ambush, and how thousands responded to the couple’s invitation to dance at their wedding just days later; and the murder of Richard Lakin, “civil rights activist and campaigner for coexistence,” and how his son Micah Lakin Avni has started a campaign “calling on social media giants Facebook and Twitter to stop serving as platforms for incitement.”
The Jerusalem Post, December 25, 2015
A vibrant Christmas celebration can be seen in Jaffa. Many midnight mass services were held in the city’s churches, and a tree-lighting and carol singing were held a few days before. Additionally, a Christmas market will run at Jaffa Port until January. “I think that in a multicultural multi-religious town like Jaffa, we do feel Christmas as we feel Ramadan and Hanukkah and all these other holidays,” said Ami Katz, director of the Governors of Jaffa.
Yediot Ahronot, December 24, 2015
This article quotes interesting statistics regarding Christians in Israel, published for Christmas by the Central Bureau of Statistics. According to these statistics, the Christian community numbers some 166,000 (2% of the population), 79% of whom are Christian Arabs, and the remainder of whom are married to Jews and immigrated to Israel under the Law of Return. The Christian Arab population is concentrated in Nazareth, Haifa, Jerusalem, and Shfar’am, while the non-Arab Christian population is concentrated in Haifa, Tel-Aviv, and Jerusalem. In 2014, 72.6% of Christian men and 64.1% of Christian women “were part of the workforce,” and in the past school year, 1.7% of students in the school system were Christians.
Haaretz, December 25, 2015
The Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes at Tabgha, which suffered an arson attack some six months ago, is still awaiting compensation from the government, reports this article from Haaretz. Although the property tax authorities disputed the payment, Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein has ordered that the payment be made as is customary “in any case defined as a terror attack.” Father Nikodemus Schnabel of the Benedictine order, which is responsible for the church, estimates the damage at $1.9 million, and says that although various organizations have offered aid, it would be impossible to repair the church using donations alone. In an interview yesterday, Schnabel “sought to look on the bright side,” saying, “There is a lot of hatred for us, but a lot more love and support.”
The tax authority said that it will compensate the church in accordance with Weinstein’s ruling, but that due to the complexity of the damage they are still processing the claim, and that they are “working ‘in full cooperation’ with the church to complete the process.”
Haaretz, December 25, 2015
This article is a survey of the Christmas holiday from the first recorded celebration in 354 CE to the present day. It is of the opinion that the holiday was placed in December since that was the festive season in ancient Rome, and on the 25th in particular since it was the feast day of Sol Invictus, the “undefeated sun god.” Then, as the Roman Empire became Christian, the winter holidays of Saturnalia and Calends became Christmas. The article describes the Santa Claus figure as a synthesis of the Catholic Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children, and Martin Luther’s Christkind. It admits that the origins of the Christmas tree tradition are unknown, but notes that the custom only became popular in 18th-century Europe. It notes, as well, that it was largely due to the publication of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol in 1843 that Christmas turned from a modest Victorian holiday into the industry that it is today, as people attempt to “not be a Scrooge” but rather generous and open-hearted.
Jewish Attitudes Concerning Christians
Haaretz, December 22, 2015
Bentzi Gopstein, head of the controversial organization Lehava, has recently published an article calling Christians “blood-sucking vampires” and seeking to prevent Christmas celebrations in Israel. The Reform Center for Religion and the State and the Coalitions Against Racism in Israel have responded by submitting a complaint to the police and the attorney-general’s office, calling for Gopstein to be investigated for incitement and religious offense.
HaShavua B’Yerushalayim, December 23; Yom L’Yom, December 24, 2015
Adv. Moshe Morgenstern, acting for the anti-missionary activist organization Yad L’Achim, sent a letter on December 21st to the Justice Minister and the Attorney-General’s office, asking them to investigate an event in which the Baptist Gentile Ministry organization gave equipment to the security personnel of the Eshkol regional council together with a Bible containing quotations from the New Testament. Morgenstern stated in his letter that this gift was in contravention to the law prohibiting the giving of benefits to a person in order for him to convert. The article states as well that Yad L’Achim was alerted when some of the security personnel realized what was going on and left the event without taking anything.
Sha’a Tova, December 24, 2015
This article condemns the Hebrew media site Walla! for having allowed a missionary video and advertisement to appear on it without due notice to the public, and states that the reason for this was greed. Eran Gotdenker, marketing sub-manager for the site, stated in response that due notice was given twice. The video was removed from the site.
Interfaith Relations
BeKitzur, December 3, 2015
Uri Ya’alon of Neve Ilan has begun an initiative to upgrade the promenade between the Neve Ilan Junction and Abu Ghosh and dedicate it to coexistence, as secular Jews, orthodox Jews, Muslim Arabs, Messianic Jews, and Christian monks all live in the area in harmony. A meeting was recently held between representatives of each of the communities involved, and it was decided to dedicate each of the three roundabouts along the promenade as follows: the Neve Ilan gas station roundabout to Jews and Christians, the Kiryat Ye’arim roundabout to orthodox Jews, and the Abu-Ghosh roundabout to Muslims, Christians, and Jews. A meeting with the road maintenance company Netivei Israel is planned for the near future, in order to put the plan into action.
The Jerusalem Post, December 25, 2015
An academic conference took place December 20-23 in Mishkenot Sha’ananim with Christian and Jewish scholars speaking on “The Question of God’s Perfection.” Presenters included Moshe Halbertal of Hebrew University, Lenn Goodman of Vanderbilt University, Alan Mittleman of the Jewish Theological Seminary, Oliver Crisp of Fuller Theological Seminary, Alan Torrance of the University of St. Andrews, and Shmuel Trigano of the University of Paris. The main subject discussed was the Christian notion—a result of the influence of Greek philosophy—of God being “perfect” versus the Jewish notion of God being “‘in flux’ as he interacts with his creation,” as when God regrets making the world in the story of the flood.
The conference was arranged by the Herzl Institute, which is “dedicated to intellectual renewal in the areas of Bible, philosophy, politics, and Zionism.” Professor Yoram Hazony, president of the institute, said that he hopes both sides will be enriched by looking at the subject through the other’s methodological viewpoint, and that “intellectual rebels of both traditions will return to the biblical sources they had abandoned to find answers to their philosophical questions.” Hazony also mentioned that although attendance was open to anyone, irrespective of faith, no Muslim scholars applied, perhaps due to the fact that the Hebrew Bible is of less concern to Muslims than it is to Jews and Christians.
Israel
The Jerusalem Post, December 24, 2015
In this article, Matan Peleg, CEO of the extra-parliamentary organization Im Tirtzu, defends Im Tirtzu’s work in response to a Jerusalem Post editorial from December 21st that condemned the organization’s video. This controversial video accuses four human rights NGOs that contribute to organizations such as Breaking the Silence of “protecting terrorists” and thereby facilitating terrorism. Peleg emphasizes that such NGOs are seeking to influence Israeli politics and society through being validated by Israeli organizations, and that, as the aim of these organizations is “demonizing the country,” supporting them threatens Jews around the world.
The Pope and the Vatican
BeSheva–Bnei Brak; BeSheva–Tzafon; BeSheva–Darom, December 17; HaMevaser, December 18, 2015
These articles relate to the Vatican’s December 10th declaration that “Catholics must not try to convert Jews” but rather “bear witness of their faith in a humble and sensitive manner, acknowledging that Jews are bearers of God’s word” (see previous Reviews). As Judaism and Christianity are “intertwined with each other,” “Christianity has Jewish roots,” and “Jews believe in the one God,” Jews “should be treated differently than people of other religions and views.” For this reason “a Christian can never be an anti-Semite,” and “Catholics must work with Jews to put an end to any anti-Semitic activity.”
The articles quote various rabbis in Israel who also expressed satisfaction regarding the declaration, as well as a Bar-Ilan University expert on Judeo-Christian dialogue who was of the opinion that the declaration was historically important, but that much of its effectiveness would be negated by the cumbersomeness of Vatican bureaucracy. They also note that the declaration has no bearing on “personal missionary work” but only on “organizational missionary work.”
Christian Tourism
The Jerusalem Post, December 25, 2015
This article is an in-depth survey of the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem’s Old City, visited annually by millions of Christian pilgrims. It describes how some pilgrims follow the Friday procession by the Franciscans, and how others, unable to attend on a Friday, simply trace the route on weekdays, praying at each station. The article dedicates a short paragraph to the events (whether traditional or mentioned in the New Testament) behind each of the fourteen stations along the route, as well as describing the chapels, churches, or oratories to be found there—condemnation, bearing the cross, falling for the first time, encountering Mary, Simon being instructed to carry the cross, Veronica washing Jesus’ face, falling for the second time, talking to the women of Jerusalem, falling for the third time, being stripped, being nailed to the cross, dying on the cross, being taken down from the cross, and being entombed. In conclusion, the article says that devout Christians find walking the route an extremely emotional ordeal, as they not only contemplate Jesus’ agony but “make the connection with their own sorrows.”
Archaeology
The Jerusalem Post, December 22, 2015
A marble slab was found this week in an excavation on the Kursi shore of the Sea of Galilee (see previous Review), bearing an eight-line inscription beginning “remembered for good” in Aramaic (in Hebrew letters). The slab, which is of Greek marble and unusually large, is thought to be a commemoration tablet for an influential person, and is dated to 500 CE. Archaeologists believe this to be evidence of a Jewish or Judeo-Christian community that would have been completely Jewish 500 years earlier. It is also intriguing to note that in the 1960s, an underwater breakwater was found on the Kursi shore, as well as the remains of a Christian town nearby.
The current excavation is being run by the University of Haifa, the Israel Antiquities Authority, and the Nature and Parks Authority. It is jointly headed by Professor Michal Artzi and Dr. Haim Cohen; Cohen was the one to discover the breakwater in the 1960s.