December 25 – 2017

During the week covered by this review, we received 21 articles on the following subjects:

 

Jerusalem

Political Issues

Christians in Israel

Christian Holidays

Christian Zionism

Messianic Judaism

Interfaith Relations

Christian Tourism

Archaeology

 

Jerusalem

Sha’a Tova, December 14, Israel Hayom, December 17, The Jerusalem Post, December 19, Ma’ariv, December 20, HaMevaser, December 21, 2017

 

Czech Republic President Miloš Zeman supports U.S. President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and intends to instruct his government to begin preparations for moving the Czech embassy to Jerusalem. Zeman mentioned Czech support for Israel in 1948, adding, “Today we are full of gratitude that Israel uses her pride and vitality to support the Czech Republic in Europe.” Zeman said he completely understands the U.S. and Israel’s decision to leave UNESCO, fully supports the Czech parliament’s condemnation of the UNESCO resolutions regarding Jerusalem. Zeman considers the European Union to be “…cowardly, doing everything so that the pro-Palestinian movement should profit at the expense of the pro-Israel movement.” He noted that Lila Khaled’s statement before the EU, comparing the Palestinian situation in Gaza to the Holocaust, is “impertinence the like of which he has not heard for a long time.”

 

On Tuesday, December 19, King Abdullah II of Jordan told a Paris press conference that Trump’s Jerusalem declaration was contrary to international law. “There is no solution without Jerusalem,” the king said, adding that both sides must hold negotiations toward a two-state solution, with East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital. French President Emmanuel Macron also stressed the keeping of the status quo, and said, “France supports a two-state solution, with Jerusalem as the capital of each.”

 

The analysis articles continue in their attempts to discover the reason for the timing of Trump’s declaration, as well as who the actual instigators may have been. One piece is of the opinion that the Palestinians are their own most significant obstacle to peace. Another, referring to the December 21st vote in the UN wishing to cancel out the U.S.’s Jerusalem declaration, says “it will make no difference diplomatically,” as the general assembly resolutions have no weight, contrary to those of the security council.

 

Political Issues

The Jerusalem Post, December 17, 2017

 

BDS supporters from the South African ruling party African National Congress have called upon the party to downgrade or eliminate the country’s embassy in Israel. The most recent statement came from Mandla Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s grandson, who called upon his country to expel the Israeli ambassador and cut diplomatic ties with Israel.

 

Both the Jewish and the Christian communities in the country are campaigning against such a move. The South African Board of Jewish Deputies filed a complaint with the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities. Several Christian leaders have also filed complaints with the International Relations Subcommittee.

 

The article notes, “…although Nelson Mandela was critical of the occupation, he fully supported Israel’s right to exist.”

 

Haaretz, December 18, 2017

 

This article gives a short biography of Karin Kneissl, incoming Austrian foreign minister under the Sebastian Kurtz administration. The writer seems especially intrigued by the fact that Kneissl grew up in Amman, and studied at the University of Vienna, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the University of Amman. Kneissl does not belong to any party, but her appointment is at the request of vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache (Freedom Party), who has described Kneissl as “a female Kreisky,” referring to Jewish anti-Zionist Bruno Kreisky, “the second most popular politician in Austria after Hitler.”

 

Kneissl is known for her controversial opinions. One such view is that the Arab Spring was the result of young Arab men not having homes or jobs, leading to their not finding a spouse, and therefore losing their status in a traditional society. Another such view is that Theodor Herzl’s Zionism was based on the concept of “blood and land,” which she called a key concept of Nazism. Kneissl has called Israel “an army with a country,” and described Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu as “a warmonger who wants to live up to his brother’s legend by proving he is a real commander.”

 

The Jerusalem Post, December 20, 2017

 

On Monday, German Bundestag Member Armin Schuster (Christian Democratic Union) advocated for the extradition of foreigners living in Germany who torch Israeli flags. Schuster’s statement appears to have been in response to the mass anti-Israel rallies in Berlin following the U.S. declaring Jerusalem to be Israel’s capital. The Free Democratic Party and the Green Party rejected Schuster’s proposal. The Alternative für Deutschland party did not directly criticize Schuster’s proposal, but rather said that the recent excesses on Berlin streets were the result of the federal government’s flawed immigration and asylum policies.

 

Christians in Israel

Yediot Yerushalayim, December 22, 2017

 

Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III appears to think that the bill proposed by MK Rachel Azaria (Kulanu) for the state to expropriate the church lands sold to entrepreneurs in 2015 is the product of a clandestine attempt to push Christians out of Jerusalem. He said that the Knesset members who signed the bill were led to do so by “radical settlers.” Theophilos also said Israel is threatening to break the status quo agreement with the Christians by breaking international treaties. The article noted many of Theophilos’ congregation appear to believe that the land deals are the result of cooperation between the patriarch, the Americans and the Israelis, with the goal of weakening Palestinians’ hold on the city, and some have called for him to be ousted.

 

The purpose of the bill, according to Azaria, is to protect the current residents and prevent the possibility of their having to pay inflated sums to the new owners to renew the lease agreements and remain in their homes.

 

Christian Holidays

Yedioth Ahronoth, La’Isha, December 18, Haaretz, December 19, The Jerusalem Post, December 20, 2017

 

These articles cover various Christmas events that will take place in Israel. Shfar’am will hold a Christmas tour to different churches in the city, as well as a Christmas market. A market will be open until December 22nd in Nazareth. A parade with fireworks will take place in Nazareth on the 23rd, and midnight mass will be celebrated at the Basilica of the Annunciation on the 24th (free admittance but pre-registration required).

 

Haifa will be offering a variety of events, including a Santa Claus Open House. Of note in Jerusalem are various Christmas-themed tours of the Old City, and the carol concert at the YMCA on December 24th. Midnight services will take place at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, at the Church of All Nations, and at Dormition Abbey, where, interestingly, most of the audience each year is Jewish. The community at the Dormition Abbey, with other Christians, will then journey to Bethlehem on foot for the Christmas Day festivities. The Tourism Ministry is offering shuttle service to Bethlehem from the Carta parking garage by Jaffa Gate.

 

Christian Zionism

The Jerusalem Report, December 13, 2017

 

This article is an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network’s Middle East Bureau chief Chris Mitchell, ahead of CBN’s new film To Life: How Israeli Volunteers Are Changing the World. Mitchell described how the Jewish ideas of tikkun olam and being a light to the nations are behind many of Israel’s efforts in the world. However, he is also of the opinion that one possible pragmatic reason for Israel’s humanitarian efforts is fighting BDS. Mitchell said the BDS campaign’s ultimate goal is delegitimizing Israel. He stated that he believes the media to be partially responsible for Israeli humanitarian aid not being more widely known. He notes how most tourists who visit his bureau will say that the Israel they once perceived is different from the Israel they saw with their own eyes.

 

To Life will be released in April 2018.

 

Messianic Judaism

The Jerusalem Post, December 20, 2017

 

This article is a collection of five letters to the editor, in which the readers respond to the Jerusalem Post’s recent articles on Messianic Jews, specifically Rebecca Floer’s deportation and whether or not Israel would ever accept Messianic Jews (see MR November 2017 #4 and December 2017 #3). Of the five, four find it a contradiction in terms for a Jew to believe in Jesus. The four also say that Messianic Jews are being deceitful when they present themselves as Jews rather than as Christians. They, therefore, consider it justified that Messianic Jews should be refused entry into Israel. The fifth letter, written by a Messianic Jewish reader, challenges the statement there is an “almost-blanket rejection of Messianic Jews” in Israel. The writer says that no one has rejected him personally, and that aliyah should be based on ethnicity, rather than religion. He notes, “Being Jewish is something no two Jews can agree on.”

 

Interfaith Relations

Ha’Ir Kol Ha’Ir, December 22, 2017

 

On Monday, December 18, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews held a cornerstone-laying ceremony for its new center on Jerusalem’s Hanoch Albek Street. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat and IFCJ president Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein were present. It is currently estimated that construction will take two years. The finished building will have eight floors and include an auditorium, a logistics center, and an area for social activities. The building will have a courtyard as well, displaying archaeological artifacts from different periods in Jerusalem.

 

Ha’Ir Kol Ha’Ir, December 22, 2017

 

Activists from the far-right anti-assimilation organization Lehava, led by Bentzi Gopstein and Baruch Marzell, attempted to disrupt an interfaith candle-lighting ceremony on December 18 at Jerusalem’s First Station. The ceremony, organized by Tag Me’ir and “Zion,” has been held annually for the past few years, and is attended by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Apparently, the Lehava activists stood at the sides of the area, holding signs saying “We have come to chase away the darkness” and “Hellenizers to Greece.” When they failed to achieve their objective, the activists tried to get closer to the stage but the attendees began singing and dancing. Police removed the activists from the scene.

 

Christian Tourism

The Jerusalem Post, December 21, 2017

 

The Tourism Ministry estimates that tens of thousands of Christian pilgrims will visit Israel during Christmas, bringing the year’s number to a record-breaking 3.5 million visitors. According to the ministry’s statistics, more than half of 2016’s tourists were Christian, and some 120,000 pilgrims came for Christmas of that year. Tourism Minister Yariv Levin attributed the record to his ministry’s ongoing international tourism campaign.

 

Yediot Yerushalayim, December 22, 2017

 

This article describes the attractions offered to visitors at the Trappist monastery at Latrun, the Trappist convent at Beit Jamal, the Domus Galilaeae Center, Magdala, and Notre Dame in Jerusalem. The Latrun and Beit Jamal communities concentrate chiefly on food production and hospitality. Domus Galilaeae operates as an interfaith conference center. Magdala boasts an extensive Second Temple-era archaeological site. Notre Dame is dedicated to serving Christian pilgrims but has a restaurant open to the public as well. The article notes how the hospitality was warm in each place.

 

Archaeology

Haaretz, The Jerusalem Post, December 21, 2017

 

An Israel Antiquities Authority dig, led by Benjamin Storchan, has found a Byzantine-era church in Beit Shemesh. Artifacts of note include colorful mosaics depicting birds, leaves and pomegranates, and architectural fragments carved from imported marble. Storchan said that although a number of churches have been found in the Judean Shfela, this one is unique in its state of preservation. The material, as well as the design quality, have led archaeologists to surmise that the church formed part of a center for pilgrims, whose contributions would have financed the work. The excavation is being conducted ahead of the expansion of Ramat Beit Shemesh.