During the week covered by this review, we received 7 articles on the following subjects:
Political Issues / Jerusalem
Political Issues / Interfaith Relations
Anti-Missionary Attitudes / Christian Organizations
Anti-Missionary Activity
Christians and the Holocaust
Archeology
Political Issues / Jerusalem
Globes, November 9, 2020
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate has petitioned the Jerusalem courts for an emergency warrant to prevent the SMS Train Compound company, owned by former Knesset member Erel Margalit, from proceeding with plans to build around the historic train station in Jerusalem. The Patriarchate has claimed that SMS went ahead with construction behind the church’s back and without permission. SMS and the Patriarchate previously had a lease agreement that allowed SMS to build on land belonging to the Patriarchate, so long as the Patriarchate authorized construction plans in advance. However, in 2019 the Patriarchate canceled it, claiming that SMS was in breach of the agreement. SMS claims that the lease was not lawfully terminated, and therefore moved forward with construction plans.
Political Issues / Interfaith Relations
Israel Hayom, November 10, 2020
A group of Muslims, Druze, and Christians have appealed to the Israeli Ministry of Defense, requesting that non-Jews be allowed to participate in the IDF’s official Day of National Remembrance ceremony at the Jerusalem Kotel. The group also asked that religious leaders be allowed to pray for fallen soldiers from non-Jewish communities in the way that rabbis pray for fallen Jewish soldiers. Hundreds of Christian, Muslim, and Druze IDF soldiers have died in service.
Anti-Missionary Attitudes / Christian Organizations
Merkaz HaInyanim, November 9, 2020
This was a piece about the International Christian Embassy of Jerusalem (ICEJ), which reportedly expressed its belief that Donald Trump would get reelected, in accordance with biblical prophecy. The author gave an account of the ICEJ’s history, noting that it was established 40 years ago, and has since become very well-connected in political circles. One investigation found that 70 Israeli Knesset members have benefited from gifts and favors from the ICEJ. Rabbi Meir Kahane reportedly once argued that an ICEJ representative tried to convert him, and Yad L’Achim has argued that the ICEJ has ties to missionary bodies and to Messianic Jewish congregations in Israel. Kahane condemned what he called ICEJ’s “fake friendship”, which, he claimed, covered up its eschatological belief that Jews must eventually convert to Christianity.
Anti-Missionary Activity
Shabat BeShavto, November 6, 2020
This article reported again that Or L’Achim brought about the cancelation of a Christian broadcast that was to take place at the Mount of Olives. The article said that two missionary groups were behind the broadcast, one from Tel Aviv and one from Ashdod.
Christians and the Holocaust
Haaretz, November 11, 2020; Haaretz, November 13, 2020
On the 82nd anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Protestant Church of the Netherlands officially acknowledged its role in the persecution of Jews and failure to do more to help Jews during the Holocaust. Church chairman, Rene de Reuver, said: “The church now wants to recognize without reservation that the church laid the ground under which antisemitism and hatred could flourish… we hope it is not too late.” The church also acknowledged Jewish property that was stolen, and Jewish orphans that were not returned to their families after the war was over. Over 75% of Dutch Jews were killed during the Holocaust. In 1942, the Dutch Catholic Church, in contrast, objected to the deportation of Dutch Jews to death camps. In retaliation, the Nazis transported Jewish converts to Christianity to the death camps, as well.
The second article was about Maria Nowak, a Catholic Polish woman who passed away recently. Novak was considered “righteous among the nations” for her work to save her Jewish friend, Helena Goldstein. During the Second World War, Goldstein’s family was moved to the Krakow Ghetto, where Nowak supplied them with food and medicine. When Nowak found out that most of Goldstein’s family had been put on a train (to a death camp), she staged a rescue mission to retrieve Helena from the ghetto. After getting her friend out, Nowak gave Goldstein her own birth certificate, and smuggled her to Warsaw where Goldstein worked, disguised as a Polish Catholic. After the war, the two friends reconnected, and Nowak hired Goldstein to work as the accountant at her pharmacy. They remained friends until Goldstein passed away years later.
Archeology
Index Ha’Emek VeHaGalil, November 6, 2020
Catholic bishops have urged the Israeli government to proceed with plans of emptying the Megiddo jail in order to make accessible an ancient mosaic discovered in the jail. The mosaic belonged to a Christian prayer house built in the 3rd century. The bishops said the discovery is important for Christians and shows Christian presence in the Holy Land in the earliest centuries of Christianity. The Minister of Tourism, Orit Farkash-Hacohen, has expressed her support for the project and for the bishops’ appeal.