No. 139
ÂŁ 2.50
Jewish-Arab Coexistence | Obama Woos Israel | Messianic School
Aug/Sept 2010 |
www.israeltoday.co.il
printed in Israel
Politics
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Shalom Haverim, Dear Friends,
Aviel Schneider and the israel today editorial staff
Arab Press
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Palestinian Girls Want to Be Terrorists
Palestinians
10 Palestinians Still Looking for Israel’s Destruction
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Focus on Jerusalem
11 Controversy over City of David Jewish Affairs
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Farewell to a Former Chief Rabbi
Word From Jerusalem
14 Where Are the Fighters? BIBLE STUDY
15 The Jewish View of Faith
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The Land
16 Free Gilad Shalit! Debate
18 Has God Rejected Israel? Prophecy
19 America and the Jews CHRISTIANS
20 Palestinian Christians: Protected or Persecuted? Messianic Jews
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21 Messianic Education Grows in Israel Military
22 Triplets Defend Israel Archaeology
23 Second Temple Aqueduct culture
24 Museum Showcases World Synagogues COVER - Gilad Shalit: Four Years in Hamas Captivity
The long summer break has begun. It is the moment that over 1.5 million Israeli students have been longing for, including my own four children, and the 27 children of the israel today staff here in Jerusalem. Young children aren’t aware of or concerned about Israel’s unpopular world image, and that’s how it should be. As they approach adolescence, however, they become more concerned with their own personal image and, in turn, Israel’s as well. My eldest daughter Eden just graduated from high school and will join the army in the coming months. During a family debate over whether the Gaza blockade is justified, and why the world is always outraged by Israel, she and my other children reminded me of the new hit song—The One Who Believes: “The one who believes is not afraid of losing his faith. We have the King of the world, and He protects us from all others. This nation is like a family, one person supporting the other—that is the secret of our success. The people of Israel will never give up; they will remain forever. We known that life is a gift and that everything is foreseen and allowed.” In spite of tensions, flotillas and threats from Iran, summer vacation will not be denied. Life goes on, even though Israel’s enemies would like it otherwise. It was encouraging to read what former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar wrote in the Times of London: “If Israel goes down, we all go down...Israel is a fundamental part of the West. The West is what it is thanks to its Judeo-Christian roots. If the Jewish element of those roots is upturned and Israel is lost, then we are lost too. Whether we like it or not, our fate is inextricably intertwined.” It is clear that only a few people understand this, but then: “We have the king of the world, and He protects us from all others!”
The Arab Silent Majority? Israel Eases the Gaza Blockade Obama Changes His Tune—For Now Pop Stars Stand up to ‘Cultural Intifada’
Behind The Scenes
25 Rocking the Casbah!
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Perspective
27 One-Sided Narrative Nature
28 World’s Biggest Desalination Plant Economy
29 Super Battery In Brief
30 Jerusalem Opens First Beach 31 Bedouin Competes in Bible Contest
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Publisher: nai – israel today | Founder of nai: Ludwig Schneider | Editor-in-Chief: Aviel Schneider | Co-Editor & Art Director: Michael Schneider | Senior Editor/Correspondent: Shlomo Mordechai | Editor: Barry Rosenfeld | Website/Staff Writer: Ryan Jones | Managing Editor/Director of Marketing: Lorraine Rubinow | Administrator: Daniel Goldstein Biblical Commentary, Word from Jerusalem, Debate, Prophecy: Ludwig Schneider | Politics, Focus on Jerusalem, Arab Press: Aviel Schneider, Ryan Jones | Messianic Jews, The Land, Profile, In Brief: Michael Schneider, Tzvi Sadan | Military, Tourism, Nature, Archeology, Jewish Affairs: Netanel Doron | Christians, Diaspora, Culture, Economy: Judith Jeries | Islam: Victor Mordechai | Text Advisor: Dov Chaikin | Financial Director: Anat Schneider | Translator: Judith Jeries, Beverly Bayliss | Graphic Designer: Pavel Permyakov, Larisa Kaplan Israel Today magazine – a monthly publication from Jerusalem | 1 Year Subscription: $43 US, IL / £30 UK / $49 US all other countries • 2 Years: $75 US / £53 UK / $86 US all other countries • 3 Years: $99 US / £70 UK / $115 US all other countries • IT Electronic Edition (1 Year): $25 US / £18 UK /$25 US all other countries | Contact information: Israel Today, 1 Shmuel HaNagid St. P.O. Box 7555 Jerusalem 91070, Israel | Tel: +972.2.622.6881 | Fax: +972.2.622.6882 | TOLL FREE ORDERING: 1.866.854.1684 (North America) | 00.800.60.70.70.60 (UK/Norway/) | www.israeltoday.co.il | www.jerusalemdepot.com (subscribe online)
‘Do not Touch My Messiah!’ B y Av i e l S c h n e i d e r
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dispute in an ultra-Orthodox school dominated the headlines and captivated the nation, highlighting the deep rift between Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews. The Ashkenazim are of European origin; the Sephardim are Oriental Jews, including many who immigrated to Israel from Arab countries. The Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox Rabbinate sees itself as the theological aristocracy compared to the Sephardim. It is a drama about discrimination, Torah observance, betrayal and the ultimate question: Who has spiritual authority over the people? The dispute unfolded at the Beit Yaakov (House of Jacob) School for girls in the settlement of Emanuel in Samaria, when Ashkenazi parents refused to allow their children to participate in classes with Sephardic students. The reason: The Sephardim are not religious enough. Effectively, it was segregation, sparking a clash between “synagogue and state.” The Supreme Court ruled that the segregated classes are unconstitutional, and it ordered the Ashkenazi parents to send their children to learn with the Sephardim or face time in jail. The Ashkenazim refused, and 86 fathers and mothers were sentenced to two weeks behind bars. That sparked an uproar, with more than 100,000 ultra-Orthodox Jews taking to the streets in protest. There were banners which said: “The Torah rules!” “We vote for the Torah!” “Torah law above civil law!” and “Do not touch My anointed!” (Psalm 105:15). In Hebrew, the word for “anointed” is mashiach, which also means “Messiah.” So the sign could also be read: “Do not touch My Messiah!”
The Silence of Shas The ultra-Orthodox Shas party was established 26 years ago to fight discrimination against the Sephardim. The Ashkenazi secular elite have traditionally dominated government in Israel, but Shas is now a power to reckon with, holding 11 seats in the 120-member Knesset (parliament). It is currently a partner in the Netanyahu government. According to the spiritual leader of Shas, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the goal of the party is to “return the crown [of Torah authority] to its rightful owner.” Yet during the Emanuel affair Shas was stunningly silent. Instead of attacking the Ashkenazim, Rabbi Yosef lashed out at the state. “Whoever consults the Supreme Court does not have a place in heaven!” Rabbi Yosef said in a Shabbat (Sabbath) sermon. “Only the Chief Rabbinate is responsible for these matters.”
Politics The reason for the silence of Shas is clear: Ashkenazi schools are simply better than Sephardic schools, and many senior Shas officials were educated in Ashkenazi institutions. Despite Rabbi Yosef’s vow to take back “the crown,” it is clear that when it comes to spiritual authority, the Ashkenazim reign supreme.
‘Where is Babylon? In Warsaw?’ “The Shas-voters are the ones I pity the most,” wrote secular columnist Yair Lapid in Israel’s biggest newspaper Yediot Ahronot. “Hundreds of thousands of naïve citizens voted for Shas because they wanted to fight the scourge of discrimination against the Sephardim. But in return, they got silence.” A Yediot poll shows that 47 percent of Shas voters are disappointed by the silence of the party. And that could hurt Shas in the next elections. “What hypocrites!” Erez Alfasi, a resident of the settlement of Maale Adumim near Jerusalem, told israel today. “I am more than angry and disappointed. What do the Ashkenazi Jews teach? The Babylonian Talmud! Where is Babylon? In Warsaw? Who are the Shas leaders afraid of? Babylon is in the East and not in Europe!”
The Bible Revisited
ULTRA-ORTHODOX RIFT Two streams of Orthodoxy vie for supremacy
The school controversy is akin to the dispute between the Pharisees and the Sadducees in the New Testament. The Pharisees were like the Ashkenazim, the elite of scholars and scribes with the strictest interpretation of the Torah. The Sadducees were similar to the Sephardim, observing a less strict theology that was rejected by the Pharisees. Jesus criticized some teachings of the Pharisees and was often locked in confrontation with them. He accused them of observing the letter of the law instead of the spirit of the law (Luke 11). And that lesson is still apropos in Israel today. Y Aug/Sept 2010 | 3
Politics
The Arab Silent Majority? T
he first time I met Nusseibah Khattib was in April this year. Khattib, 29, is an Arab from Barta’a, a village of 10,000 in the north of the country. It straddles both sides of the 1967 border, with half of the residents living in Israel proper and the other half in the Palestinian Authority (PA). Most, including those in the PA, are either Arab citizens of Israel or carry Israeli identity cards. The rest have Palestinian IDs. Khattib is one of the many who heard Nisreen Abdel Nabi, 24, an East Jerusalem Palestinian woman who supports Israel, speaking on Arab radio. As in her interview with israel today (October 2009), she criticized the PA and its leadership and expressed support for Israel. Khattib expressed similar views when we met in our Jerusalem office. Both belong to what might be called the “silent majority” of Israeli Arabs and Palestinians, who are working toward coexistence. “We have no other choice than to live together!” he said. “I wish that more Arabs would take part in national service.” Since most Israeli Arabs, other than Druze, don’t serve in the army, national service is an alternative. It usually involves social work, education and other ways to help the community. Khattib has published several articles in the ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION: Arabs in Barta’a show a surprising loyalty to Israel
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local Arab press calling on his fellow Arab citizens to join the national service. These were met with harsh criticism from the Arab leadership. In the Israeli and foreign media, the only voices heard are the shouts of Arab Knesset (parliament) members railing against Israel and demanding a Palestinian state. “The Arab politicians just want to make headlines and harm the delicate coexistence between the two peoples,” Khattib said. “Without the support of a strong family, nothing can be changed in this country.”
Meeting the Other Side So Khattib invited me to his village to meet his family. Two weeks later, I joined him at his father’s home and found myself in the garden surrounded by 25 of the village notables, including teachers, sheikhs, police officers and businessmen. Next to me sat Kaba’a Said, 37, village administrator of the national health plan. “We are not afraid to speak the truth openly,” he said. “At the moment there are four young women completing their national service in the village’s national health insurance offices and there are more to come.”
Said was interrupted by a policeman who is the security chief of the village: “How does it help us to support a state that discriminates against us? We want to integrate, but we are constantly hindered by unnecessary incidents that remind us that we are a part of the Arab minority.” For example, the officer said he stopped a car and asked for the driver’s license, only to be yelled at by the driver and passengers who said he should not stop Jews but should chase Arab terrorists. “This is only one example of many of how we, who want to serve the State of Israel, are treated,” he said. Most participants agreed that there is discrimination against the country’s Arab citizens. During the two-hour meeting the tension was palpable.
Discrimination Runs Both Ways When it comes to discrimination, I told my Arab hosts, they are not the only ones in Israeli society who are suffering. Sephardic (Oriental) Jews, especially from Morocco, have experienced discrimination since the establishment of the state. This has led to the growing strength of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, which has sought to improve the status of the Sephardim. Ethiopian Jews have also had difficulty integrating into a predominately white society. There are also the approximately half million Israelis who are not Jewish, such as foreigners married to Jews or Israelis that are not considered Jewish under Orthodox Law. The difference between discrimination against Arabs and against Jews, I said, is that because of the Middle East conflict and terrorism, discrimination against Arabs has become more politicized. “You are right!” said one of those seated by me. “I know that many groups in Israel are complaining, but we are the ones who are seen as Israel’s enemies. We are not enemies, we are Israeli citizens!”
Politics Mutual Suspicion Many Israelis believe the radical Islamic Movement, and its fiery leader Sheikh Raed Salah from the neighboring village of Umm el-Fahem, represent the majority of the nation’s Arabs. The Israeli media focuses on the crowds stirred up by the Islamic Movement and its anti-Israel rhetoric, so Jews tend to see the Arab population as a Trojan horse, especially in times of conflict and war. This mutual suspicion harms the possibility of dialogue. “No, we do not support Sheikh Salah,” said family member Mofaz elKhattib, 61. “The majority of Israeli Arabs are against his anti-Israel views. Believe me, the majority wants to live peacefully with the Jews because the Jewish State of Israel is a political reality.” “Israel exists,” said another participant, “and those who want to destroy it are wasting their time and ours!”
No Place Like Home The discrimination issue is always the center of attention. For example, Arabs complain that it can take as long as three months to get a telephone repairman, while for Jews it is a matter of days. But when discrimination is put aside and life in Israel is compared to Arab countries, the Jewish state often receives high praise. “There is no other country in the world that I would prefer over Israel,” says one of the Barta’a guests. “In Israel there is order and democracy. That is something we highly appreciate, in spite of the discrimination.” All the others nodded in agreement. They want stability and agree that they have many benefits in Israel. Israeli Arabs cannot even imagine living under the Palestinian Authority or in a Palestinian state. In a survey of Israel’s Arab population, carried out by Professor Sami Smooha of Haifa University, 75 percent of those below the age of 25 said they support Arab citizens joining the national service. A stunning 90 percent said that inequality between Jews and Arabs would be diminished if more Arab
‘WE WANT TO SERVE THE STATE’: (from right to left) Nusseiba Khattib, Basel and Haled
young people did national service. The survey also revealed that 33 percent of Israeli Arabs consider themselves “very” patriotic to Israel, while 53 percent said they are “moderately” patriotic; 44 percent said they are proud to be Israelis.
Arabs in the Army Ahmed Khattib, 61, Nusseibah’s father, said that 10 years ago he wanted his son to join the army but that he was stopped by the local leadership. “I myself wanted to join the Israeli army 40 years ago, but it wasn’t the right time yet,” he said. “These days, more and more Israeli Arabs are joining the army.” According to my hosts, the number of Israeli Arabs who want to volunteer for national service for one or two years is on the rise, even in the Islamic Movement’s powerbase of Umm el-Fahem. At the end of the meeting I was introduced to two young men, Basel and Haled, who said they had wanted to serve in the elite Golani Brigade “regardless of the cost.” “But because our physical profile wasn’t high enough we weren’t accepted.” Basel said. “We and many of our friends want to serve the state, especially in combat units.” As the sun set, I joined Nusseibah and Kaba’a Said in a drive to the neighboring village of Arara. There we met with Youssef Jaja, 62, whose three sons are serving in the army. Six years ago his son Said died during an attack on his army base in Gaza. We talked all night and Youssef told us that Said had
grown up side by side with Jews, and how important this was to him. In the courtyard, Youssef has placed a memorial plaque dedicated to all the Arab soldiers from the surrounding villages, including his son, who have fallen in battle for Israel. “We live together side by side and have to fight together for our country,” said Youssef, who has been harshly criticized by the local Arab community and its leaders. “Many things have changed these days. Every year about 50 young people from this area join the Israeli army.”
Coexistence and Peace Coexistence between Jews and Arabs is possible, but that does not necessarily mean that Israel has to sign a dangerous peace accord with those who seek its destruction. “Peace with the enemy Arab nations is almost impossible,” said Nusseibah. “Both the Arabs and Israelis know that. So until then, why not live together in peace? We have no other choice.” Y By Aviel S chneider IN MEMORIAM to fallen Israeli Arab soldiers
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politics
Flotilla Inquiry
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n Israeli military inquiry says the army was poorly prepared for the raid on the aid flotilla trying to break the Gaza blockade on May 31st. Israeli commandos stormed the ships, killing nine people and sparking international outrage. Israel says the soldiers acted in self-defense when they were attacked by pro-Palestinian activists wielding clubs and knives. The report said military intelligence underestimated the violent response. The battle plan was also flawed; for instance, commandos were armed with paint guns because they expected passive resistance. “The strategic thinking has to be, first of all, to have sufficient intelligence but also the right intelligence, so that we can forestall, so that we can prevent this from happening right from the beginning,” said Israeli analyst Ra’anan Gissin. At the same time, the inquiry found no wrongdoing or negligence, and therefore it did not call for any officers to resign. Former general Yaakov Amidror believes that is the right approach. “I don’t think that people should go home because by losing all those who made mistakes we are losing a lot of experience,” Amidror said. “One of the ways to…be better in the future is to learn from mistakes.” INTELLIGENCE failure
MEALS ON WHEELS: Israel is allowing all food supplies into Gaza in the wake of the flotilla affair
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade M
ore than 200 trucks laden with goods are rolling into Gaza each day, after Israel eased its crippling land blockade. All food supplies and some building materials are being allowed in for the first time since Hamas seized control of Gaza in the Palestinian civil war three years ago. The aim of the sanctions was to isolate Hamas, a terrorist organization that seeks the destruction of Israel. It was also a way to pressure Hamas to release captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit (see pages 16-17). But Israel was forced to change course after the deadly flotilla raid, which brought massive international pressure to ease the blockade. President Barack Obama described it as “unsustainable.” “We have no problem with the steady flow of civilian goods to the civilian population,” said Israeli spokesman Mark Regev, but he added that the sea blockade will remain in force to prevent weapons smuggling. “We cannot allow missiles and rockets from Iran, from Syria, from Hezbollah in Lebanon to reach Hamas in Gaza because if they get those weapons they'll use them against us.” The move won praise from the international community. “The purpose of this [new policy] is to help people in Gaza with daily life, to give them some hope and some prospect for the future,” said Middle East envoy Tony Blair during a visit to a border crossing. Typically, the Palestinians played down the move, describing it as a public relations ploy aimed at appeasing international anger. They say that as long as the sea blockade is in force, Gaza remains under siege. “There is no such thing as easing the blockade,” said Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat. “The siege must be completely lifted.” With more flotillas coming, easing the blockade gives Israel some public relations leverage. The US and European Union are backing Israel’s position that aid ships sailing to Gaza are an unnecessary provocation. Y By Shl omo Mordechai
Giora Eiland, a retired general who headed the inquiry, said there were also some “very positive findings.” “One of them that should be emphasized is the very professional and courageous way that the Israeli commandos behaved on this ship because they found themselves in a real, immediate danger to their lives,” he said. Israel is also conducting a civilian inquiry that could have political implications for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Y By Sh l o mo Morde c ha i 6 | Aug/Sept 2010
DISENGAGEMENT? Israel’s attempts to ‘disengage’ from Gaza have failed
politics
Obama Changes His Tune—For Now W
hat a difference a midterm election makes! President Barack Obama, who has gone out of his way to publicly lambaste and humiliate Israel over the issue of Jewish construction in Judea, Samaria (the so-called “West Bank”) and East Jerusalem, is suddenly the Jewish state’s best friend. This is the same Obama who put his top officials on television to accuse Israel of an “insult,” a “slap in the face,” and a “deeply negative signal about Israel’s approach to the bilateral relationship,” after the ill-timed announcement of a construction project in a Jewish neighborhood of disputed East Jerusalem during the visit of Vice President Joe Biden in March. This is the same Obama who snubbed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu two weeks later, by letting him in through the back door for an evening visit at the White House with no media present. Then he made Netanyahu sweat, demanding concessions to the Palestinians to repair the relationship. It is hard to remember any similar behavior toward a top US ally. Netanyahu was treated like some dictator from a banana republic. This has infuriated American Jews and other Democratic supporters of Israel. And with Obama losing support at home because of domestic issues, he fears that the Democrats could lose control of Congress in midterm elections in November. Not only that; Jews are big contributors to the Democratic Party. So when Netanyahu showed up at the White House, Obama rolled out the red carpet and lavished praise on him. Even the reporters marveled. “Mr. President, in the past year, you distanced yourself from Israel and gave a cold shoulder to the Prime Minister,” said an Israeli journalist. “Do you think this policy was a mistake?...Do you trust Prime Minister Netanyahu?” “Well, let me first of all say that the premise of your question was wrong, and I entirely disagree with it,” Obama
ALL SMILES: But what will happen after midterm elections in November?
responded. He said he had always engaged in “a constant reaffirmation of the special relationship” with Israel, and “I’ve trusted Prime Minister Netanyahu since I met him before I was elected president.” It was as if the “insult” and “deeply negative signal” never happened. Netanyahu played right along. “The reports about the demise of the special US-Israel relationship aren't just premature, they’re just flat wrong,” he said. Obama wasn’t done. After reaching out to Muslims throughout his presidency, he sought to speak directly to the Israeli public for the first time. So he gave a prime-time interview on Israel’s Channel 2 television. “Mr. President, there are people in Israel who are anxious about you,” said anchor Yonit Levi, “who…feel like you don’t have a special connection to Israel. How do you respond to that?” ‘“Ironically, I've got a chief of staff named Rahm Israel Emmanuel,” Obama said. “My top political advisor is somebody who is a descendent of Holocaust survivors. My closeness to the Jewish American community was probably what propelled me to the US Senate. “And so I think what this arises from—
some of it may just be the fact that my middle name is Hussein, and that creates suspicion. Some of it may have to do with the fact that I have actively reached out to the Muslim community, and I think that sometimes, particularly in the Middle East, there’s the feeling of the friend of my enemy must be my enemy.” So does this change of tone mean that there’s smooth sailing ahead? Not a chance. “The differences are there, and they are real,” wrote Herb Keinon in the Jerusalem Post. “What has changed now is that the administration has decided, in large part because of electoral considerations, that rather than playing these differences up, as it has done up until now, they will now keep them in the background…at least until the midterm congressional elections in November. “After that, it will be time again for the Netanyahu government to duck and look for cover, until the US presidential primary season heats up in the fall of 2011. Then electoral considerations will again become paramount in Washington, and Israel will again catch an American reprieve.” Y By Shl omo Mordechai
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Politics
Pop Stars Stand up to ‘Cultural Intifada’ UNDETERRED: Missy Elliot wows the crowds in Tel Aviv
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nder international pressure to cancel her concert in Israel, American hip-hop star Missy Elliot responded by coming a day earlier and touring the country with an entourage of more than 30 dancers and crew. She says the highlight was a visit to the Western Wall. Elliot had received messages from anti-Israel groups warning her “not to legitimize Israel” by performing here. Since the flotilla affair, performers have come under massive pressure to join a cultural boycott against Israel. “Well, I’m a religious person,” Elliot said in a TV interview. “I don’t pay that much attention to politics.” As she performed before thousands of adoring fans in Tel Aviv, she shouted: “I love this city!”
HAPPY DAYS: Kids celebrate on the last day of school
Earlier, British pop singer Rod Stewart performed in Israel as part of his Soulbook Tour. Stewart and Elliot followed the lead of Elton John who was the first to perform after the flotilla raid. “Musicians spread love and peace, and bring people together,” Elton said. “That’s what we do. We don’t cherrypick our conscience.” These performances have been the exception and not the rule. The latest cancellation: American actress Meg Ryan who was supposed to appear at the Jerusalem Film Festival. Before her, the dropouts included British singer Elvis Costello, rock band The Pixies, singer Devendra Banhart, alternative rockers Gorillaz, British band the Klaxons and American soul singer Gil Scott-Heron. In February, rock legend Carlos Santana withdrew from a sold-out performance due to pressure from pro-Palestinian groups. Israelis have dubbed this a “cultural intifada”—referring to the Palestinian uprisings against Israel. Top promoter Shuki Weiss, who has brought such big-name acts to the country as Madonna and Pink Floyd, went a step further and called it “cultural terrorism.”
Famed British rock band Jethro Tull bucked the trend and is performing here this summer. “Culture and the arts should be free of political and religious censorship and a distance kept between them,” said lead singer and flautist Ian Anderson. He said he would donate his concert proceeds to charities promoting coexistence. Y By Barry Rosenfeld WAKE UP MAGGIE! At 65, Rod Stewart can still belt out a tune
Summer Vacation!
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t was a time to rejoice for 1,507,000 Israeli children when schools let out for the summer. Since vacationing in Israel is expensive, many Israelis opt to go abroad on package deals that might even beat the prices here. Turkey used to be the no. 1 destination, but in the wake of the Turkish-sponsored flotilla affair, Israeli travel agents have dropped that country. It may no longer be safe because of anti-Israel sentiment, and Israelis want to punish Turkey for its belligerent behavior. The Greek islands have replaced Turkey as the hot spot, especially Crete and Rhodes. Other nearby destinations at reasonable prices include Cyprus, Croatia, Romania and Hungary. Y 8 | Aug/Sept 2010 | www.israeltoday.co.il
Arab Press
Arab Press Wakes Up to Abuse of Women
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here are certain topics that are simply taboo in the Arab press, and for decades one has been the rights of women in Muslim societies. It’s well known that women in the region do not enjoy the same rights as men, but the issue has received little attention because few stories about specific cases are ever published. But a select few Arab media outlets and journalists are starting to shine a light on what amounts to abuse of women. The Qatar-based TV network AlJazeera, which has a huge audience across the Arab world, reported that women in the Kandahar province of Afghanistan are risking their lives to attend a local school. When the network filmed at the location, the female students covered their faces for fear that they would be recognized and murdered for trying to get an education.
The female students and those who dare to teach them are regularly attacked. The Saudi-backed pan-Arab TV station Al-Arabiya aired a debate with Islamic researcher Ahmad bin Baz, son of a former Saudi mufti (spiritual leader), who said it is time for the kingdom to allow women to drive. “When we view women as lesser humans than men, and think that corruption can be expected of women, this is very dangerous,” he said. “A car is a means to an end,” and a man can just as easily use it for nefarious purposes. Khaled Abu Toameh, an Israeli Arab correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, commented on the all-female crew of a Lebanese aid flotilla determined to break Israel’s naval blockade on Gaza. Wouldn’t it “have been better and more helpful had the same group of female activists launched a campaign to promote women’s rights under Hamas?” he wrote.
arab Political cartoons
The Star of David as the Cross
SKULL AND CROSSBONES Al Iqtisadiyya (Saudi Arabia)
Hezbollah and CNN
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he Islamic terrorist group Hezbollah in Lebanon denounced CNN’s decision to fire a Middle East editor who sent a Twitter message expressing admiration for the nation’s top Shiite cleric, after he died at the age of 75. Octavia Nasr later apologized for describing Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah as “one of Hezbollah’s giants I respect a lot.” Since Hezbollah is on the State Department’s list of terrorist organizations, CNN said Nasr’s credibility had been compromised. Hezbollah spokesman Ibrahim Moussawi described CNN's decision as “intellectual terrorism.” “This measure reveals the double standard in the West regarding matters in the region,” he said, “and unmasks the United States, which pretends to protect freedom of speech.”
Palestinian Girls Want to Be Terrorists Palestinian Authority TV carried a special segment on the jailing of Sanaa Shehadeh, a Palestinian woman serving three life sentences in an Israeli prison for knowingly transporting a suicide bomber to Jerusalem in 2002. The bomber killed three people and wounded dozens
‘THE HOLOCAUST TRICK’ The Pope crucifies the Palestinians Aljazeera.net (Qatar)
CRUCIFYING PEACE Al Jarida (Kuwait)
more in an attack on King George Street, one of the main streets in downtown Jerusalem. Shehadeh’s two young nieces, both of them under the age of 10, were interviewed. After speaking of how proud they were of their aunt, the two girls sang a song that includes the lines, “I want to carry a machine gun and a rifle” and “We shall strike Israel.” C ompiled by Ryan Jones
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P A LESTI N I A N S
THE SAME ILK Mahmoud Abbas appears to be a moderate, but he is the protégé of PLO terror chief Yasser Arafat
Palestinians Still Looking for Israel’s Destruction Even the ‘moderate’ Abbas would welcome an invasion of the Jewish state
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alestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, branded a “moderate” by the international community, let his true colors show when he said that he would favor a pan-Arab war against Israel. When Abbas met with writers and journalists at the home of the Palestinian ambassador to Jordan, he said that during the Arab Summit in Libya earlier this year he told Arab leaders that he still prefers war against Israel, but could not do it alone. This was reported by the official Palestinian Authority newspaper AlHayat Al-Jadida. “We are unable to confront Israel militarily, and this point was discussed at the Arab League Summit,” said Abbas. “I turned to the Arab states and I said: ‘If you want war, and if all of you will fight Israel, we are in favor. But the Palestinians will not fight alone because they don't have the ability to do it.’” (Translation by Palestinian Media Watch.) The Arab states of the Middle East have tried at least three times to militarily destroy Israel, but each time they ended up losing territory. The “Palestinian crisis” that was birthed after Israel’s
liberation of Judea and Samaria (the socalled “West Bank”) in 1967 is seen by many Israelis as nothing more than a calculated and patient approach to ultimately remove Israel from the map. PLO leader Yasser Arafat admitted as much in 1993 when he signed the Oslo Accords. He told fellow Palestinians in a TV message that the Palestine Liberation Organization’s “armed struggle” and its land-for-peace diplomacy were equal parts of a phased strategy that would
THE OSLO ILLUSION: Arafat admitted that the Oslo Accords were part of the Phased Plan for Israel’s destruction
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lead to the complete replacement of Israel with another Arab-Muslim state. “Do not forget that our Palestine National Council accepted the decision in 1974,” Arafat said. “It called for the establishment of a national authority on any part of Palestinian land that is liberated or from which the Israelis withdrew... This is the moment of return, the moment of gaining a foothold on the first liberated Palestinian land.” The 1974 decision referenced by Arafat was the PLO’s official acceptance of the Phased Plan for destroying Israel, as opposed to the more direct strategy of military conquest that had been employed until the Yom Kippur War a year earlier. As one of the PLO’s co-founders and top commanders, Abbas helped author that decision, a detailed plan to slowly move the “resistance” inside Israel’s borders and weaken the Jewish state to the point that it could be overwhelmed in a military attack from abroad. His comments indicate that his ideology hasn’t changed. However, Abbas continues to be whitewashed by an international community eager to impose its idea of peaceful conflict resolution on the region. That is why Abbas’ remarks in Arabic are regularly ignored by the world media and Western leaders. But his views, and the influence they have on the Palestinian public, ensure that a genuine and lasting peace is impossible to achieve and that sooner or later, the Middle East will again be embroiled in a war of destruction against the Jewish state. Y By Ryan Jones
Focus on Jerusalem
Controversy over City of David
ARAB CLAIMS: Tensions rise as Israel threatens to move against squatters
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he Jerusalem Municipality has approved a plan to develop a protected area of the City of David that has in recent decades been illegally occupied by Arab squatters. The City of David, located in the predominately Arab neighborhood of Silwan, comprises the original city of Jerusalem conquered by King David over 3,000 years ago. Today, it is home to a small, but growing Jewish population that lives alongside the Arabs. Since the time of the Ottoman and British Mandate governments, the lower part of Silwan was kept wooded, and no construction was allowed, in order to preserve its historical uniqueness. But over the past 10 years or so, some 90 houses have been built without permits by Arab squatters in the area known as the King's Garden. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat recognizes that the Arab squatters have been living there for decades, and his plan to again turn King's Garden into a green area takes their situation into account. According to the plan, 66 of the 90 illegal structures will be retroactively approved, and alternative plots of land will be given to those who are evicted. Nevertheless, Palestinian and leftwing Israeli elements, in eager partnership with the international media, have focused solely on the fact that a number of Arab families will be forced by Israel to leave “their” homes. Israel is taking immense heat over the plan, despite the fact that the homes were built illegally on state-owned land, that the municipality is going to retroactively approve twothirds of the homes anyway, and that the
remaining squatters will be receiving gifts of land despite having broken the law. Barkat explained that by catering to the squatters, the municipality is making its job of restoring the green area far more difficult. Most of the illegal homes were built without proper infrastructure, which means the municipality must now install plumbing and electricity for already existing structures. It also means the proposed park and other public areas will be much smaller than originally intended. None of that matters to the Obama administration in Washington. “This is expressly the kind of step that we think undermines trust that is fundamental in making progress to the proximity talks and ultimately in direct negotiations,” said State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley. “We’re concerned about it. We’ve had a number of conversations with the government of Israel about it.” BONE OF CONENTION: Silwan is just outside the Old City walls
Under US pressure and fearing Palestinian violence, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled that evictions are not imminent. He said the Silwan plan is only in its “very initial stage” and that many discussions are planned in order to reach an acceptable compromise. Silwan was the stage for further tension when Jewish residents and their allies in the Knesset demanded that the Supreme Court finally implement a 2008 decision to remove Arab families from an old, Jewish-owned building. Built in 1890 by the large Yemenite Jew-
JEWISH CLAIMS: For Jews, Silwan is the biblical Shiloach (Neh 3:15, John 9:11)
ish community in Silwan, the building served as both a living quarters and a synagogue. In the late 1920s, the Jews of Silwan were forced out of the neighborhood by Arab riots that claimed many lives. When Jordan illegally occupied the eastern half of Jerusalem, including Silwan, from 1948-1967, Arab families were moved into the Jewish-owned properties. Right-wing Jewish lawmaker Uri Ariel of the National Union party says that when it comes to building violations in Jerusalem, there is more discrimination against Jews than Arabs. “There are fewer than 50 illegal Jewish structures, while the number of illegal Arab buildings is estimated in the thousands,” he said. “Demolition orders for Jews are rushed up, while those for Arabs happen much more slowly.” Ariel pointed to the judicial focus on Beit Yonatan, an apartment building constructed illegally by Jews in Silwan, while just 200 yards away, demolition plans against the illegal Arab homes have been postponed. Barkat and others have been trying to retroactively approve Beit Yonatan, though the High Court insists it must be evacuated and sealed. The mayor is demanding that the fate of Beit Yonatan be the same as that of the illegal Arab buildings in Silwan. This puts the courts and the government in the sticky situation of choosing between equal application of the law and appeasing the international community and the Palestinians. Y By Ryan Jones
www.israeltoday.co.il | Aug/Sept 2010 | 11
J e w i s h A ffa i r s
Farewell to a Former Chief Rabbi
Tisha B’av 2010
TORAH SAGE: Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu
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abbi Mordechai Eliyahu, who served as the Sephardic (Jews of Eastern origin) Chief Rabbi of Israel from 1983 to 1993, has died following a long illness. He had been hospitalized for nearly a year in Jerusalem with complications from a heart condition. He was 81. As a youth, Eliyahu was a religious militant. In the early 1950s, he was sentenced to a 10-month prison term for membership in a group that collected arms and firebombs with the aim of imposing Torah law on the nascent state of Israel. Upon his release, however, he quickly changed tactics, aligning himself with influential Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Nissim and the Mizrahi Party, the first official religious-Zionist party which established the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Decades later, he admitted in an interview that his underground activity was wrong. “I haven't changed my views,” he said, “but the path I chose then was mistaken.” The night of his death, over 100,000 mourners joined in a procession accompanying their beloved rabbi for the last time on the path up to Har Menuchot (Mount of Rest) Cemetery, located near the western entrance to Jerusalem. Rabbi Eliyahu is revered as one of the great spiritual leaders and scholars of Israel. His popularity spans all of the nation’s religious streams. He is admired for his brilliant knowledge of the Torah, Bible and Talmud. He counseled thousands, giving them advice and his blessing. The rabbi strongly supported Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria, but many Israelis saw his views as extreme. As a dayan (religious judge), he ruled that settlers are permitted to harvest the olive trees of their Palestinian neighbors and even to steal their crops, as the land inherently belongs to the Jewish people. He strongly opposed
the destruction of 21 Jewish settlements during the pullout from Gaza in 2005. He was also the personal rabbi of Jonathan Pollard, the American naval intelligence analyst, who was convicted of spying for Israel in 1987 and sentenced to life in prison. The sage was eulogized by political and religious leaders alike. “Rabbi Eliyahu was a spiritual leader of the highest order for religious Zionism and a faithful and pious man among our people, who always combined words of Torah, sharp analyses and wise counsel,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Chief Rabbis Yona Metzger and Shlomo Amar spoke at his grave, and Jerusalem’s secular Mayor Nir Barkat described him as a great Torah scholar. “He was a pillar of fire for us,” said the Yesha Council of Jewish Settlements in Judea and Samaria. “He stood up for the people living in the biblical homeland and encouraged us to persevere.” Rabbi Eliyahu was born in the Old City of Jerusalem and became a protégé of the Hazon Ish, (Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz), a highly influential ultra-Orthodox rabbi. In 1960, he became the youngest person elected as a religious judge in Israel. He served as the chief rabbi of Beersheba for four years and was elected to the Supreme Rabbinical Court in Jerusalem, a position he held until his death. As the Sephardic Chief Rabbi, he worked to draw secular Israelis closer to the Jewish faith. He traveled throughout the country visiting secular kibbutzim and moshavim (cooperative farming communities), more than any other rabbi. May his memory be blessed. Y
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By Netanel D oron
n July 20th, religious Jews commemorated the destruction of the First and Second Temples (in 586 BC and 70 AD). On the Jewish calendar, it is the ninth of the Hebrew month of Av, or Tisha B’Av. The rabbis teach that the First Temple was destroyed because of three sins: pagan worship, sexual immorality and murder. The Talmud says: “During the period of the Second Temple the people studied Torah, fulfilled the mitzvot (commandments) and gave tzdaka (charity). Why then was this Temple also destroyed? The rabbis respond: ‘Because there were those among the people who hated each other without cause.’” The lesson is that hatred without a cause is as bad as the three sins. With all the political turmoil between the left and right over the peace process and territorial concessions, religious Jews often warn against sin'at hinam—hatred (of fellow Jews) without a cause. Y (ND) DAY OF FASTING for the destruction of the Temples
Jesus in Modern Hebrew Culture
The White Soldier: Yoram Kaniuk I
never thought that Jesus could be relevant to Yoram Kaniuk’s latest book, entitled 1948 (published in 2010). Born in Tel Aviv in 1930, Kaniuk enlisted in the Palmach prior to his 18th birthday. The Palmach was the strike force of the Haganah, the pre-state Israeli army. Kaniuk, a novelist, painter, and journalist, has published 17 novels and received numerous literary prizes. His latest work is a memoir of his experience as a young soldier who fought in crucial battles in the Jerusalem area— until being severely wounded in the final attempt to conquer the Old City in May, 1948. The events of the book take place in the first five months of that year and constitute a moving account of a bewildered young man who, despite all his doubts, willingly participated in the War of Independence. The war confronted Kaniuk with horrors and moral dilemmas known only to those who have been on the battlefield. He nonetheless concludes that Israel must live through the power of the blood of those who die to defend it. He takes the motto for the book from Ezekiel’s words, “In your blood live!” (16:6). Kaniuk’s encounter with Jesus starts in the opening scene of the book, where nuns of an Italian convent treat his wounds: “I remember how WOUNDED WARRIOR they laid me on a white sheet, my first Kaniuk fought in the white sheet after four months. An old War of Independence and sad-eyed sister gave me half a glass of water.” Christians also crop up twice later in the book, both in besieged Jerusalem. As he is on the way to report to his commander, a fat monk stops Kaniuk: “Looking at me with smiling Christian compassion, he said, ‘You are fighting a lost war. Only Jesus will rule over Jerusalem.’ He told me that thousands of Jews have already seen the light…Shells fell close to us.” This strange encounter, however, leaves no impression on Kaniuk. More surprising is the story of how he was injured as his company attempt-
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‘IN YOUR BLOOD LIVE!’ Kaniuk had several unusual encounters with Jesus
ed for the last time to break into the Old City. Two years later, while in Europe, Kaniuk spoke by phone with the English officer who shot him in the leg. “He told me that back then, with my white uniform, I looked to him like a beautiful angel. I was laid out spread-eagle. He saw the blood from my wound and thought that I was Jesus on the cross. He told me, ‘Maybe I drank too much the night before when you took Mount Zion…I knew when I aimed at you that I hit your leg. I should have finished the job and killed you…I tried to kill you, but I also saved you. I loved you, and I hated you. I thought you were dead, and I told myself that I had killed a beautiful lad by the gate.” This truly remarkable story could yield a book-length analysis of the life of a young Jewish soldier wounded at Zion Gate by an English officer who spared his life because he thought he was Jesus. The symbolism of this event did not escape Yoram Kaniuk’s keen eye. So he turns Ezekiel’s injunction—“In your blood live!”—into a reference to both Jesus’ blood and his own. Y By Tsvi Sadan
ar-El Tours • Experience first-hand the land where our faith was born • Grow in a deeper understanding of the Scriptures • Witness the miraculous restoration of the nation of Israel
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2010 Let us go to the house of the Lord. Our feet are standing in the gates, O JerusalemAugust (Psalm 122:1, 2)
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word from jerusalem
Where Are the Fighters? By Ludwig Schneider
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e read in I Corinthians 12 and Galatians 5 that anger and an inflexible attitude are not among the gifts and fruits of the Spirit. Rather, love and a humble spirit are among the strongest expressions of our faith. Humility is the virtue that is the most misunderstood. Many believe it means tolerance and to submit to those around us. Yet tolerance is often the opposite of decisive behavior, which results in courage. Today there are too many cowards, both in the Church and in public office. They are not prepared to fight for the causes of a righteous God, yet they confuse their cowardice with humility. Yeshua (Jesus) expressed it clearly: “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32). There are many who lead a comfortable life of faith, conceding that everybody is right, on grounds that “we have to be tolerant of others with different points of view.” Jacob is a good example of courage. On the one hand, he was the deceiver; according to Genesis 25:26, Jacob means “he grasps the heel”—in other words, he deceives. But he was also resolute: Rather than looking on with envy while
others were being blessed, he was determined to do whatever was necessary to gain God’s blessing for himself. Therefore, he spent the night wrestling with the angel of God (Genesis 32:22-31). From this we see that determination and endurance are two characteristics that lead to God’s blessing. Courage is good, but without endurance it is useless. When the angel wanted to end the fight as dawn was breaking, Jacob cried out, “I will not let you go unless you bless me!” Jacob was not content with less than complete victory. A draw was not acceptable. There are Christians who accept defeat, thinking that “it is God’s will.” This is not Christian humility. God wants us to pray without ceasing, to keep on fighting until He has changed our lives completely. We should not be satisfied with a lesser blessing. It was only through this determination that the “loser” Jacob was able to become the “victor” Israel. From then on God always fought on the side of Israel. It takes a battle of this magnitude for us to become the “new creation” spoken of by Paul in 2 Corinthians 5. We should not simply rest on our redemption in the Messiah, believing that we no longer have to fight. Paul himself had to fight (2 Timothy
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4:7), and he also exhorts Timothy to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12) because only the victors receive a crown. The victors, however, are never the onlookers; they are always the committed fighters. My prayer is that every reader, like Jacob, will pursue God with the determination that “I will not let you go unless you bless me!”—until he turns into a fighter for Israel; and God, in turn, will fight for him. This is the only way to bring about the revival that transforms both church and nation. The fact that Jacob was left with a limp after he became Israel is a badge of honor as a fighter for God and shows that Israelis and true followers of God are not cowards. Y
Torah Portions August 2010 (from 21st of Av to 21st of Elul 5770)
The Sabbath (Shabbat) Readings August 7 Shabbat Re’eh – See Deut. 11:26-16:17; Isaiah 54:11-55:5 August 14 Shabbat Shoftim – Judges Deut. 16:18-21:9; Isaiah 51:12-52:12 August 21 Shabbat Ki Tetze – When You Go Forth Deut. 21:10-25:19; Isaiah 54:1-10 August 28 Shabbat Ki Tavo - When You Come In Deut. 26:1-29:8, Isaiah 60:1-22
BIBLE STUD Y
The Jewish View of Faith
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he Hebrew word for “faith” is emunah, which more precisely translated means trust. It is based on the verbal root “e-m-n,” which is also the root of the words true, faithful and reliable. The common translation of the word as “faith” is misleading in that it suggests a connection with the word “religion,” from the Latin religio, which translates as “reverence for the gods.” Religion can be defined as the belief in or worship of God, or gods in general, including those of pagan religions. The Hebrew word emunah, on the other hand, focuses on a trust and confidence in God, the covenant God of Abraham, who is unchanging and steadfast. This biblical faith is the antithesis of Hellenistic religious thought. The Greeks viewed Judaism as lacking in sophistication. They required a philosophical explanation for everything. This is why in the early Hellenized church, attempts were already being made to intellectualize the faith.
For Jews, faith cannot be explained intellectually but is rather a matter of blind trust. This does not mean that in Judaism one is expected to switch off his sense of reasoning. No, one should apply one’s mind to those areas where faith—or trust—is not required and where our understanding is limited. In Judaism faith expands our understanding; but understanding can never expand our faith. The Bible contains the account of creation, and here, too, trusting in the Word of God takes precedence over scientific explanations. All scientific knowledge and concepts must correspond to the Bible which was revealed by a supernatural God but through natural means. We can only decipher and experience it through unconditional trust in God. The author of the Book of Hebrews testified to this when he wrote: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1)—i.e., things we can-
not comprehend through our intellect alone. Without the unconditional acceptance of this truth, that faith is based on what is not seen (or understood), it is impossible to live a life that is fully pleasing to God. Faith is also the result of election. God has chosen the Jewish people (Deuteronomy 7:6-7), and for Christians, it is not they who have chosen Christ but rather He who has chosen them (John 15:16). Christ, in turn, attributes this choice to His heavenly Father: “I ask on their behalf …those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours” (John 17:9). Our faith—or more precisely our trust—transforms God the Creator, through His Son the Messiah, into our Father in Heaven. God did not only create the universe; He also created us His children. We can and should trust in Him completely. In this trust lies the secret of the divine nature, that God is not only the King of the Universe, but also the Lord of our unique, personal lives. Y By Ludwig S chneider
BLIND FAITH: For Jews, faith cannot be explained intellectually but is rather a matter of blind trust.
MARCH FOR FREEDOM: Participants pressed the government for a prisoner swap with Hamas
‘GILAD, you are the son of all of us’
Free Gilad Shalit! The family of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit went on a 12-day march across the country to press the government for a prisoner swap with Hamas. They were joined by thousands of people in cities and towns along the way. The trek marked the 4th anniversary of Shalit’s capture by Palestinian gunmen in a cross-border raid. He has been held in Gaza ever since but has not been seen in public. A video tape last year showed that he is alive and appeared to be in decent health. “We are categorically demanding from the Israeli government to free Gilad after four years,” said his father Noam Shalit. “And we won't wait for the fifth year, and the sixth year, and so on and so on.” One of the highlights was a concert by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra on the Gaza border, led by world-renowned Conductor Zubin Mehta. “We hope and we pray that tonight’s music will inspire people on the other side to open their hearts,” Mehta said. “If they [Hamas] are sincere in saying that he is being well taken care of, they will not mind the Red Cross visiting them.” Popular singer Shlomo Artzi sang what became the moving theme song of the march, Anachnu lo Tzrichim (We Don’t Need More Than This), which is effectively a prayer for blessing. One of the lines says: “Give us rain in its time, and in the spring give us flowers; and grant that he would return to his home—We don’t need any more than this.” Israel has offered 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit; but Hamas has rejected the deal because it does not include top terrorists involved in some of the deadliest attacks. Israel has carried out lopsided prisoner swaps in the past, but many Israelis believe that is a mistake which should not be repeated. “If we allow a thousand or more terrorists out of jail then many, many, many more Jews will be murdered,” said Jerusalem Post columnist Caroline Glick. The last stop of the march was Jerusalem, where the family plans to camp outside the Prime Minister’s Residence until the soldier is freed. Y By Shl omo Mordechai
‘GILAD SHALIT speaks from captivity’
CLASSICAL MEETS POP Conductor Zubin Mehta (right), the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and pop singer Shlomo Artzi (center) held a concert for Shalit on the Gaza border
PROTEST in Jerusalem
Four Years in Hamas Captivity
LONGSUFFERING: Noam and Aviva Shalit say their son should be released at any price
DEB A TE
One People Has God Rejected Israel?
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here is only night or day. Everything else, whether dawn or twilight, leans towards either day or night. The same thing applies to our attitude toward Israel. We either bless Israel or we curse it (Numbers 24:9). It is not possible to be indifferent toward Israel. In other words, there are just two camps. One teaches that God has abandoned the nation of Israel and set up the Church in its place. This is known as Replacement Theology. The other says that God will never abandon His people Israel. Both camps cite the Bible, but the former ignores the context. For example, opponents of Israel refer to Jeremiah 7:29: “The Lord has rejected and forsaken the generation of His wrath.” The rejection of Israel was an issue even in the prophet’s time, as God bemoans in Jeremiah 33:2324: “Have you not observed what this people have spoken, saying, ‘The two families [Judah and Israel] which the Lord chose, He has rejected them?’” Friends of Israel on the other hand quote Judges 2:1: “I brought you…into the land (Israel) which I have sworn to your fathers; and I said [or promised], ‘I will never break My covenant with you.’” God confirms this in Jeremiah 31:3738: “Thus says the Lord, ‘If the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out below, then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done.’” The Bible is full of promises from God that He will not reject His people Israel, but also of warnings that He will reject Israel. Which is right? What is relevant for the times we are living in now? The answer is in the timing—whether God has rejected Israel temporarily or permanently. The early Christians in Rome also had a problem with this issue, for Paul responds to the question as to whether God has rejected His people Israel with a clear, “May it never be!” (Romans 11:1). However, a few verses later, he writes that God has rejected His covenant people for a limited time
through the “partial” hardening of their hearts. Why? So that during this period, salvation may come to the Gentiles (11:25-29). This rejection, however, is temporary; it will only last “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in”—i.e., until the full number of the chosen Gentiles has entered the Church of God. Then “all Israel will be saved.” At that point, God’s permanent covenant with His people Israel will be restored. The bottom line: When God speaks of His rejection of Israel, this is only a temporary state. Indeed, the “stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone” (Psalm 118:22). While Peter correctly interprets this as referring to Jesus (Acts 4:11), it also refers to the nation of Israel in the end times. Zechariah 8:23 clearly indicates that the Jewish people have not been permanently rejected and will still play a role in salvation history: “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew [!] saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’” At this time Israel will move out of the state of temporary rejection and
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will once again, in the sight of the whole world, become God’s eternal covenant nation. Whenever Israel was disobedient to God, He rejected His people for a period of time—temporarily—in order to reinstate them after they had repented. He has not rejected Israel forever, for “the Lord will not abandon His people on account of His great name” (1 Samuel 12:22). The Lord also says: “I have chosen you and not rejected you” (Isaiah 41:9); “Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, nor will I so abhor them as to destroy them, breaking My covenant with them” (Leviticus 26:44). Here God confirms His eternal covenant with Israel, which was not annulled by His temporary rejection of the nation. This is why He is leading Israel back again into the Land of the fathers; “and they will not again be rooted out from their land which I have given them” (Amos 9:15). Just as God keeps His oath regarding His people Israel, so He also keeps His word to the Christian household of faith. Y By Ludwig S chneider
PUTTING DOWN ROOTS: The Bible says Israel will never again be uprooted from the Promised Land
Prophecy
DUAL LOYALTIES: American Jews prefer the Stars and Stripes to the Star of David
America and the Jews
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y now it is common knowledge that the 44th President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama, is no friend of Israel. Neither were his predecessors, and least of all Jimmy Carter who now refers to Israel as an apartheid state. The only difference is that in the past, none of the others admitted their antipathy towards Israel as openly as Obama has while in office. Some Israelis compare Obama to Pharaoh because by demanding a halt to building in the Jewish settlements, he is also thwarting national growth—whether through immigration or natural increase. This makes President Obama similar to Pharaoh, who, fearing the large number of children being born to the Hebrews, decided to have them drowned in the Nile. Not that Obama is planning to do something similar; yet his policies are turning him into a backer of, or even collaborator with, the Palestinians. Out of 302 million Americans, 145 million identify themselves as Christians. That means that practically every second American claims to attend some form of church. There are also 6.2 million Jews and 1.1 million Muslims living in the US, which means that for every 48 Americans there is one Jew, but only one Muslim for every 275 US citizens. Yet Obama is creating policies as if the majority of America’s citizens are Muslims. In the American melting pot of unlimited possibilities there are additional religious minorities and ethnic groups, each defending their own rights. As a result, Jews as an ethnic group are becoming more and more marginalized, with the noted exception of Jews who are in the public eye. Furthermore, more than half of the Jews in America under the age of 14 are no longer receiving any form of Jewish education and are thus losing their religious and spiritual identity with Israel. Consequently, the next generation of American Jews will see 70 percent being lost to Judaism, through mixed marriages and assimilation. In contrast, secular Muslims are becoming more fundamentalist. It’s as if Obama is playing for time.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union Israel has lost its strategic importance to the US. Today, America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are also resting on the shoulders of NATO and the European nations. The US is no longer solely responsible for the conflicts in the Middle East. Even President George Bush Sr. said in 1992, “We no longer need Israel!” This is why Washington is able to take stronger measures to win the favor of the Arabs. It also explains why Barack Hussein Obama emphasized his Muslim ancestry in his speech in Cairo last year. The subtle and gradual withdrawal of US support for Israel is having a marked effect on America’s Jews, whose discomfort is punctuated by growing anti-Semitism in America. The paradox among American Jews is that they actively participated in bringing the Russian Jews home to Zion, but they themselves do not want to return here. Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 until the end of 2009, 113,000 Jews from the US have immigrated to Israel. This is an average of just 1,852 Jews per year. It is only the global economic crisis, which hit the US particularly hard, that has caused the number of American Jews making aliyah (immigrating to Israel) to double. The American Jews who are now exploiting this window of opportunity to immigrate are fulfilling the prophecy of Jeremiah 16:16: “‘Behold, I am going to send for many fishermen,’ declares the Lord, ‘and they will fish for them.’” This refers to a voluntary return to Israel, when immigrants are still able to bring their possessions with them. In the same way, in the 1920s, German Jews were able to immigrate to Zion unchallenged, taking with them what they pleased. But those who missed this opportunity were pursued by the hunters, spoken of in the same chapter and verse: “And afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and every hill and from the clefts of the rocks.” In the end, 6 million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust. This should be a warning to the Jews of America. Obama’s anti-Israel stance is bonding America’s and Israel’s Jews together. The more Prime Minister Netanyahu stands up to the US, the more his popularity in Israel increases. Netanyahu seems to be guided by the following principle: We will build the settlements, but we will also negotiate with the Palestinians because that is what pleases the US; after all, what is going to happen is only what God has promised anyway. Y By Ludwig S chneider DIASPORA MENTALITY: Ultra-Orthodox Jews in New York
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C h r i s t i an s
Palestinian Christians: Protected or Persecuted?
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he former Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah, says Christians in the Palestiniancontrolled territories are a respected, integral and protected part of the Muslim-dominated society. “Christians or Muslims, we are the same people, with the same culture and the same history; a nation that is in conflict with another nation [Israel],” Sabbah, who is a Palestinian, said in an interview with the French magazine La Vie. COVER UP? Michel Sabbah
That the Palestinian Christian population has dropped from 15 percent in 1950 to just 2 percent today, due to emigration, is in Sabbah’s view the result of “living under military occupation.” However, this raises the question of why Israeli control of the “West Bank” and Gaza has had the opposite ef-
CHURCH BURNING in Palestinian-ruled Nablus
fect on the Muslim population, which has grown significantly. Asked about anti-Christian persecution in the Palestinian territories, Sabbah said it simply does not exist. “Individual incidents between Muslims and Christians can take on a community dimension,” he said. “[But] in Palestine, it never goes further than this. There have never been massacres or terrorist attacks against churches. Never have I known of openly anti-Christian persecution. Even in Gaza, Christians are protected by Hamas.” Kamal Saleem, a former Lebanese Muslim terrorist in the service of Yasser Arafat’s PLO, who is now a Bible-believing Christian, says Sabbah’s version of reality is skewed. He told israel today that when Arafat and his cohorts, like Mahmoud Abbas who currently heads the Palestinian Au-
thority, came to Lebanon in 1968, there were “massacres, rape, mutilation, rampages of looting and killings. Out of a population of 3.2 million, some 40,000 were killed.” Saleem says the dramatic drop in the number of Christians in the territories is because every Palestinian Christian who can “is moving into Jewish-populated areas for safety. The rest are moving to America.” Palestinian Christians, he said, take very seriously the threats of their Muslim neighbors to go after “the people of Saturday [Jews] first and the people of Sunday [Christians] second.” The facts back up Saleem’s story. In 2006, after a Danish newspaper published caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed, Palestinians firebombed several churches in Gaza and the town of Nablus. In 2007, the Al Qaeda-aligned group Jihadia Salafiya attacked a UN school in Gaza for allegedly “spreading Christian missionary activity” and “trying to convert Muslims under the cover of an international organization.” Later that year, 31-year-old Rami Ayyad, director of Gaza’s only Christian bookstore, was murdered by a Muslim gang while making his way home. For months prior to the attack, Ayyad had received death threats for sharing his faith with fellow Palestinians. These accounts make the claims of Sabbah and the Palestinian Authority about good relations between Christians and Muslims look like propaganda. Y By Ryan Jones
Ayalon’s Wife Was Evangelical!
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nne Ayalon, wife of Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, converted to Judaism from an Evangelical Christian family. Maybe that’s why she’s deeply involved with Christian Zionists, such as Pastor John Hagee, who heads one of the biggest pro-Israel ministries in America. The Calcalist (a Hebrew wordplay on The Economist) reported that together with an Orthodox partner, Mrs. Ayalon and Hagee are promoting Christian tourism to the Galilee by building a resort hotel and retreat complex. “Spiritual assistance and funding will come from an influential Evangelical preacher who is at home in the White House and is a long-standing friend of the Deputy Foreign Minister,” the newspaper said. “Add spiritual sponsorship from the rabbinical establishment, and you end up with a tourist venture which, the sponsors believe, can only do good—God willing.” 20 | Aug/Sept 2010 | www.israeltoday.co.il
CHRISTIAN CONNECTION: Anne Ayalon is promoting Christian tourism to the sea of Galilee
m e s s i an i c j e w s
REMOVING THE STIGMA: The school gives Messianic Jews ‘a level of legitimacy’
Messianic Education Grows in Israel
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e are the children of Makor HaTikvah, we love God and one another,” they joyously sang in Hebrew as tears welled up in the eyes of not a few proud parents. Jerusalem’s Makor HaTikvah Messianic Day School marked its 20th anniversary with a touching event organized by the parents and hosted by the children. But it was more than just a celebration of the school’s amazing success and growth. It was a celebration of Israel, Jerusalem and the ability to gather, worship and learn as young believers in Yeshua (Jesus) in the Jewish state. Makor HaTikvah has faced many challenges in its 20 years. The name means “Source of Hope” in Hebrew, and for the small group of Israeli families eager to get their kids out of an increasingly secular and worldly education system, that was precisely what it symbolized.
For many years, the school had no more than a dozen or so students cramped into tiny quarters at Christ Church in Jerusalem’s Old City, and it had to almost beg anyone willing to come teach a class to do so, regardless of their credentials. Few parents considered sending their children to Makor HaTikvah for a serious education, and the school was in danger of becoming a place where only foreign Christian volunteers sent their kids to learn a bit of Hebrew before moving on. “Makor HaTikvah has a special purpose, and Satan doesn’t like that,” school principal Cookie Schwaeber-Issan told those gathered for the anniversary. Constant prayer and support ensured that the enemy’s plans for the school to fade into obscurity had failed. Today, Makor HaTikvah has much larger facilities at Jerusalem’s Anglican School, though it is quickly outgrowing those, and the level of
Rabbi Slams Jews for Jesus
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rthodox Rabbi Stewart Weiss lambasted Jews for Jesus after the group distributed tracts in Ra’anana (near Tel Aviv), where he has an outreach center. “Handing out millions of promotional pamphlets per year, its favorite targets are the unsuspecting, the uninitiated and the uninformed: Russian Jews, college students, interfaith couples and, despite our government's antimissionary laws, alienated Israeli youth,” he wrote in the Jerusalem Post.
education is now on par with and in some areas surpassing the rest of the Israeli education system. That it has reached this point is “an affirmation that God wants this school to continue,” Schwaeber-Issan told israel today. Having just completed her first year at the school’s helm, Schwaeber-Issan has a lot of work ahead of her, but also a very solid foundation upon which to build. “This school is taking off and could easily have 200 kids by next year if we had a larger facility,” Schwaber-Issan said. Funding remains a problem, with local believers able to contribute little and most Christians around the world unaware of the school’s existence. “It’s possible that we could become state recognized and funded as we have applied for this,” she said. The success of Makor HaTikvah is also aiding efforts to remove the general stigma attached to Jewish believers in Yeshua. “Makor HaTikvah’s growth lends a level of legitimacy and honorable standing to the entire Messianic community in the Land,” said Schwaeber-Issan. “If we are state-recognized and funded, it would set a precedent in accepting us and giving us a real place here.” Y By Ryan Jones
20 YEARS: The school’s growth is a testimony
Then the rabbi cited the favorite Orthodox canard, that Jews who believe in Yeshua (Jesus) cannot be considered Jews: “JFJ hides its true identity behind code-names like ‘Messianic Jews’ or ‘completed Jews,’ insisting that one can retain his observance of Jewish laws and customs, while at the same time affirming Jesus as the messiah... Israel rightly denies them automatic citizenship under the Law of Return. Simply put, these people are the theological equivalent of ‘Indians for Custer’ and should never be confused with real Jews... Let us emphatically declare that JFJ is an insidious, antiSemitic organization, no less than the KKK or the Muslim Brotherhood.” www.israeltoday.co.il | Aug/Sept 2010 | 21
MILIT A R Y
Paramedics in the Navy
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MEDICAL mariners
he rank of medic in the Israeli Navy is attained only by a select few. Training is long and difficult; in addition to preparing for any medical situation that may occur at sea, paramedics must also train as naval combatants. After completing training as normal military medics, those who serve in the navy do additional training in naval medicine. Each medic wears two hats. For example, seaman Avi Elmkais is both a medic and the ship’s radioman. Working independently of other crew members, he must attend to all of the ship’s medical supplies, making sure that they are on board prior to each mission. “I am responsible for all of the crew while at sea and it’s not easy,” says Elmkais. “I must make sure that everyone drinks enough water. Then there is the constant danger of sunburn and some cases of hypothermia.” A team of five trainers works to build self-confidence in medics-to-be. “The paramedic must know every inch of the ship,” says training team leader Gil Goldinger. “Training includes practicing various scenarios. He may even have to take command of the ship.” Y
Triplets Defend Israel
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heir late father Sam Orbaum, who before his death at the age of 46 wrote a column for the Jerusalem Post, would have been proud. His triplet daughters, Odelia, the “oldest” (born a minute before her two sisters), Nomi and Donna, are writing history being the first to serve in the Israeli army. Although all three are enlisted in the Israel Air Force, they don’t serve together. Odelia serves as a control officer in the IAF’s underground commandand-control center at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv; Nomi is an air traffic control officer at the Palmahim Base; and Donna serves in a different position near Herzliya. “Even though we are, in a sense, still together since we are all in the IAF, it
New Artillery Rocket
S TROOPS in triple
was difficult to split up to different positions and offices,” said Odelia. The triplets have always been together through high school and say that they think of themselves as one person. As young children, even their father had trouble telling them apart. Y
Joint Maneuvers with Greece
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he Israeli Air Force carried out joint maneuvers with Greece under the codename Minoas 2010, named after ancient Crete. Operations took place over Greece, the Ionian Sea and the Aegean Sea. The Israeli force had five F-15 and five F-16I fighter jets, while the Greeks deployed 15 F-16s stationed at the Souda Bay air base on the island of Crete. The Israeli planes are designed for long-range attacks. Training included mid-air refueling by the Israeli tanker KC-807, and rescue missions with Israeli CH-53 helicopters. Y
tate-owned Israel Military Industries (IMI) has developed a highly-accurate artillery rocket for the ground forces. Called Enchanted Spear, it includes a GPS-style guidance and navigation system and is propelled by a miniature rocket engine. The rocket is designed to carry various warheads and hit targets such as artillery batteries, military facilities and infantry concentrations. The need for an artillery upgrade became clear during the Gaza War in January 2009, when 7,500 shells were fired in support of Israeli infantry. The Artillery Corps also plans to improve the accuracy of shells to limit collateral damage. The Enchanted Spear is fired from the new Pounder launcher and has a range of 40 kilometers (25 miles). Y
C ompiled by Netanel D oron
22 | Aug/Sept 2010 | www.israeltoday.co.il
A RCHaEOLO G Y
Second Temple Aqueduct
The bridge was built about 1320 AD, during the Mamluke Period (Islamic military leaders who ruled from 1250 to 1517 AD). It was constructed by the sultan Nasser al-Din Muhammed Ibn Qalawun (recorded in an inscription) and replaced an earlier bridge dating to the time of the Second Temple Period (536 BC-70 AD). “The route of the low level aqueduct from the time of the Second Temple, beginning at Solomon’s Pools near Bethlehem and ending at the Temple Mount, is well known to scholars,” said Zelinger. “The Sultan’s Pool was built as a reservoir for flood water. In order to maintain the elevation of the path along which the water flowed, a bridge was erected above the ravine.” The Israel Antiquities Authority, in cooperation with the Nature and Parks Authority, is working to expose the entire length of the arched bridge and preserve it. It will be a part of the overall development of the Sultan’s Pool located in the Hinnom Valley, west of the Old City walls near Mount Zion. Y
BUILDING BRIDGES The bridge at the end of the 19th century
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xcavations conducted in Jerusalem by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) have uncovered a spectacular arched bridge that was part of the ancient aqueduct which conveyed water to the Temple Mount. It was found near Sultan’s Pool, outside the walls of the Old City. The dig was launched prior to infrastructure work by Gihon, the government authority responsible for water systems and sewage. The aqueduct was discovered first and further excavations eventually revealed the bridge. “The bridge, which could still be seen at the end of the 19th century and appears in old photographs, was covered over during the 20th century,” said the head of the excavation, Yehiel Zelinger. “We were thrilled when it suddenly reappeared in all its grandeur during the course of the archaeological excavations.”
Napolean’s Gold n archaeological excavation in Jaffa, A just south of Tel Aviv, has uncovered an impressive gold coin dating back to
the reign of Napoleon III. It bears the likeness of the French ruler, a nephew of Bonaparte, who was elected president of the French Republic in 1848. The 10 franc coin was minted in Paris in 1856 and is 93-percent pure gold.
WATER PASSAGE The aqueduct brought water to the Temple
“This is the first time that such a coin was found in an excavation in Jaffa,” said Robert Kool of the Israel Antiquities Authority, adding that European gold coins were common in the Ottoman Empire which suffered a severe financial crisis in the late 19th century. “Documents and coins that were found in the past in Tel Aviv and Beersheba attest to the popularity of European gold, especially in remote
provinces like Palestine, until the end of the First World War.” Archaeologists also uncovered other coins and pottery shards dating to the Late Ottoman Period (1864 to 1914). Y
C ompiled by Netanel D oron
www.israeltoday.co.il | Aug/Sept 2010 | 23
Culture
Museum Showcases World Synagogues
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he Israel Museum in Jerusalem has opened a new wing featuring four original synagogues from around the world. The Mandel Wing for Jewish Art and Life displays synagogue interiors from South America, Italy, Germany, and India, providing an intriguing look into Jewish ritual and traditions in the Diaspora.
BOOK of the dead
The Jerusalem Mummy
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HOUSE OF PRAYER The synagogue in Suriname, South America
The Tzedek veShalom (Righteousness and Peace) Synagogue, with its original furniture, decorations and sand floor, provides a glimpse into the once vibrant Jewish community of Suriname, South America. It was built in 1736 in the capital Paramaribo and continued as a house of worship until the 1990s. A small community of Jews from Spain and Portugal settled in Suriname in the mid 17th century. The new “Synagogue Route” also features: • A 16th century synagogue from Cochin, India, with a carved, wooden interior in motifs reminiscent of mosques and Hindu temples. • An 18th century Italian Baroque synagogue from the small town of Vittorio Veneto in northern Italy. It served a small community that settled in the area during the Middle Ages and was abandoned when the Jews moved to larger urban centers in the 19th century. • A 1735 synagogue from the town of Horb in southern Germany. It is the only surviving remnant from a region once known for its painted wooden synagogues. Before its discovery in 1970 and purchase by the museum, it served as a barn. “The Israel Museum [is] the only museum worldwide where visitors can see together in one venue four original synagogues from three continents,” said museum director James Snyder. “We are thrilled to be able to offer this immersive experience with Jewish culture and history and to enhance our exceptional holdings in Jewish Art and Life with this stunning addition.” Y 24 | Aug/Sept 2010 | www.israeltoday.co.il
f you want to see a real mummy, you don’t have to go to Egypt. There’s one right here in Jerusalem, kept by the Jesuits at the Pontifical Biblical Institute. The body is believed to be that of an Egyptian official and is estimated to be about 2,300 years old. The mummy is named “Alex” after Father Alexis Mallon, the archaeologist and Egyptologist who brought it to Jerusalem as a gift from the Jesuit College in Alexandria, Egypt, in the 1920s. It can be seen lying in a beautifully-painted wooden coffin with verses from the Egyptian Book of the Dead on its chest. The institute serves students of the Bible, Talmud, Jewish history, biblical archeology and Hebrew, in conjunction with the Hebrew University and the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. It is located near the King David Hotel in downtown Jerusalem. Y POPE’S PLACE The Pontifical Biblical Institute
Behind the Scenes
Rocking the Casbah!
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ebron has seen countless rock throwing clashes, but now a group of Israeli soldiers is rocking to a different tune. The soldiers broke into a dance to the song Tik Tok, by American pop singer Kesha, during a patrol in the biblical town. The YouTube video became a sensation with 2 million hits in a matter of days. Television stations around the world ran the clip with chuckling anchors trying to make sense of it. And of course, since it’s Israel and the “occupied West Bank,” it was controversial too. The nearly two-minute video is called Rock the Casbah in Hebron. It begins with six soldiers turning onto a deserted street as the muezzin blares the Muslim call to morning prayers. They move into a twoby-three formation and stop and kneel as if preparing for an assault. Then the Tik Tok song comes on and the soldiers act surprised—one is accustomed to hearing the muezzin in these parts, not hip hop! The troops look around
aiming their rifles at the rooftops and surrounding buildings. Suddenly, they break into a well-choreographed dance, spinning and waving their arms in sync. Pretty graceful for soldiers in full battle gear! Of course, this sparked disgust among the Israeli left and the Palestinians. “They are making a mockery of us!” a Palestinian construction worker named Khaled told israel today. “They are laughing at the occupation.” The soldiers were summoned by their commander and could face disciplinary action. An army spokesman simply described it as a “joke.” And that’s all it was. Everything gets blown out of proportion in this part of the world. This was neither an attack on Islam nor a mockery of the “occupation.” It was simply some 18and 19-year-old kids, who serve in a stressful environment, letting off some steam and having some fun. Y
HIP HOP in Hebron
By Shl omo Mordechai
Ahmed, what’s the matter?
Don’t ask, Yossi. Israel has canceled family visits to Hamas prisoners because there is no progress on freeing Gilad Shalit.
Never! We will not release him until the last Palestinian prisoner goes free.
My cousin is in prison, and I will not see him anymore! Well then, demonstrate against Hamas so that it will soften its attitude toward Shalit.
Why are you Israelis so unreasonable?
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Perspective
One-Sided Narrative
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he Israeli human rights group Gisha has produced an online interactive game called Safe Passage that grossly distorts restrictions on movement for Palestinians between the so-called “West Bank” and Gaza. The player is asked to choose the role of a Gaza businessman, student or man who married a West Bank woman and now lives there with his family.
Stand in the Gap Intercession for Israel
Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, “Spare Your people, O Lord, and do not make Your inheritance a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they among the peoples say, ‘Where is their God?’” Joel 2:17 *אבינו שבשמייםAvinu She’BaShamayim –
Use the rift among the ultra-Orthodox to show the nation that religion in itself is not enough. Reveal Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah to religious and secular Jews alike. Turn the Orthodox from legalism to the spirit of the law. (Page 3)
*אבינו שבשמייםAvinu She’BaShamayim –
We ask You to bless the moderate Israeli Arabs and Palestinians who seek to live in peace and coexist with Israel. Turn the broader population against Islamic radicalism. Increase dialogue and remove discrimination. Give the moderates courage to do national and military service. (Pages 4-5) FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT? Pro-Palestinian groups never mention why Israeli restrictions exist
In all three scenarios, the player is presented with harsh restrictions on movement and relocation that make running a business, going to school or maintaining a family nearly impossible. For instance, the Palestinian father is expelled from the West Bank and sent back to Gaza by the Israeli military. Separated from his wife and young son, the player seeks a legal basis to persuade Israel to allow him to return to his family, but he is rebuffed at every turn. Each time the military rejects the arguments, a related legal decision is presented that depicts Israel as an uncaring oppressor arbitrarily restricting freedom of movement to Palestinians. What is conveniently ignored is why these restrictions exist at all. Prior to the Second Intifada (uprising) in 2000, there was very little restriction on movement or relocation between the West Bank and Gaza. Palestinians from both territories found plenty of relatively well-paying jobs in Israel. It was only after Palestinian terrorists exploited this freedom of movement to gun down, blow up and otherwise murder Israeli civilians that the army cracked down. International law supports these measures. While it is required to grant residents of one territory freedom of movement to reach another territory where they may work, study or have family, that freedom can be severely restricted should those making use of it pose a threat to the residents of the territory they are passing through (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 12:3). Furthermore, prior to 1967, it was no easier than it is today for residents of Egyptian-controlled Gaza to relocate to the Jordanian-ruled West Bank, or vice versa. That Gaza and the West Bank comprise a single territorial entity and that their people are the same “nation” is a very recent historical phenomenon. Y By Rya n Jones
*אבינו שבשמייםAvinu She’BaShamayim –
Relieve the international pressure from the flotilla incident. Thwart every further attempt to bring more flotillas here. Let the army learn from its mistakes and give the military brass wisdom to deal with future threats. Protect Israel from terrorism. (Page 6)
*אבינו שבשמייםAvinu She’BaShamayim –
May Israeli ties with the US continue to improve, even if it’s because of political motives. Use the new situation to advance Your purposes. Humble President Obama for his negative stand toward Israel, and may there be a heavy price to pay in the midterm elections. (Page 7)
*אבינו שבשמייםAvinu She’BaShamayim –
Bless all the pop stars who are rejecting the cultural boycott and resisting pressure not to perform in Israel. May many others follow their lead. Use Israel’s international isolation to turn the nation to God. (Page 8)
*אבינו שבשמייםAvinu She’BaShamayim –
Strengthen the Messianic body in the Land. May the Makor HaTikvah School prosper and grow. (Page 21)
*אבינו שבשמייםAvinu She’BaShamayim –
We thank You for the new desalination plants that are bringing precious water to a dry land. Continue to give Israelis wisdom and knowledge in this technology. May the building of the new plants go quickly. And looking ahead to the fall and winter, we pray that You would open up the heavens and bring abundant rain! (Page 28) * Our Father in Heaven
N A TUR e
The Jordan River Is Drying Up
T ‘HE CHANGES A WILDERNESS into a pool of water and a dry land into springs of water’ (Psalm 107:35)
World’s Biggest Desalination Plant I
srael has inaugurated the world’s largest desalination plant on the Mediterranean coast near the city of Hadera. The $425 million project is the brainchild of IDE Technologies. “This is a very exciting day for IDE, for Israel and for the water industry as a whole,” said CEO Avshalom Felber. “The success of the mega-desalination plant concept has ushered in a whole new era of plentiful, affordable water for a world facing severe water challenges.” The Hadera plant is the third of five desalination facilities being built over the next few years that will eventually supply Israel with about 750 million cubic meters (198 billion gallons) of fresh water annually. These new plants are vital as traditional water sources dwindle because of population growth and lower winter rainfall. The Hadera plant alone will provide 127 million cubic meters (33.5 billion gallons) of desalinated water a year, or about 20 percent of the annual household consumption in Israel. Located 28 miles (45 km.) north of Tel Aviv, it is part of a system that aims to provide the country with two-thirds of its drinking water. Because of years of inadequate rainfall, the Sea of Galilee, Israel’s biggest reservoir, has reached its lowest level on record—it is more than 4 meters (13 feet) below capacity with many hot and dry months ahead. The other two main sources of water, the Coastal and Mountain Aquifers, are also badly depleted. The desalination plants should have been built years ago but were slowed by bureaucracy. Every time a good rainy season revived water levels, plans for desalination were postponed. But now the situation is desperate and something is finally being done. As always, though, Israel needs help from above, and the situation would improve drastically if the Lord would open up the heavens: “So rejoice, O sons of Zion…for He has given you the early rain for your vindication and He has poured down for you… the early and latter rain as before” (Joel 2:23).Y By Barry Rosenfeld REVERSE OSMOSIS Turning saltwater into fresh water
he world’s most famous river, the Jordan, is a shadow of the legendary body of water crossed by Joshua and the Israelites when they entered the Promised Land (Joshua 3). According to a report by Friends of the Earth Middle East, large parts of the river in which Jesus was baptized could dry up by 2011. “Since much of the river is a closed military zone and off limits to the public, most people simply do not know that the river is drying up,” said the report by a team of Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian environmentalists. “Israel, Jordan and Syria have all diverted its upstream waters for domestic and agricultural uses, leaving precious little fresh water for the river and its once thriving ecosystem.” SAD SIGHT: The river is a shadow of what it was in biblical times
The report recommends that Israel and Jordan rehabilitate the river with water from the Sea of Galilee and treated wastewater. The dilemma is that the lake is already depleted and wastewater is needed for agriculture. So once again, it seems that the only thing that can save the Jordan River is rain! Y
economy
Israeli Buys Back Power Rangers
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sraeli-American billionaire Haim Saban has repurchased the Power Rangers children’s program from the Walt Disney Company. The Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, which Saban developed, became the most watched children’s TV show in the US when it was launched in 1993. Disney bought the show in 2001 as part of its acquisition of Fox Family Worldwide, a company Saban co-owned. Saban has now joined forces with Nickelodeon to put the Power Rangers on the air for an 18th season. Plans for the future include a movie about the superheroes and the broadcast of old and new episodes (there are about 700 of them) on Nickelodeon. “We are very excited about this acquisition,” said Saban’s spokesman Elie Deckel. “We want to bring back the thunder to the Power Rangers’ brand and use its potential.” Y
Super Battery
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n Israeli research team has developed a new battery that produces thousands of hours of power from an abundant and non-polluting fuel source—sand. The team is led by Professor Yair Ein-Eli of the Department of Materials Engineering at the Technion in Haifa. Because of its small size (.3 inch or 1 cm.), this new device could replace the batteries used in hearing aids. It also has the potential to be used in laptop computers, providing hundreds of hours of power with a single charge. The prototypes contain a silicon power source that reverts back to its original form as sand. “In our current study, we show that at 600 hours it had used only 10 percent of the energy; so we are talking about 6,000 hours,” said Ein-Eli, who believes that his invention could ultimately evolve into a battery for electric cars and solar panels. “It’s a dream, but dreams may come true if you work at them.” Y REVOLUTIONARY INVENTION Professor Yair Ein-Eli says his battery lasts 6,000 hours!
German Bank Divests Elbit
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eutsche Bank, Germany’s largest, has sold its holdings in Elbit Systems, Israel’s biggest non-government defense company. “Deutsche Bank no longer has a stake in Elbit Systems,” said CEO Josef Ackermann. Elbit makes drones and other high-tech equipment, including surveillance cameras and radar used on Israel’s security barrier, which was erected to keep Palestinian suicide bombers out of the country. The bank was pressured to divest by two groups—International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War and the Catholic non-governmental organization Pax Christi—on grounds that the barrier is illegal according to international law. According to the two groups, Deutsche Bank sold 50,788 shares of Elbit, worth $2.6 million. The bank was among the top 10 holders of Elbit shares on the New York Stock Exchange. Elbit Systems has a total worth of more than $2 billion. “The entire move is based on anti-Israel politics,” said an official in the Israeli Defense Ministry. Y
Unemployment Falls
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nlike in the US and Europe, the unemployment rate in Israel continues to fall, indicating a gradual improvement of the economy. In the first quarter, the unemployment rate dropped to 7.3 percent, compared to 9.5 percent in the US. The Bank of Israel expects unemployment to drop to 6.7 percent in 2011. Y
www.israeltoday.co.il | Aug/Sept 2010 | 29
In B r i e f
USB Flash Drive Is Israeli Invention
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o inform Israelis about the positive developments in their country, the government website masbirim.gov.il presents a new topic each month. The latest offering featured a revolutionary Israeli invention, the USB flash drive or memory stick known as DiscOnKey. It was developed by the company M-Systems, founded by computer whiz Dov Moran in 1982 and first marketed in 2000 by IBM. The popular device transfers data from one computer to another. The website helps the average Israeli do PR when dealing with visitors from abroad. Y
From NYPD Blue to Israeli Blue and White STREET SMART: Joseph Serkin hopes his expertise can benefit Israel
Don’t Burn the Turkish Flag
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undreds of Israeli flags were burned worldwide in the wake of the deadly flotilla raid on May 31st, which was sponsored by Turkey. Even so, Israeli flag company Merom F.G.P. refuses to manufacture Turkish flags which they know will be burned in counter demonstrations. The company, which is the largest manufacturer of flags in the Middle East, rejected an order from an organization planning an anti-Turkey demonstration. “We do not produce Turkish flags to be burned,” Merom CEO Avi Merom told israel today. “We will not cross that line, even if Turkey is hostile toward Israel.” Y
Sodom Street Gets New Name
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esidents of Sodom Street in the port city of Ashkelon, south of Tel Aviv, have complained about the name of their street for years. Now their voices have been heard and the name has been changed to Metar Street, after another place in the Negev Desert. Many residents couldn’t bear the negative connotations of Sodom, the evil city destroyed by God in Genesis 19. Y
Israeli Doctors Save Arabs
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sraeli doctors have saved the lives of 30-year-old Arab Christian Miriam Agrabiah and her newborn infant. During her 38th week of pregnancy, Agrabiah was brought to Wolfson Hospital near Tel Aviv, requiring an emergency delivery. A Caesarean section was performed, but the umbilical cord was wound around the baby’s neck. Working against the odds, the delivery team was not only able to save mother and child but also to preserve the woman’s vital organs. “Todah la‑El [Thank God]!” the father cried in Hebrew. Israeli doctors treat all ethnic groups with the same dedication and care. Many Palestinians receive treatment in Israel, and doctors have even operated on terrorists wounded in their own attacks! Y 30 | Aug/Sept 2010 | www.israeltoday.co.il
Jerusalem Opens First Beach
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t may be the middle of a very hot summer and it may be Jerusalem, but Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat is at the beach. Yes, landlocked Jerusalem has opened its first beach at Liberty Bell Park downtown. It has everything you would find at a normal beach including sand, lounge chairs and beach balls. There is only one thing missing—the sea! Y ‘THE BEACH’ in landlocked Jerusalem
In B r i e f
Entering Palestine Airport?
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oseph Serkin, a 28-year veteran of the NYPD, has left the streets of Harlem to immigrate to Israel. Serkin, who is married to an Israeli, joined the 5,000 American Jews expected to make aliyah (immigrate to Israel) this year through the organization Nefesh B’Nefesh (Soul to Soul). “The work at the New York Police Department is different from any other department,” Serkin said. “You have to deal with the entire spectrum of the human mosaic. A tourist in New York only perceives an indescribable diversity. We as policemen have also developed a sixth sense. I look at someone and know exactly if he is harmless or planning to do something criminal.” Responding to a common complaint that the police should concentrate on criminals rather than harassing the average citizen with traffic tickets, Serkin said, “This is just another way for us to apprehend criminals. The average serious offender will commit more simple infractions every day. We have caught several criminals this way, when they least expect it.” Serkin does not plan to join the police force in Israel but will offer to share his experience with the Mossad spy agency, the Shin Bet (the Israeli equivalent of the FBI) and the Defense Ministry. Asked what advice he has for the Israeli police, Serkin said, “Success essentially depends on cooperation with the public. Without the trust of the citizens, nothing works.” Y
T
he plane landed at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, but the text message passengers received was: “Marhaba [“Welcome” in Arabic], can you smell the scent of jasmine and the taste of olives? Yawwal welcomes you to Palestine.” Yawwal is a Palestinian cell phone company. The source of the text message, which was delivered en masse, has yet to be determined. It is assumed that it originated in the Palestinian territories. “I was scared!” said one tourist. “I landed in Tel Aviv and my cell phone told me that I’m in Palestine!” Y
Bedouin Competes in Bible Contest
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srael is known for its annual International Bible Contest. And this year there is a novel participant in the National Bible Contest for adults. It is Bedouin Arab Shadi Abu Arar, and that has caused no little stir in his community. “As someone who endorses co-existence between Jews and Arabs I think that everyone should get to know the other’s culture and holy writings,” he said. “And this is what I am doing.” Abu Arar teaches Hebrew literature, including the Bible, to his Arab students. “The final exam includes questions on books such as Proverbs, Ruth, Pirkei Avot [the Sayings of the Fathers] and Genesis,” he said. The decision to reinstitute the adult version of the contest was made earlier this year by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Education Gideon Sa’ar. Netanyahu’s son Avner won third place in this year’s International Bible Contest. The response has been overwhelming with nearly 2,000 people registering to compete. Contestants are selected from seven geographic districts, including one representing members of the military. Only 14 will be select-
ed for the contest that will take place during Hanukkah. The top contestant and two runner-ups will then go on to compete in the international contest next year. “I have been drawn to the Bible since I was a kid,” says Abu Arar, who is studying with a Jewish Bible teacher. “I find many common points between the Bible and the Koran. As far as I’m concerned the study of the Bible doesn’t replace or contradict the Koran. The Ten Commandments, for instance, also appear in the Koran.” But getting to this point wasn’t easy. The Bedouin education system accused him of denying the Koran. “Many people were mad at me,” says Abu Arar. “But I’m doing it out of firm belief. I explained to them that historically the Bible is the first book, which cannot be denied.” His students were baffled at first, but now they’re convinced: “I told my students: ‘Do you think your teacher would do something that is wrong?’ And now they’re all rooting for me to make it to the finals.” Y C ompiled by Michael S chneider
www.israeltoday.co.il | Aug/Sept 2010 | 31
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