israel today jan 2010

No. 132

ÂŁ 2.25

Bible Study in Parliament | Interview with President Shimon Peres | Holidays in Haifa

January 2010

www.israeltoday.co.il

printed in Israel

In the shadow of the decision to freeze settlement construction in the biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria, and shaken by the possible release of 980 Palestinian terrorists in exchange for captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, politicians turned to the Bible. Yes it’s true, Israeli parliamentarians and scholars gathered for a Bible study in the Knesset!

Israeli society has returned to what the Zionist movement understood from the beginning of the 20th

century: A nation that forgets its past has no future.

The urge to return to biblical sources, history and tradition reflects the hardships facing the nation. The increase in global anti-Semitism and the accusations of war crimes when Israel acts in self-defense are gnawing at the Israeli psyche. While this is cause for dismay, it also forces the nation to rethink and reevaluate.

The people of Israel must understand that the nation’s right to exist comes from the promises of God in the Bible, from spiritual and historical roots. Only then can Israel face the critical voices coming from the United Nations.

This is why the Knesset went “back to the basics.” Israel has a crucial

decision to make: Will it depend on God or the nations?

And whichever one it chooses, the other will be displeased.

Appropriately, the Knesset Bible study focused on Elijah the prophet, who calls on the people of Israel to choose God (1 Kings 18:21).

We wish all of our readers a Happy New Year from Jerusalem!

POLITICS

OPINION

MESSIANIC JEWS

Bible Study in Parliament...............................................3 Settlements or Peace?...................................................4 Interview with President Shimon Peres.........................6

Taliban Rabbis.............................................................12

IDF Troops Thank Israel Today Readers...........................21

MESSIANIC THOUGHT

SPORTS

Seffi Rachlevsky – The Messianic Danger....................13

Religion in the Ring.....23

Shalom Haverim,

Dear Friends,

WORD FROM JERUSALEM

Aviel Schneider and the Israel Today editorial staff

We are Still on Our Way...............................................14

THE LAND The Ben-Gurion March....................................................16

CULTURE ‘Holiday of Holidays‘ in Haifa......................................24

BEHIND THE SCENES

U.S. Indirectly Funds Palestinian Terror..........................7 Youtube Founder Shares His Vision................................8

Flash Mob!...................................................................25

ARAB PRESS

TECHNOLOGY

Palestinian Children Praise Arafat..................................9 It’s All the Jews’ Fault—Or Is It?....................................9

Jerusalem Start-Ups Create Cheaper Solar Energy......28

ECONOMY

PALESTINIANS

DEBATE

Palestinian ‘Struggle’ to Return to Basics.....................10

The Ongoing Threat of Replacement Theology.............18

FOCUS ON JERUSALEM

PROPHECY

Jerusalem: The Burdensome Stone..............................11

What Are the Signs of the Coming of the Messiah?....19

Government Aid for Embattled Exporters...................29

IN BRIEF From Mumbai to Kiryat Arba......................................30 A Visit from ‘Pocahontas’..............................................31

COVER - EXTENDING A HAND: A Jew and an Arab in the settlement of Beitar 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

2 | January 2010

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Israel Today

Politics

“T

Bible Study in Parliament

he biblical text compares the pro“We know the Bible because of the “Elijah and Moses are similar, yet phet Elijah with Moses,” explained people in the stories, beginning with very different from each other,” Shinan Professor Yair Zakovitch during Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah, said. “Elijah is the only prophet who the monthly Bible study in the Knesset, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses, did not die but was taken up to heaven.

Israel’s parliament, this one focusing on Joshua and the judges, kings and proTherefore, the expectation of his return 1 Kings, chapters 17-19. “Just as Elijah phets,” said Justice Cheshin in his introis still valid today.” was fed by the ravens with bread and duction. “Who created whom; did man He pointed out parallels between meat, so under Moses’ leadership, God create history, or history man?”

Elijah and Moses, for example, when provided for His people in the wilderFor Professor Zakovitch the proElijah hit the water, crossed the Jordan ness with manna and quail. Elijah spent phets played a double role, representing and was taken up to heaven from the 40 days and 40 nights going to Mount God before the people and representing east side of the river (2 Kings, chapter Horeb, and Moses was on the same the people before God. “This was not 2). Moses crossed the water as well, the mountain 40 days and 40 nights.” an easy task,” he said.

Red Sea, and he died on the eastern side Interrupting the professor, Knesset speaker Rueven Rivlin said: “The deeds of our forefathers are a sign to the sons! Yes, we can learn a lot from our biblical forefathers.”

The monthly Bible study draws more than 100 participants from across the POLEMICS: Justice Michael Cheshin (left) and Knesset Speaker PEOPLE OF THE BOOK: The Bible is relevant to Israeli politics spectrum, from Reuven Rivlin talk about Elijah the prophet secular Zionists like Rivlin, Dan Meridor and Arieh The interest of Israeli politicians in of the Jordan River on Mount Nebo in Eldad to Rabbi Michael Ben Ari, and the Bible is a sign of how much biblian unknown place. from women like secular Russian imcal history is rooted in today’s politics Although this was not mentioned migrant Anestasia Michael to religious and how much it affects events in the in the debate, Moses and Elijah also Likud parliamentarian Tzipi Hotobeli.

Middle East. appear in the New Testament at the There was even an Arab Knesset “I cannot imagine other parliatransiguration (Matthew 17:3). member, Massoud Ghanim. “I want to ments in Europe holding Bible studies Elijah was described in many facets, get to know the other side, the Jews, beand learning together about the New human, political and spiritual. Particicause we live together in this land,” he Testament,” Cheshin said. “This is pants agreed that the Bible is benefitold Israel Today. “I want to understand something very unique for the Jewish cial to national politics and serves as the Jewish claim to this land, especially people. We want to refresh our memoan inspiration. “As Israeli politicians in light of the current situation in the ries about our biblical roots—who we we must realize that the Bible is a reregion. That’s why I am taking part in are and where we came from. And of levant book that enriches our lives,” the Bible study.” course, we must learn the lessons of Rivlin said.

Former Supreme Court Justice Mihistory.”

“The Israeli parliament should be chael Cheshin opened the session, and Professor Shinan discussed several a role model, even when it comes to then Professors Zakovitch and Avigdor Midrashim (rabbinical interpretations) learning the Bible,” Zakovitch told Shinan of Hebrew University expounabout Elijah, who is considered the Israel Today. ded on the text. In addition to Knesset second most important prophet after “What makes us a united people is members, 40 students also participated.

Moses. According to the last verses of our collective memory and common Elijah, whose name means “my God is the Old Testament (Malachi 3:23-24), language—the Bible. We live in this the Lord,” lived in the time of Kings Elijah is going to return to earth to call land because of our biblical roots and Ahab and Ahaziah in the northern for repentance in the last days, before we should not be ashamed of it.” Y kingdom of Israel. the coming of the Messiah.

By Aviel S chneider

Israel Today

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January 2010 |

cover story

P

Settlements or Peace?

rime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was hoping to win points with President Barack Obama when he declared a 10-month freeze on settlement construction in Judea and Samaria (the so-called “West Bank”). But neither the Americans nor the Palestinians were impressed by Israel’s gesture because it did not include disputed East Jerusalem or 3,000 Jewish homes already under construction in the territories.

“Without a complete halt to settlement activity in East Jerusalem, there will not be further peace talks with Israel,” said Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat.

“Netanyahu must choose between settlements and peace.”

Washington again backed the Palestinian position, demanding that Israel halt construction on 900 new apartments in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo (see page 11).

So Netanyahu faced a dilemma: choosing between its guardian ally, the US, and the biblical Land of Israel. Furthermore, if he satisfied Washington he would alienate the settlers who helped to elect him.

Netanyahu chose Washington, prompting the settlers to launch the first Mohammed, what do you think about Obama?

Wow Yossi, I love how he tries to connect with the Muslims.

4 | January 2010

major anti-government demonstration since he was elected nearly a year ago.

About 10,000 settlers and their supporters gathered outside the Prime Minister’s official residence in Jerusalem, carrying signs saying, “Break the freeze” and “We will continue to build.”

“Netanyahu is betraying his Zionist ideals to appease the Americans,” settler Baruch Shakedi told Israel Today. “This land was given by God to the Jewish people. Who is Obama to say that we can’t live here and build?”

Cabinet Minister Limor Livnat of Netanyahu’s Likud party told young party members in Beersheba that Israel was forced into a corner by the White House.

“Israel’s political situation is very complicated,” she was quoted as saying in the closed-door meeting. “This is a dangerous precedent.”

Privately, officials say Israel is very disappointed with the Obama administration. But the US is Israel’s only ally in the international community, providing vital political, financial and military support; so there is little room for maneuver when it comes to relations with Washington.

“We will have to get used to the fact that ties between the US administra-

tion and Israel are fragile now,” an aide to Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told Israel Today.

500,000 Jews on Disputed Land

Judea and Samaria is home to 304,000 Jewish residents in 123 settlements that cover 9.3 percent of the biblical heartland.

For the world, these are the “occupied territories,” and therefore the Jews who live there are considered “illegal settlers.” But that’s not all.

The Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem, built on uninhabited land captured

by Israel from Jordan during the Six Day War in 1967, are also considered “settlements.” These neighborhoods are now an integral part of the Israeli capital and home to 195,000 residents.

So altogether, 500,000 Jews are illegal residents of occupied territory, according to international public opinion. Since they are seen as an “obstacle to peace,” the clear implication is that they must be expelled to a tinier Israel to make room for a 22nd Arab state.

The Palestinian population of Judea and Samaria is at least 2.2 million, excluding the 250,000 living in the Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem. The Palestinian Muslims have an explosive birthrate, but Finally, an American president the Jewish settler population who understands us fully. is also growing—by a rate of 5 percent, which is nearly But what happens if he cannot stop three times higher than the the settlements? rest of Israel with a rate of 1.8 percent. The settlers account for 14 percent of the population of Judea and Samaria.

“If the 14 percent of settlers living among 2.2 million Palestinians are threatening the peace, why are 1.4 million Arab citizens in Israel [18 percent] no risk for 6 million Then he can go to H@!

Israelis?” asks Israeli Middle East expert Yoram Ettinger.

“If the evacuation of Israeli Arab villages is a violation of human rights, then how can the evacuation of Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria support human rights and peace?”

Israel Today

Cover story Ideological Reversal Ironically, prime ministers like Menachem Begin, Ariel Sharon, Ehud Olmert and Benjamin Netanyahu, who were nurtured on Zionist ideology, are the ones who embraced and implemented the dangerous policy of land for peace. They were stalwarts of the right-wing Likud, yet they did what the leftist Labor Party dared not do: Begin agreed to the first peace treaty and gave the Sinai Peninsula back to Egypt; Sharon dismantled 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip; Olmert offered the Palestinians a state in 95 percent of Judea and Samaria and half of Jerusalem; Netanyahu handed Hebron over to Palestinian rule during his first premiership and now has frozen construction in Jewish settlements.

In his book A Place under the Sun published in 1995, Netanyahu described Israel’s territorial concessions under the Oslo Accords as a nightmare: “Only Israel’s control over the mountain range of Judea and Samaria can guarantee an effective strategy for the defense of Jerusalem and Israel’s [heavily-populated] coastal plain. No international guarantees can replace this strategy. No other security precautions will save us on the day when Israel is attacked by all its enemies and apparent alliances collapse.”

Netanyahu has served as prime minister twice, and twice he did an aboutface.

‘BREAK THE FREEZE’: Some 10,000 settlers protested in Jerusalem against the settlement freeze

980 Terrorists for Shalit According to Ettinger, the settlement freeze will result in even more American pressure on Israel. “This became clear when the Americans realized that Netanyahu will free [captive] soldier Gilad Shalit at any price,” he said. “Right away the Palestinians raised the number of criminals to be released in exchange for the captive.”

Hamas is now demanding 980 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit, who was kidnapped in a cross-border raid

by Hamas gunmen in June 2006. Every few months, Hamas spreads rumors of an imminent prisoner swap, only for hopes to be dashed as the group raises its price.

Israel has already agreed to release hundreds of prisoners, but the sticking point concerns 50 hardcore terrorists involved in some of the bloodiest suicide bombings during the Second Intifada (uprising). With Israeli blood on their hands, the government is naturally reluctant to set them free.

There is broad speculation that Israel is prepared to release arch-terrorist Marwan Barghouti of Fatah, the leader of the second uprising. He was sentenced to five life terms by an Israeli court for planning deadly attacks, but among the Palestinians he is a hero. Barghouti is seen as a successor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The Settlements and Terror

SONS OF ABRAHAM: In the settlement of Beitar, Orthodox Jew and chief of security Yigal Avraham Katzin (middle) discusses the construction freeze with Palestinian workers, Sheik Abu Khaled Mochi Ali Attia (left) and Shahada Kharizat. “This will not endanger our friendship,” they said. Economically, the freeze harms Jews and Arabs alike.

Israel Today

So under the Obama administration, a quiet parallel is being drawn between Jewish settlements and Palestinian terror. The settlements are an obstacle to peace and the Palestinians have the right to resist.

But this theory conveniently ignores the historical facts. Israel dismantled all 21 Gaza settlements in 2005, but instead of the promised peace, the Palestinians fired thousands of rockets across the border.

Obama and the European Union see the settlements as the cause for Arab hostility toward Israel. But if that were true, why did Arab armies launch wars of annihilation in 1948 and 1967, before a single Jewish community was built in Judea and Samaria? Therefore, the settlements are just another excuse for the Arabs to deny Israel’s right to exist. Y

By Aviel S chneider

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Politics

A

Israel Today Interview with President Shimon Peres

t the age of 86, President Shimon Peres is one of Israel’s most important assets when dealing with foreign relations. He is seen as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “armored vest” and many consider him Israel’s true foreign minister.

A Nobel Peace Prize laureate and architect of the controversial Oslo Accords, Peres has been dubbed “the Last of the Mohicans,” being one of the few remaining politicians involved in the founding of the state.

Peres does not understand the word “retirement.” In November, for example, he spent eight days on a diplomatic mission to several nations in South America including Argentina and Brazil. Back in Israel he found time to sign five official documents, attend 33 meetings with heads of states and diplomats, give several news conferences and make a number of visits to Israeli communities.

israel today: President Peres,

would you say that the current situation is ripe for peace?

Shimon Peres: We have never been closer to an agreement with the Palestinians than we are today. The differences between the parties do not amount to more than 5 percent of the territory. The majority of Jewish settlers will be able to continue living in their communities in Judea and Samaria. To compensate for this we will exchange land with the Palestinians.

I do not despair, I am optimistic. Do you know the difference between an optimist and a pessimist? Both have to die in the end, but each lives his life differently. Why do I have to be negative and not positive? Peace with the Palestinians is possible.

israel today: How can you still

believe in peace after the failure of the Oslo Accords and the wave of terror that followed?

Shimon Peres: Once more I want to call on Abu Mazen [Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas] to promptly resume peace talks with Israel. Israel has already agreed to make painful concessions for a Palestinian state. I know that the position of Abbas among the Palestinian people is not easy. But it is not easy from our side either.

Hamas, with its fanaticism, is planning to

| January 2010

rule all of the Palestinian territories. But the gun of the fanatic is not going to win out. In spite of this, I see us getting closer to a peace agreement.

israel today: What do you think of

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to freeze Jewish settlement construction?

Shimon Peres: This is an important and historic decision. It proves what I have always said: Netanyahu really supports peace.

israel today: But isn’t this because

of President Barack Obama’s pressure on Israel?

Shimon Peres: Both have made mistakes. But I believe that a chemistry exists between Washington and Jerusalem.

Obama understands our problems, and I also believe that he has the power to lead us and our neighbors to peace. We have exceptional relations with the US based on shared values and the spirit of the Bible.

israel today: But both the US

and Europe are criticizing Israel for building in Jerusalem’s Gilo neighborhood [see page 11], which they see as a Jewish settlement.

Shimon Peres: In general, Europe’s and Obama’s criticism of Israel is not justified.

Gilo is a sovereign part of Israel, and a construction freeze within Jerusalem does not come under Netanyahu’s sphere of authority. Only the Knesset [parliament] can make a decision here. But even though the US has always held this position, we have continued to build in Jerusalem.

israel today: Why is there so much

hatred toward Israel, especially after the Gaza War a year ago?

Shimon Peres: After the operation in the Gaza Strip, there has been dangerous and poisonous propaganda against Israel worldwide. But it can be contained with ‘propaganda’ from our side. We have to find a way to guide the negotiations with the Palestinians out of the dead end. Criticism will disappear with negotiations.

israel today: You were especially

critical of South African Judge Richard

ELDER STATESMAN: Peres is tireless at the age of 86

Goldstone and his UN report accusing Israel of war crimes.

Shimon Peres: Goldstone has thrown harsh accusations at Israel, as if we kill Palestinians in Gaza deliberately. He distorted the facts and has done a lot of damage to us. Richard Goldstone has revealed himself as a closed-minded man, a lawyer who lacks a sense of justice and who only wants to bash Israel on the world stage.

He recklessly took aim at Israel from the very beginning.

Israel Today

Politics israel today: What are the chances of peace with Syria?

Shimon Peres: Israel has already given up land for peace with Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon. In the same spirit we are seeking a peaceful solution with Syria and the Palestinians. So far, three Israeli prime ministers have offered the Golan Heights to Syria in exchange for peace.

israel today: You mean Yitzhak

Rabin, Ehud Barak and Benjamin Netanyahu. But Netanyahu denies it.

Shimon Peres: Yes, I know that Netanyahu denies it, but I also know what he offered Syria. I call upon [Syrian President Bashar] Assad to negotiate with Israel without preconditions. We should not delay. War is always too early and tragic.

Peace must not be too late and disappointing. But with regard to a peace treaty, there is one requirement—Iran and Hezbollah must not be allowed access to the Golan Heights.

israel today: When you went to

Brazil recently, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was there as well.

Shimon Peres: That’s right. But it was not an official visit. I told my Brazilian host that it was absurd that the UN welcomed Ahmadinejad. He has denied the Holocaust and threatens to destroy Israel. Why would Iran invest billions of dollars in developing long-range missiles? It is pathetic to claim these are for peaceful purposes; it is part of a culture of lies. Iran is producing weapons of mass destruction.

israel today: Does that mean that

Iran poses an existential threat to Israel?

Shimon Peres: Iran is not only a threat to Israel but also to the peace of the whole world. Neither Iran, nor Hezbollah nor Hamas have a real message for the future.

israel today: Mr. President, where

do you get the strength to maintain your demanding daily routine?

Shimon Peres: I am driven by a deep desire to serve my country. Since childhood I was raised to assume responsibility. And that’s what I’m doing. My people need me and that’s why I am serving them in the job they have given me. Y

Israel Today

U.S. Indirectly Funds Palestinian Terror

B

illions of dollars from American taxpayers have been used to advance the cause of Palestinian terror groups against Israel by raising a new generation of young Arabs ready to be recruited for “martyrdom.” In an interview with the pro-settler radio station Arutz 7, Israeli journalist David Bedein said his investigation revealed that Palestinian textbooks continue to praise acts of terrorism against Jews and to deny the legitimacy of the State of Israel.

Those textbooks and the schools where they are used have been largely paid for by USAID, an American gove r n m e nt - f u n d e d international aid program that has pumped $2.4 billion into the Palestinian Authority over the past decade. According to USAID, those funds have been used to “reduce poverty, improve health and education, create jobs and advance democracy.”

But a USAID official admitted to Bedein that his agency does not check the PA school curriculum to make sure it complies with the terms of the USsponsored peace process. Incitement to hatred and the encouragement of violence in textbooks is a violation of Israel’s existing agreements with the Palestinians and the internationallybacked Roadmap peace plan.

This is a catastrophe,” Bedein said.

“The government of the United States prohibits Palestinian Authority incite-

TEACHING HATE: Palestinian textbooks incite anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel in violation of the ‘Roadmap’ peace plan

ment against Israel while it builds the infrastructure for continuing the incitement.”

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and several US congressional leaders have chided the Palestinians in the past over the venomous textbooks, but they have failed to take any punitive action or to at least reduce pressure on Israel until the Palestinians comply with their commitments.

So while pressuring Israel on the settlements, the US is turning a blind eye to Palestinian violations and the US taxpayer is paying the price. USAID plans to pump another $153 million into the Palestinian education system in 2010. Y

By Ryan Jones

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January 2010 |

PeoPle olitics

Founder Shares His Vision

O

ne of the three founders of the American video-sharing website YouTube made his first visit to Israel. Chad Hurley hosted a gathering with Israeli YouTube users who have become famous through their uploaded videos on the hugely-popular site. Hurley was invited by Google Israel CEO Meir Brand as a special guest of honor at the fourth annual Google Day which was held in Tel Aviv.

“YouTube has the ability to connect people regardless of where they may be in the world,” Hurley said.

“We are always amazed by the many creative and innovative ways that people use the site to engage and communicate with each other.

This is an incredibly tech-savvy country and there is no

H

BRIDGING THE GENERATION GAP Chad Hurley with President Shimon Peres

doubt that Israelis have a vital and significant role in continuing to strengthen community engagement on YouTube.” One Israeli who got the message was President Shimon Peres, who at the age of 86, launched his own YouTube channel! Y

‘24’ Producer In Israel

oward Gordon, executive producer of 24, visited Israel as the hit American action series prepared for its eighth season. The show dramatically portrays America under the threat of megaterror and the exploits of secret agent Jack Bauer, played by Kiefer Sutherland.

Gordon, who is Jewish, was in Israel for the Rosh Pinah Festival, named after a trendy village in the north. Gordon and Fox Studios have acquired the rights for an Israeli action series about soldiers returning from 17 years of Hezbollah captivity in Lebanon. “I am very pro-Israel, I love Israel, I consider it the Jewish homeland,” Gordon once said. “But I am also not just a rubber stamp for Israeli policies. I am an advocate for a strong Israel, but I am also an advocate for peace.” Y

SECRET AGENT MAN: ‘24’ hero Kiefer Sutherland (left) with Howard Gordon

C ompi l e d b y Ba rry R o se n f e l d a n d Sh l o mo Mordechai

A

NOSTALGIA: Anka hasn’t lost his touch

8 | January 2010

Paul Anka Croons and Swoons

pparently the music of the 50s still appeals to Israelis who paid between 340 and 1,000 shekels ($92-$271) to see former heartthrob Paul Anka, who performed such hits as Diana, You Are My Destiny, and Put Your Head on My Shoulder. In fact, the demand was so great that he added a second concert to accommodate the overflow. This was Anka’s first time performing in Israel.

Anka, 68, was born in Canada to parents of Lebanese descent, and made his debut on the US Top 40 charts at the early age of 16. By the end of the 60s, he had sold more than 100 million records.

Anka made his greatest impression on the music world when he wrote the words for My Way and gave them to Frank Sinatra, who made the ballad into an anthem. He recently made headlines when he received half of the songwriting royalties for Michael Jackson’s new song, This is It, recorded before his death. Y

Israel Today

arab Press

A

Palestinian Children Praise Arafat as Symbol of Violence

memorial ceremony marking the fifth anniversary of Yasser Arafat’s death confirmed that Palestinian children have been raised to hate the Jews and see their deceased leader as a symbol for continued violent confrontation.

The live broadcast of the ceremony on official Palestinian Authority TV included interviews with children who were asked about their feelings toward Arafat. Nearly all of them insisted that Arafat had been poisoned or other-

wise assassinated by “the Jews,” with one young girl adding, “I hate them so very much.”

Not one child spoke of Arafat’s alleged efforts to forge peace between Israel and the Palestinians, for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize. In fact, one young Palestinian boy said he idolized Arafat precisely because he “did not make peace,” but rather “did things through [violent] struggle.” Y Translation: Palestinian Media Watch

It’s All the Jews’ Fault—Or Is It?

Hamas TV: It’s OK to Enslave Jews

hen Egypt and Algeria played a third game tie-breaker to determine which nation would be represented at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, most expected that whatever the outcome, there would be violence. So when Algeria eked out a 1-0 victory, few were surprised at the headlines that Algerians were attacked in Egypt, and Egyptians were attacked in Algeria.

For those keeping an eye on regional attitudes toward Israel, it was also hardly surprising that newspaper columns and political cartoons across the region claimed a mysterious Israeli hand was behind the growing tensions between the two Arab states.

Some commentators, however, pointed a finger at the repressive governments of Egypt and Algeria.

“Because of that suppression, the two peoples are searching for any kind of joy in their lives, even if it comes just from a soccer match,” wrote psychiatrist Ahmed Okasha in the independent Egyptian newspaper al-Masry al-Youm.

Ibrahim Eissa, editor of the Egyptian opposition newspaper al-Dustour, went a step further: “We have became worthless, with no value, no rank, no respect because our regime has ruined our dignity and the Egyptian citizen has become nothing to his own government; thus he has become a nobody for everybody.” Y

n an interview with the Hamas Al Aksa TV network, a top professor at the Islamic University in Gaza City said that ancient Egypt had every right to use the children of Israel as forced labor.

“The claim that those who built [the Egyptian cities of] Pithom and Raamses were persecuted is a lie. The archaeological finds have proven that they enjoyed rights and privileges, and that they did not suffer any injustice,” said Dr. Ibrahim Al-Sinwar. “These are lies by the Jews who have become used to not working, to being a burden on others. This has been part of their psychological makeup throughout their long history. They do not like to work.”

Ironically, it is a testament to the general strong work ethic of the immigrating Jews that Israel has become such a beacon of success, while the Arab nations round about wallow in poor living conditions and self-pity.

Later in the interview Al-Sinwar contradicted himself, admitting that the Jews of ancient Egypt were in fact used as slaves: “When they were forced to work at Pithom and Raamses, making bricks to build the two cities, they viewed this as persecution,” he said. “This is not true.

This was merely construction work, playing an active role in the society in which they live—a society that has the right to force them to carry out this work.”

W

Israel Today

arab PolitICAL Cartoons

DEAD FISH There is no substance to Israel’s peace offers

I

HEINOUS HELICOPTERS Depicting Israel as Nazi fascists is a frequent theme in the Arab press Al-Quds al-Arabi (Britain)

THE LAST DROP Israel devours the Palestinians while depriving them of water

One wonders what the reaction would be if Israel used its Arab citizens as forced labor for the good of the nation. It is also curious that while most Palestinians insist the Jews have no actual history in the region, their top minds won’t hesitate to use the same biblical stories they claim are false as fodder against the Jews. Y

C ompiled by Ryan Jones

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January 2010 | 9

Palestinians

Palestinian ‘Struggle’ to return to Basics

U

Sticks and stones may succeed where suicide bombers could not

nbeknownst to most, senior members of the Palestinian Authority’s ruling Fatah movement quietly declared the “Third Intifada” (uprising) against Israel but stressed that this time around the Palestinians should return to using stones and firebombs, rather than suicide bombers and rockets.

Speaking to the Nazereth-based Arabic newspaper Hadith Anas, members of the Fatah Central Committee said the peace process has failed and that it is time to return to popular resistance as a means of birthing a Palestinian Arab state on the ancient Jewish lands of Judea and Samaria.

The new uprising must be carried out by ordinary Palestinians, not trained terrorists, and only primitive, “nonviolent” weapons should be used.

“We want thousands of Palestinians to demonstrate daily near the settlements of the occupation, carrying out a human siege and calling for the end of the occupation,” said one Fatah official.

According to the report, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas endorsed the decision, as long as violence remains low-key. He noted that the first intifada garnered far more sympathy for the Palestinians and resulted in far greater Israeli concessions than the second, which was characterized by suicide bombings on Israeli buses, restaurants and malls. The first uprising brought about the acceptance of the PLO as a “peace partner” and led to the Oslo Accords, in which Israel relinquished large portions of its biblical heartland.

Following a traditional Palestinian tactic fathered by his predecessor Yasser

Arafat, Abbas seemingly contradicted the Arab reports by telling international media outlets that “the Palestinian people are only thinking about the road toward peace and negotiations and no other path.”

Nevertheless, Abbas, like Arafat before him, does not view “low-key” violence by ordinary Palestinians as violence, but rather as an essential part of the “road toward peace.” In an interview with the BBC, Abbas said he would like to see more demonstrations like the violent ones each week in protest against the Israeli security fence near the Palestinian villages of Na’alin and Bil’in.

At those demonstrations, Palestinians and Israeli anarchists pelt troops with stones and Mo‘CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE’: Weekly demonstrations lotov cocktails, against the security fence are planting the often resulting in seeds of the Third ‘Intifada’ (uprising) injury and necessitating riot control measures by the authorities.

This is reminiscent of the First Intifada, from 1987 to 1993, which garnered tremendous international support

DAVID AND GOLIATH? Images like this are seen as more beneficial to the Palestinian cause than bloody acts of terrorism

for the Palestinians. By contrast, the masscasualty bombings of the Second Intifada, which erupted in 2000 and continued for several years, brought as much sympathy for Israel as it did for the Palestinians and enabled Israel to demonstrate more effectively that it is fighting for survival against a bloodthirsty enemy.

Palestinian leaders have made the comparison and learned their lesson.

“The First Intifada gained significant diplomatic ground as far as the Palestinians are concerned since its symbol, a boy throwing rocks at a tank, made it impossible for Israel to claim it was defending itself against terror as it did in the Second Intifada, followings the city-center bombings,” a Fatah official told Hadith Anas.

Many Israelis and most in the international community will welcome this shift. But while it may mean fewer lives lost in the short term, there is long-term danger. The Indians who followed Mohandas Ghandi did not drive out the British through armed violence, but rather through popular “struggle.” The Palestinians want the world to see Israel’s Jews as the equivalent of the occupying British forces and hope that their change in tactics will achieve similar results. Y

By Ryan Jones

Israel Today

Focus on Jerusalem

Focus on Jerusalem

SETTLEMENT OR NEIGHBORHOOD? Obama challenged the national consensus by demanding that Israel halt construction in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo

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Jerusalem: The Burdensome Stone

erusalem is increasingly becoming the make-or-break focal point of the Middle East peace process. Even when former Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered half of Jerusalem to Yasser Arafat in 2000 and tens of thousands of Israelis ascended to the capital in protest, for international peace brokers it was only one piece of a larger puzzle. And while settlements, refugees and final borders remain contested components of the peace process, it is Jerusalem that today is the main hindrance to the world’s efforts to divide the Land of Israel and create a Palestinian state.

Backed by President Barack Obama, the Palestinians have begun to assault traditional Israeli red lines in Jerusalem, demanding a halt to construction in Jewish neighborhoods that the most dovish Israeli politicians would never dream of relinquishing. Until recently, the international community, and even the Arabs, had stuck to criticizing Jewish construction in Arabdominated areas of East Jerusalem. But when Obama took aim at the building of 900 apartments in the large Jewish neighborhood of Gilo, which is also claimed by the Palestinians, the mood shifted.

Built in 1971, Gilo was a barren hilltop when it was liberated by Israel from illegal Jordanian occupation during the Six Day War in 1967. Today it is home to more than 30,000 Israelis and an integral part of Jerusalem.

“Gilo is part of the Israeli consensus, and that understanding is important for

Israel Today

every discussion on the final borders of any future agreement,” said dovish opposition leader Tzipi Livni. The same is true for other major Jewish neighborhoods that fall on the eastern side of the pre1967 border. It was a significant statement coming from Livni, who believes Israel must surrender to nearly all Arab territorial demands.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat went further, accusing those who would deny Jews the right to live in any part of Jerusalem of racism. “Israeli law does not discriminate between Jews, Muslims, and Christians or between eastern and western Jerusalem,” Barkat said. “The demand to halt construction by religion is not legal in the United States or in any other place in the free world. I do not presume that any government would demand to freeze construction in the United States based on race, religion or gender and the attempt to demand it from Jerusalem is a double standard and inconceivable.”

But the Palestinians continue to take their cue from Obama, who, in an interview with Fox News, seemed to justify further Palestinian violence against Israel so long as Jews build in East Jerusalem.

Asked about the new construction in Gilo, Obama said, “I think it embitters the Palestinians in a way that could end up being very dangerous.”

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas followed up by publicly refusing to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu until his new red line of a near

total halt to Jewish construction in East Jerusalem is met. The rest of the Arab world has also jumped at the opportunity presented by Obama. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak declared that reclaiming Jerusalem is “a pan-Arab goal” and accused Israel of “destroying the opportunity for peace with its plans to populate Jerusalem with Jews.”

To amplify their efforts to wrest control of Jerusalem, “moderate” Arab leaders like Mubarak have also begun to echo claims by Hamas and other radical Islamic movements that Israel is trying to undermine the foundations of the Mosque of Al Aksa on the Temple Mount. Israel is carrying out excavations in the vicinity of the Western Wall, as it has done for decades, but none of them run under the Temple Mount.

Whether Obama and other key players in the peace process intended to escalate tensions to this level or not, the die has been cast, and the Arabs will not reverse or reduce their demands in Jerusalem, demands that no Israeli leader can ever meet.

The land-for-peace process has effectively collapsed at Jerusalem’s doorstep.

The nations and the spiritual powers behind them have plans for Israel, but so does the Lord. And just as God vowed through the prophet Zechariah some 2,500 years ago (Zechariah 12:3), He will use Jerusalem as the burdensome, immovable stone against which the nations and their plans will be dashed to pieces. Y

By Ryan Jones

January 2010 | 11

oPinion

Taliban rabbis

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B y Vi c t o r M o r d e c a i

ews just celebrated Hanukkah, marking the victory of the Maccabees over pagan rule. The story is told in the Book of Maccabees II—part of the Apocrypha, or “Hidden Books,” which were not canonized as part of Scripture.

But incredibly, Jews are forbidden by Jewish Law to read these books! It says in the Talmud Tractate of Sanhedrin: All Jews have a place in the world to come, except for the apikoros (heretic), those who deny the resurrection (Sadducees) and anyone who reads the Apocrypha.

So it looks like I am not going to heaven. And of course, the New Testament, a book written by Jews, is the “ultimate” form of Apocrypha. I read that, too, many times, praise God. Another problem in extreme ultraOrthodox circles in Israel is that pupils are taught only Hebrew and Aramaic in yeshivas (seminaries). Foreign languages as well as science, math and history are “outside of the box.” This kind of narrow-minded approach was practiced by the Taliban in Afghanistan before their overthrow in 2001.

This is the opposite of how it was 2,000 years ago. During the Second Temple Period, rabbis knew not only Hebrew and Aramaic, but also Greek and Latin. In that time, rabbis were able to debate with pagan Greek leaders.

When I participated in the MA program for rabbinic studies at the Seminary for Judaic Studies (Conservative

Movement) in Jerusalem, we were encouraged to read Christian and Muslim texts. But today, very few rabbis are able to debate the other side because of ignorance of the other side. The ultra-Orthodox who control the Rabbinate behave as if we are an island and the rest of the world doesn’t exist. A self-imposed autism comes to mind: a total disconnect from today’s reality.

It is one reason for the hysterical reaction by our leadership to the Christian presence in the Land of Israel. Israelis know nothing about Christianity or the New Testament. So the rabbinic approach is to bury their heads in the sand and pretend that Christianity doesn’t exist.

The government’s approach is to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Christians volunteers come to Israel to help feed and clothe the needy and to stand in solidarity with the nation. But no inter-religious studies or discussions with the Jews are allowed because they would then be considered “missionaries” who “lead people astray” and try to convert them to Christianity. This explains Israel’s wholesale expulsion of Christian volunteers regardless of the good they do for us. By the way, the Interior Ministry that makes these decisions is controlled by the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party.

We need the Christians as allies and not enemies of Israel. The Islamic

world numbers 1.3 billion while we Jews are only 13 million; we are outnumbered 100 to 1, so we definitely need the Christians on our side. But how can the Christians be on our side when we Jews are ignorant of what they really believe and show disdain for them?

I live with this day to day in the secular settlement of Kedar near Jerusalem, with a Shas rabbi who has at most two dozen families supporting his leadership, while over 200 families either don’t care at all for religion or are against him.

When we moved into our new home, this rabbi warned the people of Kedar to beware of the “Reform rabbi who is secretly a Messianic Christian believer!”

Now there is nothing wrong with being a Reform rabbi which I am not.

And there is nothing wrong with being a “Messianic Christian believer” which I am not. But just as an apple cannot be an orange, one cannot be a Reform rabbi and a Messianic Jew at the same time.

The right-wing Likud and left-wing Labor parties are always willing to sell out to the ultra-Orthodox extremists to swing the balance of power in their favor and form a coalition. So the Rabbinate has a free run of the pen regarding religion in Israel.

It’s time to end this horse trading and stop this encroaching theocracy.

This is a culture war for the heart and soul of Israel. Y

Retraction/Clarification

In the November 2009 issue of Israel Today, Victor Mordecai’s article Whither the American Church? suggested that the Calvary Chapel movement is waning in its support of Israel. A Calvary Chapel pastor indirectly referenced in the article categorically denies this and visited our Jerusalem office to set the record straight.

“The irony of all this is I was attending a conference in Israel recently, when another Calvary Chapel pastor handed me the current issue of Israel Today [with the article in question],” explained Pastor Dwight Douville of Calvary Chapel in Appleton, Wisconsin. “We were in Israel on a short-term missions trip which we have been making since 19 9 doing just the opposite of what [the article] seems to assert we are doing, i.e., departing from our support for Israel. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

Victor Mordecai has since clarified that he was writing of personal suspicions and concerns he had, not any outward sign of lessening support for Israel, and that he continues to hold Pastor Douville and the entire Calvary Chapel movement in the highest regard. He apologizes for any offense or confusion his article may have caused.

12 | January 2010

To order Victor Mordecai’s books, call this toll free number (in the US) 1.800.540.0828 or visit www.vicmord.com

Israel Today

messianic thouGht JESUS IN mODERN HEBREw cULTURE

Seffi Rachlevsky – The Messianic Danger

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‫ֶשׂה‬

B y Ts v i S a d a n

n modern times, Jesus has entered the long list of Jewish “messiahs” throughout the generations. From Jesus to Bar Kochba to Rabbi Menachem Schneerson (the Lubavitcher Rebbe of Brooklyn who died in 1994), there have always been those whom some people believed to be the messiah. Before the 20th century, they were described as “false messiahs” to ensure that their true identity was not mistaken. Later, this term was dropped and they remained merely controversial figures, loved by some and unappreciated by most.

The reason for this lack of appreciation lies in the perception that almost all of these men brought calamity upon the Jewish people through the rebellious movements they initiated—movements that were severely punished by the ruling powers. These messiahs—Jesus included—are perceived first and foremost as political leaders who fought fiercely for Israel’s independence while bringing disaster upon the very people they were trying to save.

Just as 2,000 years ago, the tension between “messianics” and “anti-messianics” remains an important factor that divides contemporary Israeli society. One example was a book published in the aftermath of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination in 1995. Entitled The Messiah’s Donkey, Seffi Rachlevsky, a leftwing secular Jew, launched a fierce attack on religious Jews for their messianic fervor: “Three precise shots at the square achieved their mysticallycalculated purpose. Yitzhak Rabin, the war hero, the popular politician, the shoulder upon which the peace process rode, fell to the ground. In his place, according to the redemptive plan, arose the hated Shimon Peres.”

This is the opening paragraph of a book setting forth a theory of the collision of two redemptive world views: On the one hand, secular faith in a secular peacemaker; on the other, the traditional messianic expectation of some kind of supernatural hero who will build Israel’s kingdom for the third time.

Many secular Israelis share Rachlevsky’s view; like him, they make no distinction between Jesus and the other messiahs. As Rachlevsky writes: “The messianic movement of Rabbi Akiva and his messiah Bar Kochba ended in destruction and 2,000 years of exile. Shabtai Tzvi [1626–1676] was captured by the Turks and converted to Islam, a step which, had it not been taken, would have brought disaster upon the Jews. Jesus…was crucified—and those nails brought many calamities upon his chosen people…The fate of the present, huge messianic awakening that has swept most of the religious Jews in the Land of Israel into its embrace in our generation will determine the fate of present-day Judaism.”

In one sense, of course, Rachlevsky is right: Though in his vision it is a Rabin-like figure, he understands that the future of Israel rests solely upon the messiah. Y

Israel Today

By Tsvi Sadan

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Lamb

n rabbinic literature, “Lamb” (seh) as a name for the Messiah is not easy to find. The reason may be that Hebrew possesses several words for “lamb”—including “goat,” “sheep” and “ram.” The shying away from this name may also reflect the fact that seh is probably the most significant image of Yeshua (Jesus). Nevertheless, on rare occasions we do find hints of a truly unique Lamb.

The Aramaic translation of Leviticus 22:27—“When a bull or a sheep or a goat is born, it shall be seven days with its mother; and from the eighth day and thereafter it shall be accepted as an offering made by fire to the Lord”—gives a short explanation of why specific animals were suitable for sacrifices. The lamb may have been chosen “because it recalls the merits of the lamb who was tied upon the altar and stretched out its neck for your sakes” (Targum Yonatan). Accordingly, what replaced Isaac was no mere lamb but a sentient being, with a conscience and will.

Rashi follows this lead in his commentary on Genesis 22:14: “And Abraham called the name of that place TheLord-Shall-See, as it is said to this day: ‘In the mount where the Lord is seen.’” The place where Isaac was almost sacrificed is the site of the Temple, where, according to this verse, God continues to provide a lamb in place of Isaac’s descendants.

The two daily sacrifices offered in the Temple thus represent the Lamb which replaced Isaac. Rashi therefore says: “Each year The-Lord-Shall-See this sacrifice to forgive Israel and to save them from calamity, so that this day will be retold for all future generations on the mountain where The-Lord-Shall-See the ashes of Isaac piled up and ready for atonement.” In other words, the two daily sacrifices were of lambs which were completely burnt, their ashes constituting that which is pleasing to God. The influential Rabbi of Brisk (born 1886) removes any doubt concerning the significance of this unique Lamb: “How is it that the ashes of Isaac were there when he wasn’t sacrificed? It seems necessary from this [‘Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son’ (Gen. 22:13)] that the sacrifice of the ram was considered to be that of Isaac himself…This is the meaning of ‘instead of his son,’ which literally means ‘as though he offered Isaac’” (Hidushei Hagariz, par. 36).

The same Lamb appears once again in Isaiah 53:7, although here it is not Isaac but the Messiah Himself (Sefer Yeshuot Meshicho, Part 2, 3:11). Y comments: dzsadan@netvision.net.il

January 2010 | 1

worD From Jerusalem

We Are Still on Our Way

By Ludwig Schneider

T

he wandering of the Israelites for 40 years in the wilderness teaches us that we are pilgrims on the way to our eternal destination with no enduring dwelling here on earth. God has not only given us the Bible to direct us along the way, but also He Himself goes ahead of us as our Shepherd. This means that we simply have to follow Him. This is why God presented Himself to Moses as “eheyeh asher eheyeh.” Translated literally this means “I will be what I will be.” It was translated by the Greek Septuagint (250 BC), and then copied by the Latin Vulgate (4th century AD), as “I am who I am,” but it can also be interpreted as “I am the ever-present one.”

Reflecting the correct understanding of this verse, Jesus said, “I am with you always”—i.e., “I am the ever-present one.” Jesus also said, “I am the Way” (John 14:6), but what does this mean in practice? Is it not just as cryptic as “I am who I am?” It could lead us astray into passivity because we believe that Jesus is going to take care of everything.

If you have a GPS navigation system in your car, it is not enough to simply punch in the desired destination—and then forget about it. No, after you decide on a destination you must listen to the voice of the navigation system and keep an eye on the route displayed on the monitor.

This is very similar to what Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice…and they follow Me.” The navigation system, as a good shepherd, does not permit us to set out mindlessly on our way.

Instead, it requires that we listen extremely carefully to its voice.

Anyone who fails to do so will not reach their destination despite having the best technical equipment—i.e. for the purpose of our illustration, despite having the Bible and the Holy Spirit.

There are some drivers who prefer to turn off their GPS system.

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They find it annoying to have to keep on following this voice. For many Christians the way shown to them by God seems like a dreary daily walk around a prison yard. They start to long for freedom, seeking ways to make God’s narrow way broader.

Yet God’s way is not a burden; rather, it leads us to the Promised Land. God already promised the Israelites a glorious destination through Moses, “For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land…a land where…you will lack nothing” (Deuteronomy 8:7, 9). It was only after the Jews were driven out of Zion that this once beautiful land became desert.

The Promised Land, of course, symbolizes Paradise: “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Anyone who truly loves the Lord follows His voice—as with the GPS system—even when he does not understand why he has to take this turn or that, for there is no other way to reach the destination. This is the way of faith—the firm assurance of things that we cannot see with our eyes and cannot explain with our minds (Hebrews 11:1). The Israelites had to travel through the desert for 40 years before entering the Promised Land, yet they could have covered the distance from Egypt to Israel in just three weeks. But God wanted every unholy and pagan thing that came out of Egypt to remain in the desert, so that a completely new creature (Galatians 6:15) would enter the Promised Land. This also explains why we, in our lives, often have to take complex detours.

Everyone has the same goal, to attain the glory of God, for whatever is not of the Lord will not find its way into the Kingdom of heaven. Let us not forget: We are pilgrims still on our way, but we will reach the destination if we listen to the voice of God. Y

Israel Today

JuDaism

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Of Calendars and Time There are four periods of world history: 2,000 years before the Torah; 2,000 years for the Torah; and 2,000 years after the destruction of the Temple; afterwards, is the 1,000-year reign of the Messiah in the kingdom of peace

n Jewish thought, time may be expressed in two different ways: first as measureable, calendar time embodied in the Hebrew terms z’man (time) and mo’ed (term or holiday); and second as universal time, seen in the Hebrew term olam, which means universe or universal time, and also eternity.

Measurable time is understood as a sequence of events in the sense of “time passes.” The present is transient as expressed in Solomon’s Proverbs and the Book of Ecclesiastes.

In addition, a distinction is made between “cyclical” and “linear” perceptions of time. The cyclical chain of events is linked to the elements, which also determines the dates of the Jewish holidays, and the linear chain of events focuses on the goal set by God. Achieving this linear goal is dependent on our obedience to God. This applies particularly to Israel as a nation, whose obedience or disobedience determines whether its entry into the age of salvation will happen sooner or later.

Within Judaism as a religion, in accordance with the biblical account of creation, the new day always begins in the evening: “And there was evening and there was morning, one day” (Genesis 1:5). For instance, the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah 5770, began on the evening of September 18th. The recurrence of sunrise and sunset led to the concept of day (Heb. yom); the recurrence of the phases of the moon led to the concept of month (Heb. chodesh); and the periodic recurrence of vegetation led to the concept of year (Heb. shanah).

The calculation for the Jewish year begins with the creation of the world, ostensibly 5,770 years ago. As Jewish scholars added together the periods of time presented in the Bible, we have today reached the year 5770; but at the same time there are unidentifiable gaps totaling 240 years. If we were to add these 240 years to the 5,770 years, we would arrive at the year 6010, which in turn fits in well with the secular calendar. If we assume that the year 0 AD was the Jewish year 4000, by adding 2,010 we would get to the total of 6,010.

From ancient times up until the Middle Ages (5th through 16th centuries AD), Jewish documents were dated in accordance with the Seleucid era of Alexander the Great (4th century BC).

During the time of the Talmud (200-500 AD), time was reckoned in millennia and divided among seven periods, corresponding to the creation week, each lasting 1,000 years. These seven periods accounted for the whole of world history: 2,000 years before the

Israel Today

Torah (from the year 0 to Moses); 2,000 years for the Torah (Moses to the year 1 AD); and 2,000 years after the dispersion of the Jews, which according to Jewish teaching is the end time—in other words, the period dating from 1 AD is seen as the last days. Afterwards, at the end of this period, the 7th millennium of the kingdom of God, of peace and the “thousand-year reign” will come.

The current Jewish system of numbering years, beginning from the creation of the world, was introduced at the end of the 9th century AD. The Christian Gregorian calendar was only introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII. In Israel, all religious and national holidays and birthdays are celebrated in accordance with the Jewish calendar. However, Israelis go by the secular calendar, as it is commonly used all over the world, in their daily lives and business activities. In effect, Jews use two calendars, one religious and one secular. Y

By Ludwig S chneider

Torah Portions

January 2010

(FROM 15TH OF TEVET TO 16TH OF SHVAT 5770)

The Sabbath Readings January 2nd - Shabbat Vayechi - And Jacob Lived Genesis 4 :28- 0:2 ; 1 Kings 2:1-12 January 9th - Shabbat Shemot - Names Exodus 1:1- :1; Isaiah 2 : -28:1 , 29:22-2 January 16th - Shabbat Va’eira - And I Appeared Exodus :2-9: ; Numbers 28:9-1 ; Isaiah :1-24 January 23rd - Shabbat Bo - Come Exodus 10:1-1 :1 ; Jeremiah 4 :1 -28 January 30th - Shabbat Beshalach [Tu B’Shvat] - When Pharaoh Let Go Exodus 1 :1 -1 :1 ; Judges 4:4- : 1

January 2010 | 1

Ben-Gurion March

In The Footsteps of His Vision E

very year the traditional Ben-Gurion March takes place at Sde Boker, a kibbutz in the Negev Desert in southern Israel. Visitors to the area are greeted with a billboard bearing the famous David Ben-Gurion quote: “It is in the Negev that the creativity and pioneering spirit of Israel will be tested.”

As the first prime minister, Ben-Gurion, the “Father of the Nation,” declared Israel a state on May 14th, 1948.

The march follows a hiking trail retracing the path that Ben-Gurion took every day from his home to the field research school at Midreshet Sde Boker. Today it is the campus for Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, including the Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research.

In his simple cottage which he called the tzrif (hut), Ben-Gurion spent his last years, always maintaining the same vision: “The Negev must be inhabited for it to bloom.”

He envisioned a Negev filled with settlers developing the desert. This was Israel’s future.

The home, shared with his wife Paula and kept exactly as he left it, reflects his deep connection to the Land and people of Israel. A huge book shelf holds over 5,000 books from religion to military history to science, including The Jewish Wars by first century Roman Jewish historian Flavius Josephus and Jews, God and History by Max I. Dimont. Another symbol of his biblical roots is a statue of Michelangelo’s Moses.

The erudite Ben-Gurion spoke nine languages fluently. At the age of 70 he began learning Spanish, so he could read Cervantes’ Don Quixote in the original tongue.

He read for at least three hours every night before going to bed.

Fittingly, he and his wife are buried side by side near their humble cottage, with a beautiful view overlooking Kibbutz Sde Boker.

The many participants in the 17th Ben-Gurion March brought the desert to life. There were three separate routes: the 7-km. (4.3-mile) route designed for families, the 13-km.

(8-mile) hike for the casual walker, and the 18-km. (11-mile) trail for experienced athletes.

Midway through the march, hikers can refresh themselves in a Bedouin tent, refilling their water bottles and enjoying some pita bread with labneh, a yoghurt-based smooth goat cheese topped with zaatar (oregano) and olive oil. For an additional burst of energy, there is thick Turkish coffee laced with cardamom.

One of the last stops is the Byzantine fortress of Metzad Zin, situated on the slopes of the Zin Mountains. From 324-638 AD, it served as a lookout point for caravans passing on the Derb el Sultan trade route.

The hike ends near Ben-Gurion’s grave at Midreshet Sde Boker. Everyone receives a medal and a certificate showing that they passed the “test”– as Ben-Gurion said, the test or challenge Israel faces in the Negev.

Today, a growing number of young couples are taking up the challenge, leaving the noise and congestion of the big cities for the breathtaking expanses of the Negev.

Ben-Gurion’s vision lives on!

By Michael Schneider

MARCHING ON in the Negev

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January 2010

The Land

THE ‘TZRIF’ (Hut): Ben-Gurion’s cottage

THE MOUNTAINS of Zin

BEN-GURION: “The Bible should read ‘up to the Negev’ not ‘down to the Negev’”

THEN AND NOW: Ben-Gurion’s office

Debate

P

The Ongoing Threat of Replacement Theology

hilosopher JeanJacques Rousseau taught that “anything can be replaced.” But this is not entirely true, for there is no replacement for life.

A replacement will always remain what it is, a replacement; it can never take the place of the genuine article­­.

Thus the Chosen People can never be replaced by another people or nation, as God proclaims to Israel: “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6).

Those concerned about other nations, in particular Ishmael, who is also a descendent of Abraham, should read the covenant treaty that God made with Israel: “As for Ishmael…I will bless him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly…and I will make him a great nation. But My covenant I will establish with Isaac” (Genesis 17:21).

Isaac is the father of Jacob, whom God later renamed Israel—he who wrestles with God (Genesis 32:29; 35:10). Thus the covenant that God made with Abram/ Abraham in Genesis 15:18 is now specified as being with Jacob/Israel.

This is an eternal covenant that can never be broken: “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’” (Jeremiah 31:37). In other words, even if Israel fails, God’s covenant will continue to be valid.

Paul confirms this: “…[the] Israelites,

18 | January 2010

significant resistance. For example, when the Nuremberg Nazi Party Rally in 1935 established its racial laws and declared that Jews were inferior beings, the German Church concurred.

Jews could be murdered “with a clear conscience” because, in accorPACT WITH THE DEVIL: Reich Bishop dance with public Ludwig Müller with Hitler in Nuremberg opinion, they had been “eternally rejected by God.” to whom belongs the adoption as sons This was not only the case during the and the glory and the covenants and the time of Hitler but is also a thread that giving of the Law and the Temple service runs throughout history. Think, for inand the promises, whose are the fathers, stance, of the Crusades, the Inquisition, and from whom is the Christ according pogroms and forced baptisms and, more to the flesh” (Romans 9:4-5). recently in our day, of Iran, whose PresiHowever Replacement Theology, dent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wants to which during 2,000 years of Church wipe Israel “off the map.” He argues that history has embedded itself in Christithey “did not only kill the prophet Issa anity like a cancerous growth, does not [Jesus] but also offended the prophet Moagree with this. Replacement Theology hammed by rejecting his offer to convert originated with the non-Jewish Church to Islam.”

Fathers who presented a doctrine that This menacing and alarming Replacefirst came out of Constantinople, and ment Theology is one of the reasons why then later from Rome, and was not even Israel is attacked politically and boycotchallenged by Protestantism. They saw ted today. After all, if the Jewish state is themselves as the “New Israel,” which had permitted to exist, there is no justificareplaced Jewish Israel forever. tion for Replacement Theology, which Replacement Theology goes so far as believes that the Jewish people, who have to teach, “Elohim, the barbaric God of the been eternally rejected, should never reOld Testament, who even permitted his turn to Zion again. Israel’s continued exSon to be killed, has since been replaced istence is a threat to this doctrine which by the eternally loving and merciful Son was already discredited with the rebirth Jesus Christ.” Thus the Church of the Son of the Jewish nation. has replaced the people of the Father.

It behooves us to remember that it Throughout Church history all those was not the Holocaust that triggered the who persecuted Jews were certain of the rebirth of the State of Israel—as is often approval of their Christian leaders. This believed—but God’s eternal covenant explains how the genocide of the Jewwith His Chosen People. Y ish people was perpetrated without any

By Ludwig Schneider

Israel Today

Prophecy

T

What Are the Signs of the Coming of the Messiah?

here are Jewish and Christian end-time “experts” who feel that their calling is to work out when the coming of the Messiah, or the return of Christ, will take place. In principle there is nothing wrong with this; anyone who loves the Lord will be waiting for Him, and consequently will often look at the clock as if, by doing so, he might hasten His coming.

At the same time, deciphering the signs of the end times as mentioned by Daniel and Yeshua (Jesus), Paul and John, can be misleading because there have been natural disasters and wars, difficult times and godlessness throughout history. This is nothing new for our age.

The only thing that is unique to our time is the fig tree, Israel.

Yeshua says in his end-time sermon in Matthew 24 that when it starts to sprout and produce leaves, the time of His coming is near; and this has never been fulfilled at any other time in the past. The prophecy only talks about the leaves and not the fruit, so it is speaking of Israel as it is in the world today and not what it will be in the Messianic Age. Since the creation of the state, our end-time euphoria has been focused on Israel and its magnificent accomplishments.

It not only defeated a combined Arab army during the War of Independence in 1948, with God’s help, at 310 to 1 odds, but later, in 1967, it amazingly conquered the biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria and the Old City of Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount. We are experiencing the return of the Jews to Zion after 2,000 years of being scattered among the nations and are seeing the desert transformed into a fertile field in accordance with God’s promises. This indicates that modern Israel is truly a fulfillment of biblical prophecies concerning the last days.

Deciphering the signs of the end times as mentioned by Daniel, Jesus, Paul and John can be misleading because there have been natural disasters and wars, difficult times and godlessness throughout history Meanwhile, 61 years have passed and Christians have become impatient waiting for the fig tree to bear fruit. The initial euphoria has disappeared because no one imagined that the Chosen People would turn out to be so “normal.” Suddenly we are finding flaws in Israel. Because we are secretly ashamed of our former euphoria with regard to Israel, we are now trying to compensate by criticizing the Jewish state. After all, “Friends are allowed to be critical.”

Still one can’t help noticing how Israel is being criticized far

Israel Today

more than the Palestinians. When the Jews returned home to Israel from all over the world there were tears of joy in our eyes, and when after 1989 a million Jews flocked into the Promised Land from Russia we were deeply moved to see how the promises of God were being miraculously fulfilled. But these feelings evaporated when we realized that these returnees have to live somewhere in the Promised Land, and housing has to be built for them, ostensibly at the expense of the Palestinians.

When we are going about our everyday tasks, when everything is routine with nothing unusual or out of the ordinary, this is the sign of the end times With the world behind them, the Palestinians turned to a wave of terrorism; and when Israel defended itself, it was condemned by “friends” as a war criminal.

So Israel’s problem today is its ordinariness. For ardent Christians, Israel is not pious enough, and for the secular world it is too religious. At present, Israel is holy with regard to its biblical status but not yet in a condition of holiness. This will come when the Messiah returns, but until then Israel is living as a normal nation.

Yet it is precisely this normalcy that is the sign that we are in the end times: “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37-39).

In this passage, godless behavior is not a sign of the end times, but rather normalcy. Paul even warns of false teachers who will forbid these very things—eating, drinking and getting married (1 Timothy 4:3).

When we are going about our everyday tasks, when everything is routine including church services and prayer times, sermons and Christian conferences, and our plans for the year 2010 are in place, this is what is meant by “as in the days of Noah.”

When things are normal, with nothing unusual or out of the ordinary, this is the sign of the end times.

In the midst of it all, the trumpet of God sounds, “The Lord is coming!” Then whoever is not prepared will be swept away by the deluge. The same idea appears in the Talmud: “Three come unawares; the Messiah, a found article and a scorpion” (Sanhedrin 97a). And all simply because we were looking for specific signs of the end times and lost sight of the sign of the everyday events of Noah. Y

By Ludwig Schneider

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January 2010 | 19

Christians

Venezuelan Pilgrims Bless Israel

TAKING A STAND: The group’s message was a sharp contrast to the hostility of the Venezuelan government

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astor Jamie Puertas led over 200 Christians from Venezuela on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Puertas and his Evangelical Light of the World organization have established over 6,000 congregations in Venezuela.

The group came to show solidarity with Israel, in sharp contrast to the open hostility of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who broke off diplomatic ties with the Jewish state during the Gaza War a year ago. Ironically, during the week of the tour, Chavez was hosting two of Israel’s arch opponents: Iranian Presi-

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dent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and PalPREACHING THE PROMISES: Pastor Jamie Puertas estinian President (center) with Israeli tourism officials Mahmoud Abbas.

On the same day Chavez met with Abbas and urged him to fight against the “enemy,” representatives of Israel’s Tourism Ministry met with the Christian group, thanking them for their support and for coming to Israel on the basis of their biblical faith. Y Photos and text: Daniel Goldstein

Palestinian Christian Leaders Denounce Israel

n a declaration labeled as a message of “faith, hope and love,” dozens of Arab Christian leaders denounced Israel as the obstacle to peace and rejected the biblical link between the Jews and the Land. The document, titled “A Moment of Truth,” was published by regional leaders of the Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican and Baptist churches.

“We, a group of Christian Palestinians, after prayer, reflection and an exchange of opinion, cry out from within the suffering in our country, under the Israeli occupation,” read the statement.

“Today we have reached a dead end in the tragedy of the Palestinian people.”

Israel was solely blamed for the situation. Among the reasons peace has not been achieved: the security “wall,” the settlers, checkpoints, the jailing of Palestinians, and Israeli control over Jerusalem’s Old City.

20 | January 2010

Like their Muslim counterparts, the Christian leaders said suicide bombings and other terrorist attacks against Israelis are legitimate resistance: “Israel justifies its actions as self-defense...In our opinion, this vision is a reversal of reality. Yes, there is Palestinian resistance to the occupation.

However, if there were no occupation, there would be no resistance.”

The statement also blasted Evangelical Christians who base their support for Israel on the Bible: “[Jesus] came with ‘a new teaching’ [Mark 1:27], casting a new light on the Old Testament…[and] themes such as the promises, the election, the people of God and the land…We declare that any use of the Bible to legitimize or support political options and positions that are based upon injustice…transform religion into human ideology and strip the Word of God of its holiness, its universality and truth. We also declare that the Israeli oc-

UNHOLY ALLIANCE: Palestinian Lutheran Bishop Mounib Younan (left) and Muslim Sheikh Taysir Al-Tamimi protest against the security fence

cupation of Palestinian land is a sin against God and humanity because it deprives the Palestinians of their basic human rights, bestowed by God.” Many will recognize this declaration as thinly-disguised Replacement Theology. It disputes the right of the Jews to lay claim to biblical promises since they are either no longer valid or have been transferred to “the Church.” Y

By Ryan Jones

Israel Today

messianic Jews

Troops Thank Israel Today Readers The Association for the wellbeing of Israel’s Soldiers sent a thank you note to our readers and friends who donated Hanukkah gifts to the troops.

“It is always amazing to see how people from all over the world are able to bring a smile to the faces of the soldiers,” wrote former general Avigdor Kahalani, the head of the association.

“The initiative and goodwill warmed the hearts of the soldiers. I hope this campaign will lead to further cooperation between Israel Today readers worldwide and the Association for the wellbeing of Israel’s Soldiers.”

As we handed out the gift packages, the soldiers marveled and wondered why christians abroad love the Israeli people and the army. It was a joy to behold, and we would like to thank you too! Y

CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION Awarded to Israel Today for the love, support and donation to the The Association for the Wellbeing of Israel’s Soldiers

Intimidation in Beit She’an

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wo ultra-Orthodox Jewish residents of the northern town of Beit She’an have been arrested on suspicion of throwing a firebomb at the car of Eliav Levine, a Messianic Jew. The parked car was torched in front of the local police station, right under the nose of the authorities!

His lawyer Calev Myers, of the Jerusalem Institute of Justice, said that Levine’s whole family is being bullied by members of the town’s large ultraOrthodox community.

Beit She’an, south of the Sea of Galilee, is home to several Messianic Jewish families, most of whom immigrated from the

Israel Today

former Soviet Union.

The ultra-Orthodox accuse their Messianic neighbors of “missionary activity” and are trying to force them to leave town.

“The police must take action against this crime,” says Myers, also a Messianic Jew. “Every Israeli Jew, regardless of his personal views, has the right to be protected by the state.”

While secular Israelis have become more accepting of Messianic Jews, the ultra-Orthodox see them as a threat.

And in cases of persecution, like in Beit She’an, the authorities are slow to act and do not provide sufficient protection. Y

MUSIC IN THE MALL: The choir of the Makor HaTikva (Fountain of Hope) school,

led by Messianic singer Vesna Buehler (left), performs at Jerusalem’s Malcha Mall.

Members of the Beitar Jerusalem soccer team joined in the final song in solidarity with efforts to free captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

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January 2010 | 21

Diaspora

A

Israel in Hungary

new Israel Cultural Center is under construction in Budapest modeled on those of other nations in foreign countries. It is being financed by Israel’s quasi-governmental Jewish Agency and Jewish donors, including Israeli industriBEAUTIFUL alist Moti Zisser and entrepreneur Arik BUDAPEST: Israel Yom Tov. is reaching out to The center could be the first of many the Diaspora in the Diaspora. The aim is to build bridges between Israel and Jewish communities abroad.

Laying the cornerstone in Budapest, the Jewish Agency said the facility will “bring under one roof a wide range of activities connected to Israel and will expose visitors to many fields of Israeli culture.” Cultural events include Israeli art exhibits, plays, concerts and movies. There will also be courses in Hebrew and Israeli cooking. Y

S

ADL Survey Shows Drop in Anti-Semitism

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survey by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) shows a drop in negative attitudes toward Jews among Americans; 12 percent of respondents were found to have anti-Semitic views, a decline from 15 percent in 2007. This matches the lowest figure ever recorded by the ADL, in 1998. The first survey in 1964 found that 29 percent of Americans had anti-Semitic views.

The ADL said the results could point to growing tolerance and acceptance in American society, but there is still cause for concern.

“At the same time there continues to be violence targeting Jews and an increasing use of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories,” said ADL director Abraham Foxman. “We can’t dismiss that 12 percent of the American people means that there are still over 30 million Americans that hold anti-Semitic views.”

The annual surveys have shown that in general American men, rather than women, and blacks tend to have a negative attitude toward the Jews. Y

Chinese Jews Come Home

even descenhis community’s dants of the first rabbi since Jewish commuthe death of the nity of Kaifeng, last one over 150 China have years ago. immigrated to There are Israel where they high hopes for will study Hebrew the future of and attain an what has been a Orthodox contrial project. “If version. Their it succeeds, we city of birth, Kaiwill bring back feng, is situated more descenon the banks of dants of the Kaithe Yellow River feng community,” and was home says Shavei Israel to a flourishing founder Michael Jewish commuFreund. “It is said FULFILLMENT OF A DREAM: A distant Chinese nity for more that every second community returns to its Jewish roots than a millenone of them wants nium. to make aliyah.”

The fulfillment of the dream to settle in the land of their It is unclear how the Jews originally arrived in China and fathers was made possible through Shavei Israel (meaning when the community, which now has 1,000 members, was “those who return to Israel”), an organization that tracks down founded. The assumption is that from the 10th to the 12th forgotten Jewish communities worldwide and encourages their centuries, Jewish traders from Persia came by the Silk Road members to make aliyah (immigrate to Israel). to Kaifeng, the former capital of China.

When the seven young men, ranging in age from 19 to 24, Even though the Kaifeng Jews are mostly assimilated, they arrived in the Holy Land, they kissed the ground and went to still keep many Jewish traditions: They avoid pork, the most pray at the holiest place in Judaism. “I cannot believe that I popular meat in China; they bake unleavened bread (matza) am standing at the Wailing Wall!” said 24-year-old Hang Shir, for Passover; and they light candles during the eight days of “I have been dreaming of this for a long time.”

Hanukkah.

Yaakov Wang, 23, wants to become a rabbi following his Interest in their Jewish roots has spiked in recent years conversion. “I am delighted to be in Israel,” he said. “This thanks to modern technology. Freund says that the Internet was my dream.” Nevertheless, he believes he is needed more played a major role in helping to educate the community’s memin his native land. He plans to return to China and serve as bers about Judaism and to connect to Israel from abroad. Y

22 | January 2010

Israel Today

archaeoloGy

sPorts

Marble Artifacts Found in Acre

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r. Edna Stern, excavation director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, has reported the discovery of 350 marble items collected from destroyed buildings near the Old City wall of the ancient port city of Acre. The find is dated to the Crusader Period in the 13th century, when Acre was the capital. The cache was buried under a pile of debris over an old basement floor and was found during routine excavations prior to construction in the area.

“We have here a unique find, the likes of which have never been discovered in the Kingdom of Jerusalem in the Crusader Period,” Stern said. “During the archaeological excavations we came upon a cellar that was sealed by a collapse, comprised of building stones and charred beams.”

The find includes two broken marble tombstones with Latin inscriptions, one belonging to a person named Maratinus. Flat marble slabs and tiles of various sizes and colors were found as well. Other items include a large stone cross and a large fragment of porphyry (a rare precious purple stone, which was the color of royalty in Roman times).

The artifacts help piece together the history of Acre, which was once an important center for international trade. They reflect “the magnificent buildings that were erected here but have not survived, as well as the commerce and the wealth of its residents,” Stern said.

Just as today people seek classic or exotic items in their homes, “at that time they used to integrate ancient architectural items from the Roman and Byzantine periods in their construction.”

The marble pieces reflect the flourishing economy of Acre and the wealth of its inhabitants, but also political upheaval and conquest.

“We can assume that the owner of the hoard, whether he was a merchant or he collected the stones for his own construction, was aware of impending danger and therefore buried the valuable stones until such time as the tension abated,” Stern said. “Furthermore, we are sure that the attack of the Mameluks in 1291 caused the destruction of the house.”

The wealthy patron never recovered his hidden treasure, which remained buried for more than 700 years. Y Compiled by Netanel Doron and Barry Rosenfeld

MARVELOUS MARBLE The artifacts help piece together the history of Acre

Religion in the Ring

THE CHAMP Jewish fighter Yuri Foreman says boxing brings him closer to God

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ews aren’t known for prowess in boxing, especially religious Jews in a sport that many consider violent. But two Orthodox Jewish fighters see boxing as a public relations opportunity to promote Judaism and God. Undefeated fighter Yuri Foreman, 29, became the first Israeli to win a world boxing championship when he trounced Puerto Rican Daniel Santos in a WBA super-welterweight title fight in Las Vegas in November. When he was 7 years old, Foreman moved from the former Soviet Union to Israel, where he learned to box at an Arab gym. “The first time I walked in, I saw the stares. In their eyes, there was a lot of hatred,” he says. “But I needed to box, and boy, did they all want to box me.”

He later moved to the US where he became Orthodox, and today he is a studying to be a rabbi at a yeshiva (seminary) of the Hasidic Chabad movement in Brooklyn. He studies Torah and Talmud in the morning and trains for boxing in the afternoon.

“Boxing and Judaism go side by side because they both have a lot of challenges,” Foreman says, adding that the sport brings him closer to God. “When you’re in the ring after five rounds, going on 12, it’s very spiritual, and I’m saying my own little prayers throughout the fight: ‘Please God, protect me.’”

He may sound like one of a kind, but he’s not. Dmitry Salita, 27, is another Orthodox Jew who can pack a punch, and he, too, is from Brooklyn. Born in the former Soviet Union but raised in the US, Salita was undefeated until his Decem- FAITHFUL FIGHTER Dmitry Salita ber fight with WBA light welterweight at the Western Wall champion Amir Khan in the UK, who scored a knockout. The crowd overwhelmingly supported the Muslim Khan, and it is believed that Salita was distracted by the anti-Semitic slurs hurled at him from the stands.

After the fight Salita, nicknamed the “Star of David,” visited Israel. “I always walk into the ring draped in an Israeli flag and have used my spot in the public eye to promote Israel and Jewish values,” he said. “To finally be seeing the stuff I think of daily and read about in the Bible...is a very strong emotional and spiritual experience.” Y

By Barry Rosenfeld

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January 2010 | 2

culture

‘Holiday of Holidays‘ in Haifa

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n Haifa, a port city of 275,000 Jews, Christians and Muslims, residents don’t talk about coexistence; they live it. This was highlighted during the annual “Holiday of Holidays” festival, which brought people of all faiths and ages to Wadi Nisnas, Haifa’s Arab quarter, during four Saturdays in December.

This was the 16th year of the festival, honoring major holidays of the three monotheistic religions: Hanukkah, Christmas and Id al Adha (the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan). Hanukkah menorahs, Christmas wreaths and crescent moons brightened up the shop windows. Jews and Arabs joined together to make decorations and promote the gathering under the theme of peaceful co-existence.

Organized by the Beit HaGefen Arab-Jewish Center, there was a wide selection of events: 17 liturgical music concerts held in churches, synagogues and auditoriums, street fairs, outdoor performances, art and antiques fairs, a children’s art exhibition and seminars. There were also local culinary delights, special gifts, marching bands, traditional costumes and exotic animals.

Festival curator Smadar Schindler made sure that this year, as in every other, the walls of Wadi Nisnas were draped with banners exhibiting outstanding art with both Arab and Jewish themes.

In fact, Haifa’s Arab quarter is adorned throughout the year with the works of both Jewish and Arab artists. Beit HaGefen (House of the Vine) offers daily guided tours through the narrow alleyways of Wadi Nisnas where one can find a variety of creative arts and crafts. The $6 tour reveals a special, hidden side of Haifa. Y For more information: www.beit-hagefen.com

By Kerstin Braun

HAPPy HOLIDAyS: Jews, Christians and Muslims flocked to the Arab Quarter in an expression of coexistence

Behind the Scenes

Flash Mob! It’s 4 p.m. at Jerusalem’s swank outdoor Mamilla Mall near the Old City’s Jaffa Gate. Suddenly, music begins and a woman breaks into a choreographed dance. She is joined by another person, then two, then four more, ten more, and quickly the group of dancers spirals to over 100. It’s a flash mob!

“Nobody knows what a flash mob is,” said Elle, a Hebrew University student, “so telling people I was in one was a conversation piece.”

A flash mob is a relatively new phenomenon, especially here in Israel. It refers to a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform a brief dance or other unusual action, and quickly disperse.

More than 100 “mobsters,” wearing bright pink, green, orange, purple and blue, participated in the dance to mark Hanukkah and Christmas. The group was as diverse as the colors, ranging in age from about 10 to 84, men and women, the physically fit and the out of shape, Jews, Christians and Muslims, and at least one family spanning three generations: a grandmother, her daughter and grandson.

They danced to a medley of Jingle Bells, the Hanukkah Dreidel Song (Sevivon), Everybody Dance Now and YMCA. The last song was the giveaway. The event was sponsored by the Jerusalem International YMCA to promote its fitness programs, and beyond that, peaceful coexistence between people of all three religions in the Holy City.

SUDDEN CELEBRATION: Dancers burst onto a pedestrian mall

A big crowd gathered, smiling and clapping. “This is the coolest thing that ever happened in Jerusalem!” said one spectator so awed that she forgot her biblical history.

Some participants had to overcome their inhibitions.

“At first I thought it would be awkward dancing in the middle of a popular street, but it was really exhilarating—and fun!” Elle told Israel Today. “And I was really proud of what we were representing. I thought that it brought everyone together.”

The event only lasted about three minutes. There were no introductions and no farewells, and the group dispersed as quickly as it appeared. Said one YMCA staffer: “With all the bad things happening in the world, we just wanted to bring a moment of happiness and make people smile.” Y

By Shl omo Mordechai

and the Holidays This month I will have so much fun in Haifa!

They celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas and the Muslim feast Id al-Adha all together.

They call it ‘The Holiday of Holidays.’

Israel Today

Only here can Santa Clause eat Id al-Adha lamb and Hannukah jelly doughnuts for dessert.

Food holds the key to peace.

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January 2010 | 25

TU B’SHVAT SPECIAL The New Year of the Trees!

10% discount through January 2010 Tu B’Shvat is “The New Year For the Trees” and is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Shvat. In many countries it seems strange to celebrate the rebirth of trees in the middle of winter. But in Israel the rainy season has just ended and buds are beginning to appear on the trees. Israeli’s eat fruits and nuts on Tu B’Shvat. They especially try to eat the fruits for which the Bible praises the Land of Israel. The Bible describes the Land of Israel as a good land, “a land of... vines, figs, and pomegranates... olives and sweet dates.” So on Tu B’Shvat we eat grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates. Israel Today is happy to offer you these beautiful and enticing dried fruit baskets from the villages around the Sea of Galillee.

Taste the fruits of the Land with your own Tu B’shvat basket, wrapped and sealed to be as fresh as the day it was packed!

Tu B’shvat Fruit Basket (Medium)

Enjoy this unique assortment of dates, figs, mango, pineapple, apricots, kiwi, and appels in a beautiful compartmentalized square basket with handles.

Approx. 2.2 lbs./1 kg.

FDF012 $95.40 $85.85

Tu B’shvat Fruit and Nut Assortment

A decorative basket with an assortment of almonds, raisins, strawberries, coconut, and candied nuts from the Galilee.

Approx. 1.3 lbs./600 gr.

FDF015 $80.40 $72.35 Tu B’shvat Fruit Basket (Small) Dried Fruit Basket

You may be able to buy dried fruit where you live..BUT it won’t be from the Holy Land! A tantalizing selection of dried fruits including mangos, apples, apricots, dates, kiwis, and figs all packaged in a round wicker basket and sent to you with LOVE from the staff at Israel Today. lb./500 gr.

Enjoy this unique assortment of dates, walnuts, apricots, and kiwi in a beautiful, small square basket.

Approx. 14 oz./400 gr.

FDF013 $37.20 $33.50 Stuffed Dates

FDF001 $36 $32.40

Tu B’shvat Fruit Basket (Large)

Enjoy the fruit of the Holy Land with this unique combination of dates and walnuts from the Southern shore of the Galilee.

7 oz./200 gr.

FDF004 $30 $27

Our largest, most luscious assortment of fruit from the Galilee, including strawberries, lychee, figs, apricots, quince, kiwi, dates, and mango in a large round basket. Enjoy!

Approx. 5.3 lbs./2.4 kg.

FDF014 $205.20 $184.70

Galilee Gift Set “Honey” Two jars of fine honey • Eucalyptus honey • Wild flower honey Each 250 gr.

FGS012 $36 $32.40

Galilee Gift Set “Honey-Jam” • Honey from avocado flowers (250 gr.)

• Jam high fruit concentration - from ecological cultivation (300 gr)

FGS013 $36 $32.40

jerusalemdepot | Your source for gifts from the Holy Land | www.jerusalemdepot.com 1-866-854-1684 - US & Canada | 00-800-60-70-70-60 - UK & Norway | P.O. Box 10010, Jerusalem, 93503 ISRAEL • orders@israeltoday.co.il

statistics 2009

ISrael by the NumBerS  As of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah 0 (October 2009), Israel’s population stood at 7,465,500, a growth of 1.8 percent over 2008. Of this number, percent ( , 4, 00) are Jewish (compared to 81 percent in 2001); 1, 1 ,200 or 20 percent are Arabs (compared to 1 percent in 2001); and 18,000 are of other ethnic backgrounds (2.2 percent Christian, 1.8 percent Druze, and others).  Jerusalem is Israel’s largest city, with a population of 4 , 00 (about the size of Amsterdam); two thirds of the capital is Jewish and one third Arab.  There were 156,923 new births in 2008, . percent more than in the previous year.  There are 13.3 million Jews worldwide, with , 0,000 living in the Diaspora. The year 2009 is the first in which more Jews live in Israel (42 percent) than in the US ( .2 million or 9 percent).

The number of Jews in France is 48 ,000; Canada - ,000; Britain - 29 ,000; and Russia - 210,000.  In 2008, 13,681 new immigrants made aliyah (immigrated to Israel), 2 percent less than the previous year. This is the lowest ratio of immigrants (1.9 immigrants per 1,000 residents) since the establishment of the state in 1948. Back then about half of immigrants were refugees from Nazi concentration camps and displaced person camps in Europe.  2008 was a record year for tourism, with more than million visitors coming to the Holy Land. Hotel stays (for both tourists and Israelis) came to 2 million, including 10 million by visitors from abroad.  3.9 million Israelis are native-born sabras ( 0. percent of the population). When Israel was founded the figure was only percent.  In 2008, Israel’s population density was 321 people per square kilometer (822 per square mile).  In 2008 the Jewish population grew by 1.7 percent while the Arab population grew by 2. percent. The city with the fastest growth rate is Jerusalem at 2.1 percent; Tel Aviv is the lowest at 0.9 percent.  Women live longer with a life expectancy of 8 years, compared to 9 years for men.

‘TOO GREAT TO BE NUMBERED’: ‘I will surely prosper you and make your descendants as the sand of the sea’ (Genesis 32:12)

 In 2008, Israel’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita was $28,600, ranking it 48th in the world. The US was 10th at $4 , 00 and Britain was 2nd at $ , 00.  The average number of children for an Israeli woman is 2.96. For Jewish mothers it is 2.88 (compared to 2.80 for 200 ) and for Muslim mothers it is .84 (compared to .90 in 200 and .9 in 200 ).  841,417 students are taught in 2,499 elementary schools of which 0 , 2 are Jewish students and 2 4, 94 are Arab. If junior and high schools are included, there are a total of 1,448, 8 students in Israel.  Decrease in accidents: In 2008, for the first time in 2 years, there was a decline in fatal car accidents; 4 accidents occurred, compared with 412 in 200 .  Lowest water level: The level of the Sea of Galilee stands at 214. meters ( 0 feet) below sea level (at the end of October, 2009). This is below the danger mark or “red line” set at 21 meters ( 0 feet) below sea level, and only 0 cm. (20 inches) above the black line (maximum danger mark). The Dead Sea, in comparison, has fallen to 422 meters (1, 8 feet) below sea level.  Area: Israel has 2 , 8 square km. (10, 2 square miles) of land within the post 19 borders; this includes , square km. (2,1 square miles) for Judea and Samaria (the so-called “West Bank”), and 1,1 4 square km. (44 square miles) for the Golan Heights.  There are 123 Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria, containing over 04,000 residents. The annual growth rate is percent. Israel dismantled all 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip during the “Disengagement” of 200 .  In 200 , 46,448 couples got married in Israel, of which , 04 or percent were Jewish and 9,2 or 20 percent, Muslim.

1 ,100 got divorced. Y Sources: Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Jerusalem Institute C ompiled by Michael S chneider

technoloGy

K

Jerusalem Start-Ups Create Cheaper Solar Energy

nown for its many days of sunlight, abundant sand and exceptional brain power, Israel has become a world leader in the innovative production of new, cheaper methods of solar energy. The use of silicon from sand to produce solar energy cells is an effective but relatively expensive technique for producing electricity.

panels are able to absorb light even if they are not exposed directly to the sun.

This method is an improvement over conventional solar cells, in which most of the potential solar energy gets lost on the surface before it can be converted into electricity. GreenSunEnergy CEO Amnon Leikovich explains that the process could

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Let us go to the house of the Lord.

Our feet are standing in the gates, O Jerusalem (Psalm 122:1, 2)

SMALLER PANEL, BIGGER PRODUCTION A revolution in harnessing power from the sun

Now, scientists from Jerusalem-based GreenSun Energy Ltd. have developed a cheaper and more practical way to produce solar energy. A team headed by Hebrew University professor of chemistry Renata Reisfeld developed a process that reduces costs by using less silicon.

Traditionally solar cells are produced using thin layers of silicon covered with glass panels. But GreenSun Energy says its new technology uses a small panel that can produce as much solar electricity as a regular panel five times its size.

The panels do not collect heat, do not require cooling systems and are therefore much more cost efficient. They operate in all types of lighting conditions, including cloudiness, and effectively utilize sunlight from any angle, meaning the system does not need to track the direction of the sun.

The solar panels consist of glass coated with a tinted material produced from an exclusive technique which applies nanoparticles of an undisclosed metal (to guard the secrecy of the formula). These colored

28 | January 2010

deliver electricity at about double the cost of a conventional power station, versus the five-fold cost of other conventional means of producing solar energy.

Another Jerusalem-based company striving to make solar power more affordable is 3G Solar. It is working to replace the conventional use of silicon with sensitized dyes that significantly reduce production costs. When a color molecule is exposed to light, it sets free an electron which is absorbed by titanium dioxide, emitting energy in the process.

3G Solar maintains a 1.5 square meter (16 square foot) prototype of their invention, boasting red panels, on the rooftop of their Jerusalem laboratories. The company’s founder, Jonathan Goldstein, says it is by far the largest in the world. It transforms just 7 percent of the sunlight it absorbs into electricity, but he said that efficiency would increase steadily in the coming years. This system is not as efficient as the silicon cells, but the lower price might be more attractive. Y

Israel Today

economy

I

Focus on Jerusalem

Government Aid for Embattled Exporters

n response to the economic crisis, the Israeli government is providing professional business consultants to companies with exports of less than $10 million during 2008. This was the outcome of a meeting between Trade and Industry Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer and Motorola Israel president Elisha Yanai. Israeli exporters are in trouble because of the strengthening shekel and tumbling US dollar, which make exports more expensive.

Ben-Eliezer also met with Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz to discuss ways to create additional jobs and help endangered companies survive the crisis. One possibility is extending a program which expired at the end of 2009 that helps companies secure the shekel-dollar exchange rate against currency fluctuations that lead to changes in the prices of products and raw materials, a rise in interest rates and other risks. Y

IN BrIeF  Microsoft is offering regis-

tered users its new anti-virus program, Microsoft Security Essentials, for free. This includes regular updates. Development of the software began a year ago at Microsoft Israel in Herzliya Pituah near Tel Aviv, with a team of a dozen programmers under the supervision of Ray Ozzie, Microsoft’s top software architect.  Agrexco, Israel’s largest exporter of agricultural produce, reports a 0 percent increase in the sale of avocados.

Last season, 2,000 tons of avocados were exported, mostly to the Europe Union. This season another 0 percent increase is expected, totaling 0,000 tons.  In Abuja, Nigeria, Israel’s

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman signed the first agreement between Israel and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Founded in 19 , ECOWAS includes 1 nations, only three of which—Guinea, Mali and Niger—do not have diplomatic ties with Israel. The economic agreement includes cooperation in the fields of education, agriculture, culture and medicine.

 More than 0 years after the

Holocaust, Germany is one

Israel Today

of Israel’s most important trading partners. In the field of fashion, the Israeli company Status presented its 2010 Winter Collection at boutiques throughout Germany. The Status line is only available in Berlin, but the company plans to extend its distribution to Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf and Dresden. Since 200 , the company has been part of a joint venture with the German label Jet Lag.  Exports to Turkey have decreased by 40 percent since the beginning of 2009, according to a report by the Israeli Credit Insurance Company. Reasons cited are the heightened political tension between Israel and Turkey and late payments

by Turkish companies. During the first three quarters of 2008, Israeli exports to Turkey totaled $1. billion, but a year later the figure dropped to $800 million.

The principal exports are metals, chemicals, synthetics and military equipment.  Sabon Shel Pa’am, Israel’s popular brand of exclusive soaps and beauty products, will open two new branches in Japan.

The company has invested $2 million into two new locations, Osaka and Tokyo, and that is just the beginning. The company has 80 branches worldwide and plans to open 40 more stores in Japan. Y

INTERCESSION for Israel

Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing?

Psalm 2:1

‫ *אבינו שבשמיים‬Avinu She’BaShamayim – Turn Israel back to the Bible as it endures international pressure and condemnation. Open the hearts of politicians and ordinary people to recognize that their help comes from God. Remove the veil over the Jewish people (2 cor. 3:12-17) and reveal yeshua (Jesus), the messiah who is hidden in the Old Testament. (Pages 3, 13, 19) ‫ *אבינו שבשמיים‬Avinu She’BaShamayim – Help the Israeli government to stand against US and UN pressure on the settlements. Prosper the Jewish communities of Judea and Samaria, protect their residents and do not uproot your people from the Land (Amos 9:15). Reveal to the nations that you are faithful to your word and promises. Humble the Obama administration before you. (Pages 4-5, 11) ‫ *אבינו שבשמיים‬Avinu She’BaShamayim – Thwart all plans by the Palestinians to stir up violence and terror. Give the Israeli security forces and intelligence services wisdom to deal with new Palestinian tactics. may all Palestinian plans for evil come to naught, and may the enemies of Israel be defeated. (Pages 7, 10) ‫ *אבינו שבשמיים‬Avinu She’BaShamayim – Expose the lies and deception of replacement theology. Help Palestinian christians overcome the obstacles and reconcile with Israel. Obstruct unholy alliances between Palestinian christian and muslim leaders. (Pages 18, 20) ‫ *אבינו שבשמיים‬Avinu She’BaShamayim – Protect the messianic Jewish community in the Land, especially those believers who are facing intimidation and persecution. move on the Israeli authorities to uphold the law. Grant that messianic Jews will find favor among Israelis, and grant that the believing congregations will prosper and grow.

(Page 21) ‫ *אבינו שבשמיים‬Avinu She’BaShamayim – we thank you for the early precipitation and pray that heavy rains will fall throughout the winter all over the country, with snow on mt. Hermon. Fill the Sea of Galilee, which is at its lowest level on record, to the brim. Replenish the depleted mountain and coastal Aquifers. Open the heavens and bring showers of blessing (Ezekiel 34:26).

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* Our Father in Heaven

January 2010 | 29

in brieF

Tidbits  KREAMY KREMBOS: Israel holds the record for the most Krembos eaten per capita.

Krembos are a chocolate-coated marshmallow confection, also popular in Germany, Holland and Sweden under the name Schwedenbomben (Sweden Bombs). Each year, during the winter months, 0 million are produced in Israel and packed by hand.

They come in an assortment of flavors including vanilla and mocha cream and each one is about 100 calories. For those who pine for Krembos during the long hot summer, there is a solution. “I always keep some in the freezer,” says manufacturer Shay Feldman. The first Krembos were created some 200 years ago in Germany and Denmark.  HIGH PLACES: The golden Dome of the Rock mosque on the Temple Mount stands, at its highest point, 2, 0 feet ( 84 meters) above sea level. This is according to Google Earth. If you position your mouse on the apex of the shrine in D mode you get this figure.  SHANTY FOR A SHEIKH: The new Desert Shanti near Sde Boker in the Negev in southern Israel was sponsored anonymously by a Saudi sheikh, to the tune of $100,000!

It is modeled on Shanti House in Tel Aviv and functions as a place of refuge for Israeli youth at risk. The sheikh was so excited about the project that he wants to initiate the same concept in his own country.

The generous gift is the result of a chance meeting in a London hotel between the unnamed sheikh and Shanti House founder Mariuma Ben yosef. After hearing about her foundation and its activities, he was so impressed that he spontaneously wrote out a check for the entire project saying, “For me it is a small donation toward changing things in the Middle East.”

 LAND OF MILK AND CHICKEN: More milk is sold in Israel than any other food product.

In 2009, Israelis spent 1.1 billion shekels (more than $ 00 million) on milk. The sale of chickens rose by 2. percent compared to the previous year, reaching 8 million shekels ($2 1 million).

0 | January 2010

H

From Mumbai to Kiryat Arba

e was a respected Hindu Israelis. The Holtzbergs doctor in India who were brutally murdered. lacked nothing. Yet when Their infant son survived, his Jewish friends, Rabbi secreted away in the arms of Gavriel Holtzberg and his his Indian nanny. wife Rivka, were killed As a first step, Prasad took in the terrorist attack in on his new Hebrew name.

Mumbai, it prompted Dr. His three children are now Hagirat Prasad to make a called Shmuel, Sarah and dramatic change in his life: Sharon.

He converted to Judaism.

Five months ago, Today his name is Aaron accompanied by his family, Abraham and he lives in the he settled in Israel. Now the Jewish settlement of Kiryat couple wants to be remarried Arba near biblical Hebron. in an Orthodox ceremony at Prasad became interested the Tomb of the Patriarchs in in Judaism 20 years ago Hebron. through the Hasidic Chabad Abraham holds seminars movement and began LEAP OF FAITH: An Indian doctor casts his on Judaism, saying it is his studying the Bible. The desire to strengthen others lot with the Jewish people Holtzbergs, who maintained in their faith in the one God. the Chabad House in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Professionally, he is serving at the emergency clinic became his close advisers and friends. Chabad in Kiryat Arba. practices ultra-Orthodox Judaism, but also stresses “I miss Rabbi Gabi and Rebbetzin Rivka with all joy and praise as well as Jewish mysticism. my heart,” he says. “On the day of the massacre, In November 2008, the dreadful terrorist attacks I was not able to help them. The only one that I took place, claiming 1 lives, among them six saw alive again was their little [son] Moishe.” Y AMERICAN CHARGED IN MUMBAI ATTACK: American David Coleman Headley, also known as Daood Gilani, a Muslim of Pakistani origin, has been indicted in Chicago for involvement in the Mumbai attack.

According to the charge sheet, he conducted surveillance in Mumbai, including the Chabad House, where he met with the Holtzbergs and pretended to be interested in Judaism.

He was also allegedly planning another attack in Denmark in revenge for the Mohammed cartoons published by a Danish newspaper in 200 . Among his possessions was a book titled How Jews Pray. Y

HIS cONScIENcE PRIcKED?

The Swedish journalist who seriously damaged Israel’s image with his defamatory article on the alleged theft of human organs by the Israeli military (see Israel Today, October 2009), visited Israel. Donald Bostroem was on his way to a journalists conference in the southern town of Dimona when he was treated to jeers and boos at Ben-Gurion Airport.

Popular Israeli TV talk show host Avri Gilad invited Bostroem to appear on his show and raked him over the coals. “After your visit here you are flying to Beirut where you will definitely be welcomed by Hezbollah as a hero,” Gilad said. “I am sure they will pick you up in a limousine and take you to the best hotel in town.”

Later it was revealed by Aftonbladet, the Swedish news agency, that Bostroem was indeed met at the Beirut airport by a chauffeured limousine, but rather than getting in, he suddenly did an about-face and took the next plane back to Sweden. Whether it was his conscience getting to him, or whether he was just considering professional ethics, we may never know.

In any event, Bostroem has somewhat backtracked on his report, telling the Israeli daily Ha’aretz, “I have no proof that the Israeli army removed organs from dead Palestinians.” Y

Israel Today

in brieF

Legacy of a Nazi Killer

R

einer Hoess, the grandson of Rudolf Hoess, the infamous Nazi commandant at the Auschwitz death camp in Poland who was hanged for his crimes, has contacted the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem. The younger Hoess offered to sell items from his grandfather’s estate, including a steel box said to contain personal gifts from SS chief Heinrich Himmler, a letter opener, previously undisclosed photos of Auschwitz, and letters written during his imprisonment in Krakow.

Seen as an offer in extremely poor taste, Yad Vashem officials responded that they would only be willing to accept the items as a gift.

Reiner Hoess declined, telling Israel’s biggest newspaper Yediot Ahronot that he has plenty of interested parties, including the German weekly magazine Der Spiegel and SS CHIEF the Axel Springer publishing house.

Rudolf Hoess He said that the idea arose during a conversation with the grandson of Baldur von Schirach, the leader of the Hitler Youth movement.

In addition to his other crimes, Rudolf Hoess was responsible for the murder of 4 0,000 Hungarian Jews during a period of just days. Y

A Visit from ‘Pocahontas’

A

mong the VIPs visiting Jerusalem was one with unique credentials: Native American Ann Richardson, chief of the Rappahannock tribe. This is the tribe of the historic Indian princess Pocahontas (1 9 -1 1 ), of whom Richardson is a direct descendant.

MEMBERS OF THE TRIBE The Richardson family has led this tribe for four Cabinet Minister Uzi Landau and Native American Anne generations. The Rappahannock was the first tribe Richardson to meet the English settlers who arrived in North America in 1 0 . It was at this time that Captain Samuel Mace navigated up the Rappahannock River in what is now Virginia.

Richardson, the first woman to be honored as tribal chief, is a born-again Christian who heads the organization Restoring Nations International. In 200 she presented President George W. Bush with the “Never Again” Medal, which links the persecution of the American Indians with the Holocaust against the Jews. It is for this reason that she maintains close ties with Israel.

Richardson and other members of her tribe met with Cabinet Minister Uzi Landau and assured him of their political and spiritual support for Israel. She described the tribe as the “guardians of the gates” of the Land. Landau was given a chieftain’s headdress, and a quiver containing arrows was given to President Shimon Peres.

“We love Israel, the land given by God. It belongs to the Jewish people. Your struggle is a concern that is on our hearts,” she said. Then she recalled the words of Ruth the Moabitess (Ruth 1:1 ), “We stand alongside you—your people is our people, your God is our God.” Y

Jewish Joke

Zambia’s Ex-President Is in Love…with Israel!

F

rederick Chiluba is a born-again Christian who ruled as president of Zambia from 1991 to 2002. In 200 he became the target of an anti-corruption campaign by his successor, Levy Mwanawasa, who accused him of embezzling $40 million during his time in office. Recently he was acquitted, for which he thanks God—and the State of Israel.

“We need to have a close bond with Israel, so that the blessings God pours out over Israel will drip down upon us as well,” he said at a church gathering near Kituwa in northern Zambia. “Although Israel is a small country, one should never doubt the promises of God.” Zambia broke off diplomatic ties with Israel in 19 , as a result of the Yom Kippur War. Today, Chiluba sees this as a disgrace and he has asked God for forgiveness for Zambia’s support of a UN resolution condemning Israel at that time. He believes that the famine that hit the country afterwards was a result of this.

When he came to power in 1991, he reestablished diplomatic ties with the Jewish State. “Then things began to grow again,” he said. “We had our portion again in the blessings of Abraham.” He often cites the example of the US, saying that because of its support for Israel it has been blessed by God. As Chiluba was speaking in praise of Israel he received a phone call with the good news that the corruption charges against him had been dropped!

One Israeli newspaper commented: “While Israel’s Foreign Ministry competes for acceptance all over the world, from this case it appears that it would be sufficient to promote Christianity—yes, Jesus and the stories of the Bible.” Y

Names and Numbers

A certain rabbi is such an avid golf player that on a recent Sabbath, after morning services, he secretly slipped away to the golf course. This caused a great commotion in heaven, where punishment was demanded for the wicked sinner on the spot.

The rabbi raises his club for the first stroke and—the ball goes straight into the hole! More commotion in heaven: “Lord, instead of punishing him you go so far as to fulfill the dream of every golfer?”

The Almighty is not able to hold back a chuckle: “If you only knew what a severe punishment this really is: Since it’s the Sabbath, he can’t tell anyone!”

The Central Bureau of Statistics has released the following figures for 2008:

 1,9 0 newborn boys and 1 girls were given the name Noam. Among girls,

Noa continues to be the most popular name.  Young people in a young state: There were 2,4 ,140 Israelis under the age of 1 , a third of the total population.  1 ,900 babies were born.  Following Noam, which means “pleasant,” the most popular names for boys in Israel are: Itai, Daniel, David, Idan, Moshe, Yosef and Yonatan.

Israel Today

 Following Noa, the most popular names for girls are: Shira, Yael, Tamar, Maya, Talia, Hila, Michal and Adi.

 Arab boys are often called by variants of the name Mohammed: Mahmoud, Ahmad, Muhamed.

 Popular names among Arab girls are Hala, Nur and Miriam. Y Compiled by Michael Schneider

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January 2010 | 1

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