Caspari Center Media Review… May 2006 #5
During the period of time covered by this review, we received 34 articles on the subjects of Messianic Jews, Christianity and the Mission. Of these:
2 dealt with Anti-Missionary Attitudes
21 dealt with Pope Benedict XVI Visit to Auschwitz
1 dealt with Israeli/Jewish Attitudes about Christians
2 dealt with Christian Support of Israel
3 dealt with The Da Vinci Code
The remaining 5 articles dealt with different matters of Jewish or Christian interest.
Pope Benedict XVI Visit to Auschwitz
HaAretz May 29, 2006; Jerusalem Post May 29, 30, 2006; Yediot Ahronot May 29, 30,31, 2006; Ma’ariv May 29, 2006; HaTzofeh May 29, 30, 2006; Yated Ne’eman May 29, 30, 2006; Globes May 25, 2006; HaModia May 29, 2006; Israeli May 29, 2006
The Israeli press was flooded with news articles and opinions about Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Auschwitz. Many articles record the whole day and genially detail his many movements and the expressions on the Pope’s face. The Jerusalem Post (May 29) and both language editions of HaAretz (May 29) note “as the Pope stopped to pray a brilliant rainbow suddenly appeared over the camp.” Many papers cite significant parts of the Pope’s speech. The Jerusalem Post (May 29) quotes the Pope; “by destroying Israel with the Shoah, they ultimately wanted to tear up the taproot of the Christian faith and to replace it with a faith of their own invention.”
An opinion piece in the religious dailies HaTzofeh and Yated Ne’eman (May 29) comment on the Popes preliminary visit to the Warsaw Ghetto; “the Pope insulted the local Jewish community when he visited the Warsaw Ghetto because he did not even stop to visit some Jewish sites there, including a memorial to the Ghetto fighters.” In an opinion piece in Yated Ne’eman (May 30) author A. Parid says “the German Pope’s visit to Birkenau was nothing but showing contempt for murdered Jews.”
Five articles also report on the “anti-Semitic attack on the Chief Rabbi of Poland Michael Schudrich” prior to the Pope’s visit to Poland. In a letter to the editor (HaTzofeh May 30) the author says, “the attack is an attempt to tell the Catholic Church that even after the Holocaust Jews are still not welcome in Poland.”
Israeli/Jewish Attitudes about Christians
Zman HaSharon May 26, 2006
A trivia column in Zman HaSharon (May 26) responds to the news about Christians wanting cremation in the Holy Land. The anonymous author says “the uncircumcised want their ashes scattered over the land and this is a problem especially when I go out for a walk with my daughter who has just washed her lovely hair.”
Christian Support of Israel
Yediot Ahronot May 29, 2006; Kol HaZman May 26, 2006
In an article titled “What has Yeshua got to do with the security fence?” Ofer Shalach asks why US congressman Henry Hide who is a “firm supporter of President Bush” has a “problem with the security fence.” Author Shalach says, “Because he is such a firm supporter of Israel then his letter is worth careful examination.” Aside from Hyde saying the fence “divides Yeshua’s birthplace from the place of his resurrection,” Shalach also says “Hyde is not so much pro-Palestinian but is concerned for the Christian community of Bet Jala and Bethlehem who are trapped.”
In an interview with Devorah Ganani, Director-General of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, (Kol HaZman May 26) Ganani says “Christian Zionists love Israel with a genuine love.” She describes them as “simple people who love the Tanach (Old Testament) and want to do us good both politically and financially.” She also describes herself as being the first to “go into churches… because back then (1987) the Ministry of Tourism didn’t even want to speak to Christians.”