During the week covered by this review, we received 7 articles on the following subjects:
Jews’ Attitudes Concerning Christians
Jewish–Christian Relations
Interfaith Dialogue
Christian Tourism
Miscellaneous
Archaeology
Jews’ Attitudes Concerning Christians
Gilui Da’at, July 4, 2014
Zvi Gilo surveys passages from the book of Numbers, such as the stories of Balaam and Korah, as proof that “the nations of the world have seen that the secret of Israeli strength is in its connection to holy things.” He also states that the opinion that “all are holy” is “at the base of heresy.” Gilo goes on to compare the fact that the Ministry of Education has given up the funding from the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews to the biblical Pinchas, who received the priesthood for “realizing that that keeping holiness will bring us to our destiny rather than blurring our identity.”
HaModia, July 10, 2014
The Ministry of Education has announced that it will not use the 10 million dollar contribution to summer camps from the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. The anti-missionary organization Yad L’Achim is jubilant over this decision and wants to make it a “widespread phenomenon”. “The widespread public response and spontaneous protest testify that Israel’s heart is awake,” said the organization.
Jewish–Christian Relations
The Jerusalem Report, July 9, 2014
This article is an analysis of the recent Presbyterian Church (USA) decision to divest from three U.S. companies who, to their mind, “further the Israeli occupation.” The article states that in addition to the 10-year lobby by the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement and the church’s claim to be acting on “prophetic moral motives,” in fact the divestment is largely due to a “subterranean stream of anti-Semitism” flowing from the Presbyterian Israel Palestine Mission Network, examples of which can be found in the recently monitored comments on the group’s Facebook page and in the “Zionism Unsettled” publication, which had been sold on the PC(USA)’s online store but was removed after the divestment vote passed. This vote was a victory for BDS, which has been attempting to introduce its stated objective of eradicating Israel into the mainstream of opinion. The article ends by saying that although the PC(USA) has reiterated its “love for our Jewish sisters and brothers,” in fact concrete action is needed to heal the breach, as “the church’s moral credibility is on the line.”
Interfaith Dialogue
The Jerusalem Post, July 10, 2014
The Forum of Religious Leaders in Israel has issued a call to “end the bloodshed in the region.” President-elect Reuven Rivlin, Ashkenazi chief rabbi David Lau, Sheikh Muhammad Kiwan, and Greek Orthodox patriarch Theophillis III were quoted, with Rivlin, Lau, and Theophillis specifically mentioning the sanctity of life, and Kiwan calling for promotion of “brotherhood, peace and respect.”
Christian Tourism
Yediot Eilat, July 4, 2014
The Central Bureau of Statistics has reported 8.9 million hotel stays for the first five months of 2014. This is an 8% increase compared to the same months in 2013. Domestic tourism accounted for 4.3 million of these hotel stays, while 4.6 million were due to incoming tourism. The steepest increase was recorded in Jerusalem hotels; the Central Bureau of Statistics states that this is apparently due to Pope Francis’ visit earlier in the year.
Miscellaneous
Yediot Ahronot, July 8, 2014
The Mount Zion Congregation achieved uncustomary notoriety in this article, as it is located next to the stadium in Bello Horizonte where Brazil had its final practice before the semi-final against Germany in the World Cup. The congregation’s website describes itself as the largest Messianic congregation in Latin America, and says that it “reconstructs the first century connection when Jews and Gentiles worshiped together, unified in brotherhood and love.”
Archaeology
Blazer, July 8, 2014
This 12-page article consists of interviews collected by the author on the archaeological evidence for events in the Bible, and specifically whether the artifacts support David and Solomon having founded an empire. The article covers the whole spectrum of opinion. Of particular interest are the examples brought to support each opinion, such as the excavations at Hazor, Megiddo, Gezer, and Timna, which appear to support the biblical narrative; Kayafa, which may or may not be the biblical Sha’arayim; and the controversial building at Jerusalem’s City of David National Park, which may or may not be David’s palace.