During the week covered by this review, we received 15 articles on the following subjects:
Christians in Israel
Israel
Political Issues
Jerusalem
Interfaith Dialogue
The Pope and the Vatican
Messianic Judaism
Christians and the Holocaust
Art
Archaeology
Christians in Israel
Ha’aretz, HaModia, July 4, 2017
Yinon Reuveni (22) was condemned by the court yesterday for the arson at the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes at Tabgha in 2015. Yehuda Assaraf (21), indicted for complicity, was cleared of all charges. The indictment against Reuveni and Assaraf said that a surveillance camera recorded Reuveni filling a two-liter bottle with gasoline at the Latrun gas station and that he intentionally left his car outside the Tabgha compound, knowing that there was a camera at the entrance. Investigators found Reuveni’s bottle at the scene, and gloves with his DNA five kilometers away from the church. However, Assaraf was cleared since Nazareth District Court Judge George Azulay stated, “…the evidence against Assaraf was not indisputable.”
Adv. Itamar Ben-Gvir, counsel for the defense, has stated his intention to appeal the ruling, saying that the police put in excellent effort on the case, suggesting “…the judge didn’t pay attention to the fact that the defense disproved each accusation.”
Israel
The Jerusalem Post, July 6, 2017
On Wednesday, July 5, the Israel Religious Action Center, the public and legal advocacy arm of the Reform movement, “asked the High Court of Justice to compel the prosecution to indict Ben-Zion Gopstein, head of the radical right-wing group Lehava.” The center said that Gopstein and Lehava “preach hatred against Muslims and Christians through intimidation, racist incitement, and violent activity,” as well as threatening the LGBT community. Along with other NGOs and lynch victim Jamal Jalani, it has asked the High Court to order Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit to outlaw Lehava as well. Petitioners says that although the High Court dismissed another petition in 2015 saying that the prosecution was already investigating Gopstein, there has been no word since then of any ruling.
Lehava lawyer Adv. Itamar Ben-Gvir responded that “there was no evidence of criminal activity and that the petition was designed to silence Lehava’s right to free speech.”
The Jerusalem Post, July 6, 2017
This article analyzes the emphasis Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has placed on improving ties with African nations over the past few years. The article notes the first reason for movement is the fact that U.S. Democratic and American Jewish support for Israel is decreasing and that most European governments have not proven to be true friends of Israel, with hatred often coming from both far-right and far-left parties. The second reason given in the article is the fact that Israel is a perfect partner for addressing Africa’s most pressing environmental and agricultural problems, as well as assisting in fighting terror. By so doing, Israel may be able “…to change the default anti-Israel majority in international organizations such as the UN” as well as to “repair the world” by good deeds according to the Jewish concept of tikkun olam.
Business Bnei Brak, July 5, Iton Shacharit, July 6, 2017
In 1951, the Greek Orthodox Church leased 600 dunams of its west Jerusalem property to the Jewish National Fund for 100 years. Today, this land includes some 1200 dwellings, hotels, public buildings such as the Great Synagogue, the Begin Heritage Center and part of the Israel Museum. However, in August 2016 the Church sold its property to private entrepreneurs.
Jordanian members of parliament have already called for this transaction to be cancelled. Palestinian Authority spokesman Tarik Rishmawi said that it does not serve the best interests of the Palestinian people, noting, “…the Greek Orthodox Church’s responsibility is to use the lands for strengthening the Christian presence in the Palestinian areas.” A Greek Orthodox official has said that some priests are demanding that Patriarch Theophilos III be removed from office because of this transaction. However, Theophilos has allegedly said that everything was legal and insisted there was no intention or reason to cancel the agreement.
The Domestic Affairs Committee discussed ways to protect the residents on these lands and has called upon the JNF and the Israel Land Authority to find a way to extend the residents’ lease.
Haaretz, July 7, 2017
This article is an interview with Gadi Gvaryahu, head of Tag Me’ir, an organization founded to promote dialogue and heal inter-religious and interethnic breaches resulting from “price-tag” hate crimes. Tag Me’ir works with people from all religions, such as the Dawabsheh family, the monastery at Latrun and the Rosenfeld family, whose son was murdered. The goal of the organization is to arrive on the scene as soon as possible, in order “…to express to the injured side that they are not alone and that those who injured them do not represent either Judaism, Islam, Christianity or most of the inhabitants of the State of Israel.” However, the complicated emotional stand and the pain over the injustice make no difference to his own ethnic identity, says Gvaryahu, emphasizing that no matter who governs the country Jews and Arabs will continue to live side by side, noting, “…This is a reality we all must internalize.” In discussing Jewish terror, Gvaryahu states that it is a result of “hilltop youth” being incited to violence by rabbis, some of whom call for the eradication of the government in favor of a theocracy, and who enjoy more immunity than heads of government.
Political Issues
Haaretz, July 7, 2017
This article takes issue with U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent statements in Warsaw, where he portrayed Poland as “…a nation of fighters for freedom and justice who fell victim to the dictatorial conquests that ruined the land, but which survived thanks to its devotion to the values of liberty and its love of life.” In so doing, says the article, Trump has given yet another “flattering and obsequious speech,” and given the Polish right-wing conservative-nationalist government “…a seal of approval on its fight over the country’s honor and its campaign to rewrite history and erase the stains of Poland’s past” during World War II.
Jerusalem
The Jerusalem Post, July 4, 2017
Tuly Weisz, director of Israel365, presents his position on the Western Wall crisis regarding egalitarian prayer access (see last week’s MR). After quoting expressions of opposition from public figures ranging from disappointment to outrage, Weisz notes that Christian Zionist support for Israel appears to be unaffected. He says that responses from Christian Zionist leaders in Israel were “unusually restrained and reserved,” with one leader saying, “This is a family matter for you guys to sort out.”
Contrary to the opinion of some, Weisz notes, “Israel’s real Christian friends have no interest in exploiting any potential gap between Israel and the Jewish community to serve some nefarious agenda…If only more Jews were as sincerely concerned about Jewish unity, we wouldn’t be fighting over who can pray at the Western Wall in the first place.” Instead of threatening to halt contributions, concerned American Jews can move to Israel “…where they will be first class citizens with a vote and a voice.” Weisz concludes by saying that the pro-Israel Christian community may still have a role to play in this intra-Jewish debate by ensuring America remains committed to her primary ally in the Middle East.
Interfaith Dialogue
The Jerusalem Post, July 3, 2017
Scholas Occurentes, a Catholic Buenos Aires initiative dedicated to educating young people to serve the common good, has organized the Interreligious Citizenship Encounter, an international students’ peace summit, at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Truman Institute. Some 75 Christian, Jewish and Muslim students aged 15 and 16 attended. Of particular note was the opening ceremony, where a group of students from Burundi and Congo performed a song in Swahili, and the closing ceremony, where Pope Francis gave greetings to those assembled and an olive tree for peace was planted in his name.
The Pope and the Vatican
Maariv, July 6, 2017
This article is an interview with Monsignor Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo, bishop and current chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, who recently visited Israel for the Interreligious Citizenship Encounter and the Hebrew University’s Truman Institute (see above). One of the questions asked concerned the Vatican’s interest in environmental issues, to which Sorondo replied that the pope appreciates science as a guide in helping him make decisions. He noted that man, as a created being, “…cannot destroy God’s creation.”
Addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Sorondo noted that he learned from Rabbi David Rosen that we don’t know each other well. He quoted Nobel Prize Laureate Israel Aumann, who said, “To find a solution one must think about the reason for the problem.” For this reason, he noted, “…it is important not to speak only about peace but also think about the causes of the war.” Sorondo sees the Church’s role in Middle East issues as bringing the sides closer to each other. When asked about the Church’s challenges for 2017, Sorondo answered those challenges are similar to those faced by all religions: “To improve people’s lives and bring more happiness, to help and to reach the real problems.”
Sorondo, born in Argentina, is considered particularly close to Pope Francis, who is originally from Argentina as well. Sorondo has already visited Israel four times.
Messianic Judaism
The Jerusalem Post, July 6, 2017
This letter to the editor takes issue with the Jewish ultra-Orthodox view regarding Jewish ethnicity and religion, and expresses shock that when Messianic Jews apply for citizenship during the immigration process, their application is denied “…simply because they believe in Jesus as their messiah.” It emphasizes that such discrimination goes against the Law of Return, which specifies that even those with one Jewish grandparent qualify for citizenship. Due to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s statement to U.S. President Donald Trump that everyone living in Israel enjoys religious freedom, the letter asks whether Netanyahu is aware of the situation pertaining to Messianic Jews. It concludes, “…Surely Netanyahu must realize that true equality for all cannot be a reality until he finds a way to break the stranglehold of the ultra-Orthodox.”
Christians and the Holocaust
The Jerusalem Post, July 7, 2017
The Raoul Wallenberg Foundation and the Libera Università degli Studi Maria SS. Assunta di Roma (LUMSA) have been working together to find and honor Righteous Among the Nations who risked their lives to shelter victims of Nazi persecution during the Holocaust with a “House of Life” plaque. The story of Alessandra Staderini was highlighted. Staderini’s mother volunteered to hide Bianca Castelli and her brother Marcello. Staderini and Castelli are still friends today, 74 years later.
Another story highlighted in the article is that of Hugo Silvio Barbano, who hid the seven-year-old Gianny Polgar and his brother in a boarding school. Although Polgar and Barbano have lost contact, the school received the “House of Life” plaque from the foundation. The organization also honors people who redeemed cultural and religious symbols; one such recipient is Archbishop of Palermo Corrado Lorefice, who returned the ancient Great Synagogue of Palermo to the Jewish community 524 years after it had been confiscated by the Church (see last week’s MR).
Art
Kalkalist, July 4, 2017
The third Mediterranean Biennale will shortly be taking place in Sakhnin, entitle “Out of Place.” Photographer Angelica Scher is to exhibit her latest series, Song of Deborah, which depicts scenes from Christianity with the traditional figures replaced by women in IDF uniform, photographed as a reaction to the induction of Scher’s daughter. Scher sees it as strange to see women soldiers with weapons, and says that the series “…is meant to ask philosophical questions about the role of women: Is it not enough that she must give birth to the sacrifice, send her children to the army, but must herself become the sacrifice? Or now in the feminist age, is she also obligated to defense?” Scher said she connected to the subject since she sees both the military and Christianity “…as institutions that have barely changed, have a hierarchy, are conservative and support an ideology which ‘steps on the individual’ as a highest value.” Three of Scher’s works, depicting the birth of Jesus, the Last Supper and Mary in the orant pose were to be displayed in the church at Sakhnin but have been moved due to the local priest’s objections.
Scher is originally from Lithuania and came to Israel at age 21. She began studying photography after the birth of her second child. She previously studied plant sciences and X-ray imaging.
Archaeology
Haaretz, July 4, 2017
An excavation led by Dr. Steve Ortiz of Southwestern Baptist Seminary and Dr. Sam Wolff of the Israel Antiquities Authority has recently concluded its tenth season of digging with the spectacular discovery of three skeletons at Gezer, two adults and a child. The child was still wearing earrings. After giving a brief survey of Gezer’s history, the article goes on to describe how excavators found the skeletons in a large building in the south of the city, known to have been one of the city’s weaker points. One of the adults and the child were found under a meter-thick layer of ash and burnt bricks, but the adult was so severely damaged that sex could not be determined. The second adult was found in a room north of the one where the other two were found, under collapsed stones that helped preserve his remains. Other rich findings such as scarabs, precious faience and turquoise objects, and particularly a cylinder seal depicting the god Reshef drawing his bow against twelve enemies, have led some researchers to believe that this structure may have been the residence of a Canaanite prince.
This past season has been the final one for the Tel Gezer project, and the artifacts have been transferred to the project’s Jerusalem lab, where they will undergo intensive analysis before the project publishes its findings.