During the week covered by this review, we received 19 articles on the following subjects:
Jewish/Christian Relations
Christians and the Holocaust
Film/Theatre/TV Reviews
Archaeology
Anti-missionary Attitudes
Anti-missionary Activities
Book Reviews
Christian/Jewish Holidays
Conversion to Judaism
Jewish/Christian Relations
Haaretz, April 4, 2022
“Out of the spotlight, and in every neighborhood, the Judaization of East Jerusalem is gaining momentum,” exclaimed the article. Despite the controversy and the pressure from the American government, many Jewish neighborhoods are being constructed beyond the Green Line, at the expense of the existing Palestinian population. The instability and fear of losing their homes, which is a constant reality for the local population, according to this article, hinders any hope for a diplomatic solution. At the same time, Ateret Cohanim and other religious right-wing organizations are trying to take over Palestinian neighborhoods, such as Silwan and Sheikh Jarrah, and even parts of the Old City. A couple of weeks ago, activists from Ateret Cohanim forcefully took control of a section of the Little Petra Hotel, near the Jaffa Gate, as part of a campaign to take over the entire hotel, as well as the nearby Imperial Hotel, in the midst of an 18 year-long legal battle with the Greek Orthodox Patriarchy, who owns the property. One cannot exaggerate the magnitude of this event in the eyes of Jerusalem’s church leaders, stated the article. According to them, it is a real disaster that will change the character of the Christian Quarter in the Old City. The threat is so substantial, that all the church leaders in Jerusalem, in an uncharacteristic move, have united to protest against this act. “The seizure of the Little Petra Hotel by the radical extremist group Ateret Cohanim is a threat to the continued existence of a Christian Quarter in Jerusalem, and ultimately to peaceful coexistence of the communities of this city,” they announced in a joined statement.
Israel Hayom, April 4, 2022
Jeries Khoury, the father of the late Amir Khoury, the Greek Orthodox Policeman who was killed during the terrorist attack in Bnei Brak, shared his grief, and the unity of the nation of Israel, as he and his family experienced it. “Government ministers, the President of the Supreme Court, the Israeli President, dozens of MKs… from all sectors of our nation – Orthodox Jews, Arabs, Druze, Christians, anyone who heard about my son’s heroism, how he neutralized the terrorist, came to comfort us,” he said in an interview. “It is amazing… After the attack, we experienced a sense of unity, such as we had not seen in years. We formed a very tight bond with the Orthodox community in Bnei Brak – Rabbis… and even the mayor came to comfort us. They sent buses to Amir’s funeral. I even heard about the mayor’s suggestion to name a street in his honor, and it warmed my heart… My hope is that we will love one another and live in peace.”
Haaretz, April 5, 2022
Following a controversial video posted by Natali Dadon, an Israeli social media celebrity, in which she shared her “existential fears” of riding in a taxi with “drivers with Arabic names”, this article was intended to remind her that “there is a greater chance of encountering a greedy driver who will demand 700 NIS for a ten-minute drive, than a driver who has just joined ISIS in the early morning… She must have forgotten that the one who paid with his life to save Jews in Bnei Brak was First Sergeant Amir Khoury – a Christian Arab”.
Yedioth Ahronoth, April 8, 2022
For an entire nation, Amir Khoury is a national hero, a policeman who rode his motorcycle into the line of fire of a murderous terrorist, to defend the residents of Bnei Brak with his body. But for his fiancée Shani Yashar, he is first of all Amir – her soulmate and best friend… the one who fell head over heels in love with her, and never let the fact that she is Jewish and he is a Christian Arab affect them. In an interview, she spoke of how they fell in love, working together at the Police force, of the challenges of being a mixed couple in Israel, and of that fateful night when he died in the line of duty and left a void in her life. She also spoke of the support she had been receiving. “I received love and good words from all the sectors – Jews, Arabs, Christians and Muslims.” Amir loved Israel very much, she recounted, and gave his life willingly. “He was lying in the church, so peaceful… and the expression on his face relayed, ‘I’m fine, I did what I had to do, stay calm’.”
Maariv, April 6, 2022
The French Hospital in Nazareth has inaugurated its new fortified emergency room, which will serve children from all parts of Israeli society. It was named after Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, the founder and first president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ), and “is the realization of the Rabbi’s vision to build a bridge between the Jewish nation and the Christian community”.
Christians and the Holocaust
Maariv, April 4, 2022; Jerusalem Post, April 4, 2022
Four individuals with personal connections to the Holocaust participated in a panel discussion at the Jerusalem Post London Conference, which focused on the importance of passing the torch of memory and responsibility from the survivors to the next generations. One of the speakers, Eitan Neishlos, a third-generation Holocaust survivor from Australia, recalled his grandmother’s experiences growing up as a child in Belarus during the Holocaust, and how she was saved by the Chodosevitch family, a Christian family who hid her from the Nazis, and were later murdered by the Germans. The four will also be participating in the March of the Living from Auschwitz to Birkenau on April 28.
Film/Theatre/TV Reviews
Haaretz, April 5, 2022
This was a review on the mini-opera, “Les Rois Mages”, by Fabián Panisello, which was performed by the Israel Contemporary Players musical ensemble, and was “one of the most interesting events of the season… An audio pleasure… A must”. The opera is based on a book by the same name, which was written by Michel Tournier, who, according to the article “was a Christian, and not just because of his family roots”, and tells the story of the Three Wise Men who visited Baby Jesus, using Irony as a motif.
Archaeology
Maariv, April 5, 2022
As reported in our previous review, archaeologists were surprised to discover remnants of the exotic spice, vanilla, in wine jars that date to the time of the First Temple period, and bear the seal impression of the royal administration of the kingdom of Judah. This discovery disproves the claim that vanilla was not available in “the old world” until the discovery of America by Columbus.
Israel Hayom, April 4, 2022
“Away from the public eye and from the Israeli hyperactive news circle, an archaeological, scientific, national and religious battle is raging over a small amulet, the size of a cookie, which was found in the dirt taken from an archaeological site in Mount Ebal in Samaria”, exclaimed the article. As we reported in our previous reviews, a small lead tablet from the 13th century BC containing an inscription in ancient Hebrew with the explicit name of God (the Tetragrammaton), was discovered. According to this article, although this discovery proves, at least partially, the authenticity of the stories in the bible, and strengthens the bond between the Jewish nation and their land, the media coverage “died as quickly as it appeared, and since, archaeologists, left and right organizations… are busy fighting over the credibility of the findings, their significance and the way in which this rare artifact was found,” proving the “way in which the state of Israel has abandoned the Jewish history, and the sites that prove the Jewish bond in the space between the Green Line and Jordan”.
Anti-missionary Attitudes
Shacharit, April 5, 2022
Or L’Achim anti-missionary organization warned the public regarding audio-players containing “forbidden missionary materials” that were handed out in the streets of Tel Aviv.
Anti-missionary Activities
Various articles
As we reported in our previous review, according to Yad L’Achim, they are fighting back, with “supreme efforts in the face of huge budgets and impudent missionary determination”, against the missionaries who are “trying to hunt Jewish refugees” on the border between Moldova and Russia.
Book Reviews
Calcalist, April 7, 2022
Various archaeological findings, translations of ancient recipes in cuneiform, and groundbreaking research have facilitated the writing of the book “Not a Cookbook”, by Assaf Abir, which contains recipes of biblical meals, such as “three measures of fine meal” and “tender and good calf”.
Christian/Jewish Holidays
Kol Hair, April 8, 2022
The Holy Fire Ceremony, one of the most well-known, ancient ceremonies in the history of the Eastern Churches, which has been held for 1,200 years, on the “Saturday of Light” – the first Saturday of Easter, will be held on Saturday, April 23, in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. According to Orthodox tradition, relayed the article, during the ceremony, a supernatural flame glows inside of Jesus’ tomb, and lights an oil lamp that burns constantly. The ceremony is controversial, and attracts a lot of skepticism, but nonetheless, millions will continue to believe in the miracle, and many of them will gather at the church to experience what is considered to be a “superhuman spiritual experience”.
Conversion to Judaism
Olam Katan, April 8, 2022
This article told the story of Johann Franz, who was born in Czechoslovakia in 1848, to a Protestant family. According to the article, Franz, who served as a minister for the Scottish Mission in Budapest and as a missionary in London, converting Jews to Christianity, was so amazed by the strength of the Jewish faith that he decided to convert to Judaism, because “he felt ashamed of being a Christian”. He planned to establish a Yeshiva for proselytes, but for unknown reasons, the Yeshiva was never established.