APRIL2010

April 2010 www.israeltoday.co.il

No.

135

printed in Israel

From Hamas to Jesus | Spies in Dubai and Jericho | Silwan or Shiloach?£

2.50

POLITICAL DEAD END JERUSALEM

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For Israel to be understood around the world is more difficult than I thought. Day after day, year after year, we write articles, talk to groups, publish magazines, and cre-ate web pages and TV shows to present

Israel’s position in the Middle East conflict. It is a miracle of God that there are those, such as yourselves, who want to learn more about Israel and who have the courage to support us, to swim against the current of negative public opinion. For this I thank God and each of you, our readers.

In contrast to our supporters in the US, Bri-tian, South Africa, Europe and throughout the world, most people do not really care about Is-rael. A German publisher told me that the num-ber of German Christians who are interested in Israel is about 300,000, less than .4 percent of the population.

Most people don’t seem to care who in the Holy Land is right, as long as the region is quiet. Since people don’t seek to be accurately informed, Israel is widely misunderstood. The whole world thinks that “land for peace” is the only solution to the conflict even if it poses a grave danger to Israel.

Who knows anything about the Rwanda genocide of 1994, and who was in the right, the Tutsis or the Hutus? It doesn’t matter as long as it’s quiet. The same thing is happening with Israel. When there is no real interest in a proper perspective, in looking behind the scenes, the truth will rarely come out. The sympathies of the world simply go to those who appear to be suffering the most.

As long as there is a Jewish state in the Mid-dle East, the conflict between Muslims and Jews will not go away. Peace will only come when the Prince of Peace brings it.

I do not know when that happy ending for the Middle East will arrive, but I do know that it is not up to the United States or European Union. Until we achieve peace, we need to encourage one another not to give up hoping for it. And together, let us keep the world informed about God’s plan for Israel.

We wish all our readers a Happy Passover and Resurrection Day!

Politics3 ‘Son of Hamas’4 Spy vs. Spy in Dubai and Jericho6 U.S.-Israel Ties Plummet after Biden Visit 7 ‘Jewish Heritage’ Dubbed Roadblock to Peace8 Israeli Film Disappoints at Oscars

ArAb Press9 Who is Responsible for the Palestinian Refugees?

PAlestiniAns10 Israeli Expert: There Are no Palestinian Refugees

Focus on JerusAlem11 Silwan or Shiloach?

sPotlight12 Historic Synagogue Rebuilt for Third Time

Jesus in modern hebrew culture13 David Flusser: ‘Mouthpiece for Jesus’

word From JerusAlem14 Envy: The Source of Hatred of Israel

bible study15 Is the Old Testament Still Relevant?

debAte18 Why of All Places, Jerusalem?

ProPhecy19 The Order of Things to Come

christiAns 20 Chritian Zionism vs. Palestinian Theology

messiAnic Jews21 'Gardens of Life' for the Unborn

militAry22 Unmanned Flying Ambulance

ArchAeology23 3,000-Year-Old Inscription Bears Earliest Hebrew

culture24 Einstein’s Theory of Relativity on Display

in brieF30 Missionary Built Ultra-Orthodox Quarter

Shalom Haverim,

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 GoldsteinBiblical 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

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P o l i t i c s

T here are three things a respectable Middle East Muslim must

never do: help Israel, love the Jews and believe in Yeshua (Jesus). Those three things are tightly connected since Yeshua came as a Jew and is the Messiah of Israel. So when Mosab Hassan Yousef decided to help Israel, he also came to love the Jews and found Yeshua.

The son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, the top Hamas leader in Judea and Samaria (the so-called “West Bank”), Mosab’s evolution from Israel-hating Islamic fundamentalist to God-fear-ing supporter of the Jewish state was nothing short of miraculous. His story started out similar to most Palestinian youths who get caught up in the cam-paign of violence against Israel. At the age of 18, Mosab was arrested by Is-raeli security forces. Realizing who his father was, Israel’s Shin Bet Security Service (the Israeli equivalent of the FBI) recruited him as a double agent.

Many Palestinians end up helping the Shin Bet, but only in return for money or other benefits. Mosab Has-san Yousef chose do to so for no other reason than to save Jewish lives and to renounce a way of life and ideology he had come to realize was wrong.

“I was taken to the detention facil-ity...where I underwent harsh torture and was beaten repeatedly in the in-terrogation,” Mosab said in an inter-view with Israel’s Ha’aretz newspaper. “Then this Shin Bet man arrived and suggested that I work with him...I thought of telling him that I would accept the offer, and then become a double agent and take revenge on the Shin Bet and on Israel for arresting me and for the things that were done to my father.”

But while Mosab was held in prison to solidify his cover, he witnessed things that convinced him of who the real enemy was.

“I was in jail with Hamas people,” he says. “They tor-tured prisoners, most of them from Hamas, whom they sus-pected of collaboration. As the sheikh's son, I was trusted. It was there that I lost my faith in Hamas…While everyone was warning me about the Shin Bet, for the first time in

my life I saw Hamas people torturing their comrades, members of their na-tion, with exceptional cruelty.”

Determined to genuinely cooperate with the Israelis, Mosab soon learned they were not the monsters he had been taught they were.

“I was stunned by their behavior,” he recalled. “They did not want to take ac-tion against the Palestinians as such, only against the extremists. I looked at these people, whom in the past I had so much wanted to kill, and discovered that every-thing I knew about them was incorrect.”

At this time, Mosab started seriously considering the message of the Bible, which seemed to guide the overall actions of the Israelis, even if they were not believ-ers themselves. Soon after, he dedicated his life to Jesus and started to understand that the conflict is religious in nature.

“The root of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not military or political; it is a war between two ‘gods’—the God of the Torah and the god of the Koran,” he said.

“Even a moderate Muslim reads in the Koran that Jews are sons of monkeys and are to be killed as heretics. The Palestin-ians must stop blaming Israel for all their problems. If they really want to be free, they must be set free from their god.”

Code-named the “Green Prince”—the official color of Hamas is green, and Mosab is the son of a terrorist “king”—the Shin Bet said Mosab became the most valuable asset it ever had. His for-mer Israeli handlers attributed dozens of prevented terrorist attacks to Mosab’s intel, including an assassination attempt against then Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, who is now Israel’s president.

“So many people owe him their lives and don’t even know it,” former Shin Bet intelligence coordinator “Captain Laoi” told Ha’aretz. “People who did a lot less were awarded the Israel Security Prize. He certainly deserves it.”

Since going public with his conversion and Shin Bet exploits in his new book Son of Hamas, Mosab’s life has been in danger. His father disowned him, and his relatives no doubt want him dead to preserve “the family honor” (honor killings are a regular occurrence in the Middle East).

In the wake of Mosab’s revelations, there are reports that Palestinian Muslims have started intimidating Evangelical Arab Christians in Ramallah, Jerusalem and Bethlehem, making it increasingly dangerous for them to share the gospel.

As the saying goes, a single stone can start an avalanche. If there are more Palestinian believers out there with the faith, dedication and courage of Mosab Hassan Yousef, it could change the face of this conflict. Y By Ryan Jones

‘Son of Hamas’Son of top terrorist puts his life on the line for Israel, and for Jesus

DOUBLE AGENTMosab Hassan Yousef

BEHIND BARS Sheikh Hassan Yousef has disowned his son

4 | April 2010 | www.israeltoday.co.il

P o l i t i c s

I t was a real-life cloak-and-dagger thriller in the Middle East. And ac-cording to police in the Persian Gulf

city-state of Dubai, it was carried out by Israel’s legendary Mossad spy agency.

Using closed-circuit video, police were able to piece together the plot, in which Hamas arms dealer Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was assassinated by secret agents in his hotel room. He was appar-ently neutralized with a Taser gun and then smothered to death.

An alleged 26-member hit squad entered Dubai on false passports, but it left behind some “fingerprints”: Some 16 alleged agents bore the names of Is-raelis who hold foreign passports and who immigrated to Israel from abroad. These shocked duel-citizens say they were victims of identity theft.

Intelligence agencies prefer to use the names of real people on false passports to avoid detection. But Britain, Ireland and Australia were furious over the forgery of their passports and issued sharp protests to Israel.

Israel, which does not comment on alleged Mossad operations, has remained silent. “You’ve watched too many James Bond movies,” quipped Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

Israel’s biggest newspaper Yediot Ahronot featured a front-page story with the pictures of six alleged female Mossad agents published by Dubai police, with a screaming headline: “WOMEN POWER” (see picture). “Female fighters deep in enemy ter-ritory, changing wigs, hiding under hats, establishing surveillance,” read the subtitle. Foreign media spoke of “blonds, redheads and brunettes” who set a “honey trap.”

Spy vs. Spy in Dubai and JerichoB y Av i e l S c h n e i d e r

‘Spy Out the Land’(Numbers 13:2)

By “coincidence,” the following Knesset (parliament) Bible study was dubbed “Espionage in Dubai and Jeri-cho.” “Today we will discuss Joshua and Rahab (Joshua 2) as well as espionage,” said the host, former Supreme Court Justice Michael Cheshin.

More than 100 people took part in the event in the Knesset’s Galilee Hall. Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin intro-duced the speakers, Professors Yair Zakovitch and Avigdor Shinan of He-brew University in Jerusalem. Then he pointed out another distinguished guest with a smile: “Among us is Dan Meridor, the Minister of Intelligence!”

“It is interesting that the biblical conquest of the Land of Canaan start-ed with a woman and with espionage,” said Prof. Zakovitch. He said that on the face of it, the operation in Jericho failed because already in the second verse, the king of Jericho is told about

the two spies. In the third verse, he knows that they are in the house of Rahab the harlot.

Zakovitch compares the Hebrew word lehatzpin (to hide) in verse 4 to the same word in Exodus 2:2, which describes how Moses was hidden by his mother for three months. Lehatzpin also has the same root as tzophen (secret code).

“Rahab did not lie and admitted that two spies came into her house,” said Zakovitch. “Whether they had fake documents or not, she did not know the nationality of the spies.”

The audience laughed and someone said: “The 26 spies in Dubai had many different nationalities, but in Jericho there were only two with the same na-tionality!” Another person noted that “Moses sent 12 spies to Canaan, more than Joshua sent to Jericho but less than there were in Dubai!”

Rahab, Spies and Redemption

“Why did Joshua send out those two spies?” Zakovitch asked. “Now, this is interesting. Rahab said she did not know where they came from (verse 4) and where they went (verse 5). But in verses 9-10 she suddenly remem-bered that the God of Israel, the Lord, gave them the Land. According to the Mi-drash [rabbinical com-mentary], the woman from Jericho recites a passage from Moses’ song of victory [Exodus 15:15, 16] after crossing the Red Sea: ‘All the in-habitants of Canaan have melted away. Terror and dread fall upon them.’”

Two important points are hidden in these verses, according to Zakovitch: “We understand now why Joshua sent the spies to Jer-icho. He was eager to find out whether the people of Canaan feared the Israelites or not. Joshua did not care

MINISTER OF INTELLIGENCE Dan Meridor

This Terrorist Was no TouristB y R o n i S h a k e d

T he assassination of Hamas terrorist Mahmoud al-Mab-houh in Dubai was a hot story in the international media

because it was like a James Bond movie: fake passports and a 26-member hit squad with a license to kill. But no one seems to care about why Mabhouh was killed.

He was not some tourist traveling from Damascus, via Dubai, to China and Sudan. He was a top terrorist of Hamas. He killed two Israeli soldiers with his own hands and in recent years was responsible for the massive smuggling of weapons from Iran to Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Mabhouh, 50, grew up in the Jabaliya refugee camp in Gaza. When the first intifada (uprising) broke out in 1987, he founded one of the first terror cells of Hamas. In 1989, he and a fellow terrorist dressed up as Orthodox Jews, stole an Israeli car and kidnapped soldier Avi Sasportas. He was killed with a shot to the head. Using Sasportas’ gun, they killed another Israeli soldier, Ilan Sa’adon, three months later.

If Israel is responsible for Mabhouh’s assassination, it was a cunning operation—and a success. The smuggling of weapons suffered a setback, and it was a severe blow to the morale of Hamas. The mission achieved its goals: The wanted man was killed and the hit team got away. And a murderer got his just reward.

www.israeltoday.co.il | April 2010 | 5

P o l i t i c s

about the strength of the wall like Moses did; he needed to boost his soldiers’ morale before sending them to conquer Canaan.

“Secondly, it was probably Rahab who spread the rumor about the two spies with the intention of saving her family and herself. She hid the two spies on her roof and expected this favor in return (verse 12). Rahab gave precise instruc-tions where to hide in the mountains because her life depended on the safe re-turn of the spies to the people of Israel.”

Secret Agents, Messengers or Angels?

During the conquest of Jericho (Joshua 6:20-25), the city wall collapsed; but Rahab’s house, though built on the wall (Joshua 2:15), was not harmed by

the sound of the trum-pet. Rahab rescued her-self and her family with the same rope the spies used to descend from her window (Joshua 2:18, 19):

“When we come into the Land, you [must] tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and gather to

yourself into the house your father and your mother and your brothers and all your father’s household.”

The Hebrew text of the first line reads …et tikvat chut hashani, which means …the hope of this cord of scarlet. Within the word tikva (hope) is also the word kav (line), so there is a double meaning: The rope is a lifeline and a symbol of redemption.

Prof. Shinan said the color scarlet is reminiscent of the redemption from Egypt when blood was placed on the

doorposts of homes and those inside were saved (Exodus 12:22). “Rahab was joined to Israel from that day on be-cause she hid Joshua’s angels.” He noted that after the conquest of Jericho, Josh-ua’s spies were called angels (Hebrew: mal'achim), which is often translated as “messengers” (Joshua 6:25).

Zakovitch concluded that no espio-nage or trickery can influence destiny, unless it is from above—God is able to use it for His purposes. Of course, Israeli generals and intelligence chiefs do not “ask God” about their decisions. But since Israel is God’s Chosen People, He is deeply involved in their affairs.

“God will act today as He did back then and fulfill His plan and influ-ence our future,” a Knesset member who asked to remain anonymous told isra el today. “Operations like those in Jericho and Dubai—assuming we are the ones behind it—are political from a human point of view; but from a biblical point of view, God controls the destiny of Israel.”

BIBLICAL ESPIONAGE: Prof. Yair Zakovitch

‘WOMEN POWER’: Alleged Mossad agents who operated in Dubai


P o l i t i c s

I srael’s ambassador to Washington Michael Oren gathered Israeli diplo-

mats and told them, according to Israeli media, that Israel and the US are experi-encing the “worst crisis in relations in 35 years.” Relations plummeted when Israel announced it would build 1,600 homes in disputed East Jerusalem during a visit by US Vice President Joe Biden.

Biden, who considered the an-nouncement a slap in the face, quickly issued an angry condemnation saying the plan “undermines trust” in the peace process. Blindsided and em-barrassed, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized to Biden and explained that the announcement was made without his knowledge by the Interior Ministry. But clearly, it was a major foreign policy gaffe considering that Washington backs Palestinian de-mands for a state with East Jerusalem as its capital and has demanded a complete freeze on Israeli “settlement” expansion.

The Obama administration was furious. Three days after the ill-timed announcement, Secretary of State Hill-ary Clinton phoned Netanyahu and gave him a 43-minute tongue lashing. Clinton’s spokesman P.J. Crowley said she made “clear that the United States considered the announcement to be a deeply negative signal about Israel’s approach to the bilateral relationship.”

If that was not enough, Clinton asked to go on international television, telling CNN: “The announcement of the settlement the very same day the Vice President was there was insulting—an unfortunate and difficult moment for everyone.” This harsh tone was repeated two days later on national television by Obama’s top advisor David Axelrod who described the announcement as an “affront” and “an insult.”

The neighborhood in question is Ramat Shlomo, built in 1996 and home to 20,000 Orthodox Jews. This is one

Israel-US Ties Plummet

of many neighborhoods Israel has built on no man’s land captured from Jordan during the Six Day War in 1967.

From the Israeli point of view, these neighborhoods, including Gilo, French Hill, Ramat Eshkol and Ramot are part of the capital. And everyone knows, Jews and Arabs alike, that they will not be re-linquished in any final peace agreement. The reason is simple: Jerusalem would effectively become an Arab-Muslim city and Jews would not want to live there.

Labeling these neighborhoods “set-tlements” gives the false impression that Israel is building in the heart of Arab-populated areas, which simply isn’t true. Furthermore, it hardens Palestinian de-mands: With Obama on their side, why should they settle for less.

The bottom line is that when it comes to the extremely delicate and thorny is-sue of Jerusalem, the Jewish state and its guardian ally are at loggerheads.

“The US and Israel…get on particu-larly well when Israel adopts policies in its own interests that more or less coincide with US policies and what the US thinks Israel should do,” Hebrew University Po-litical Science Professor Peter Medding told isra el today. “There are prob-lems when the US sees things as being

in Israel’s interest, while Israel does not necessarily see it that way.”

To repair the damage in relations, the US demanded that Israel cancel the Ramat Shlomo building project, a move that would, in Arab eyes, nullify Israeli claims to the other Jewish neighbor-hoods in East Jerusalem as well.

“The American tantrum serves some-thing useful,” Professor Steven Plaut of Haifa University told isra el today. “It shows all Israelis that the Obama ad-ministration really is operating under a master plan that involves turning East Jerusalem eventually over to a terrorist Palestinian state.”

Not surprisingly, as the US publicly lambasted Israel, there were several days of violent, though small-scale clashes between Israeli police and Palestinian stone throwers in East Jerusalem includ-ing at the volatile Temple Mount.

“The Arab violence was triggered by the appearance of Israeli weakness and its apparent willingness to consider capitulation under American pressure,” said Plaut. “As always, pressure on Is-rael produces Arab violence.”

The US has always opposed Israeli building in East Jerusalem, but Israel has acted in its own interests to solidify its control of the Holy City and bring a strong Jewish majority to the capital. And while there are deep divisions in Israel about the peace process, there is a strong national consensus that the Jewish neighborhoods of the capital will never be handed over to the Palestinians.

“For the past 40 years, no Israeli gov-ernment ever limited construction in the neighborhoods of Jerusalem,” Netanyahu told the Knesset (parliament). “Not Levi Eshkol, not Golda Meir, not Menachem Begin, not Shimon Peres, not Yitzhak Shamir, not Yitzhak Rabin, not Ariel Sha-ron, not Ehud Barak, not Ehud Olmert.”

And Netanyahu does not intend to go down in history as the first prime minister to change that. Y By Ryan Jones

STUMBLING BLOCK: The Ramat Shlomo neighborhood in disputed East Jerusalem sparked outrage in Washington

'INSULTED': Biden with Netanahu


P o l i t i c s

I t never fails to amaze how the small-est action or decision by Israel can

set the international community ablaze. So when Israel’s Cabinet declared two Jewish holy places in areas claimed by the Palestinians to its list of national heritage sites, the Arab world and inter-national community were up in arms.

The Tomb of the Patriarchs in He-bron, where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are buried, is the second holiest place for the Jews, and Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem is revered as a biblical place of pilgrimage. But when Israel added both to a list of 150 historical sites that will receive priority attention for pres-ervation, the world reacted as though the Jews were usurping something un-related to their faith.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to calm the brewing storm.

“Israel is committed to freedom of religion for worshippers of all faiths at all holy places,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “This policy also applies to the Tomb of the Patriarchs, where the state is constantly acting to ensure proper condi-tions for prayer, for both Jews and Mus-lims. This may be seen in the reconstruc-tion work, currently being concluded, on the entrance plaza and path that lead to the Islamic prayer room at the site.”

That did not appease the Arabs. Jor-dan’s King Abdullah, the most moderate of Israel’s neighbors, labeled the move “aggression” against Muslim rights and a “dangerous provocation,” before urg-ing the Arab world and international

community to mobilize public opinion against Israel.

Israel’s ostensible peace partner, Palestinian President Mahmoud Ab-bas, went a step further, effectively threatening holy war if Israel failed to rescind the decision. “This could pro-voke a religious war,” warned Abbas in an address to the Belgian parliament.

The European Union and United Nations followed suit. “I’m concerned over the proclamation made over the sites in Bethlehem and Hebron,” said UN Middle East envoy Robert Serry. “Those sites are in Palestinian territory and bear an importance not only in Ju-daism but in Islam as well.”

And in line with the disturbing trend under President Barack Obama, Wash-ington also backed Israel’s detractors. “The administration viewed Israel’s move as provocative and unhelpful,” said State Department spokesman Mark Toner, while failing to address the violent Pal-estinian reaction to Israel’s decision.

Israeli analysts have warned that by constantly reprimanding Israel in such terms, the US, the sponsor of the Mideast peace process, is giving the Palestinians all the justification they need to continue hostilities against the Jewish state.

Which is just what they did. Not only did Palestinian Muslims riot in Hebron and Bethlehem, they also threw stones at Jewish and Christian visitors to the Temple Mount and Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City. Israeli police were forced to enter the Temple Mount

on two different occasions to quell the disturbances, and wall-to-wall coverage on pan-Arab TV news stations like Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya incited Muslim anger across the Arab world. Since the Second Intifada (Palestinian uprising) erupted at the Temple Mount in 2000, the violence raised fears of a Third Intifada.

Israel, in turn, accused the Pales-tinian Authority of harming efforts to revive peace talks.

“Just as Israel understands the Mus-lim connection to the Tomb of the Pa-triarchs, we are entitled to hear from the Palestinian side that they respect our connection to a site that is very important to the Jewish people,” said government spokesman Mark Regev. “It is disappointing to hear other mes-sages from the Palestinian leadership.”

Another spokesman, Nir Hefetz, said, “Rachel’s Tomb and the Tomb of the Patriarchs—the burial place for more than 3,500 years of the pa-triarchs and matriarchs of the Jewish people—are certainly worthy of being refurbished and preserved.”

But the Arabs and international com-munity seem determined to put Israel in the impossible position of choosing be-tween its historical and religious ties to the Land, the very things that make the Jewish state what it is, and peace with its Muslim neighbors. And therefore, the episode of the national heritage sites rein-forced deep skepticism among the Israeli public about the prospects for peace. Y

By Ryan Jones

PROTECTING THE HOLY PLACES: Israeli troops on patrol at the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron

‘Jewish Heritage’Dubbed Roadblock to Peace


P o l i t i c s

T he excitement of having yet anoth-er Israeli movie nominated for an

Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film ended in disappointment in more ways than one. Not only did the film, Ajami, lose; but ahead of the Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood, the movie’s Arab Christian co-director Scandar Copti said that he was not represent-ing Israel.

“I cannot represent a state that does not represent me,” Copti said, noting that the award nomination says “Israel” because the funding comes from the state. He identified himself as a Pal-estinian who happens to have Israeli citizenship. “There’s a Palestinian di-rector and an Israeli director, Palestin-ian actors and Israeli actors. The film technically represents Israel, but I don’t represent Israel.”

Yaron Shani, the film’s Jewish co-director, disagreed. “It’s an Israeli film,” he said. “It represents Israel, it speaks in the Israeli language and it deals with Israeli problems.”

Other Israeli Jews were outraged. “It is because of Israeli funding,

which Copti now tries to renounce, that the film Ajami was produced and

Israeli Film Disappoints at OscarsIsraeli-Arab co-director disavows Israel on the world stage

B y B a r r y R o s e n f e l d

nominated for an Oscar,” said Culture Minister Limor Livnat. “In the name of artistic license and pluralism, the movie was given a budget of more than 2 million shekels [$541,000]. It is sad that a director supported by the state ignores those who helped him create and express himself.”

Asked if he would change anything in the wake of the uproar, Copti said: “I’m not changing a thing. I don’t have to change. It’s the country that has to change.”

Using first-time actors who share similar backgrounds with the film’s characters and infused their roles with real-life experience, the story is told of five families living in Ajami, an Arab neighborhood in Jaffa just outside Tel Aviv. Most scenes were shot in one take, using multiple cameras to preserve the sense of spontaneity. The dialogue is in both Hebrew and Arabic.

The movie follows a young Muslim who gets caught in an Arab clan feud

and his own forbidden romance with a Christian woman; a Jewish police of-ficer in search of his missing soldier brother; and a Palestinian youth who sneaks into Israel for menial work.

“To a certain extent, you have to take into account the whole notion of being politically correct,” said Shani. “But at the same time we didn’t want to beautify reality.”

In the end, reality struck hard. What started with high hopes for an-other Israeli film making it to the world stage, ended with a sense of betrayal.

“We are certain that it was nice to fly to the film industry’s most impor-tant event, rub shoulders with the rich and famous, and see the lights,” wrote Hanoch Daum in Israel’s biggest news-paper Yediot Ahronot. “We feel a little itchy when we see someone who would not get anywhere without our money cel-ebrating at the public’s expense, using the resources courageously provided by our state…As for your next movie, Mr. Copti, you will have to make it with the help of foundations funded by taxpayers you feel you belong with. Who knows, maybe the government in Gaza has a special budget for promoting culture.” Y

BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOUArab co-director Scandar Copti (left)

with his Jewish counterpart Yaron Shani

FALLEN STATUE: A film about Jewish-Arab tensions spills over to reality


A r A b P r e s s

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ARAB POLITICAL CARTOONS

“T hey [the Arab leaders] said: ‘A week, two weeks approxi-

mately, and you’ll return to Palestine.’” These are the words of Palestinian refu-gee Sadek Mufid, describing how he and other Arabs fled their homes in Israel for Lebanon during the War of Inde-pendence in 1948, after Arab leaders said their armies would wipe out the fledgling Jewish state. In an interview on government-run Palestinian Tele-vision, Mufid describes an exodus to Lebanon from Israel, which led to the creation of “11 to 15 Palestinian refugee camps.”

Mufid’s comments explode the Arab myth that the Jews forced 700,000 Arabs out of their homes and expelled them. Accompanied by his family, Mufid left his home near Acre, just north of Haifa, at the beginning of the war and ended up a refugee.

“We fled from our village to Leba-non…as the Arab armies marched into Palestine,” he said. “In the name of Allah I am telling you, we were promised that we would be able to return within two weeks. None of us believed that we would never return.”

In another Palestinian TV interview, an elderly Arab recalled how his family left Ein Kerem, the village of John the Baptist in Jerusalem: “Radio stations in Arab countries kept warning us: ‘Get away from the battle lines. In 10 days or two weeks at the most, we’ll bring you back to Ein Kerem.’”

Jordanian journalist Jawad Al Bashiti also pointed a finger at the Arab regimes in an article in the Gulf newspaper Al-Ayyam: “The reasons for the Palestinian nakba [“catastrophe” of the establish-

ment of the State of Israel] are the same reasons for our catastrophes today... The first war between the Arabs and Israel started, and the ‘Arab Liberation Army’ told the Palestinians, ‘We have come to liquidate the Zionists and their state. Leave your homes and villages, and you will return to them safely in a few days. Leave so you won’t be hurt.’ It became clear already then, when it was too late, that the support of the Arab states was a big illusion.”

The Arab Peace Initiative, drawn up by Saudi Arabia, calls for a normaliza-tion of ties with Israel on condition that it creates a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders and allows the return of approximately five million Palestinian refugees and their descendants. This is known as the right of return, a pillar of Palestinian nationalism.

All Israeli governments, from left to right, categorically reject the right of return because flooding Israel with mil-lions of hostile Arab refugees would be tantamount to national suicide for the Jewish state. What is never mentioned by the Arabs or the western media is that 700,000 Jews were also expelled from Arab countries in 1948 and most came to the State of Israel. So effectively, it was an even population exchange.

But while Israel absorbed and settled the Jewish refugees, the Arabs left the Palestinians to rot in squalid refugee camps where their hatred for the Jews could fester and grow. If the Palestinians were resettled among their Arab broth-ers this conflict might have ended long ago. But the Arabs did not want to re-solve the conflict, and they have achieved their goal of perpetuating it.

Two-State Solution? While the Palestinian Authority (PA) ostensibly seeks a

two-state solution, its official television station tells a differ-ent story. A PA TV program for kids addressed young Arabs in the Israeli cities of Lod, Nazareth and Beersheba, among

Who Is Responsible for the Palestinian Refugees?

others: “Dear children...this program is certainly yours too, just as it belongs to every Palestinian child, since you are part of occupied Palestine.” Palestinian Media Watch re-ports that the host avoids using the name “Israel,” referring instead to “the occupied territories,” “the 1948 territories” and “occupied Palestine.”


P A l e s t i N i A N s

P rofessor Nitza Nachmias of Haifa University, an expert on Jewish-Arab relations,

says there are no Palestinian refugees, though they are exploited with great ef-fect to extract concessions from Israel. Nachmias, who also teaches at the Uni-versity of Maryland, explained that the word “refugee” is applied to Palestinian Arabs to elicit international sympathy, though few realize that they do not fit the common perception or the legal definition of what a refugee really is.

“If people would stop calling the places in which they live ‘refugee camps,’ then they would see that these places are just like villages and towns anywhere else, and the inhabitants are totally rehabilitated,” Nachmias told the pro-settler radio station Arutz 7. “Real refugee camps are like the...camps now in Haiti—not the villages with streets and stone houses in what are known as Palestinian refugee camps today.”

Nachmias noted that most Pales-tinians living abroad who claim to be refugees have been fully integrated into their host countries, meaning they are technically no longer refugees. She also took issue with the unique rules allowing

the descendants of real Palestinian refu-gees to continue claiming refugee status.

“According to international law, a refugee is an individual or family that was forced to flee—but this definition does not extend to children, a commu-nity or a group. The only exception to this rule is the Palestinians, for whom the international laws are apparently different,” she explained.

That unique set of double standards enables the Palestinians to claim a worldwide refugee population of nearly five million. During Israel’s War of In-dependence, some 700,000 Arabs fled

Israeli Expert:There Are no Palestinian Refugees

or were sent beyond the 1948 borders of Israel, and a large portion of them are no longer alive.

Nachmias criticized the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the organization respon-sible for so-called Palestinian refugees. She pointed out that UNRWA, using the tax dollars and donations of UN mem-ber states, is no longer a welfare agency, but one of the largest employers in the Palestinian-controlled territories with some 30,000 workers. She even “dis-covered documents of pension funds of over a billion dollars a year, managed by brokers in Switzerland. All this for what is defined as a ‘welfare agency’ whose mandate is renewed every three years.”

Nachmias concluded by urging Is-rael to shift tactics in combating the “right of return”—the Palestinian de-mand that millions of refugees and their descendants be allowed to return to their former homes in Israel. This has been a major stumbling block in peace talks because every Israeli government, left or right, understands that this is a ploy to destroy the Jewish state demo-graphically.

“Israel should take a pro-active ap-proach, basing itself on international law and precedents, and declare that the Palestinian refugee issue no longer exists,” the professor said. “They are no longer refugees.” Y

Hamas Releases British JournalistHamas released a British journalist after holding him for a month in Gaza on

alleged security violations. Mahmoud al-Zahar, a Hamas leader, said Paul Martin “was working on defaming the image of the Palestinian people by saying that they smuggle weapons through tunnels” under the border with Egypt. Zahar said he was also working on a story about the use of civilians as human shields by Hamas.

Martin said he was working on a documentary about a former Gaza militant who is on trial for collaborating with Israel.

“I have gone through a lot,” he said. “But I think if my release today is worth anything, it is worth showing the world that journalists must do their stories irrespective of the risks involved, if they wish to maintain freedom of the media.”

PAWNS OR REFUGEES? The Arabs have used the Palestinian refugees to perpetuate the conflict with Israel


F o c u s o N J e r u s A l e m

A fter years of planning, and construction that has snarled traffic, the Je-rusalem Light Rail finally rolled out for a test-drive. The test route was

only 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) long, from the northern suburb of French Hill to Ammunition Hill, scene of a major battle during the Six Day War in 1967.

The test run went well, with hundreds of excited spectators turning out. But it will be at least a year, probably longer, until the light rail goes into full service.

There will be 24 stops along the 14-kilometer (8.4-mile) route. It begins in the northern suburb of Pisgat Ze’ev, goes through Jaffa Road downtown and ends at Mount Herzl at the south-western edge of the city. The 46 trams will travel at a speed of 70 kilometers (42 mph) per hour and carry 18,000 passengers per day. Y By Michael S chneider

J erusalem’s Mayor Nir Barkat has unveiled a controversial plan to

demolish dozens of illegally-built Arab homes in disputed East Jerusalem and replace them with a tourist center. The project is slated for the village of Silwan, just outside Dung Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City and across from the Temple Mount.

Gan Hamelech, or the King’s Gar-den, would be linked to the City of Da-vid, where the biblical monarch is said to have written his psalms. The municipal-ity wants to build shops, restaurants, art galleries and a large community center.

Barkat is offering the Palestinians whose homes would be demolished new apartments nearby, and he claims all vil-lagers will benefit from the boom in tour-ism. But residents aren’t buying it and say that it’s just another step by Israel to “Juda-ize” Jerusalem and drive the Arabs out.

“Barkat acts like a firefighter who is setting himself on fire,” railed Arab par-liamentarian Ahmad Tibi in the Knes-set. “He is creating hate among the Arab population. This must stop immediately.”

Silwan or Shiloach?Palestinians say they build illegally in

East Jerusalem because they cannot get permits from the municipality.

Destruction of Palestinian homes has the potential to spark a new outbreak of violence, especially near the volatile Temple Mount. And with international condemnation a given, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intervened and put the project on hold pending further negotiations between the municipality and Arab residents.

Biblical and Modern Jewish Roots

The Arab roots in Silwan are rela-tively new, while the Jewish connection goes back to the Bible and to pre-state Palestine.

Silwan is known as Shiloach in the Old Testament. It is the site of Heze-kiah’s Tunnel, a conduit built in 700 BC by King Hezekiah which still flows with water today (2 Chronicles 32). In the New Testament, Silwan is called

First Test-Drive of Jerusalem Tram

Siloam, the pool where Je-sus healed the man who

was blind from birth (John 9).

In modern times, the village was set-tled by Jews before the establishment of the State of Israel. In

1882, Jews fled from persecution in Yemen

to the Holy Land and settled in caves near Dung

Gate, later establishing the Ye-menite Village or Kfar (village) Shiloach. Pictures from 1890 (see above) show the Jewish village in the sparsely-populated area near Dung Gate.

Further evidence appears in the 1907 travel guide Cooks Handbook for Pales-tine and Syria: In the “village of Silwan, east of Kidron…great extension of the village southward has sprung up, owing to the settlement here of a colony of poor Jews from Yemen, etc. many of whom have built homes on the steep hillside.”

These Jews, however, were forced to flee during the Arab Revolt between 1936 and 1939, and their abandoned homes were taken over by Arabs. Today, their descendants are fighting against the city of Jerusalem which seeks to re-store the Jewish presence there.

The international community sees the Silwan plan as a violation of Palestinian rights in Jerusalem. But what the world conveniently ignores is that this Arab vil-lage was originally a Jewish one. Y

By Aviel S chneider

BEFORE AND AFTERToday’s Arab neighborhood of Silwan

was once a Yemenite Jewish village

LIGHT RAIL: The train is aimed at easing heavy traffic


I sraelis sang scriptural songs and danced in the streets as the beautiful new Hurva Synagogue was rededicated in the

Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City. The building, with its 80-foot (25-meter) high dome, took three years to build and was another sign of the restoration of Israel.

The synagogue was destroyed by the Jordanian army dur-ing the War of Independence in 1948. That is significant, considering that the world is demanding that Israel hand the Old City back to the Arabs, under whom there was never freedom of religion for the Jews.

Indeed, the Palestinians were up in arms over the dedication of the synagogue so close to the Temple Mount. As we reported last month, the Vilna Gaon, a renowned 18th century rabbi, prophesied that the Hurva Synagogue would be de-stroyed and rebuilt twice, and that when it was completed for the third time, construction of the Third Tem-ple would begin.

“This is my dream, to be part of the rebuilding of the Third Temple—even if it’s only the foun-dation,” said Nissim Arzi, director general of the Jewish Quarter Re-construction and Development Co., which built the synagogue.

The Palestinians accused Israel of planning to destroy the Mosque of Al Aksa in order to start rebuild-ing the Temple. They called for a “Day of Rage” and there were spo-radic riots in the capital, but 3,000 Israeli police and soldiers were able to contain the violence.

The Palestinian threats didn’t stop the celebrations. There was rejoicing as the Torah scrolls were brought into the synagogue and the mezuzah placed on the doorposts. There were evening prayers and a spectacular sound-and- light show.

“My house will be called a house of prayer for all na-tions,” said Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, quoting from Isaiah 56:7.

The Hurva was first built by the fol-lowers of Rabbi Yehuda haHassid of Vilna in 1702. The wooden ark, which holds the Torah scrolls, is an exact rep-lica of the original one with handicrafts overlaid in gold. The eastern wall inside contains the original stones. The dome

s P o t l i g h t

Historic Synagogue Rebuilt for Third TimeIs it a sign of the building of the Third Temple?

bears four paintings of holy places: Ra-chel’s Tomb in Bethlehem, Tiberias, the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron and David’s Citadel in Jerusalem.

“Despite all the political tension, threats and tight security, this is a pro-phetic scene that we are witnessing here in Jerusalem,” Chris Johnston of Lafayette, Louisiana, told isra el today. “The Jew-ish people are not deterred from acting on their faith.” Y

By Michael S chneider

STAIRWAY to heaven

ARK of the Covenant

A RABBINICAL PROPHECY stirs up tension

in Jerusalem


B y Ts v i S a d a n

תורTurtledove

To better understand “Turtledove” as a name for the Messiah, we must study the English name of this bird. Etymologically, the term “turtle” probably derives from the Latin turtur. If so, it falls into the onomatopoeic cat-egory of words which imitate sounds. Indeed, the bird’s call sounds like this word.

Although tor—its Hebrew name—resembles the Lat-in term, this is where all similarities end. The Hebrew root “tur” means “to look from side to side,” pointing to words like “traveler,” “scout” and “examiner.” The turtle-dove appears in Israel throughout the summer, which brings to mind the verse from which the name of the Messiah is derived: “The flowers have already appeared in the land; The time has arrived for pruning the vines, and the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land” (Song of Songs 2:12).

The medieval sage Rashi interprets the phrase “the voice of the turtledove is heard” as follows: “The voice of the great traveler is heard.” To find out the identity of this “great traveler,” we turn first to the Aramaic transla-tion of Job 29:15 (“I was feet to the lame”): “I was guide [tayar] to the lame.” Rashi’s “great traveler” can thus be identified as the great guide Moses, who directed Israel spiritually in their wandering through the desert.

But Rashi is looking to the future: “‘The flowers ap-peared in the land’—behold Moses and Aaron are ready to serve all your needs. ‘The time of singing has come’—you are going to sing upon the seashore. ‘The voice of the turtledove’—the voice of the great traveler [announc-ing] that the time for your Exodus has arrived. ‘The fig tree puts forth her green figs’—the time of First Fruits has come, to gather you to the Land.” It is obvious that Rashi is speaking about the future Moses—the Second Redeemer, who is the Messiah.

This interpretation is based upon the words of the Talmudic Sage R. Yohanan: “‘The voice of the turtledove’: This is the voice of the King Messiah of whom it is pro-claimed: ‘How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salva-tion, and says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”’” (Isaiah 52:7).

Accordingly, Tor is the one who announces salvation and guides Israel to live according to the Torah, teaching and demonstrating the ways of the Lord (Torah Temimah, Song of Solomon 2:12-13).

J e s u s i N m o d e r N h e b r e w c u l t u r e

Comments: [email protected]

100 Names of the Messiah

David Flusser: ‘Mouthpiece for Jesus’B y Ts v i S a d a n

I would not consider writing about David Flusser’s view of Jesus were it not for the recent Hebrew publication of his

book Jesus. This book was originally published in German in 1968, and a year later in English.

The Hebrew version is the fruit of Flusser’s students, pri-marily Steven Notley, a Christian scholar at Nyack College in New York, and Jewish scholar Serge Ruzer of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Flusser, a devout Orthodox Jew, was born in Vienna in 1917, grew up in Bohemia, and studied in Prague, where he earned his doctorate in classical philology and Ger-manic studies. He came to Israel in 1939, where he taught at the Hebrew University from 1962 until his death in 2000. Flusser became a world-renowned scholar of Sec-ond Temple history, his best-known book being Judaism and the Origins of Christianity (1988). In 1980, he was awarded the Israel Prize for his contribution to the study of Jewish history.

Not only is it extremely rare to find such a prominent fig-ure in Israeli society who is concerned with Jesus; it is even rarer to find a person who permits himself to express an almost religious affiliation to Jesus. Flusser’s interest in Jesus began with his meeting of Josef Perl, a pastor of the Unity of Bohemian Brethren (based on the 18th century Moravian Protestant movement), who stirred in him, as he put it, “a healthy, positive interest in Jesus and who influenced the very understanding of my own Jewish faith as well.”

In contrast to the prevailing scholarly trend of his time, Flusser refused to make a distinction between the “historical Jesus” and the “theological Christ.” “I am confident that the first three Gospels reliably reflect the reality of the ‘histori-cal’ Jesus,” he said. “Moreover, I do not like the dichotomy between the ‘historical’ Jesus and the kerygmatic Christ” (the Messiah proclaimed in Christian teachings).

Always aware of the difficulties inherent in the Jewish study of Jesus, Flusser said, “I know that some readers will open this book in order to discover the prevailing Jewish opinion about Jesus. I have not written this book to describe Jesus from the ‘Jewish standpoint.’”

Then, Flusser makes this bold statement: “I readily admit, however, that I personally identify myself with Jesus’ Jewish worldview, both moral and political, and I believe that the content of his teachings and the approach he embraced have always had the potential to change our world and prevent the greatest part of evil and suffering.”

Consequently, Flusser readily admits that “my ambition is simply to serve as a mouthpiece for Jesus’ message today.” Y


w o r d F r o m J e r u s A l e m

Envy: The Source of Hatred of Israel

W hat is wrong with Jacob loving Rachel so overwhelmingly that he twice served seven long years for her? What is unjust in Jacob plunging into inexpressible grief after Ra-

chel’s death following the birth of Benjamin? What is so bad about Jacob then loving Joseph, Rachel’s first son, as dearly as he had loved Rachel, and presenting him with gifts such as he gave to Rachel? There is no accounting for love.

However there is also a dark side to love and that is the envy of others, for when Jacob presented Joseph with a bright-ly-colored coat, envy rose up in his brothers’ hearts. A path of suffering now began for Joseph, though ultimately it brought victory to him and led to his father and brothers being saved from a severe famine. Everything began with a sincere and heartfelt love between Jacob and Rachel (Genesis 29-35).

Love is also the foundation for God choosing Israel. Thus spoke the Almighty 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. The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers” (Deuteronomy 7:6-8).

But where there is light there is also a shadow. Anyone who is loved need not wait long for someone to envy them. This is also why the Jews have been so hated throughout the ages: envy and hatred go hand in hand. Religious-based anti-Judaism, racist anti-Semitism, and politically-based anti-Zionism are nothing more than envy over the fact that God has chosen Israel out of love.

Why should empires such as Egypt, Babylon, Rome and Nazi Germany, culminating with the Arab states, envy tiny

Israel, if there were not somewhere in their subconscious the knowledge that Israel is God’s beloved people. The Arabs, who did nothing with this land in nearly 2,000 years, are jealous of the Jews who, in just 60 years, made the desert bloom and created a technological revolution. As rust consumes iron so envy consumes the soul, for those who are envious can never be satisfied—not even with a two-state solution.

In Jeremiah 33:24-26, God says, “Have you not observed what this people have spoken, saying, ‘The two families which the Lord chose, He has rejected them?’ Thus they despise My people, no longer are they as a nation in their sight. Thus says the Lord, ‘If My covenant for day and night stand not, and the fixed patterns of heaven and earth I have not established, then I would reject the descendants of Jacob and David My servant.’”

In many churches Replacement Theology, which teaches that the Church has replaced Israel and God has rejected the Jews since the coming of Christ, is still flourishing. How-ever, the Church of Jesus is not meant to replace Israel but to complete her.

Here too envy plays the major role. As the daughter of envy is slander we should not be surprised that the Jews are continually being slandered. And slander creates anger, in this case self-righteous anger against Israel. The Church, which for centuries saw itself as the Bride of Christ at the expense of Israel, has a hard time coming to terms with the fact that God is still faithful to His Covenant people.

But God has embedded His love for Israel in an oath (Genesis 22:16-18). And in Ezekiel 36, God promises that for His name’s sake and because of His love, He will restore Israel to its land and not reject her, even though she has dishonored Him.

And, of course, this once again creates envy! Y

B y L u d w i g S c h n e i d e r


b i b l e s t u d Y

The Sabbath (Shabbat) ReadingsApril 3 – Intermediate Sabbath of Passover Exodus 33:12-34:26; Num. 28:19-25 Ezekiel 37:1-14

April 5 – 7th Day of Passover Exodus 13:17-15:26; Num. 28:19-25 2 Samuel 22:1-51

April 10 – Shabbat Shemini – On the Eighth Day Leviticus 9:1-11:47; 2 Samuel 6:1-7:17

April 12 – Yom HaShoah – Holocaust Memorial Day

April 17 – Shabbat Tazria; Metzora – She Conceived; Leper Leviticus 12:1-15:33; 2 Kings 7:3-70

April 19 – Yom haZikaron – Remembrance Day for the Fallen

April 20 – Yom haAtzmaut – 62nd Independence Day

April 24 – Shabbat Acharei Mot; Kedoshim – After the Death; Be Holy Leviticus 16:1-20:27; Amos 9:7-15

Torah Portions April 2010(from 17th of Nisan to 16th of Iyyar 5770)

F or many Christians the Old Testament is a book that has been replaced by the New

Testament. They see it as obsolete and of limited literary value. Cer-tain parts of Scripture, such as the accounts of creation and the f lood, Psalms and some prophecies, at least those alluding to Jesus as the Mes-siah, are still regarded by Christians as relevant.

But just as many Christians live their faith almost exclusively within the context of the New Testament, the early Christians based their faith solely on Old Testament Scripture. In the first century, at the time of Jesus and the apostles, the New Testament did not yet exist.

The term “Old Testament” does not formally appear in the Hebrew Scriptures. In Hebrew, the book is called Tanach, an acronym for Torah (the first five books of the Bible or Five Books of Moses); Nevi’im (the Proph-ets) and Cetuvim (the Writings).

It wasn’t until the Vulgate, the 5th century AD Latin translation of the Bible, that the term “Old Testament” first appeared. The Vulgate is based on the Septuagint, a Greek translation

written in Alexandria, Egypt in 250 BC. The term “Old Testament” or “Old Covenant” ap-pears only once in the New Testament, in 2 Cor-inthians 3:14.

The Hebrew term for New Testament is Brit Cha-

dasha, described in Jeremiah 31:31-37: God has given us a New Covenant, written on our hearts, and He will never cast

off the offspring of Israel.We need the Old Testament

in order to return to the roots of the Christian faith. Jesus says, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:38). Jesus frequently quotes the Hebrew Scriptures, and if the Son of God learned from the Old Testament, so should we.

When the risen Messiah was on the way to Emmaus with two of His followers, He interpreted for them “all the Scriptures…beginning with Moses and with all the prophets” (Luke 24:27). Similarly the Jewish community in Berea, Greece who were “examining the Scriptures daily” to see whether God’s promises about the Messiah were really so, were of course read-ing the Old Testament (Acts 17:10-11). Even the Jewish writer of most of the New Testament, the apostle Paul, referred solely to the Old Testament because, again, in his day there was no New Testament.

The Gospels were written after the middle of the 1st century; the epistles were written in the late 1st century, and it was not until 180 AD that the New Testament was canonized. By this time many years had passed since the min-istries of Jesus and the apostles. Today

we have the benefit of the entire Bible. But we cannot correctly interpret and understand the New Testament without the Old Testament.

Even the Codex Sinaiticus, which is regarded as the original version of the New Testament, only dates to the 4th century and is, in part, a transla-tion into the dominant language of the time, Greek. The Church Fathers such as Papias (60-120 AD) and Poly-carp (82-165 AD) referred to a Gospel of Matthew in the Hebrew language, which has since been lost. Y

By Ludwig S chneider

Is the Old Testament Still Relevant?

Happy Purim!

Israelis took to the streets to celebrate Purim, marking the

deliverance of the Jews from a plot to destroy them in ancient Persia

(today’s Iran). The story is told in the biblical Book of Esther.

As Mordechai dressed up in splendor at the behest of the king, so the

Jewish people dress up in costumes for Purim. Purim parties were held

at homes and schools, while festivals and parades brought cheer to the

streets. The most popular costumes were those of Mossad spies (see

pages 4-5) and characters from the Hollywood blockbuster Avatar.

Megillat Esther (the Scroll of Esther) was read in synagogues,

where people made noise with rattlers every time the evil Haman was

mentioned. Once again, the Jews celebrated a great victory over their

enemies and remembered how God turned the pur (lot) from bad to good.

By Michael Schneider

HAMAN’S EARS: The traditional Purim pastry hamantaschen means Haman’s ears

‘THE JEWS RID THEMSELVES OF THEIR ENEMIES: Sorrow was turned to gladness and mourning into a holiday’ (Esther 9:22)

CLOWNING AROUND in Jerusalem

LECHAIM! Purim is the only Jewish holiday in which it is a commandment to get drunk


d e b A t e

J erusalem has been the capital of the Jewish people for more than 3,000 years. Even Chris-

tians refer to it as the “center of the world” or the “navel of the earth.” Jeru-salem, Yerushalayim in Hebrew, is men-tioned 632 times in the Old Testament alone, as well as many times in the New Testament, yet it is not mentioned even once in the Koran. The name Yerusha-layim can be translated as “inheritance of peace” or “inheritance of salvation,” or more commonly, “city of peace.”

I have been living in Jerusalem with my family for over 30 years and have no desire to live anywhere else. Jerusa-lem covers an area of about 49 square miles (127 square kilometers) and has 770,600 inhabitants; in other words, 15,727 people live in each square mile (6,067 per square kilometer). Some 65 percent of the population is Jewish and 35 percent are Arabs. Among the Arabs, 13 percent are Christians.

Jerusalem is the “Holy City” for Jews, Christians and Moslems: There are 1,204 synagogues in Jerusalem as well as 158 churches and 73 mosques. Thus there are 415 Jews for every syna-gogue, 2,230 Moslems for each mosque and 633 Christians for every church.

In comparison with other world cap-itals Jerusalem is a small town: Great-er Tokyo has 35 million inhabitants, Mexico City 19 million, New Delhi 16 million, Buenos Aires 13 million, Cairo

12 million, Paris 10 million, London 9 million and even Berlin, with its almost 4 million inhabitants, still has five times as many inhabitants as Jerusalem.

In view of all this, we could ask ourselves, what makes Jerusalem so desirable? After all, in the struggle over Jerusalem we are not dealing with a theological dispute but rather with a very real declaration of war. It is not only Islam that issues the call for “Holy War” for the sake of Jerusalem; but God also pronounces a declaration of war through the biblical prophet Joel (3:9-11):

“Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare a war; rouse the mighty men! Let all the soldiers draw near, let them come up! Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, ‘I am a mighty man.’ Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves there.”

The word surrounding (Hebrew: saviv), which also appears in Zechariah 12:2, indicates that the Holy War over Jerusalem involves the neighboring countries which surround Israel—a clear reference to the Muslim Arab states.

With this in mind, it is not so strange to behold the future of the Middle East with concern. While we all desire peace in the Middle East, these sober prophecies enable us to discern that the current efforts to achieve peace, however well-intentioned, will not lead to the desired goal.

And all this fuss over a simple “town” like Jerusalem, that will first of all become a “cup of reeling” for all the surrounding peoples, and then turn into a “heavy stone” for all the nations who will wage war against it (Zecha-riah 12:1-3). Despite the overwhelming odds, the Lord will shelter the inhabit-ants of Jerusalem and win the victory for His people (Zechariah 12:4-9).

“All the nations” could refer to the United Nations, which is intensely in-volved in the conflict over Jerusalem. The Arabs cite UN Resolutions 242 and 338 as requiring Israel to end its “illegal occupation” of Jerusalem, though this is a biased interpretation.

In the end, Israel may not even be able to rely on its guardian ally—the United States. While the US has diplo-matic relations with 184 countries, the only capital it does not recognize is that of the State of Israel. Even Costa Rica and El Salvador, the last two countries to have embassies in Jerusalem, moved to Tel Aviv a few years ago.

Furthermore, both the UN and the US want to limit Israeli construction in Jerusalem—when, where and how many dwellings Jews are permitted to build in their own capital. By doing so they are bla-tantly encroaching on Israel’s sovereignty.

And all simply because of the little town of Jerusalem, seemingly insignifi-cant, but ultimately the fuse that will ignite a Holy War. Y

B y L u d w i g S c h n e i d e r

Why of All Places,JEruSAlEm?

O JERUSALEM! The city is mentioned 632 times in the Old Testament but is

never mentioned in the Koran

www.israeltoday.co.il | Apri 2010 | 19

P r o P h e c Y

S omeone building a sacred cathedral has to start with the foundation before he can place the crowning spire on top. Each stage of construc-

tion is of equal importance. For instance, the foundation, which will be covered by the floor, is just as important as the majestic colonnade that is exposed to everyone. The same thing is true of God’s plan of salvation which consists of five phases; each period has its own special value and purpose, and therefore, is not any more or less important than the others.

1. The Earthly Paradise“In the beginning God created the heavens and the

earth” (Genesis 1:1). He is the Creator of all things and the One who determines the complete cycle of the plan of salvation. Mankind is directly under the authority of God. Yet God still allows us to make decisions for good or evil according to our own free will. This reveals God’s almighty power because, in spite of our failures, He is able to set everything right again—and that is the ultimate purpose of the different phases of His plan of salvation.

2. Theocracy in IsraelIn ancient times, when mankind turned away from God,

He left the nations to their own devices and turned to indi-vidual people who heard his voice, such as Enoch, Noah or Abraham. The consequence was that God chose one people out of all the nations of the earth that He declared to be His own—the nation of Israel (Deuteronomy 7:6).

It was God’s intention to establish His theocracy in Israel so as to manifest His earthly authority there. Thus Israel was ruled by anointed judges. It was in this context that Gideon spoke to the people, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you” (Judges 8:23). The Israelites, to their own misfortune, grew weary of theocratic regimes, and turned to the ways of all the other nations. During this period God raised up prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Joel, who warned the people and pointed toward a Kingdom of God that rules in the heart.

3. The Hidden Kingdom of God

Even before His birth, Yeshua (Jesus) received the title of the one who would inherit the throne of David: “The Lord God will give him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end” (Luke 1:32-33).

For now, this kingdom exists within and among those who are chosen by the Lord: “For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst” (Luke 17:21). Yeshua’s disciples could not comprehend this “hidden kingdom” of God, and asked, “Is it at this time You are restoring the [earthly] kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). The Church of Jesus is living in this kingdom now.

4. The MillenniumIn contrast to our era which is filled with wars and

distress, the millennium or thousand-year kingdom will be one of peace. But this peace will be temporary because Satan, who is responsible for hatred and war, will only be restrained by God for those thousand years. Afterwards, he will be set free, but only for a short time, so that he can again make trouble in the world (Revelation 20:1-10). After this, however, Satan will be destroyed forever (Revelation 20:14).

5. The Eternal Kingdom of GodFinally the time has come; God’s cathedral with all

of its different sections is complete. God has made all things new. He has brought His people into the heavenly Jerusalem, where there will be no more death or sorrow, nor any crying or pain, and also no sin (Revelation 21:1-5). This Kingdom of God will exist for all eternity. Here we have the fulfillment of what God promised in Isaiah 65:17: “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” And as Paul put it: “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).

Let us wait expectantly, orienting our lives solely toward God, for there is no second chance, no sixth stage in God’s plan of salvation. Through His almighty power God has arranged His plan of redemption, begun in paradise and repeatedly hindered by mankind, during nearly 6,000 years of salvation history. Y


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Let us wait expectantly, orienting our lives solely toward God, for there is no second chance, no sixth stage in God’s plan of salvation.


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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)

S ome 1,000 people attended the Christians United for Israel

(CUFI) Summit in Jerusalem, led by Pastor John Hagee of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas. Ha-gee spoke of the “debt of gratitude” Christians have to the Jewish people because “without Judaism there would be no Christianity.”

Then he presented Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu with a 237-foot-long (73- meter) scroll containing more than 200,000 names of Christian supporters of Israel who had pledged their support with a signature. Hagee said the scroll shows “that we believe the Jewish people have the right to live in their modern home-land, and that Israel has the same right as any other nation to defend herself from attacks.”

Netanyahu was moved. “Your pres-ence here today represents a profound transformation in the relationship be-tween Christians and Jews,” he told the crowd. “Time after time, through thick and thin, you have stood shoulder to shoulder with our state, and I have come here tonight to thank you for your unwavering friendship,” he said. “I salute you, the people of Israel salute you, the Jewish people salute you.”

‘Christ at the Checkpoint’A few miles and a world away, Pal-

estinian Christians held a conference called “Christ at the Checkpoint” at Bethlehem Bible College. The confer-ence was “dedicated to Palestinian theology”—which turned out to be a complete renunciation of biblical Zionism.

Themes of lectures included “Pal-estinian Christianity in the Shadow of Christian Zionism” and “Must Dispen-sationalists Support the State of Israel—No Matter What?”

Just as Messianic Jews identify with the State of Israel, so Arab Christians identify with Palestinian nationalism, even though it is effectively an alliance with radical Islam. Christian support for Israel was expressed in the most sinister terms.

“Christian Zionism has spread her tentacles” throughout the Christian

world, said Reverend Alex Awad. “Did God really give my coun-try to the Jewish peo-ple? Were the wars of 1948 and1967 acts of God? Did God actu-ally intervene on be-half of the Zionists? Is God also excited over the devastation inflicted on Palestin-ians and Arabs?

“I choose to reject and expose the teachings of Christian Zionism…because of their harmful effects…[namely,] militarizing the Church; making the Church stand for war and aggression in the Name of God; [and] cultivating a culture of hate against Muslims, Arabs and Pal-estinians.”

Awad’s lecture makes it sound like God never made any promises to bring the Jewish people back to the Land of Israel. Israel is the occupier and Pal-estinians are the victim, and so, for the sake of symbolism, the conference took place against the background of Israel’s security barrier. It’s as if Israel chose war and was never threatened with annihilation and the “wall” was erected in a vacuum. In his 4,800-word treatise, the word “terrorism” does not appear once. Y

Christian Zionism vs. Anti-Christian ZionismB y S h l o m o M o r d e c h a i

CHRISTIAN-MUSLIM ALLIANCE: Palestinian PM Fayyad at the conference


m e s s i A N i c J e w s

LATRUN – It is a shocking statistic: During the Holocaust one-and-a-half million Jewish children were killed by the

Nazis; since Israel’s rebirth in 1948, over two million Jewish babies have lost their lives to abortion.

In their remembrance, the staff of the Israeli Messianic organization Be’ad Chaim (Pro Life), together with 150 sup-porters from around the world, gathered at Latrun in central Israel to plant a forest called Ganei Chaim—the Gardens of Life. Be’ad Chaim and its supporters also reaffirmed their commitment to saving every unwanted Israeli baby—be it Jewish or Arab—and removing from Israel the curse of blood that is holding it back from the fullness of God’s blessing.

Be’ad Chaim co-founder and chairman, Tony Sperandeo, likened the situation to the “Iron Curtain” which prevented the people of the Soviet Union from tasting real freedom for so long. Though Israel has been restored in part, a “blood curtain” is preventing it from fully receiving the blessings that the Lord has for this nation.

More often than not, Be’ad Chaim’s considerable efforts to educate Israeli women thinking of having an abortion have opened doors to share the Gospel. Helping these wom-en avoid the kind of destruction that abortion brings into someone’s life is a powerful way to prepare the heart to hear the Good News. Chaya Mizrachi, one of the first women ever helped by Be’ad Chaim more than 30 years ago, is a testament to that.

She explained that as a young unmarried woman who got pregnant, she listened to conventional wisdom and had an abortion. But years later, when she was married and had a daughter, that decision come back to haunt her.

“As I held my daughter, I grieved for the baby I would never hold,” Mizrachi said with tears in her eyes. “The pain was unbearable. It affected my marriage and everything else in my life.”

Mizrachi said God brought her to the depths of depression to show her the dark power of abortion. Shortly afterward, she found Be’ad Chaim and the healing process began. And it continued right up until the founding of Ganei Chaim, where Mizrachi joined others in planting a tree to remember her unborn child and to thank God for the redemption that He brought out of destruction.

Planted in the picturesque valley below the Latrun Mon-astery, Be’ad Chaim director Sandy Shoshani said Ganei Chaim will serve as a place of remembrance, mourning, healing and celebration for many women like Mizrachi. “For those who have had abortions, it is a kind of captivity, and these women need restoration,” she said. “Those who sow in tears will reap life. The healing of broken lives will bring salvation.”

Be’ad Chaim operates counseling centers in Jerusalem, Beersheba, Haifa, Tiberias, Ashkelon, Acre and Rishon LeZi-on, as well as local hotlines across the country. Shoshani noted that it is something of a miracle for an openly Messianic organization like Be’ad Chaim to be able to plant an official forest and operate in the way that it does in Israeli society. It is evidence that God abhors abortion; and He will bless those who work against it and restore the hearts of those it has affected.

Shoshani echoed Sperandeo’s concerns that abortion is holding the nation back from fulfilling its biblical destiny. “This land has innocent blood shed on it,” she lamented. “But God is doing something to redeem that.”

For more information: www.beadchaim.com

‘Gardens of Life’ for the UnbornMessianic pro-life organization remembers those it could not save

B y Rya n J o n e s


A SIGN of hope

TREE OF LIFE: Be’ad Chaim says abortion is preventing Israel from entering the fullness of God’s blessing


Compiled by Netanel D oron

m i l i t A r Y

IAF Pilot to Serve as Army Chief Rabbi

D efense Minister Ehud Barak and army Chief of Staff Gaby Ashke-

nazi have appointed Lieutenant-Colonel (reserves) Rafi Peretz as the new military chief rabbi. Peretz, 54, will be taking the place of Brigadier-General Avichai Ronsky.

A former Sikorsky CH-53 helicopter pilot, he is currently a flight instructor at the Israel Air Force (IAF) Academy. Peretz has also been the head of the Etzem pre-army preparatory school for 15 years. The school was located in Atzmona in the Gush Katif settlement bloc until Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005.

During the Gaza “disengagement,” in which 21 Jewish settlements were evacuated, he helped to calm the Israelis who were expelled from their homes. The army views Peretz, who will be promoted to Brigadier-General, as someone who can reduce friction between the military and the national-religious camp which op-poses any evacuation of Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria (the so-called “West Bank”).

In his new position, Peretz will be responsible for the growing number of religious soldiers who now make up more than half of the officer corps and combat units. These men will have to get used to their new rabbi who, breaking from tradition, does not wear a beard. Y

Unmanned ‘Flying Ambulance’

T he Air Mule, an unmanned aer-ial vehicle (UAV) that will assist

medical rescue and evacuation teams, has passed its initial flight tests. The “flying ambulance” was developed by Urban Aeronautics in Yavne, just south of Tel Aviv.

Able to fly in all weather condi-tions, the drone can swoop into zones where navigation is challenging, such as high-rise neighborhoods and natural crevices. One unique feature is inter-nal propellers which enable the aircraft to fly in narrow places, in contrast to helicopters which can only operate in open areas.

“The number one cause of aerial ac-cidents is damage to the rotor, and we managed to overcome this obstacle,” says Urban Aeronautics CEO Rafi Yoeli.

The hi-tech Air Mule also benefits from two laser sensors that monitor altitude and a flow of real-time flight data to the ground crew.

Weighing about a ton, it has a length of 19 feet (5.9 meters), is 5.9 feet

(1.8 meters) high and 7 feet (2.15 me-ters) wide. It has a maximum speed of 112 mph (180 kph), reaches an altitude of 11,800 feet (3,600 meters) and is able to carry a cargo of 545 pounds (247 kg) for four hours. Y

ZIONIST INGENUITY: The drone can get to places that helicopters cannot

KOSHER FOR PASSOVER: Sailors from the Israeli Navy do the traditional spring cleaning for Passover. The aim is to remove any remains of leaven before the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:17).


A r c h A e o l o g Y

3,000-Year-Old Inscription Bears Earliest Hebrew

Despite Palestinian claims that there was never a Jewish presence in the Land of Israel in biblical times, new archaeological evidence points to the contrary. Professor Gershon Galil of the Department of Biblical Studies at the University of Haifa believes that an inscription found on a pottery shard discovered in 2008 at Khirbet Qeiyafa near the Elah Valley (1 Samuel 17) southwest of Jerusalem is the earliest example of Hebrew writing.

The inscription is written in ink on a 6 inch x 6.4 inch (15 cm x 16.5 cm) trapezoid shard and was discovered during excavations by Prof. Yosef Garfinkel. Khirbet Qeiyafa is the only site in the Kingdoms of Judah and Israel where two gates were uncovered, one in the east facing Jerusalem and one facing the west. This is a clear indication of the site’s identity as biblical Sha’arayim, Hebrew for “two gates.”

Sha’arayim is mentioned three times in the Bible: Joshua 15:36, 1 Samuel 17:52 and 1 Chronicles 4:31-32. It is associated with King David, supporting the archaeological data that the settlement dates to the early 10th century BC.

The inscription indicates that Hebrew was established much earlier than most scholars believe.

“This text…uses verbs that were characteristic of Hebrew…which were rarely used in other regional languages,” says Galil. “The content itself was also unfamiliar to all the cultures in the region besides the Hebrew society. The inscription provides social elements similar to those found in the bibli-cal prophecies and very different from prophecies written by other cultures postulating glorification of the gods.”

This precious artifact once again proves the existence of the Kingdom of Israel. YCompiled by Netanel D oron

Prehistoric Find in Tel Aviv

T he remains of a prehistoric dwell-ing estimated to be 8,000 years

old have been discovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) in the Tel Aviv area. In addition, flint tools and bones of a hippopotamus believed to be up to 100,000 years old were uncov-ered. The find was made during excava-tions prior to the construction of a new apartment building.

“This discovery is both important and surprising to researchers of the pe-riod,” said archaeologist Ayelet Dayan, director of the excavation. “For the first time we have encountered evidence of a permanent habitation that existed in the Tel Aviv region about 8,000 years ago.”

Dayan said the ancient building con-sisted of at least three rooms. Pottery shards attest to the age of the site, which dates to the Neolithic Period. A fragment of a basalt stone bowl was also found.

“The site is located on the northern bank of the Yarkon River, not far from the confluence with Nahal Ayalon [the Ayalon Stream],” she said. “We can as-sume that this influenced the ancient settlers in choosing a place to live. The fertile soil along the fringes of the streams was considered a preferred loca-tion for a settlement in ancient times.” Y

Jordan Claims Dead Sea Scrolls

J ordan is demanding the return of a portion of the renowned Dead Sea Scrolls currently on exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. The scrolls

were compiled about 2,000 years ago by the Essenes, an obscure Jewish sect that may have had ties with John the Baptist and some of Jesus’ followers. They were found in caves at Khirbet Qumran on the western shores of the Dead Sea, which was an Essene settlement as late as the first century AD.

The documents in question were confiscated by Israeli forces from a museum in East Jerusalem, when that part of the city was captured from Jordan during the Six Day War in 1967. Consequently, Jordan is claiming their return under the condi-tions of the 1954 Hague Convention governing the protection of cultural property during armed conflict.

The Jordanian Ministry of Antiquities called on Canadian authorities to seize the exhibits but the request was denied. Jordan claims ownership on grounds that the scrolls were found in 1947 when there was no State of Israel. Y

RELICS IN HANDAyelet Dayan

HEBREW from King David’s time

8,000-YEAR-OLD dwelling

c u l t u r e

I n 2006, the Tunnel Museum, or Center for the Chain of Generations, opened near the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City. Unlike other archeological

tunnels, this one features stunning sound and light effects. A 30-foot (9-meter) high, 15-ton pillar made of colorful glass displays the names

of all the soldiers who fell in battles for Jerusalem since Israel became a state in 1948 to the liberation of the Old City during the Six Day War in 1967. Light glass repre-sents Jerusalem’s glorious times while dark glass stands for the city’s catastrophes.

The pillar cuts through walls from the Second Temple Period (516 BC-70 AD) as well as Crusader (1095-1291 AD) and Mameluk times (13-14th centuries AD). The pillar stands on top of a mikveh (ritual bath) from the First Temple Period (9th to 7th centuries BC).

The underground exhibition splits up into two rooms: One contains a glass slab with the names of the twelve tribes; the other focuses on the nearly two millennia of Jewish longing for the Land of Israel during the exile.

The theme of the museum is from Psalm 137:5: “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget her skill.”


F or the first time, Albert Einstein’s original manuscript of the Theory

of Relativity has been placed on public display. The 46-page document, which helps explain black holes, the Big Bang, an expanding universe and how gravity can bend time and space, is on exhibit at the Is-rael Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Jerusalem in honor of its 50th anniver-sary. The exhibit coincides with the 131st anniversary of Einstein’s birth, which took

place on March 14.

Einstein’s Theory of Relativity on Display

“We wanted something unique that would have global significance, and for-tunately we have access to a manuscript that has never been seen in its entirety before,” said the academy’s president, Menahem Yaari.

The handwritten document has been with Jerusalem’s Hebrew Uni-versity since its founding 85 years ago, when Einstein, who was one of its founders, donated it for posterity. The “General Theory” is considered a groundbreaker with regard to modern physics. It is still being tested today with regard to light reaching us from distant galaxies and the effect of grav-ity on this light.

The significance of Einstein’s pages of careful script, diagrams, and per-fectionist’s scratches is not lost on the casual viewer. The display presents the manuscript in the context of the theory’s

legacy—which includes everything from modern space exploration to commer-cial satellite and GPS technology and present-day attempts to create a univer-sal explanation of the forces of nature. “The greatest challenge at the frontier of physics is to make progress on these issues,” said former Hebrew University President Hanoch Gutfreund, who is responsible for the Albert Einstein Ar-chives. “People are able to appreciate the Theory of Relativity even if they’re not able to understand the contents…I refer to it as the Magna Carta of physics.” Y

By Barry Rosenfeld

24 | April 2010

Chain of Generations

JEWISH GENIUSAlbert Einstein

PILLAR OF FIRE: The glass pillar spans the ages

FALLEN HEROS: The monument bears the names of Israeli soldiers

who fell in battles for Jerusalem


Believe me Yossi, we are not so different after all. Jews and Arabs love coffee.

Great coffee! Where is it made, by the way?

Such good coffee must be Arab!

No way, Ahmed! When it comes to first-rate coffee,

we Jews passed you long ago.

You know what? Let’s ask the waitress.

Excuse me, where does this coffee come from?

From Italy!

Thanks to your generous donations we were able to deliver hundreds of Purim Surprises to needy children in Israel. Everyone was amazed and happy! We are grateful to our friends around the world who blessed Israel and pray that you will be blessed in return (Genesis 12:3).

Here is a thank you note from Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem to israel today:

On behalf of all the children of the Pediatric Ward at Hadassah Ein Kerem, we thank you with all our heart for the Purim Surprises

you donated. These gifts contributed to the joyful atmosphere at the Purim party and gave an enormous boost to the children’s morale. You succeeded in bringing great joy to our hospital!

With our deepest gratitude,Hadassah Jerusalem

*The faces are disguised upon request of the hospital management

THANK YOU from the Children of Israel!

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J e w i s h A F F A i r s

Remembering the Former Gaza Settlements

T o mark the 33rd anniversary of its founding, 400 Israeli schools participated in a week devoted to educating students about Gush

Katif, the bloc of 21 Israeli settlements in the southern Gaza Strip that were dismantled in 2005 under the government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The first settlement, Netzer Hazani, was established in 1977.

The program was introduced two years ago when the Knesset approved a law for “the founding of a memorial center that will commemorate the settlements of Gush Katif and Northern Samaria through the endowment of national values.” Three settlements in Northern Samaria were also evacuated in the 2005 “disengagement.”

Unlike memorial days commemorating the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin or the Holocaust, student participation in this curriculum is not mandatory. Observance was mostly among the reli-gious schools, with few secular schools and no Arab schools taking part. Programs included speeches by evacuated settlers as well as movies and slide shows illustrating daily life before the evacuation. Y

Y ou shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 23:15). Jews traditionally keep the Passover by not eating

bread other than matzah—unleavened bread. This is in accor-dance with the Bible story of the Exodus from Egypt when the children of Israel were forced to leave their homes in such haste that the bread was taken from the oven before it had time to rise.

Bread and other leavened products are referred to as chametz and its sale is forbidden by law in parts of the State of Israel dur-ing the weeklong Passover holiday. The “Chametz Law” bars the sale of leavened products during Passover in “public” places. This

‘Lost Tribe’ Prospers in Israel T he Bnei Menashe (Sons of

Manasseh), an ethnic group from northeast India that believes it is one of the Ten Lost Tribes, is adapting well to its new life in Israel. A survey of 1,700 members of the tribe living in Israel

Putting Teeth in the ‘Levin Law’

found that only about 4 percent depend on government assistance, compared to 9 percent for the general population.

The Bnei Menashe believe they are descendants of the biblical Tribe of Me-nashe. After more than 2,500 years of exile they have rediscovered their roots and are returning to Judaism. Through the assistance of Shavei Israel (meaning “those who return to Israel”), an organi-zation dedicated to locating “lost Jews” and helping them return to their Jewish roots and to Zion, many members of this community have settled in Israel.

Noah Massil, who heads the Central Organization of Indian Jews in Israel, said he was not surprised by the study’s results. “Welfare is not a concept that new Indian immigrants immediately understand,”

he said. “And the ones who do are very reluctant to accept charity because it’s humiliating for Indian Jews.”

The study found that “nearly all” of the immigrants speak English, and all have a good command of Hebrew. Literacy is 100 percent.

Shavei Israel hopes to bring more than 7,000 Bnei Menashe home to Is-rael in 2010. As a part of that process they are being formally converted to Judaism.

“The Bnei Menashe are a close-knit community, and the ones in Israel will undoubtedly serve as the absorbing foundation for the 7,232 who will soon make aliyah [immigrate to Israel],” said Shavei Israel founder Michael Freund. “The study shows that this group con-stitutes a high-quality aliyah which strengthens this country.” Y

refers to such places as supermarkets and restaurants. Chametz in this context refers to anything that is not “kosher for Passover.”

Now, the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party wants to change the law in order to put more teeth in it. They want the removal of the word “public,” making it impossible for any Jewish business in Israel to sell leavened products during Passover. They argue that this new wording is more in line with Jewish tradition and the biblical laws of Passover.

Over the years, there has been a gradual erosion in obser-vance of the Chametz Law, especially in ultra-secular Tel Aviv. Y

PARADISE LOST: Beautiful beach communities were destroyed

INGATHERING OF THE EXILES Indian Jews arrive in the homeland

e c o N o m Y

I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it. Zech. 12:3

שבשמיים – Avinu She’BaShamayim *אבינוWe ask you to protect the “Son of Hamas,” Mosab Has-san Yousef. Bless him for throwing his lot in with Israel in the name of Jesus. We thank you for his courage and ask that his message will reach far and wide. (Page 3)

שבשמיים – Avinu She’BaShamayim *אבינוBless the work of the Mossad in tracking down ter-rorists and making them know that they are not safe wherever they are. Give the Mossad wisdom and cunning for every operation. (Pages 4-5)

שבשמיים – Avinu She’BaShamayim *אבינוHumble the Obama administration for taking an arro-gant stand against Jerusalem and the promises of God to Israel. Raise up voices in Congress, the Church and the Jewish community to stand against this. Give Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government wis-dom about how to protect Israel’s interests while also improving relations with Washington. (Pages 6, 18)

שבשמיים – Avinu She’BaShamayim *אבינוStrengthen Israel’s grip on Jerusalem and make Your city a praise in the earth! (Isaiah 62:7). Let Jerusalem be built! (Page 6, 11, 12, 18)

שבשמיים – Avinu She’BaShamayim *אבינוProtect the holy places in Jerusalem and throughout the Land. Let them remain firmly under Israeli control. Give the security forces wisdom and strength to thwart every attempt at violence and terror. (Pages 6, 7, 12, 18)

שבשמיים – Avinu She’BaShamayim *אבינוExpose the false claims of the Palestinian refugees and demands for the “right of return.” (Pages 9, 10)

שבשמיים – Avinu She’BaShamayim *אבינוStrengthen the Christian Zionists who stand with Israel. Reveal Your plan for Israel to Palestinian Christians who cannot see it. Thwart the attempts of Palestinian believers who spread the word that Christian Zionism is a false doctrine. (Page 20)

שבשמיים – Avinu She’BaShamayim *אבינוBless the work of Be’ad Chaim and remove the scourge of abortion from Israel. (Page 21)

שבשמיים – Avinu She’BaShamayim *אבינוReveal the Messiah to Jews and Palestinians alike. (Pages 3, 12, 21)

Intercession for Israel

* Our Father in Heaven

Stand in the Gap

D espite bitter opposition by environmental groups and nearby cities that are upset over the potential loss of

millions of shekels for their own urban development, the National Building Council has recommended the establish-ment of Kassif, a new city near Arad.

It will be built in the Negev Desert in southern Israel spe-cifically for the ultra-Orthodox community, which has a high birthrate and is suffering from a shortage of affordable apartments for young couples. The Ministry of Housing estimates that the ultra-Orthodox population will require some 100,000 apartments in the coming years. The town will cover some 1,200 acres (475 hectares) and include 10,000 housing units for 50,000 inhabitants.

The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel objects to the establishment of the town, saying it will destroy the coun-tryside and its ecological environment. It argues that housing needs could be better met through the expansion of existing Negev cities and towns, including Beersheba (the Capital of the Negev), Arad, Dimona, Yeruham, Ofakim and Netivot. Y

Israel Survives Economic Meltdown

Israel is emerging from the global economic crisis and experts are projecting that in 2010, the Jewish state will be among the countries with the highest economic growth. Is-rael’s gross domestic product (GDP) is projected to rise by 3 percent this year. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had high praise for Israel’s handling of the crisis, especially in lowering unemployment. Israel’s unemployment rate stands at 7.4 percent, compared to 9.7 percent in the US.

Nevertheless, there is a disturbing gap between rich and poor in Israel. A report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development shows that if the OECD ac-cepts Israel in a vote this May, it will be its poorest member with the widest social gaps. According to the survey, every fifth Israeli is twice as poor as the average person in the OECD member states. Most of the poor in Israel come from Arab and ultra-Orthodox communities, in which the poverty level reaches as high as 50 and 60 percent, respectively.

More than half of the Israeli work force makes less than 4,000 shekels a month ($1,066). A big challenge facing most families here is making ends meet when prices are high and wages are low. Y

urbanization of the Desert Worries Green Groups

URBAN SPRAWL: Israel is running out of space

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liebermAn looK-AliKes: A survey taken during the Purim season found that when it comes to dressing up as a politician, four out of 10 Israeli youth would choose Foreign Minister Avigdor Li-eberman. Second place went to President Barack Obama.

terror surViVor: Seven years ago, when Oren Almog was 11 years old, he lost five members of his family in a suicide bombing in Haifa’s Maxim restaurant. He was critically injured, but now he is ready to serve in the army even though he is partial-ly handicapped. “I received so much from the State of Israel,” he says. “I want to give some of it back.”

hAPPy FAmilies: Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics reports that of the 1.73 million families in Israel, 97 percent are headed by a man and wife. In other words, most of the 7.5 million Israelis are members of families headed by a couple. The aver-age size of an Israeli family is 3.7 persons. At least one of them owns a cell phone and six out of ten families have a computer.

honest John: While sorting cucumbers at a supermarket in Tel Aviv, Alex Istrachov found a wallet filled with 250,000 shekels ($67,000)! And he prompt-ly turned it in to the lost and found. “I didn’t think for one second about keeping the money,” he said.

hi-tech seniors: A survey of Israel’s senior citizens (60 years and above) found that 55 per-cent use a computer, 76 percent exchange emails and 15 percent use Facebook. Some 44 percent of women and 29 percent of men report playing computer games. Nevertheless, television, mainly news programs, remains the most popular free-time activity for 95 percent of the elderly.

T I D B I T S

W hen architect Conrad Schick died in 1901,

the city of Jerusalem mourned his passing. Born in 1822 in Germany, he came to live in pre-Mandate Palestine at the age of 24. He was a missionary who taught carpentry and oth-er useful trades to young Jews.

Schick constructed a notable se-ries of replicas of the biblical Temple, and his model of the Tabernacle was visited in Jerusalem by heads of state and ex-hibited at the 1873 Vienna World’s Fair. Schick also built a model of the Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock for the Ottoman sultan. His final model, in four sections representing the Temple Mount in different eras, was exhibited at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904 and can be seen today at Christ Church, near Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City.

Schick was also a top architect, though largely self-taught. The Otto-

man Turks appointed him "Architect of Jerusalem." His projects included the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Mea She'arim which was built in the 1870s and still stands today; the lepers’ hos-pital in the Mamilla area in the 1860s; the Talitha Kumi Orphanage in 1868; the Anglican St. Paul’s Chapel; and the Deaconess Hospital on Prophets Street, known today as Bikur Holim.

Some consider his greatest master-piece to be Tabor House, his own resi-dence which still stands today. The name is derived from Psalm 89:12: “Tabor and Hermon shout for joy at Your name.” The facade of the building includes an Alpha and Omega chiseled into the stone (Rev.

1:8). Today the building contains the Swedish Theological Institute.

Schick is buried together with his wife in the Protestant Cemetery on the southwest-ern flank of Mt. Zion, next to Oskar Schindler of the movie Schindler’s List fame. At the age of 74, when Schick

was honored for his 50th year in Jerusalem, he said: “It is only

the Lord who has accomplished this work and enabled me to do any-thing. His name be praised!” Y

Haitian Boy with a Heart

T he fate of a 6-year-old boy from earthquake-stricken Haiti won the hearts of Israelis. The Israeli rescue team brought Woodley Elysee back with them from Haiti because he

needed life-saving heart surgery. His laughter and upbeat personality amazed everyone, even after his complicated operation at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon near Tel Aviv.

The operation was possible thanks to the Israeli medical organization Save a Child’s Heart. Woodley was born with a genetic heart defect but doctors expect a full recovery.

“I am so grateful to the state of Israel for its help,” said Woodley’s Aunt Judith, who came here with the boy. “But I am anxious to go back to Haiti and bring him home to his parents in good health.” Y


Missionary Built ultra-Orthodox Quarter

MEA SHE'ARIM is a trip back in time

MASTER ARCHITECT: Schick’s Tabor House in Jerusalem

SALUTE TO ISRAEL: Israeli doctors saved Woodley's life

Compiled by Michael S chneider

Israel Falls in Terror Ranking

T his is one time that a fall in the rank-ings is a good thing. The UK advi-

sory group Maplecroft ranks countries most at risk from terrorist attacks, and from 2000-2004, during the height of the Palestinian terror war, Israel was high on the list. But thanks to a lull in violence it has dropped to 17th in the latest Terrorism Risk Index survey. Iraq ranks no. 1 for the second straight year, Afghanistan is no. 2, Pakistan 3, Somalia 4, Lebanon 5, India 6, Algeria 7, Colombia 8 and Thailand 9.

The report tracks the risks of an attack, the intensity of violence as measured by casualties per incident, a country’s history of extremist violence and threats made against it by terrorist groups. The first nine countries on the list are considered “very dangerous.” In most of these countries the threat is from Islamic militants.

Other rankings of note: Turkey 14, Russia 15, Iran 19, Britain 41, China 43, the US 46, France 56, Germany 81 and Canada 116. Australia is ranked 125th, or last place, and is considered the “safest country in the world.” Y

Roller Cops

T he Israeli Police have developed a special civilian volunteer force which

patrols the streets of Tel Aviv on roller-blades. The first group of 30 Roller Cops completed a one-year training course. “They have far greater agility and speed than police on foot or bicycle and they can reach places that other police can’t,” said policeman Shimi Zinir, one of the initiators of the project. “Also, on skates they’re taller than your aver-age patrol officer, so they’re impres-sive and they have a deterrent effect.”

Famous Stork’s Final Journey

I n Petershagen, Germany, there lived a very famous stork named Peterchen. In 2005, when he was 25 years old, he had his last brood. Residents of the town took

this special bird into their hearts. Every season was a sensation, and a movie was even made about him. But in 2006, the stork went missing. Residents of Petershagen feared that the annual migration to Africa was too long for the elderly bird and he couldn’t make it back home. But his fate was unknown—until now. Israeli ornithologist Kobi Merom told israel today that Peterchen’s bones were discovered at Kibbutz Nir David in northern Israel. The remains were found by fish ponds along with “Helgoland 6443,” the identity band the stork had received when he was a small nestling. The kibbutz is located in the Beit She’an Valley, a route for millions of birds migrating between Europe and Africa.

Peterchen’s identity band is on exhibit at the Westphalian stork museum in Germany along with the story of his final resting place in the Holy Land. Y

It’s the Israeli Keffiyeh!

F or years it has served as a symbol of Palestinian re-

sistance, but now many young Americans can be seen wearing keffiyehs. This is not your typical Arab headdress, but rather a new version with Israel’s national col-ors, blue and white. Some sport the Star of David while others brightly display Am Yisrael Chai!

(The People of Israel Live). Even though the new “Israeli keffiyeh” is selling well, many think it is inappropriate for people with a pro-Israel attitude.

“In the beginning we encountered many critics,” says Erez Safar, head of the US-based Jewish advertising agency Shemspeed which markets the product. “For thousands of years, Jews in Arab countries have worn many different head covers, among them the keffiyeh…As a Jew I am not insulted when the pope wears a kippah [skull cap]. So why should it be an insult if a Jew wears a variant of the keffiyeh?”

Safar is a member of the Jewish-Muslim hip-hop “Sulha Band” that promotes rec-onciliation. Sulha is the Arabic world for “reconciliation,” and it is commonly used by both Jews and Arabs in Israel.

“It is sad that we must have a political discussion over a piece of clothing,” Safar said. “It separates people. Our goal is dialogue.” Y

i N b r i e F

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