AUSTRALIA October 2017 www.c4israel.com.au [email protected] AUSTRALIA BATTLE OF BEERSHEBA 10 Our Projects | Film Review October 2017 CENTENARY Tishrei - Kislev 5778 1917 - 2017 “I’m Not Alone”- Greatest Act of Kindness for Holocaust Survivors By Jerusalem Foundation 7 As we move farther and farther away from and visits by multi-lingual volunteers to Jerusalem Foundation’s Café Europa’s third birthday celebration the horrific events of the Holocaust, more survivors’ who are homebound. and more survivors find themselves alone. The very same survivors who speak of the With every passing year, survivors lose pain of loneliness, also speak of the joys of their connections to friends who have participating in the Café Europa experienced their horrors. programme. As one survivor put it, “Café One of the greatest acts of kindness we Europa is where I can socialise, hear a can show Holocaust survivors is to hear concert, or just read and relax.” And their stories, giving them a platform to another noted, “Café Europa is so much express their feelings and process their more than coffee - I am always happy to past while ensuring dignity in their old be there.” age. As one survivor put it, “loneliness is Bringing joy to Holocaust survivors is a the hardest for an elderly person - even challenging yet crucial task, for many still harder than an illness.” suffer from the emotional and traumatic That’s where Jerusalem Foundation’s Café wounds of one of the greatest horrors of Europa project steps in, providing the 20th century. 107 meeting places for Jerusalem’s 20,000 One Café Europa participant recalls Holocaust survivors, offering social and having her mother pack a suitcase, not can share experiences with others who partners in this important project. cultural programmes, as well as realising that she would never see her understand their pain. “It is the one place Not much time is left, and it is important professionals who help ensure that the again. “I was 9…I didn’t know. My mother where I feel surrounded by those who that we continue to bring light to those survivors receive the full government didn’t prepare me.” truly understand me,” said a survivor. who have experienced the greatest benefits they are entitled to. Café Europa has been a safe space for Café Europa has been a flagship project darkness of our time. If you want to There is also a ‘Café on Wheels’ survivors to process their trauma, a warm for Christians for Israel around the world, donate, you can fill out the response programme that brings computers, books, and welcoming environment where they and we are honoured to have them as our coupon on page 12. ‘Whose Land?’ - Film Review By Bryce Turner, Christians for Israel New Zealand Significant showings of British performance. Having spent considerable Survivors of the Battle of Beersheba 1917 6 11 documentary/filmmaker Hugh Kitson’s time in the Middle-East, including being newest release are set to coincide with the directly on the ground during the Gaza upcoming Centenary of the Balfour conflict of 2014, Kemp’s longHighlights... and Declaration. Having had its world exemplary career with the British Army is Editorial Pg 2 Remains of the “Two-State-Solution” premiere in August, showings in Australia reflected in his direct, clearUNESCO and - A Palestinian Culture War Pg 4 - 50 Years After the Six-Day War Pg 8 will be closely followed by events in New unswerving manner. Even Visitwhen by Ambassadorthe facts to Fiji Pg 5 The Gates of Jerusalem Pg 9 Zealand and then around the world. presented can only invoke Beershebascorn for - some100 Year Anniversary Pg 6 World Jewry Adopts Unique Traditions Pg 11 4 of Kemp’s own countrymen,5 Yom he Kippur remains - Holiest Day of the Year Pg 7 Generation of Survivors Pg 12 In a temporary departure from his usual professional and focused. Confidently operation at Hatikvah Films, Hugh boldly navigating the minefield of international tackles the political elephant in the room, opinions, Kemp willingly lays his own the issue of Israel’s legitimacy and the reputation and credibility on the table, in rights of the Jewish people over the land. the interests of ensuring that the viewerIsrael & Christians Today is the premier publication of Christians for Israel Vastly different to other films produced has the full story. by Israelis or other Jewish sources, this production deals fairly with documents Kitson’s film delivers a well-developed and evidence, often showing the actual progression of positions with a text on camera for the viewer to draw commendable objectivity. A diverse line- their own conclusions. up of international and local experts bring immeasurable knowledge and experience Opening, however, with a collection of to the documentary, squarely facing the video clips, news media items and even viewer with essential information from bites from an animated children’s’ show, international law and history, right the viewer is immediately introduced to through to archaeology, all the time in an the depth and passion of the Palestinian authoritative and yet succinct manner perspective. In what can only be that even a much lesser-qualified viewer categorised as blatant propaganda, claims can easily understand. International of Palestinian ownership over various lawyers and archaeologists aside, Kitson’s towns and cities escalate in successive own skill set is obvious, albeit behind the clips until the inevitable claim over the scenes. The production quality is whole land booms from the screen. Just as excellent, the editing conveying a sense of the viewer starts feeling a growing urgency but yet a deliberate and focused uncertainty, even indignation, Colonel pace. For those just entering the battle- (Ret.) Richard Kemp CBE takes command. zone that is Middle-East opinion, this film Colonel Kemp then proceeds to take the will go a long way towards combating the viewer on a journey through the spectrum blatantly one-sided arguments bandied of legal arguments with what can only be about in the world media. The legal described as military efficiency. Uniquely evidence is dealt with so thoroughly that DVDs available for $20 from c4israel.com.au/store qualified to address this most thorny of even those already holding an educated topics, Kemp offers an admirable view will come away with new material. Editorial October 2017 02 Tishrei - Kislev 5778 Zionism, Balfour and the Bible By Andrew Tucker, International Editor & Executive Director, Christians for Israel International for Palestine adopted by the League of Nations in 1922. These events cause us inevitably to wrestle with the question: to what extent can the political developments surrounding the rise of Zionism at the end of the 19th century, leading ultimately up to the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, be reconciled with our Christian faith in the Bible? Many Christians argue that Zionism is These months of August to November merely a political phenomenon and the 2017 are historically significant months, as State of Israel is a construct of human we recall key dates in the world history efforts, and therefore cannot be regarded leading up to the creation of the State of as fitting in with the Bible. Others say Israel in 1948. 29 and 30 August was the that even if the Bible does allow for the 120th anniversary of the first Zionist return of the Jewish people to the land Congress in Basel, at which what came to promised to their forefathers, it cannot be be known as the ‘Basel Programme’ was God’s intention to achieve that goal as adopted, setting out the goals of the long as the Jewish people are blind and Zionist movement. It was adopted on the ignorant to the gospel of Jesus Christ, or following terms: as long as Israel allows offences to God “Zionism aims at establishing for the such as abortion and open support for Jewish people a publicly and legally homosexuality, or as long as they mistreat assured home in Palestine. For the the Arab Palestinians. We are living in a complicated and Jerusalem. That is why the world refuses attainment of this purpose, the Congress All of these are valid concerns. There are sometimes confusing period of transition, to accept the legality of Israel’s considers the following means (many) aspects of the State of Israel that where many interrelated things are reunification and the declaration as the serviceable: are far from perfect, perhaps even happening concurrently. The gospel of capital of the Jewish State of Israel. The Ÿ The promotion of the settlement of problematic. But we need to remind the Kingdom of God is going into all the prophet Zachariah describes how this will Jewish agriculturists, artisans, and ourselves that we are dealing ultimately nations as never before. The Bible tells us end in the nations going up violently tradesmen in Palestine. with what the Apostle Paul, in Romans 11, that the ‘fullness of the Gentiles’ is against Jerusalem, only to be met by the Ÿ The federation of all Jews into local or calls the spiritual restoration of Israel a inextricably linked to the physical and Lord Himself who will protect His people general groups, according to the laws of ‘mystery’. While he does not specifically spiritual restoration of the Jewish people. defeat them. speak there of the physical restoration of the various countries. This ‘fullness’ suggests the completion of The fulfillment of God’s declared the nation of Israel in the land, it can the church – the gathering in of the elect Ÿ The strengthening of the Jewish promises is happening in the midst of, hardly be argued that that is not part of feeling and consciousness.