INTERNATIONAL February 2021 ISRAEL Sh’vat - Adar 5781 & Christians Today Understanding Israel and world events from a Biblical perspective www.c4israel.org | [email protected] Medical worker prepares a Covid-19 vaccine injection, at a vaccination center in Jerusalem. | Photo: Flash90 Israel World-Leader in Covid-19 Vaccinations Israel began vaccinations on 19 December 2020 and is citizens, by law, must register with one of the country’s Aviel Schneider at Israel Today, in Jerusalem, rejects these delivering jabs to about 150,000 people a day, with four Health Maintenance Organisations — and its criticisms. “Everything is a risk, including the accelerated priority given to the over-60s, health workers and people centralised government have proved adept at Israeli vaccination effort”, he said. “But isn’t Israel’s very who are clinically vulnerable. orchestrating a national inoculation campaign, according existence in the Middle East at risk daily? The people of By mid-January, about 20% of the population had been to Israeli health experts.” Israel are a conditioned people who have survived one vaccinated. The BBC reported that Israel has given “With a population of nine million, Israel’s relatively small risk after another for generations. From a biblical and vaccinations against Coronavirus to more than one million size has played a role as well”, said Professor Balicer, who spiritual standpoint, with God’s help, Israel has people, the world’s highest rate, as global immunisation is also the chief innovation officer for Clalit, the largest of repeatedly overcome all risks. This may not have been efforts step up. At the end of 2020, Israel had a rate of 11.5 the country’s four Health Maintenance Organisations. easy and may have had its consequences, just as the year vaccination doses per 100 people – followed by Bahrain at An aggressive procurement effort helped set the stage. of Coronavirus will have economic consequences.” 3.49 and the UK at 1.47, according to a global tracking The health minister, Yuli Edelstein, said in an interview According to Schneider, the fears are unfounded. “Israel website affiliated with Oxford University. that Israel had entered into negotiations with will survive the Pfizer vaccinations. And the faster As at mid-January, about 4000 people had died of drugmakers as an ‘early bird,’ and that the companies everyone in the country is vaccinated, the faster the Coronavirus in Israel. In January the country was in its were interested in supplying Israel because of its borders will be reopened. You will be able to visit Israel third lockdown, amidst a new surge in infections, and reputation for efficiency and gathering reliable data. “We again. Nor can I imagine God sacrificing His chosen even considering bans on incoming travel. are leading the world race thanks to our early people as guinea pigs for Pfizer, or you. On the contrary, Israel secured supplies of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine preparations,” he said. in this case, Israel is an example for others, a light to the following negotiations early on in the pandemic. Some people fear that Israel has moved too quickly and nations. It is Israel that is encouraging and motivating According to an article in New York Times, “Israel’s that it has allowed the vaccine manufacturers to use it as other nations not to be afraid of a syringe.” heavily digitised, community-based health system — all a ‘guinea pig’ to try out untested vaccines. 4 6-7 8 15 The Arrival of Bnei Menashe Palestinian Elections Life in a Kibbutz Tulips from the Netherlands was a Hanukkah miracle Israel & Christians Today is the premier publication of Christians for Israel 2 February 2021 | Israel & Christians Today Sh’vat - Adar 5781 Editorial Colophon Israel & Christians Today is the premier publication of Christians for Israel Lights Turned off in Europe Mission Our mission is to bring Biblical understanding n Andrew Tucker in the Church and among the nations International Editor | Christians for Israel concerning God’s purposes for Israel and to promote comfort of Israel through prayer Just before last Christmas, during the and action. Jewish ‘festival of lights’ Hanukkah, the European Court of Justice ruled that a Editorial Team Decree by the Flemish Region of Belgium Andrew Tucker that requires animals to be stunned prior International Editor-in-Chief to slaughter to reduce their suffering does [email protected] not contravene European law. Cathy Coldicutt The case concerned Belgian legislation Managing Editor that prohibits the slaughter of livestock [email protected] unless they have first been stunned into Marloes van Westing unconsciousness. Both Muslim Halal and International Communications Manager Jewish kosher rituals require the animal to [email protected] be conscious when it is slaughtered. It is estimated that Belgium is home to about Ian Worby, Bryce Turner, Rita Quartel, 30,000 Jews (many of whom are orthodox) Marie-Louise Weissenböck and Marijke Terlouw and 350,000 Muslims, out of a total Herding cattle at the Gamla Farm, in the Golan Heights, Northern Israel. | Photo: Flash90 population of 11.5 million. Scripture references: THE HOLY BIBLE, This means Belgium was entitled to place appears that the animal is not aware that NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® According to Dr Matthijs de Blois, one of animal welfare above the right of Muslims its throat has been cut.” There is no Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Europe’s leading experts on religion and Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved and Jews to follow their ancient religious evidence that kosher slaughter is in any law, “the judgment is a serious violation of worldwide. customs. way ‘crueller’ than stunning.” the enjoyment of the freedom of religion De Blois: “This openness to modern ideas The Court’s reasoning can be contrasted C4I Offices in Europe by religious minorities.” adopted by the Court (in imitation of the with the United States, where it is Christians for Israel International Kosher slaughter is known as ‘shechita’, a European Court of Human Rights) recognised that stunning and Jewish ritual Leon Meijer, Chairman procedure required by Jewish dietary laws endangers the freedom of religion which slaughter ‘are alternative methods,’ and Rev Willem J.J. Glashouwer, President (which are known as ‘kashrut’). It is protects rituals that have existed for that each ‘is supported by legislative Rev Cornelis Kant, Executive Director performed by an approved person (shochet), thousands of years. Against the dark history as a justifiable legislative P.O. Box 1100 | 3860 BC Nijkerk, who uses a very long sharp knife to sever background of European history, which is determination that the stated method of The Netherlands | Tel: +31 33 422 0405 the windpipe (trachea) and food pipe full of examples of the suppression of slaughter is indeed humane.’ [email protected] | www.c4israel.org (oesophagus). In the case of cattle, the soft Jewish religious practices, including the This case reflects a growing tendency of The English Edition of Israel & Christians Today tissues in the neck are sliced through prohibition of ritual slaughter, this is a sad the European Court of Justice to allow is published by the following English speaking without the knife touching the spinal cord, observation.” European and national legislators to in the course of which four major blood branches: The Court said that “a scientific override the religious beliefs of Jews and vessels are severed. No undue pressure may consensus has emerged that prior Christians in Europe. In November 2019, Christians for Israel - Australia be applied to the knife, which must be Ian Worby, National Leader stunning is the optimal means of reducing the Court ruled in the Psagot Wineries case extremely sharp. The procedure is executed PO Box 1508, Springwood the animal’s suffering at the time of the that the European Commission is entitled with the intention of causing a rapid drop Queensland, Australia 4127 killing.” But this is highly questionable. to require importers of products from in blood pressure in the brain and loss of Tel: +61 (7) 3088 6900, [email protected] According to Dr Goldfeder, Director of Judea and Samaria to label these as ‘made consciousness, to render the animal www.c4israel.com.au the National Jewish Advocacy Center and in the West Bank’ – thus imposing a insensitive to pain and to exsanguinate in a founding editor of the Cambridge particular political interpretation of Christians for Israel - New Zealand prompt and precise action. history that effectively ignores the Bryce Turner, National Executive Director University Series on Law and Judaism, millennia-long connection between the PO Box 12 006, Penrose, The Court held that European national “there is no such scientific consensus. Jewish people and the territory known for Auckland, New Zealand 1642 parliaments are entitled to restrict the Research done by Dr Temple Grandin, Tel: +64 9 525 7564, [email protected] freedom of religion that is guaranteed perhaps the world’s leading expert on the centuries as ‘Judea and Samaria’. www.c4israel.org.nz under European law (Article 10 of the humane treatment of animals for All of this is further evidence of the fact Charter of Fundamental Rights of the slaughter found that when shechita is that step by step, Europe is abandoning its Christians for Israel - South Korea EU), where that is necessary and done properly, the animals show little or own Judeo-Christian background, Tel: +61 410 430 677 proportionate to reflect ‘changes in values no stress reaction to the ritual cut before heritage and values. The lights in Europe email: [email protected] www.c4israel.org/korea and idea’. losing consciousness. In her words, “It are being turned off. Christians for Israel - USA areas. Israel hatred surfaces time and again. Pray for Fred J van Westing, CEO Israel protection of Israel against this hatred.