INTERNATIONAL August 2020 ISRAEL Av - Elul 5780 & Christians Today Understanding Israel and world events from a Biblical perspective www.c4israel.org | [email protected] | Photo: Flash90 With All My Heart Two young Israeli women stand proudly on a hilltop in Jews who seek to walk and live in obedience to these “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you Samaria. promises are condemned as ‘settlers’, and their but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to communities have been declared ‘illegal’. They are him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your This land is perhaps the most controversial real estate in accused of taking land from the Palestinians. The media the world. It has been stamped ‘Occupied Palestinian heart and with all your soul” (Deut. 10:12). and many politicians believe with all their hearts in this, Territory’ by the international community. Which story do we believe? Do we blindly follow the and work to perpetuate the narrative. Governments form images and messages of the secular media? Or do we And yet, many Jews believe with all their heart in the their foreign policies accordingly. promises of God regarding these mountains. believe that God is doing a miracle, by fulfilling before Or do we believe that God is our very eyes His own promises so many centuries ago: We can read those promises in the book of the Prophet Ezekiel: “As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock doing a miracle, by fulfilling “I will surely gather them from all the lands where I when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will before our very eyes His banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out own promises so many They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will give from the nations and gather them from the countries, centuries ago. them singleness of heart and action, so that they will and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture always fear me and that all will then go well for them and them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and all But the reality is different. There is enough room for Jews their children after them. I will make an everlasting the settlements in the land. I will tend them in a good and Palestinians on the mountains of Israel. And – with covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their exceptions, of course – Jewish settlers are not seeking them, and I will inspire them to fear me so that they will grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing confrontation, but simply want to live in peace in the never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the land and build beautiful, fruitful communities, bringing good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all mountains of Israel.” blessing to the land and all its residents. my heart and soul.” (Jeremiah 32:37-41). 4 10 16 Muslim Sheikh Honoured Covid-19: Jewish Communities Jewish New Year A Way in the Wilderness Israel & Christians Today is the premier publication of Christians for Israel 2 August 2020 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5780 Editorial Colophon Israel & Christians Today is the premier publication of Christians for Israel A Jewish Homeland in Palestine Mission the 19th century, the Jewish people have …Israel was created not to be perfect, but Our mission is to bring Biblical understanding n Andrew Tucker in the Church and among the nations International Editor | Christians for Israel been debating about what it means to be to restore the Jewish people to its concerning God’s purposes for Israel and to ‘Jewish’ – how important is it for Jews to ancestral homeland, and thus to allow the The controversy about ‘annexation’ takes promote comfort of Israel through prayer be in the land, what does a ‘Jewish Jewish people and its culture to thrive and us to the heart of Zionism. What is and action. homeland’ mean? flourish as it can nowhere else on earth. Zionism? Do the Jewish people need Looked at that way, Israel is not only Editorial Team sovereignty in the land in order to fulfil Gordis offers a powerful plea for Jewish Andrew Tucker their calling as a nation? If so, which land? sovereignty. “What Beinart does know is miraculous, but it is also an extraordinary International Editor-in-Chief And what about the non-Jews in the land? that the revitalisation of Jewish life that is success. We Israelis can see our terrible [email protected] mistakes and still take pride in what we’ve These are the subject of the debate that Israel’s hallmark would end with his accomplished; many of us are horrified by has erupted around a recent essay by proposal. We might well not be Cathy Coldicutt what is still not right here, but we have no Managing Editor Jewish writer Peter Beinart calling for a bi- annihilated. But Jews would quickly interest in Beinart’s suggestion that we, [email protected] national State of Israel-Palestine. become a minority here, just as they were in Europe. They would be surrounded by therefore, commit national suicide.” Marloes van Westing Beinart – a North American Jew - argues hostile masses, just as they were in How should we view all of this, as International Communications Manager that the two-state vision (ie. the Europe, and that would certainly (and [email protected] separation of Israel from the Palestinians) Gentile Christians? There is much to say, rapidly) destroy the Jewish confidence is dead. The current ‘brutal and but here are a couple of thoughts: Ian Worby, Bryce Turner, Rita Quartel, that has been at the core of the Judaism’s undemocratic’ regime, in which Israel First of all, we should acknowledge that Marie-Louise Weissenböck and Marijke Terlouw revitalisation in Israel. … As heretical as controls the West Bank but Palestinians this is very much an intra-Jewish dialogue. this will sound to the Jewish universalist Scripture references: THE HOLY BIBLE, have fewer rights, is unacceptable. The The Jewish people themselves need to progressives who are Beinart’s minions, I NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® only alternative, he argues, is a bi-national work out between themselves what their care about both the Palestinians and the Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, state between the Mediterranean and the identity and calling are. It is God who is Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved future of Judaism’s richness — but if Jordan River, in which every person has an bringing them home, in fulfilment of His worldwide. forced to choose (which would not be the equal vote, and the Jewish and Palestinian covenants with them. case if the Palestinian position was C4I Offices peoples have equal status. “It is time for liberal Zionists to abandon the goal of different), I’m going with the People I am They need to decide how they respond to Christians for Israel International Jewish–Palestinian separation and blessed to be a part of.” God’s calling. Leon Meijer, Chairman embrace the goal of Jewish–Palestinian “Israel was created not to be perfect, but to restore the Jewish Rev Willem J.J. Glashouwer, President equality.” Rev Cornelis Kant, Executive Director people to its ancestral homeland, and thus to allow the Jewish P.O. Box 1100 | 3860 BC Nijkerk, Beinart’s essay has provoked vigorous people and its culture to thrive and flourish.” The Netherlands | Tel: +31 33 422 0405 debate in the Jewish world. Daniel Gordis, [email protected] | www.c4israel.org – a leading Jewish Zionist educator based Gordis continues: “The unfettered quest Second, the Jewish people don’t need in Jerusalem - accuses Beinart of for self-immolation, the intellectual Gentiles telling them what to do. If asked The English Edition of Israel & Christians Today dishonesty. Gordis says he shares Beinart’s thinness of cancel culture, the rage that for advice, we can (and, I would suggest, is published by the following English speaking concern for the ‘plight of the Palestinians’ pulls down statues of Christopher should) encourage them to look to the branches: and admits that the status quo is ‘not Columbus and advocates abandoning Lord alone for wisdom and strength. Christians for Israel - Australia tenable in the long run’. But he believes capitalism for socialism without any Third, it is no surprise the nations of the Ian Worby, National Leader Beinart deliberately ignores the fact that regard for how Marx’s and Lenin’s world condemn Israel. PO Box 1508, Springwood the reason Israel has become so theories unfolded in the Soviet Union, in Fourth, the Jewish people have always been Queensland, Australia 4127 successful, is because it has become a safe China, in Cuba or elsewhere – all that is a called to look after the “stranger” in the Tel: +61 (7) 3088 6900, [email protected] haven free of threats of annihilation. And distinctly American response. Israelis, for land. (Lev. 19:33-34). The Palestinians have www.c4israel.com.au he accuses Beinart of downplaying the all their many faults, show little sign of rights that must be respected. The Jewish hatred of the Jewish people within the cultural fatigue, intellectual Christians for Israel - New Zealand people will be blessed as they ‘love them as Palestinian and Arab society and argues Bryce Turner, National Executive Director sloppiness or willed oblivion-to- themselves’.