ICEJ ICEJ ICEJ ICEJWORD ICEJ ICEJ ICEJ ICEJ ICEJ ICEJ ICEJ USA EDITION ICEJ May 2010 ICEJ ICEJ ICEJ from JERUSALEM Haifa Home Dedication Tzipi Livni & Chief Rabbi open ICEJ-funded home for Holocaust Survivors By Jan Morrison pril 8th saw the leadership of the to destroy. We hope their latter years will Christian Embassy take part in a be better than their former years… We can dedication of the new home for start a new chapter. But we know our nation Holocaust survivors in Haifa. The “We cannot bring back carries a great weight of responsibility.” Aceremony was attended by an ICEJ delegation the countless victims headed by our International Director, Dr. The event drew a variety of media as Jürgen Bühler, along with Israeli dignitaries, of the Nazi genocide, well, especially from the Israeli and German local survivors, their relatives and friends. press. In fact, every major newspaper and The gathering was hosted by our partner but we can bring some television channel in Israel has covered the in this exciting project, Shimon Sabag of comfort and relief to story in recent weeks, as well as the main the local Israeli non-profit, Yad Ezer L’Haver television and print media in Germany. Many (Helping Hands to Friends). those still with us.” were drawn by the added feature that skilled German workers from Saxony had given up In just a very short time, the ICEJ has their vacation time to volunteer in renovating been able to raise the funds to purchase political party in the Knesset, Haifa Mayor the building. These workers felt they had and renovate a four story building in Haifa Yona Yahav, the German Ambassador to been allowed to help heal the wounds which that will serve as an assisted-living facility Israel, Dr. Harald Kindermann and Knesset their country had inflicted on the survivors for more than 80 Holocaust survivors. Member Eitan Cabal. Israel’s Chief Rabbi, and their families. The dedication marked the completion Yona Metzger, meanwhile, was there to affix and opening of the community center and the ceremonial mezuzah on the front door. As the driving force behind the project, kitchen on the ground floor, where over 100 the media also took great interest in Jürgen’s survivors in the area will be fed each day. Amb. Kindermann noted that his country personal story as the son of a former member was “engaged with Holocaust survivors so of the Wehrmacht during World War Two. The ceremony was attended by Kadima that they can end the autumn of their life chairwoman Tzipi Livni, leader of the largest in dignity – a dignity which the Nazis tried >> continued on page 7 The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem • Comforting Israel, Educating the Church The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem was founded in 1980 as an act of comfort and solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people in their claim to Jerusalem. Today, the Christian Embassy stands at the forefront of a growing mainstream movement of Christians worldwide who share a love and concern for Israel and an understanding of the biblical significance of the modern ingathering of Jews to the land of their forefathers. 2010 ‘HANDS ON’ TOUR From our headquarters in Jerusalem and July 1st - 11th* through our branches and representatives in over 80 nations, we seek to challenge Jerusalem, Red Sea the Church to take up its scriptural Judean Wilderness, Galilee responsibilities towards the Jewish people, *Tour price: $1049 to remind Israel of the wonderful promises made to her in the Bible, and to be a source of practical assistance to all the people of www.grafted.org the Land of Israel. The ICEJ’s United States Branch is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with offices feast of tabernacles xxxi in Washington, D.C. and in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. We are a non-denominational faith ministry supported by the voluntary Sept 23rd-29th, 2010 contributions of our members and friends. We invite you to join with us as we minister to Israel and the Jewish people worldwide by using the enclosed response card to make your donation to the ongoing work and witness of the ICEJ. Please mail all donations to: PO Box 440276 Nashville, TN 37244 MALCOLM REINHARD MOSY SUSAN HEDDING BONNKE MADUGBA MICHAEL Or make your tax-deductible gift online: www.icejusa.org for 2010 feast hotel & tour options call toll free: 1-800 379-3897 www.icejusa.org/feast VIEWPOINT WORD FROM JERUSALEM 3 Behind the Battering The White House agenda that’s undermining US-Israel ties By David Parsons fter one year in office, it seemed April 2004 by former US President George First, the Obama administration is US President Barack Obama W. Bush to then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon sending a message of “no adventurism on had learned some lessons in containing key American commitments Iran.” By making Netanyahu sweat over a conducting foreign policy and was to Israel regarding the Palestinian track. manufactured issue like the Ramat Shlomo Aready to back off his heavy handed tactics in But US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton housing approvals, Obama is signalling dealing with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin brushed the letter aside as no longer that Netanyahu is being kept on a short Netanyahu. It had become all too obvious binding, even though as a US Senator leash, meaning any unilateral Israeli actions that Obama had blundered by hammering she had voted for a joint congressional regarding Iran will not be tolerated. If the away at Israel on settlements, while giving resolution which endorsed the Bush letter Netanyahu government deems it necessary the Palestinians a free pass. as official US policy. to pre-empt the growing threat of Tehran’s renegade nuclear program, no one should Thus, US Vice President Joe Biden paid Another clear example of the dishonesty expect America to have its back in trying to a solidarity visit to Jerusalem in March to can be seen when Clinton went before the manage the global fallout from such actions. reassure Israeli leaders on Washington’s annual AIPAC policy conference in March balanced approach to peacemaking with and rapped Hamas for its incitement against Secondly, the Administration is the Palestinians. But then the Obama Israel. Yet her comments on the incitement unnecessarily battering Netanyahu in a bid to administration deliberately ratcheted up the issue had actually been prompted by the soften his opposition to a Palestinian state, pressure over the issue of Jewish construction Israeli government specifically complaining which they hope to declare within Obama’s in east Jerusalem and relations soured again. to the US State Department that PA first term in office. White House chief-of-staff chairman Mahmoud Abbas and prime Rahm Emanuel said as much to an American It has been manifestly unfair for the minister Salaam Fayyad were honouring Jewish leader last year, according to the US administration to treat its closest PLO terrorist Dalal Mughrabi, the leader of Hebrew daily Yediot Aharonot, and I don’t democratic ally in the region and arguably the notorious “Coastal Road Massacre” in think it was a slip of the tongue. the world in this manner. Obama has gone 1978. Clinton is now trying to correct the so far as to question Israel’s desire for record by finally confronting the PA about In this regard, Obama and his team peace, even while Palestinian Authority its own incitement, but only after being have misread the Israeli public. Obama leaders are avoiding peace talks like the caught in an embarrassing fib. believes Netanyahu does not truly represent plague. When Netanyahu came into office the views of most Israelis, but he does. They last spring, PA officials from Mahmoud All this has left many wondering what have been conditioned by years of violence, Abbas down unanimously said they would exactly is Obama up to with his heavy terror and foreign pressure into being ready not talk to him “in a thousand years.” All pressure on Netanyahu while coddling to give up the West Bank for peace. Yet their subsequent preconditions to talks are the Palestinians. Besides courting favour they remain highly sceptical that there is a merely pretexts, often conveniently supplied with the wider Arab/Islamic world, one peace partner on the Palestinian side who by Washington, which has yet to hold them commentator close to Obama recently can and will keep their end of the bargain. accountable for their intransigence. chalked up the festering quarrel over Jewish Obama will make an even bigger blunder if housing in east Jerusalem to the White he persists in thinking the Palestinians are Besides being unfair, the Obama House wanting to bring the more dovish currently ready for a state that would live at administration has also been dishonest Opposition leader Tzipi Livni of Kadima peace with Israel. in its dealings with Israel. Early on, for into the coalition. That may be a welcome instance, Netanyahu reminded the new outcome of the arm-twisting, but the David Parsons serves as ICEJ Media Director Administration of the letter delivered in ultimate goal is two-fold. and lives with his family in Jerusalem 4 BIBLE TEACHING WORD FROM JERUSALEM Why Paul Wrote Romans By Jürgen Bühler t the very heart of his epistle to the Church in Rome, Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla the Apostle Paul devotes three entire chapters to the (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from relationship between Israel and Gentile Christians. Yet his Rome).” (Acts 18:1-2) teachings on Israel go well beyond chapters 9 to 11, and Acan be found throughout the Book of Romans.