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| All the options we had to dip the pitas. |
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| Shawarma for lunch |
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| Falafel |
Friday, March 25, 2011
Israel Blog #14: Food
The food in Israel is amazing. With a steady diet of falafel, hummus, and pitas, we were ready to go all week. I could have eaten only pitas with the different mixtures we dipped them in all week and I would have been happy.
We had really, really good chicken-stuffed figs at Eucalyptis in Jerusalem, outside the Old City. I didn't get pictures, but I just found the recipe on the website. If I find all of the ingredients I am going to attempt to be a cook. (If you go to the Eucalyptis link, the Stuffed Figs are pictured on the right side).
The other restaurant that I really liked was Azura in Jerusalem. It was an Iraqi restaurant, and it was really good. We tried the dumpling soup, which was great, a cinnamon beef eggplant contraption, and an beef eggplant meal with a spicy red sauce that was really good. Next time I go to Jerusalem, I'll make sure to check the local blogs to see what the best food places are. (And then I'll talk to the people I know in Israel to see if they agree).
The food was great. I think I'll go by the Pita Shack a little bit more until I go back.
Israel Blog #13: Caesarea
Now it's time for a game of "Who is the speaker?" Guess who is speaking in this video.
(Answer at end of blog post.)
Caesarea is a town of HUGE significance for non-Jewish Christians.
And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I too am a man." And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. And he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me."
And Cornelius said, "Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.' So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord."
So Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, "Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days. - Acts 10:24-48
Peter's sermon in Caesarea is the first general evangelistic call to gentiles. Philip had previously preached the gospel to the Ethiopian Eunuch, Jesus had ministered to non-Jews, and there were instances in the Old Testament of ministry to non-Jews. (I think in particular of Jonah's call to preach to Ninevah, and "aliens" of the land seeing the truth that the God of the Jews is the one true God and choosing to follow Him). That being said, the events in Acts previous to Peter's proclamation in Caesarea were among the church and to the Jews. After this event, there is a change in culture . Peter was initially criticized by the circumcision group for preaching to non-Jews. He explained what God had shown him, and after he brought the vision that God showed him before the other believers, there are many instances throughout Acts of the gospel being preached to gentiles and the gentiles coming to faith.
In addition to being an important first century center of Christian faith, Caesarea was also the site of one of the most significant archeological finds that affirms the New Testament Narrative.
This tablet says:
This is not the original, but the actual tablet was a significant find because it confirms that Pontius Pilate was a real person who existed during the New Testament time period.
Caesarea has a pretty significant history. If you are interested in reading a little more about it, this is a general overview of what happened there.
ANSWER TO "WHO IS THE SPEAKER?"
None other than the Pastor of Moody Church in Chicago, Erwin Lutzer. He was on a separate trip to Israel, and just happened to be at Caesarea when we visited.
(Answer at end of blog post.)
Caesarea is a town of HUGE significance for non-Jewish Christians.
And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I too am a man." And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. And he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me."
And Cornelius said, "Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.' So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord."
So Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, "Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days. - Acts 10:24-48
Peter's sermon in Caesarea is the first general evangelistic call to gentiles. Philip had previously preached the gospel to the Ethiopian Eunuch, Jesus had ministered to non-Jews, and there were instances in the Old Testament of ministry to non-Jews. (I think in particular of Jonah's call to preach to Ninevah, and "aliens" of the land seeing the truth that the God of the Jews is the one true God and choosing to follow Him). That being said, the events in Acts previous to Peter's proclamation in Caesarea were among the church and to the Jews. After this event, there is a change in culture . Peter was initially criticized by the circumcision group for preaching to non-Jews. He explained what God had shown him, and after he brought the vision that God showed him before the other believers, there are many instances throughout Acts of the gospel being preached to gentiles and the gentiles coming to faith.
In addition to being an important first century center of Christian faith, Caesarea was also the site of one of the most significant archeological finds that affirms the New Testament Narrative.
This tablet says:
TIBERIEUM
(PON) TIUS PILATUS
(PRAEF) ECTUS IUDA (EAE)
This is not the original, but the actual tablet was a significant find because it confirms that Pontius Pilate was a real person who existed during the New Testament time period.
Caesarea has a pretty significant history. If you are interested in reading a little more about it, this is a general overview of what happened there.
ANSWER TO "WHO IS THE SPEAKER?"
None other than the Pastor of Moody Church in Chicago, Erwin Lutzer. He was on a separate trip to Israel, and just happened to be at Caesarea when we visited.
Israel Blog #12: Golan Heights
The story with the Golan Heights: One day, there was a war in 1948. At the end of the war, Israel controlled the area surrounding the Sea of Galilee, but not the Golan Heights. The Golan Heights overlook the Sea of Galilee. Syrian troops harassed fishermen and the local communities in Israel. During the Six Day War, Israel took the Golan Heights, giving the Sea of Galilee a buffer zone.
We drove up the Golan Heights. The views were beautiful.
We went to the top of a mountain that at one time served as an outpost. It had a beautiful view.
There were also amusing sculptures made out of tank parts.
Finally, I saw a Merkava.
We drove up the Golan Heights. The views were beautiful.
We went to the top of a mountain that at one time served as an outpost. It had a beautiful view.
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| Left Side: Lebanon. Right Side: Syria. I'm standing on the Golan Heights. Had to be my favorite view the entire trip. |
Finally, I saw a Merkava.
Israel Blog #11: Yardanit
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." - Matthew 3:13-17
We visited Yardanit, which is the spot on the Jordan River near the Sea of Galilee that commemorates Christ's baptism. It is not the actual baptismal site, but nonetheless it was a neat place to be.
While we were there a family from Kentucky and Tennessee were getting baptized. At least some of them were from an Acts 29 church.
One of the guys in our group decided to take the opportunity to join them and get baptized as well.
Baptism is a public declaration of faith in Jesus Christ. A lot of people in my group were excited about the fact that Matt was getting baptized, and many of them weren't even Christians.
Like Jerusalem, I was a little disappointed with the religious commercialism. From the baptism site we were funneled into a gift shop. The experience of watching people get baptized in the Jordan River was awesome. To then be placed in religious consumer heaven cheapened the experience a bit for me. That being said, it was neat to think that Jesus, and probably many other early Christians, were baptized in the Jordan River or the Sea of Galilee. We went to both of those places, and it made me feel a sense of unity with early brothers and sisters in Christ.
We visited Yardanit, which is the spot on the Jordan River near the Sea of Galilee that commemorates Christ's baptism. It is not the actual baptismal site, but nonetheless it was a neat place to be.
While we were there a family from Kentucky and Tennessee were getting baptized. At least some of them were from an Acts 29 church.
One of the guys in our group decided to take the opportunity to join them and get baptized as well.
Baptism is a public declaration of faith in Jesus Christ. A lot of people in my group were excited about the fact that Matt was getting baptized, and many of them weren't even Christians.
Like Jerusalem, I was a little disappointed with the religious commercialism. From the baptism site we were funneled into a gift shop. The experience of watching people get baptized in the Jordan River was awesome. To then be placed in religious consumer heaven cheapened the experience a bit for me. That being said, it was neat to think that Jesus, and probably many other early Christians, were baptized in the Jordan River or the Sea of Galilee. We went to both of those places, and it made me feel a sense of unity with early brothers and sisters in Christ.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Israel Blog #10: Galilee
The moment I wanted to take in most and just bask in was waking up Tuesday morning on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. I could have stayed there the entire week and just enjoyed it.
I sat on the rocks and thought about the experiences that Jesus had on that lake.
While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them,"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." - Matthew 4:18-19
Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel. - Matthew 15:29-31
And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25And they went and woke him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing." 26And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?" - Matthew 8:23-27
The closest experience I can relate to it is Door County, Wisconsin. Particularly Ephraim. It isn't the same at all, and I love Door County so much that I'm overemphasizing the similarity, but the thought did come to mind.
I sat on the rocks and thought about the experiences that Jesus had on that lake.
While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them,"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." - Matthew 4:18-19
And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25And they went and woke him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing." 26And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?" - Matthew 8:23-27
Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." - Matthew 14:22-33
The Sea of Galilee was a cherished experience.
The Sea of Galilee was a cherished experience.
Israel Blog #9: Holocaust: Yad Vashem
One of the most sobering stops on the trip was to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial. It really was a beautifully made place, with trees commemorating those who saved Jews (including Oscar Schindler), a memorial to the children who died in the Holocaust, and a memorial to all of the holocaust victims. It was heartwrenching to walk through the progression of the rise of Naziism, the campaign to turn the people against Jews, and the dehumanizing and killing of Jews in the communities and in the concentration camps.
In this pain, there were also inspirational stories from the Holocaust. Groups of Jews hid and survived in the forest, and fought back against the Germans. Many individuals who otherwise were safe from the Germans hid the Jews and helped them survive, risking their own lives in the process. When Hitler ordered Denmark to give up their Jews to the Germans, they smuggled the entire population of Jews to Sweden to save them.
Something that I learned that I hadn't thought about before was that the Jews had a tough road after the end of World War II. I watch a video of a Polish Jewish woman who survived the concentration camp. Her entire family had died. She went home to find another family at her house. Instead of welcoming her or empathizing with what she had gone through, they asked, "why are you still alive?" This type of experience of being ostracized even after the War makes the desire to return to Israel make even more sense to me than their historical right to live there. The people needed a home, where they could be safe. At the time they saw that to be Israel.
Another video that was saddening was another woman who survived the concentration camps. She got married after the war, and later on found out that she was pregnant, she asked the doctor for an abortion, because the thought of a baby crying was traumatizing to her. After her experience in the concentration camps, she thought that she would not be able to handle the flashbacks that would come from having a baby. This story had a happy ending, as the doctor failed in the abortion, and the child ended up bringing joy to the mother's life.
The museum was one long hallway. The last room of the museum was an archive room that included all of the names and stories of people who died during the Holocaust. It was a sad place to be, but a good reminder of the travesty of the holocaust. Leaving that room and walking out the exit, we were left with this view:
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| Yad Vashem |
Something that I learned that I hadn't thought about before was that the Jews had a tough road after the end of World War II. I watch a video of a Polish Jewish woman who survived the concentration camp. Her entire family had died. She went home to find another family at her house. Instead of welcoming her or empathizing with what she had gone through, they asked, "why are you still alive?" This type of experience of being ostracized even after the War makes the desire to return to Israel make even more sense to me than their historical right to live there. The people needed a home, where they could be safe. At the time they saw that to be Israel.
Another video that was saddening was another woman who survived the concentration camps. She got married after the war, and later on found out that she was pregnant, she asked the doctor for an abortion, because the thought of a baby crying was traumatizing to her. After her experience in the concentration camps, she thought that she would not be able to handle the flashbacks that would come from having a baby. This story had a happy ending, as the doctor failed in the abortion, and the child ended up bringing joy to the mother's life.
The museum was one long hallway. The last room of the museum was an archive room that included all of the names and stories of people who died during the Holocaust. It was a sad place to be, but a good reminder of the travesty of the holocaust. Leaving that room and walking out the exit, we were left with this view:
The Jewish communities in the distance were an image of hope. The Nazi's failed in their attempt to destroy the Jews. The Jews survived, and were able to make the most of their survival in their homeland. It was an inspirational thought.
Israel Blog #8: Faith Perspectives 4: Druze
The Druze are a fascinating people. They are a sect of Islam, but they are very different. They are monotheists that believe in one God, but they believe that God can be perceived in many different ways. God can be called Allah, Elohim, or something else. This is a very inclusive way of looking at things. They also believe in reincarnation. The thing that I found interesting was that since the Druze believe in reincarnation, they closed the faith to new converts in 1043AD. The Druze were suffering persecution at the time, but their theory was that since everyone is reincarnated, and there are no new souls created, everyone had the opportunity in previous generations to come to the Druze faith. To this day the faith is closed.
I thought the childlike faith of the Druze was really cool to see. Like the Jews and the Muslims, they need to see their need for the gospel of Jesus Christ. The people we were with lived out their faith and were hospitable to outsiders, which is especially amazing because the outsiders were of other faiths. Hospitality opens doors. That is a lesson I learned from the Druze.
Speaking of the Druze hospitality, one family hosted 32 of us, and they had awesome food. Anyone who reads this and visits Israel needs to visit the Druze village and get dinner there. It was amazing, and it is what they are known for.
I thought the childlike faith of the Druze was really cool to see. Like the Jews and the Muslims, they need to see their need for the gospel of Jesus Christ. The people we were with lived out their faith and were hospitable to outsiders, which is especially amazing because the outsiders were of other faiths. Hospitality opens doors. That is a lesson I learned from the Druze.
Speaking of the Druze hospitality, one family hosted 32 of us, and they had awesome food. Anyone who reads this and visits Israel needs to visit the Druze village and get dinner there. It was amazing, and it is what they are known for.
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| Druze Dinner |
Israel Blog #7: Faith Perspectives 3: Islam
Our only direct encounters with Islam were the minarets and mosques throughout the cities, and the individuals we met along the way who may have been muslims. My outsiders perspective of Islam was shaped a little bit, though probably not too much. I saw a conqueror's mentality with the building of minarets right next to churches and synagogues, and the building of the Al Aqsa mosque on the temple rock, with the Dome of the Rock being built the same as the dome on the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, except out of gold. That being said, I saw, and was reminded, throughout the trip that there is a more peaceful side of Islam, which is a fact that needs to be emphasized when the general American experience with Islam is the extremist terrorist. When the Muslims conquered North Africa and the Middle East, they did not kill off the people of other faiths like the Crusaders. Instead, they allowed them to worship, BUT they forbid proselytizing. That meant that the other religions died out after a generation. This type of policy can be oppressive in a country like Iran when Christians share the gospel, but in modern day Israel this is not currently an issue.
After we left there were missile attacks from Gaza and a bombing in Jerusalem. The extremist group Islamic Jihad from Gaza claimed the credit for the bombing. People of Islam need the gospel of Jesus Christ, but I am sad that many peaceful people have their faith represented in this way, and the repercussion is that many peaceful Muslims are distrusted by others, and anti-theists have a target to point at and to say that "God is not good, and people should not have faith in Him."
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| Mahmoudiya Mosque, Jaffa |
After we left there were missile attacks from Gaza and a bombing in Jerusalem. The extremist group Islamic Jihad from Gaza claimed the credit for the bombing. People of Islam need the gospel of Jesus Christ, but I am sad that many peaceful people have their faith represented in this way, and the repercussion is that many peaceful Muslims are distrusted by others, and anti-theists have a target to point at and to say that "God is not good, and people should not have faith in Him."
Israel Blog #6: Faith Perspectives 2: Christianity
There are so many things I can say about this, and the specifics are spread throughout the other blogs. What I learned about the state of the Christian faith in Israel is that 10% of the Arabs there are Christians. I didn't get a number of Jews professing faith in Jesus Christ, but I know that they are there.
We visited a Reverend David Neuhaus, a Jesuit Priest who heads the St. James Vicariate in Jerusalem. It was interesting to hear his perspective on Christianity in Israel. There were not denominational devisions between the people. In their perspective, they are Christians. Not Catholics, not Orthodox, not Methodists, or Lutherans, but Christians. This was really cool from a unity standpoint. Even so, in Rev. Neuhaus's there was a divide between the Jewish Christians and Arab Christians. The people he worked with could not get over the ethnic divide that exists between the two groups. In his perspective there was also a huge barrier for Christians (mainly Catholics) because of the actions of the Crusaders during the Middle Ages. The slaughtering of Muslims, Jews, and Orthodox believers was a low point for the Christian church, and the twisting of faith in Christ to justify such acts was a travesty. The orthodox are divided from the Catholics because in addition to the murder of the Orthodox in the middle ages, when the Catholics returned, the people converted to Catholicism were Orthodox believers.
I asked Gil whether there were any significant protestant groups in Israel, and he said there weren't.
When I got back, I talked to Larry and Olga Riley about their experience with faithful believers in Israel. They spent years living in Israel. Their experience was that Jewish and Arab Christians worshiped together and saw each other as the body of Christ. This group of believers was not very large. I got the sense that this was a different group than the one described to me by Father Neuhaus. I was glad to hear that there was a group in Israel that professed faith in redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ, even though the group was small.
It seems to me that unity of Arab and Jewish Christians would be an awesome witness to the rest of Israel, and the world.
We visited a Reverend David Neuhaus, a Jesuit Priest who heads the St. James Vicariate in Jerusalem. It was interesting to hear his perspective on Christianity in Israel. There were not denominational devisions between the people. In their perspective, they are Christians. Not Catholics, not Orthodox, not Methodists, or Lutherans, but Christians. This was really cool from a unity standpoint. Even so, in Rev. Neuhaus's there was a divide between the Jewish Christians and Arab Christians. The people he worked with could not get over the ethnic divide that exists between the two groups. In his perspective there was also a huge barrier for Christians (mainly Catholics) because of the actions of the Crusaders during the Middle Ages. The slaughtering of Muslims, Jews, and Orthodox believers was a low point for the Christian church, and the twisting of faith in Christ to justify such acts was a travesty. The orthodox are divided from the Catholics because in addition to the murder of the Orthodox in the middle ages, when the Catholics returned, the people converted to Catholicism were Orthodox believers.
I asked Gil whether there were any significant protestant groups in Israel, and he said there weren't.
When I got back, I talked to Larry and Olga Riley about their experience with faithful believers in Israel. They spent years living in Israel. Their experience was that Jewish and Arab Christians worshiped together and saw each other as the body of Christ. This group of believers was not very large. I got the sense that this was a different group than the one described to me by Father Neuhaus. I was glad to hear that there was a group in Israel that professed faith in redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ, even though the group was small.
It seems to me that unity of Arab and Jewish Christians would be an awesome witness to the rest of Israel, and the world.
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| St. Peter's Church in Jaffa |
Israel Blog #5: Faith Perspectives 1: Judaism
It was interesting to get real exposure to Jewish culture. There are religious roots, and there is a huge religious aspect to the culture, from the government, to the artwork, to the Bible being used as a textbook, to the religious holidays celebrated by all Jews. Even so, a large percentage of Jews in Israel are secular. I have thought about this for awhile, because logically this does not compute to me. As I've learned more, I'm starting to understand that even though I worship Elohim just as the Jews do, my understanding and their understanding of God are much different. Their historical development paints a much different picture of God than my view as a Christian redeemed through faith in the fulfillment of God's promise through Jesus Christ. After seeing the Jewish people in Israel, I also have a better appreciation that Jews feel a connectedness to the land. Though they were dispersed throughout the nations for many generations, Israel is their home, and it is the home that God gave them. There was a sense of camaraderie from the Jews, a sense that "were in this together," and "Jews looking out for Jews." It was a sense of community that they have as an ethnic group that spans religious lines. Seeing the tightness and closed protection of the Jewish culture gives me a better understanding of how revolutionary it was when God spoke through Paul that: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28)
On the religious front, it was very interesting to visit the Western Wall on the Sabbath. The religious Jews are working toward the rebuilding of the temple, which they believe will lead to the coming of Messiah. Ironically, this lines up Christian dispensational end times theology, where the tribulation and the return of Jesus Christ will happen after the temple is rebuilt. The Jews mean business. They are starting to gather and build the temple items in anticipation of the rebuilding of the temple. We saw one of these items in the Old City:
Even though Jewish culture is very fascinating, I'm still sad that they don't see that their Messiah has come. It was through faith that Abraham was made righteous. Those are the words in Genesis. Jesus Christ fulfilled all of the prophecies of the Old Testament. Even so, most Jews have either rejected God or don't see that Jesus is their Messiah. My prayer for them is that they come to see the truth, and have faith in the one who saves.
On the religious front, it was very interesting to visit the Western Wall on the Sabbath. The religious Jews are working toward the rebuilding of the temple, which they believe will lead to the coming of Messiah. Ironically, this lines up Christian dispensational end times theology, where the tribulation and the return of Jesus Christ will happen after the temple is rebuilt. The Jews mean business. They are starting to gather and build the temple items in anticipation of the rebuilding of the temple. We saw one of these items in the Old City:
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| Pure gold Menorah, to be placed in Third Temple |
Israel Blog #4: Issues of inequality in Israel: Ir Amim and Yousef Jabareen
Though our meetings with the Supreme Court Justices and our visit to the Knesset were interesting and helpful, we met with other groups that showed us that the Israeli legal system was not all roses and sunshine. We met with a guide from Ir Amim and we met with Yousef Jabareen in Nazareth.
Ir Amim is a Jewish organization fighting for equality in Jerusalem. The equality they are fighting for is not Jewish equality. Instead, it is fighting for equal rights of Arab Palestinians living in Jerusalem. They believe that the only way to achieve true peace in Israel is to bring the Palestinian population onto equal footing with the Israeli citizens We discussed mainly two things: 1) The wall that runs along 400 miles of the West Bank and the hardship this creates for Palestinians, and 2) The unequal treatment of the Palestinian citizens in Jerusalem by the municipality of Jerusalem.
The wall along the West Bank creates a huge hardship for Palestinians. The existence of the wall is understandable. The early 2000s were a dangerous time to live in Jerusalem. Bombs exploded often, and by 2005 bombings were almost a weekly occurrence. The bombers generally walked from West Bank towns into Jerusalem to make their attacks. Israel's solution for safety was to build the wall to separate mainland Israel from the West Bank, with checkpoints at various locations for individuals to cross.
Though safety is necessary for the innocent people in Israel who were attacked, the actions of a few terrorists have resulted in a lot of hardship for many Palestinians. The wall cut through the middle of some Jerusalem Communities, forcing the people to choose which side they wanted to live on. Travel between the two sides was made difficult, turning a ten minute walk into an hour or longer endeavor. Individuals living in the West Bank worked in Jerusalem because 1) there was a minimum wage in mainland Jerusalem, and 2) the average wage was four times as much in Jerusalem. There was just more economic opportunity in the city. The wall created difficulty for Palestinians who wanted to take advantage of these opportunities and live where they wanted to live.
The second thing that the guide from Ir Amim spoke to us about was the unequal treatment of Palestinians in Jerusalem. Municipal codes on neighborhood building location, size (two stories), and other housing logistics are strictly enforced against Palestinian citizens. On the other hand, exceptions are made for Israeli neighborhoods, which are built in East Jerusalem, with multiple story buildings. The other issue that is common is the issue of municipal funding. Palestinians make up 30% of the population of Jerusalem. They do not receive 30% of the funding for maintenance and upkeep. Part of the issue is that Palestinians boycott municipal elections, because they believe participation would be endorsement of the Jewish state, which they oppose. It is a complicated situation. We drove through a few of the Jewish communities and a few Palestinian communities, and the Jewish communities were in a much better state of repair, and the Jewish communities had wider roads and more space (the road space was a premium on the mountain). It was unfortunate to see the things that Palestinians in Jerusalem have to deal with, but I'm glad we were able to get a glimpse of it while we were there.
In Nazareth, we visited Yousef Jabareen, the head of the Arab Center of Law and Policy. Dr. Jabareen wrote an article advocating for equal rights for Palestinian Israeli's. The situation with Israeli Palestinians is different than the Palestinians who live in Jerusalem. The individuals in Jerusalem are not Israeli citizens, and they do not recognize the state of Israel. The Israeli Palestinians are citizens of Israel, recognize the state, and want to live with equal rights within the state of Israel. Dr. Jabareen explained to us many inequalities that Palestinians face. I was struck by the similarities between the concerns of Dr. Jabareen and the inequalities that minority groups in the United States face. Examples of these inequality are job opportunity, educational achievement, and religious discrimination. (Dr. Jabareen methodically explains these inequalities in the linked article. I encourage you to read it if you are interested in the specifics). Even though Israel has its own unique struggles, at the core they still struggle with the same issues that we do as a country.
I'm glad we received a Palestinian perspective while we were on the ground. It helps to be able to weigh these experiences against some of the other ones we had in Israel.
Ir Amim is a Jewish organization fighting for equality in Jerusalem. The equality they are fighting for is not Jewish equality. Instead, it is fighting for equal rights of Arab Palestinians living in Jerusalem. They believe that the only way to achieve true peace in Israel is to bring the Palestinian population onto equal footing with the Israeli citizens We discussed mainly two things: 1) The wall that runs along 400 miles of the West Bank and the hardship this creates for Palestinians, and 2) The unequal treatment of the Palestinian citizens in Jerusalem by the municipality of Jerusalem.
The wall along the West Bank creates a huge hardship for Palestinians. The existence of the wall is understandable. The early 2000s were a dangerous time to live in Jerusalem. Bombs exploded often, and by 2005 bombings were almost a weekly occurrence. The bombers generally walked from West Bank towns into Jerusalem to make their attacks. Israel's solution for safety was to build the wall to separate mainland Israel from the West Bank, with checkpoints at various locations for individuals to cross.
 |
| The wall separating the West Bank from Israel runs through Jerusalem |
 |
| The green topped building was built at the turn of the century to be the capital of Palestine, in anticipation of a two state agreement. The wall through cuts right through this Jerusalem neighborhood. |
In Nazareth, we visited Yousef Jabareen, the head of the Arab Center of Law and Policy. Dr. Jabareen wrote an article advocating for equal rights for Palestinian Israeli's. The situation with Israeli Palestinians is different than the Palestinians who live in Jerusalem. The individuals in Jerusalem are not Israeli citizens, and they do not recognize the state of Israel. The Israeli Palestinians are citizens of Israel, recognize the state, and want to live with equal rights within the state of Israel. Dr. Jabareen explained to us many inequalities that Palestinians face. I was struck by the similarities between the concerns of Dr. Jabareen and the inequalities that minority groups in the United States face. Examples of these inequality are job opportunity, educational achievement, and religious discrimination. (Dr. Jabareen methodically explains these inequalities in the linked article. I encourage you to read it if you are interested in the specifics). Even though Israel has its own unique struggles, at the core they still struggle with the same issues that we do as a country.
I'm glad we received a Palestinian perspective while we were on the ground. It helps to be able to weigh these experiences against some of the other ones we had in Israel.
Israel Blog #3: Politics and Justice: Visit to Knesset, Supreme Court stop, and Dinner with Aharon and Elika Barak.
We did a bit of the political thing in Israel. Instead of making this blog a teachable moment, I'll focus on the things that I thought were fascinating at the Knesset, Supreme Court, and in our discussion with Aharon Barak.
I thought the art at the Knesset building was fascinating, particularly the tapestries in the state hall. There are pictures and explanations for the artwork here. I was really interested in the fact that the legislative body had evidence of the religious heritage of the Jewish people. Part of this is the fact that the religious heritage of the Jewish people is intertwined with the political history of the Jews, but nonetheless, this was new to me in the modern American legal culture.
I asked Justice Barak about his thoughts on the religious inclusion in public policy discussion after seeing how religious discussion has an apparent impact in Israel. He narrowed the focus to separation of church and state principles. He pointed out to us that the United States and France are the only two countries that have strong separation of church and state principles built into their government system. For Israel, Justice Barak thought that religious discussion would make sense when the law in question dealt with religious issues. For purely secular laws, Justice Barak reasoned that the best approach was to use secular discussion to determine the law.
On another note, Mrs. Justice Barak also made us an awesome mousse cake.
Justice Joubran spoke to us at the Israel Supreme Court. He explained how their system works, and it was interesting on a few fronts: 1) Justices are not bound to prior decisions of the court. Cases are decided on a case-by-case basis, and a judge will go through their own reasoning to come to a decision, even if it is contrary to prior case law. No stare decisis. 2) Israel does not have a Constitution. I was surprised to hear this. Israel has their Declaration of Independence from 1948, and 14 Basic Laws, but no actual Constitution in place. 3) The entire population of Israel has a right to be heard by the Supreme Court, so cases can be filed directly with the Supreme Court. This is totally unlike our 2000 petitions-whittled-down-to-80-cases-taken U.S. Supreme Court. 4) Supreme Court decisions can be made with panels as small as 3 Justices. Cases in the U.S. Supreme Court are heard before the entirety of the Court.
Gleening the minds of two Supreme Court Justices was very informative. I'm trying to look through their eyes at the law that was passed yesterday in Israel that denies public funding to institutions that deny the existence of Israel as a Jewish State. Based upon what both Justices said, I have no idea how the Supreme Court in Israel will rule on this law. (If there is any law that I have confidence will be brought before the Supreme Court, this is it). Based upon what Justice Barak said, and the existence of a right to human dignity in the basic laws, I'd say there is a very strong argument that the law is unconstitutional. Confident predictions cannot be made when cases are determined entirely on a case by case basis by differing justices. The Israeli legal system was an interesting compare and contrast with the U.S. system.
I thought the art at the Knesset building was fascinating, particularly the tapestries in the state hall. There are pictures and explanations for the artwork here. I was really interested in the fact that the legislative body had evidence of the religious heritage of the Jewish people. Part of this is the fact that the religious heritage of the Jewish people is intertwined with the political history of the Jews, but nonetheless, this was new to me in the modern American legal culture.
I asked Justice Barak about his thoughts on the religious inclusion in public policy discussion after seeing how religious discussion has an apparent impact in Israel. He narrowed the focus to separation of church and state principles. He pointed out to us that the United States and France are the only two countries that have strong separation of church and state principles built into their government system. For Israel, Justice Barak thought that religious discussion would make sense when the law in question dealt with religious issues. For purely secular laws, Justice Barak reasoned that the best approach was to use secular discussion to determine the law.
On another note, Mrs. Justice Barak also made us an awesome mousse cake.
Justice Joubran spoke to us at the Israel Supreme Court. He explained how their system works, and it was interesting on a few fronts: 1) Justices are not bound to prior decisions of the court. Cases are decided on a case-by-case basis, and a judge will go through their own reasoning to come to a decision, even if it is contrary to prior case law. No stare decisis. 2) Israel does not have a Constitution. I was surprised to hear this. Israel has their Declaration of Independence from 1948, and 14 Basic Laws, but no actual Constitution in place. 3) The entire population of Israel has a right to be heard by the Supreme Court, so cases can be filed directly with the Supreme Court. This is totally unlike our 2000 petitions-whittled-down-to-80-cases-taken U.S. Supreme Court. 4) Supreme Court decisions can be made with panels as small as 3 Justices. Cases in the U.S. Supreme Court are heard before the entirety of the Court.
 |
| Courtroom at Israel Supreme Court |
Gleening the minds of two Supreme Court Justices was very informative. I'm trying to look through their eyes at the law that was passed yesterday in Israel that denies public funding to institutions that deny the existence of Israel as a Jewish State. Based upon what both Justices said, I have no idea how the Supreme Court in Israel will rule on this law. (If there is any law that I have confidence will be brought before the Supreme Court, this is it). Based upon what Justice Barak said, and the existence of a right to human dignity in the basic laws, I'd say there is a very strong argument that the law is unconstitutional. Confident predictions cannot be made when cases are determined entirely on a case by case basis by differing justices. The Israeli legal system was an interesting compare and contrast with the U.S. system.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Israel Blog #2: Israeli and Palestinian perspectives on the current conflict
One of the things I really appreciated about the trip to Israel was the dual learning experience we received. We learned about the ancient history of the country, but we also had a focused look at the current situation that exists in Israel. The Israeli's and Palestinians view the current situation very differently from one another. Finding a common ground solution is difficult because there is not common understanding on the fundamental foundation of who owns the land.
The two perspectives, as they have been explained to me, are as follows:
Israelis:
On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites." - Genesis 15:18-21
The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.” - Genesis 17:8
The simple answer to the Israeli perspective would be: "God gave us the land." But, as always, the answer is a little more complicated than that. The Jews lived in diaspora (dispersion among the nations) after failed revolts against the Romans in 70AD and 135AD. After the 135 revolt, the Romans essentially dispersed the Jews throughout the empire. After the Jews were defeated, Emperor Hadrian renamed the land "Palestine" as a historical reference to the Philistines, who fought with the people of Israel during the time of David. The dispersed state of the people remained the case until the late 1800s, when the idea of Zionism started, and the idea of returning to the homeland of Israel gained ground. The land was controlled by the Ottoman Empire at the time, and the dream of a political country of Israel did not mesh with Arab sovereignty in the land. This status quo changed with the outcome of World War I. The Ottoman Empire sided with Germany and the Central powers in the conflict. They lost. The land in the Middle East was split up like this:
During the War, Great Britain expressed it's commitment to making a Jewish state come into existence in the Balfour Declaration:
Foreign Office
November 2nd, 1917
Dear Lord Rothschild,
I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, the following declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet.
"His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country."
I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation.
Yours sincerely,
Arthur James Balfour
At the time, the land that is currently Jordan was included in the English definition of "Palestine," so the land promised to the Jews was modern day Israel and modern day Jordan.
Though Jews began to migrate to Palestine after World War I, no independent Jewish state was created. When Abdullah, a Saudi Arabian, marched north with an army in 1920. The British were having issues with other groups at the time, and determined that their best option would be to offer Abdullah modern day Jordan, which he accepted.
World War II came, and the great tragedy of the Holocaust happened. If there was some dislike of Jews before the war, the anti-semitism indoctrinated into people throughout Europe by the Nazis did not disappear after the armistice was signed. The Jews lost one-third of their worldwide population during the war, and the experience showed them that they would not be protected as foreigners in other lands. Their for a state where "Jews could look out for Jews" was apparent to them. The United Nations was formed post-WWII, and one of the first things that the UN did was to began plans and preparation for the Jewish State.
Jewish people from Europe flocked into the country. The UN proposed their partition plan to both groups. The partition plan was accepted by the Jews, but rejected by the Arabs.
Britain announced that the Mandate for Palestine would end on May 14, 1948. The Jewish people in Palestine declared their Independence on May 14, 1948. The Arabs and Jews fought a war, and the resulting change left the Jews with huge gains of land and the independent state of Israel.
The Armistice borders of 1949 are the familiar political lines that we know today (save the Golan Heights being controlled by Syria). The difference is that the West Bank was controlled by Jordan at the time, and the Gaza Strip was controlled by Syria.
The Six Day War and Yom Kippur War were fought, and the net result was that Israel controlled the West Bank, Gaza, and the Golan Heights.
In Israel's perspective, they won the land in open war when the British abandoned the mandate. The argument that Israeli's propose when discussing the question of whether Palestine should be an independent state is "Palestine has never been an independent state, so if there is a negotiation to give away the land to peace, who should Israel give the land to?" Jordan? I was told Jordan doesn't want the West Bank anymore, or else this would be a feasible negotiation. The British? The British don't want it either. They left. The Ottomans? The Ottoman Empire no longer exists. Same goes for the Byzantine Empire, the Roman Empire, Alexander the Great, the Persian Empire, and the Babylonians. The first previous claim to ownership on the land is ... the Jewish people, who were independent for a short time in the first century BC, as well as having their independent state in biblical times.
The compelling argument questions the "right" of Palestinians to their own state, because they have never had their own State. In fact, all of the Middle Eastern countries were not independent states until the mid-1900s, so they don't have a right to argue primacy on the land. The Jews have a historic claim to the land, they declared independence, and they won the land in battle. This gives them valid claim.
Palestinian Perspective:
The Palestinian Perspective is that Israel is illegitimate because the Jews were promised a country by those who did not have a right to promise the land. From the Palestinian perspective, Europeans came into the Middle East and decided what to do with the land that the Palestinian people owned by the fact that they lived there for many generations. Even though the Ottoman Empire fell, the citizens who lived in Palestine during the time of the Empire remained in Palestine. When the Arabs did not accept the Partition thrust upon them, which divided the land disproportionately based on the populations of the two groups in the country at that time, the negotiations ended and the land was abandoned to be fought over. The war in 1948 is called the Disaster War. None of the Arab states recognized the legitimacy of Israel until Egypt and Jordan recognized Israel with the Camp David accords of 1979. The Palestinian people continue to believe that Israel is an illegitimate country, and they do not have a right to exist, and have no right to oppress the Palestinians and continue holding the land that is rightfully theirs.
_______________________________
These perspectives are the hard line perspectives from both sides. Along the way we met many people from both groups who are practical and want the conflict resolved, regardless of the solution. These varied dynamics make this conflict both fascinating and complicated. The conflict goes beyond academics and politics, though, and many people have been killed in this dispute (even today with rockets flying and bombs going off, people were killed). These dynamics also create a backdrop for other legal issues that arise in Israel.
The two perspectives, as they have been explained to me, are as follows:
Israelis:
On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites." - Genesis 15:18-21
The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.” - Genesis 17:8
The simple answer to the Israeli perspective would be: "God gave us the land." But, as always, the answer is a little more complicated than that. The Jews lived in diaspora (dispersion among the nations) after failed revolts against the Romans in 70AD and 135AD. After the 135 revolt, the Romans essentially dispersed the Jews throughout the empire. After the Jews were defeated, Emperor Hadrian renamed the land "Palestine" as a historical reference to the Philistines, who fought with the people of Israel during the time of David. The dispersed state of the people remained the case until the late 1800s, when the idea of Zionism started, and the idea of returning to the homeland of Israel gained ground. The land was controlled by the Ottoman Empire at the time, and the dream of a political country of Israel did not mesh with Arab sovereignty in the land. This status quo changed with the outcome of World War I. The Ottoman Empire sided with Germany and the Central powers in the conflict. They lost. The land in the Middle East was split up like this:
 |
| Map: Geoffrey Gaudreault, NPR; Source: A History of the Arab Peoples by Albert Hourani |
Foreign Office
November 2nd, 1917
Dear Lord Rothschild,
I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, the following declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet.
"His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country."
I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation.
Yours sincerely,
Arthur James Balfour
At the time, the land that is currently Jordan was included in the English definition of "Palestine," so the land promised to the Jews was modern day Israel and modern day Jordan.
Though Jews began to migrate to Palestine after World War I, no independent Jewish state was created. When Abdullah, a Saudi Arabian, marched north with an army in 1920. The British were having issues with other groups at the time, and determined that their best option would be to offer Abdullah modern day Jordan, which he accepted.
World War II came, and the great tragedy of the Holocaust happened. If there was some dislike of Jews before the war, the anti-semitism indoctrinated into people throughout Europe by the Nazis did not disappear after the armistice was signed. The Jews lost one-third of their worldwide population during the war, and the experience showed them that they would not be protected as foreigners in other lands. Their for a state where "Jews could look out for Jews" was apparent to them. The United Nations was formed post-WWII, and one of the first things that the UN did was to began plans and preparation for the Jewish State.
Jewish people from Europe flocked into the country. The UN proposed their partition plan to both groups. The partition plan was accepted by the Jews, but rejected by the Arabs.
Britain announced that the Mandate for Palestine would end on May 14, 1948. The Jewish people in Palestine declared their Independence on May 14, 1948. The Arabs and Jews fought a war, and the resulting change left the Jews with huge gains of land and the independent state of Israel.
 |
| Armistice Line |
 |
| U.N. Partition Plan |
The Six Day War and Yom Kippur War were fought, and the net result was that Israel controlled the West Bank, Gaza, and the Golan Heights.
In Israel's perspective, they won the land in open war when the British abandoned the mandate. The argument that Israeli's propose when discussing the question of whether Palestine should be an independent state is "Palestine has never been an independent state, so if there is a negotiation to give away the land to peace, who should Israel give the land to?" Jordan? I was told Jordan doesn't want the West Bank anymore, or else this would be a feasible negotiation. The British? The British don't want it either. They left. The Ottomans? The Ottoman Empire no longer exists. Same goes for the Byzantine Empire, the Roman Empire, Alexander the Great, the Persian Empire, and the Babylonians. The first previous claim to ownership on the land is ... the Jewish people, who were independent for a short time in the first century BC, as well as having their independent state in biblical times.
The compelling argument questions the "right" of Palestinians to their own state, because they have never had their own State. In fact, all of the Middle Eastern countries were not independent states until the mid-1900s, so they don't have a right to argue primacy on the land. The Jews have a historic claim to the land, they declared independence, and they won the land in battle. This gives them valid claim.
Palestinian Perspective:
The Palestinian Perspective is that Israel is illegitimate because the Jews were promised a country by those who did not have a right to promise the land. From the Palestinian perspective, Europeans came into the Middle East and decided what to do with the land that the Palestinian people owned by the fact that they lived there for many generations. Even though the Ottoman Empire fell, the citizens who lived in Palestine during the time of the Empire remained in Palestine. When the Arabs did not accept the Partition thrust upon them, which divided the land disproportionately based on the populations of the two groups in the country at that time, the negotiations ended and the land was abandoned to be fought over. The war in 1948 is called the Disaster War. None of the Arab states recognized the legitimacy of Israel until Egypt and Jordan recognized Israel with the Camp David accords of 1979. The Palestinian people continue to believe that Israel is an illegitimate country, and they do not have a right to exist, and have no right to oppress the Palestinians and continue holding the land that is rightfully theirs.
_______________________________
These perspectives are the hard line perspectives from both sides. Along the way we met many people from both groups who are practical and want the conflict resolved, regardless of the solution. These varied dynamics make this conflict both fascinating and complicated. The conflict goes beyond academics and politics, though, and many people have been killed in this dispute (even today with rockets flying and bombs going off, people were killed). These dynamics also create a backdrop for other legal issues that arise in Israel.
Israel Blog #1.5: Initial Reaction to Current Events
It has been a busy week in Israel since we came home. While we were in Israel, a family living in one of the contested settlements was murdered. Then, Israel approved the expansion of settlements into the West Bank (even though the UN has repeatedly told Israel that they should stop this type of expansion). This week, Israel has hit Gaza with multiple airstrikes. Today, Palestine shot rockets into Beersheva and Israeli forces responded by attacking the rocket site. Last, but certainly not least, after four years of relative safety from bombings in Jerusalem, a bomb exploded in Jerusalem today, killing one and injuring many.
All of this is very sobering for me, because these things happening only one week earlier could have created a dangerous situation for my visit. I thank God for His protection over us while we were in Jerusalem, driving through the West Bank, just miles from the northern and eastern borders on the Golan Heights, and in every other place we visited last week. While this chain of events makes me reevaluate the sense of safety that I had while visiting Israel, I still have confidence that my life was, and is, in God's hands, and I would not have done anything differently. Praise God for His goodness to us in this situation, and please pray for Israel.
From the legal side, the conclusion we came to about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was that it is "complicated." These events will likely escalate things from both sides, raise security for Israel, which will in turn make the Palestinians feel they are being squashed and discriminated against, which may lead to more attacks, which could start the cycle all over again. There are many people who are hopeful for peace and a resolution to the conflict. While this is possible, it is far off, especially when the aforementioned event reinforce the distrust between the Israeli people and the Palestinian people. In other news today, Israel passed a law that would deny funding to "institutions" that did not recognize Israel as a Jewish State. I don't know whether this law would survive scrutiny before the Israeli Supreme Court. It very well may. Even if it doesn't, the fact that the Knesset took this step creates another barrier between the Palestinian and Israeli people. Currently things are not the worst they have been in this conflict, but it definitely seems to me that some ground has been lost. The sad thing to think about is that more people have died in this conflict today, and more families have lost loved ones on both sides.
I honestly don't know where all of this is going. My dispensational friends strongly believe that Israel has a huge role in an accelerating story line toward an end times climax. My covenental friends say that the church essentially replaced Israel as the group through whom God's blessing was brought unto the world. I'm not one to draw quick conclusions, and I'm not fully sold on all aspects of either theology. But what I do know is:
1) There were 18 million Jews before WWII
2) There were 12 million Jews after WWII
3) There have been three major attempts to destroy Israel in it's first 64 years of existence (War of Independence, Six Day War, Yom Kippur). Against all odds, all of these attempts failed.
4) Jews have survived much better than their ancient neighbors.
I'm not going to draw any conclusions from these facts, but I would be leery of dismissing the physical existence of Israel too quickly. Israel has made some bad choices along the way, so I wouldn't turn a blind eye toward their actions. They should be held to the same standard as everyone else. I don't know where God is taking this land, but it seems that something is at work there. Those are my thoughts.
All of this is very sobering for me, because these things happening only one week earlier could have created a dangerous situation for my visit. I thank God for His protection over us while we were in Jerusalem, driving through the West Bank, just miles from the northern and eastern borders on the Golan Heights, and in every other place we visited last week. While this chain of events makes me reevaluate the sense of safety that I had while visiting Israel, I still have confidence that my life was, and is, in God's hands, and I would not have done anything differently. Praise God for His goodness to us in this situation, and please pray for Israel.
From the legal side, the conclusion we came to about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was that it is "complicated." These events will likely escalate things from both sides, raise security for Israel, which will in turn make the Palestinians feel they are being squashed and discriminated against, which may lead to more attacks, which could start the cycle all over again. There are many people who are hopeful for peace and a resolution to the conflict. While this is possible, it is far off, especially when the aforementioned event reinforce the distrust between the Israeli people and the Palestinian people. In other news today, Israel passed a law that would deny funding to "institutions" that did not recognize Israel as a Jewish State. I don't know whether this law would survive scrutiny before the Israeli Supreme Court. It very well may. Even if it doesn't, the fact that the Knesset took this step creates another barrier between the Palestinian and Israeli people. Currently things are not the worst they have been in this conflict, but it definitely seems to me that some ground has been lost. The sad thing to think about is that more people have died in this conflict today, and more families have lost loved ones on both sides.
I honestly don't know where all of this is going. My dispensational friends strongly believe that Israel has a huge role in an accelerating story line toward an end times climax. My covenental friends say that the church essentially replaced Israel as the group through whom God's blessing was brought unto the world. I'm not one to draw quick conclusions, and I'm not fully sold on all aspects of either theology. But what I do know is:
1) There were 18 million Jews before WWII
2) There were 12 million Jews after WWII
3) There have been three major attempts to destroy Israel in it's first 64 years of existence (War of Independence, Six Day War, Yom Kippur). Against all odds, all of these attempts failed.
4) Jews have survived much better than their ancient neighbors.
I'm not going to draw any conclusions from these facts, but I would be leery of dismissing the physical existence of Israel too quickly. Israel has made some bad choices along the way, so I wouldn't turn a blind eye toward their actions. They should be held to the same standard as everyone else. I don't know where God is taking this land, but it seems that something is at work there. Those are my thoughts.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Israel Blog #1: Jerusalem
Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ houses of the people of Israel, before King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion. . . Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place in the inner sanctuary of the house, in the Most Holy Place, underneath the wings of the cherubim. - 1 Kings 8:1,6
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once." - Matthew 21:1-3
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” - Acts 1:8
When we drove into Jerusalem, I couldn't help but thinking about all of the history that went along with the city. It is a central location in the Biblical narrative. Many battles had been fought there. It is a vital cog for Christians, Jews, and Muslims. When I traveled through London in 2006, I thought it was awesome that I was looking at buildings from the 1500s. In Jerusalem, there are buildings that absolutely blow that away in terms of history and antiquity.
It was really cool to be in the place I'd read about my entire life, and to think that David, Solomon, and Jesus all walked in the places I was. We walked the Via Delorosa, and while it is most likely not the exact path that Jesus walked, it impressed upon me the fact that the walk to Golgotha was continuously uphill as he suffered both physical pain, and the pain of knowing that He would take my sins (and the sins of many others) upon Himself.
Amidst the beauty of this moment, it was a little disappointing that most of the Via Delorosa was lined with shops and sales people trying to sell goods. It was a good economic strategy for the sales people to set up shop in a place where they knew many visitors would walk by, and I understand that they needed to make money to survive, but I just thought it was sobering that religious faith was being used for economic gain. That was one thing that I saw throughout the week that made me sad. In a country with robust Jewish, Muslim, and Christian religious culture, in many places the location of shops and what the shops sold made it seem that the purpose of religion in Israel was to make money. While my impressions may not be accurate, I could understand why people in that environment would view Christianity this way, and dismiss it as another commercial exploitation. So, awesome to walk where Jesus walked, but sad to see faith sold for a few shekels.
I enjoyed visiting the Western wall, and seeing the imposing figure of the Dome of the Rock was impressive as well. Our guide Gil corrected the idea that the Western Wall was an actual wall of Second Temple. It isn't. The Western Wall is the closest that Jews can get to the location of the temple, and therefore, in their mindset, the closest that they can get to the Living God, who was housed in the temple. That is why they go there to pray, because it is the best they can do.
Notice the similarities between the Dome of the Rock and the dome on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Perhaps I should not have been so ignorant on my history, but I didn't realize that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre existed. It was built in the 300s AD by Constantine to commemorate the Death and Resurrection of Jesus. The claim is that it is the actual site of Christ's death and burial, but regardless of whether that is true or not, it is a commemoration of that fact. When the Dome of the Rock was built in the late 600s AD, the Muslims built it with a dome that is very similar to the dome on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, except that they built it out of gold. This was a way to show that Islam was superior to Christianity. The impressiveness factor worked, in my mind, because I know about the DOTR and relate it to current Jerusalem, but not much about the COTHS.
It was interesting to see this theme of Islamic superiority over other religions throughout my visit to the Old City. Muslims don't destroy religious buildings when they take over territory, but they stick minarets right next to those buildings. There is a minaret on the doorsteps of the church of the Holy Seplechre in the Christian Quarter of the Old City...
...and also one sitting outside the recently rebuilt Hurva Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter.
Both of those structures have a high level of significance to their respective religious groups.
I just found this to be fascinating. I had never been in a culture that had a thriving Muslim presence. Though I disagree with Islam, and believe they need the gospel of Jesus Christ, it was neat to hear the call to prayer rise up throughout the city.
I'll end on the note that I thought it was cool to see a bunch of Christian pilgrims along the way at the Via Delorosa. It was really encouraging for me to see believers from all over the world gathering together to remember Christ's sacrifice for our benefit.
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once." - Matthew 21:1-3
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” - Acts 1:8
When we drove into Jerusalem, I couldn't help but thinking about all of the history that went along with the city. It is a central location in the Biblical narrative. Many battles had been fought there. It is a vital cog for Christians, Jews, and Muslims. When I traveled through London in 2006, I thought it was awesome that I was looking at buildings from the 1500s. In Jerusalem, there are buildings that absolutely blow that away in terms of history and antiquity.
 | |||
| Panoramic of Jerusalem. The Old City is in the center. The first neighborhood outside the Old City wall was built in 1860. At one time Jerusalem was the city on a hill. Now it is the city on many hills. |
It was really cool to be in the place I'd read about my entire life, and to think that David, Solomon, and Jesus all walked in the places I was. We walked the Via Delorosa, and while it is most likely not the exact path that Jesus walked, it impressed upon me the fact that the walk to Golgotha was continuously uphill as he suffered both physical pain, and the pain of knowing that He would take my sins (and the sins of many others) upon Himself.
 |
| Old City Wall, built in the early 16th Century |
I enjoyed visiting the Western wall, and seeing the imposing figure of the Dome of the Rock was impressive as well. Our guide Gil corrected the idea that the Western Wall was an actual wall of Second Temple. It isn't. The Western Wall is the closest that Jews can get to the location of the temple, and therefore, in their mindset, the closest that they can get to the Living God, who was housed in the temple. That is why they go there to pray, because it is the best they can do.
 |
| Dome of the Rock and Western Wall on the Sabbath |
Notice the similarities between the Dome of the Rock and the dome on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
 |
| Church of the Holy Sepulchre |
Perhaps I should not have been so ignorant on my history, but I didn't realize that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre existed. It was built in the 300s AD by Constantine to commemorate the Death and Resurrection of Jesus. The claim is that it is the actual site of Christ's death and burial, but regardless of whether that is true or not, it is a commemoration of that fact. When the Dome of the Rock was built in the late 600s AD, the Muslims built it with a dome that is very similar to the dome on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, except that they built it out of gold. This was a way to show that Islam was superior to Christianity. The impressiveness factor worked, in my mind, because I know about the DOTR and relate it to current Jerusalem, but not much about the COTHS.
It was interesting to see this theme of Islamic superiority over other religions throughout my visit to the Old City. Muslims don't destroy religious buildings when they take over territory, but they stick minarets right next to those buildings. There is a minaret on the doorsteps of the church of the Holy Seplechre in the Christian Quarter of the Old City...
...and also one sitting outside the recently rebuilt Hurva Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter.
 |
| Hurva Synagogue |
I just found this to be fascinating. I had never been in a culture that had a thriving Muslim presence. Though I disagree with Islam, and believe they need the gospel of Jesus Christ, it was neat to hear the call to prayer rise up throughout the city.
I'll end on the note that I thought it was cool to see a bunch of Christian pilgrims along the way at the Via Delorosa. It was really encouraging for me to see believers from all over the world gathering together to remember Christ's sacrifice for our benefit.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Israel Itinerary: Blog Outline
My first project will be to work through my Israel trip. I'll use the itinerary of the trip to organize my Israel blogs:
Blog 1: Jerusalem
Blog 2: Israeli and Palestinian perspectives on the current conflict
Blog 3: Politics and Justice: Visit to Knesset, Supreme Court stop, and Dinner with Aharon and Elika Barak.
Blog 4: Issues of inequality in Israel: Ir Amim and Yousef Jabareen
Blog 5: Faith Perspectives 1: Judaism
Blog 6: Faith Perspectives 2: Christianity
Blog 7: Faith Perspectives 3: Islam
Blog 8: Faith Perspectives 4: Druze
Blog 9: Holocaust: Yad Vashem
Blog 10: Galilee
Blog 11: Yardanit: Baptismal site on Jordan River.
Blog 12: Golan Heights
Blog 13: Caesarea
Blog 14: Food
The Title
Picking a title for the blog took some thought. After spending some time coming up with absolutely nothing, the title I chose finally came together. Allow me to explain it:
1) χαρις = Greek word "charis." Translated grace in English. Grace is something bestowed that is undeserved. It is a gift.
2) Christus = Latin word for Christ. Christ is NOT Jesus' last name, but instead it is a title given to Him, meaning "the anointed one." In practical terms, Christ is Jesus.
3) שלום = Hebrew word "shalom." Often translated peace in English, everything I read about the word indicates that it conveys a sense of wholeness. When there is shalom, everything exists in the state that God intended it.
So, χαρις through Christus brings שלום = Grace through Christ brings shalom. This title has great significance to me:
1) God created the world, and made mankind in His image.
2) Mankind rebelled against God, and that rebellion required a just punishment, which was death and separation from God. The world has been dying and in a state of decay ever since.
3) God would have been justified in allowing mankind to die, but He loved His created beings.
4) God made a promise to Abraham that his descendants would be like the stars in the sky, and all of the nations would be blessed through him.
5) God gave the people of Israel the opportunity to show their faithfulness to Him through obedience to His Law. They failed. Mankind's hope to be saved through obedience came and went.
6) God promised a savior to His people, and eventually Jesus Christ was sent to earth. Jesus was fully God and fully man, of the same essence of God the Father, though a distinct individual.
7) Jesus kept God's law perfectly on earth. He died on a cross, taking the sins of the world upon himself.
9) Jesus proved His victory over death by rising from the dead on the third day.
8) In addition to taking the punishment for sin, Christ's death also gave people Christ's righteousness in the eyes of God the Father.
9) Those who acknowledge that they cannot save themselves, have faith that Christ's death was sufficient to save, and give themselves over to Christ will be saved.
10) At the end of time, God will judge the world. Those who are in Christ will have eternal life. Those who are not in Christ will suffer eternal judgment.
The title of my blog confirms this truth. God brings wholeness to the individual through Christ. God is "sanctifying" (making holy) His people while they are on earth, and through them He is impacting the physical needs of people, restoring a level of physical wholeness. Even so, everything will be restored fully to wholeness in eternity, where: "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God, He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." (Revelation 21:3-4)
That is the purpose for my title. And I thought a title with Greek, Latin, and Hebrew was cool.
1) χαρις = Greek word "charis." Translated grace in English. Grace is something bestowed that is undeserved. It is a gift.
2) Christus = Latin word for Christ. Christ is NOT Jesus' last name, but instead it is a title given to Him, meaning "the anointed one." In practical terms, Christ is Jesus.
3) שלום = Hebrew word "shalom." Often translated peace in English, everything I read about the word indicates that it conveys a sense of wholeness. When there is shalom, everything exists in the state that God intended it.
So, χαρις through Christus brings שלום = Grace through Christ brings shalom. This title has great significance to me:
1) God created the world, and made mankind in His image.
2) Mankind rebelled against God, and that rebellion required a just punishment, which was death and separation from God. The world has been dying and in a state of decay ever since.
3) God would have been justified in allowing mankind to die, but He loved His created beings.
4) God made a promise to Abraham that his descendants would be like the stars in the sky, and all of the nations would be blessed through him.
5) God gave the people of Israel the opportunity to show their faithfulness to Him through obedience to His Law. They failed. Mankind's hope to be saved through obedience came and went.
6) God promised a savior to His people, and eventually Jesus Christ was sent to earth. Jesus was fully God and fully man, of the same essence of God the Father, though a distinct individual.
7) Jesus kept God's law perfectly on earth. He died on a cross, taking the sins of the world upon himself.
9) Jesus proved His victory over death by rising from the dead on the third day.
8) In addition to taking the punishment for sin, Christ's death also gave people Christ's righteousness in the eyes of God the Father.
9) Those who acknowledge that they cannot save themselves, have faith that Christ's death was sufficient to save, and give themselves over to Christ will be saved.
10) At the end of time, God will judge the world. Those who are in Christ will have eternal life. Those who are not in Christ will suffer eternal judgment.
The title of my blog confirms this truth. God brings wholeness to the individual through Christ. God is "sanctifying" (making holy) His people while they are on earth, and through them He is impacting the physical needs of people, restoring a level of physical wholeness. Even so, everything will be restored fully to wholeness in eternity, where: "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God, He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." (Revelation 21:3-4)
That is the purpose for my title. And I thought a title with Greek, Latin, and Hebrew was cool.
Why blog?
I'm behind the times with this whole blogging thing. I've contributed to Kenosha Christian Bloggers, but otherwise I've been limited to social networking through facebook.
So why now? In addition to giving myself a forum to speak, I find that I need to work through my recent trip to Israel by writing down my thoughts and experiences. This will allow me to process everything that happened, but it will also allow me to answer the question "How was your trip?" This is an amazingly difficult question to answer, and having a written answer will: 1) help me to give succinct answers when I am asked about it, and 2) allow me to point people to the written answers, which I hope they will enjoy.
In the future, I hope to write my thoughts on various topics, and I hope that the readings will be worthwhile.
Enjoy.
So why now? In addition to giving myself a forum to speak, I find that I need to work through my recent trip to Israel by writing down my thoughts and experiences. This will allow me to process everything that happened, but it will also allow me to answer the question "How was your trip?" This is an amazingly difficult question to answer, and having a written answer will: 1) help me to give succinct answers when I am asked about it, and 2) allow me to point people to the written answers, which I hope they will enjoy.
In the future, I hope to write my thoughts on various topics, and I hope that the readings will be worthwhile.
Enjoy.
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