Millions of travelers to Bethlehem believe the hasbara: Jews Good, Palestinians Bad; Jews victims, Palestinians perpetrators; because of the Holocaust, the world owes us, and must condone what we’re doing to Palestinians; those who criticize our racist policies are outright anti-Semites; we are God’s Chosen, therefore we can do no wrong.
Israel announces it will not allow Gaza’s Christians to visit Bethlehem and Jerusalem to celebrate Christmas this year
Rabbi Daniel Lehmann, with a history of advocating for Israel despite its many human rights abuses, is about to be inaugurated president of the ‘most comprehensive center for the graduate study of religion in North America’ – a ‘mostly-Christian’ center with a focus on peace and justice. Lehmann has already opposed a prominent Muslim professor and aired misgivings about America’s first Muslim college, located right across the street… Rabbi Lehmann is known for his fundraising ability.
In Israel, religious extremism has gone unchecked in the educational establishment, in top levels of government, and among prominent religious leaders – radicalizing a growing number of Israeli youth and endangering Palestinians.
Students at some military/religious colleges in Israel are being indoctrinated into Jewish Supremacy – this is not a new scandal, but evidence of virulent racism is stacking up against extremist rabbis.
The Church of the Transfiguration on Mt. Tabor has asked Israel repeatedly for basic services, including running water, but has been refused. A wildfire Friday caused significant damage due to this “negligence.”
Church property in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City may end up in the hands of a radical settler group that could bar Christian access to their holy sites.
The number of mosques and churches attacked in Israel is high, but police effort at investigating these crimes are absurdly low. The head of monitoring group asserts, ‘Without a doubt, they aren’t looking hard enough’
Israeli author Shlomo Sand writes: Zionism – the idea of a “Jewish State” – was at first fully secular and socialist, but how to define “a Jew” in a way that includes both the religious and the nonreligious (and no Arabs)? Eventually, religious features were appropriated and nationalized: the “need” for more land became a holy pact with God; Israel is only for Jews, not “all of its citizens.”
A prominent Israeli rabbi suggests that the Notre Dame Cathedral fire may have been divine retribution, indicates that the burning of churches in Israel may be problematic only in that they may be rebuilt.