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.”
Philip Weiss reports that Trump’s extreme pro-Israel policies have fostered a widening split among Israel-lovers. Rightwing Zionists love what Trump is doing. Centrist Zionists who worry that Israel is going off the rails are disturbed by Trump’s actions. Liberal and centrist Zionists have been going to occupied Jerusalem for more than a generation and seeing a 26-foot wall that reminded them of the Berlin wall on steroids, and seen bright red occupation signs warning Jews against going into Palestinian areas that remind them of South Africa. And they’ve done nothing…
Among the many state and local orgs that work in the shadows for Israel is the Virginia-Israel Advisory Board (VIAB), funded by Virginia taxpayers. VIAB’s main objective is to provide preferential and unconditional funding to oftentimes secretive Israeli business projects designed to entwine Israeli industries into Virginia industries and government. VIAB is currently being scrutinized by the state Attorney General over its handling of government funds.
Standard Operating Procedure: top news outlets reporting on the Golan Heights issue have failed in their journalistic duties: euphemisms, partial truths, and omissions abound.
Christ-followers are eager to serve and obey God to the best of our ability and knowledge. When there are gaps in our understanding, it behooves us to “grow in wisdom.” For example, what does the Bible say about the Promised Land and God’s chosen people? An introduction, with a link to a more in depth study.
Gideon Levy writes in Ha’aretz: “The apartheid did not start with him and will not end with his departure; it probably won’t even be dented. One of the most racist nations in the world cannot complain about its prime minister’s racism.”
Netanyahu: “Israel is not a state of all its citizens. According to the nation-state law we passed, Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people — and not anyone else.”
A Florida ‘hate crime’ bill with an expanded, Israel-centric definition of anti-Semitism and no mention of other religions, is working its way through House committees. Critics say that it violates free speech. This is the latest step in an international campaign to rewrite the definition of anti-Semitism to prevent many criticisms of Israel.
In Israel, two Palestinian political parties and one Jewish member of a mostly Palestinian party have been banned from running in the April 9th election; meanwhile a radical Jewish candidate stays in, despite the Attorney General’s recommendation to remove him from the ballot.