THE KINDNESS OF CHRISTIANS

Last month we wrote about the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem and we are again, this month, writing on the theme of Christians and Israel.  We have had a depressing few weeks, researching the theme of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel attitudes in the church in the U.K. and have contacted various church members and officials whom we have got to know over the years, to help us in preparing a report on the subject for the British Ambassador to Israel who is in denial on the subject. The response was actually worse than we expected, replies containing such phrases as “….only this week I had a letter from someone who had been supporting Christian Friends of Magen David Adom  but has decided not to continue because of ‘the wickedness of Israel.’”  “In my own denomination (Church of England) there is a great deal of anti-Israeli sentiment which becomes anti-Semitic.”  “There is a relative tolerance of anti-Semitic leaflets coming from the fringes of the Islamic community (not always sufficiently condemned by Islamic leaders) which have a clear anti-Israel  tone to them ….expressed in the kind of rabid tones that would not have been accepted here since the 1930s  .….repeating such fabrications as contained in the ”Protocols of the elders of Zion.”  “As a speaker on Israel I find constantly I am meeting hostility and it does come near, or even become, anti-Semitism rather than a sensible critique of Israel and her government.” Not pleasant reading.

VISITS FROM DUTCH & GERMAN CHRISTIANS

On the other hand, we have also had number of heart-warming experiences with Christians from Germany and Holland. We have just received a visit from a group of Germans consisting of a young man, who incidentally is undergoing a conversion course and hopes, before too long, to be officially Jewish, accompanied by three young Christian women.  They are all volunteering at a home for severely physically and mentally handicapped adults here in Gilo and it appears from our conversation with them that they are doing this very demanding work with love and devotion.  We have also had a visit from our long-time German friends, Hans & Elke about whom we have previously written an article. They come back year after year to visit and give financial help to Holocaust survivors that they have traced as having been saved from a bombed barge in which the Nazis were trying to remove the evidence of their crimes, before the Russians invaded Germany and would discover the death camps.

Also this week, we spent a delightful evening with four Dutch Christians, the parents are old friends as each year they rent an apartment opposite us while they volunteer with Holocaust survivors, having previously spent many months in Jerusalem while studying at ‘Ulpan’ to enable them to communicate in Hebrew with the recipients of their kindness.  This time they brought their son and daughter-in-law who are visiting, to meet us.  A highly intelligent young couple, anxious to learn more about Jewish beliefs and practices and with whom we had a fascinating discussion on the differences and similarities between Judaism and Christianity.

THE NEW ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

There is, however, some good news while on the topic of the Christian church and that is the recent appointment of Justin Welby, the present Bishop of Durham, to the position of Archbishop of Canterbury.  Having met this very erudite but extremely approachable man a few years ago when he was a Canon at Coventry Cathedral and visited us for supper with a group of young people, we have remained in touch with him and feel sure that Anglo-Jewish/Christian relationships can only benefit from his being the head of the Anglican Church.