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.
