Increasing Jewish persecution of Christians in Israel enjoys support from repugnant Israel-first evangelical Zionists

ISRAEL'S INCREASING ANTI-CHRISTIANITY
(National Prayer Network) -- By Rev. Ted Pike --

The period of the Great Crusades saw the forces of the Christian west and Muslim east engage in futile military efforts to decide who would control Palestine, with power to exclude others. After millions died, the exhausted combatants finally reached a compromise that has proved amicable for nearly a millennium: Each of the three great religions claiming special kinship to Israel—Christians, Jews and Muslims— would have freedom as pilgrims and even residents to worship in the sacred places of the Holy Land.

Yet, with return of Jews to Israel in the 20 th century, a different mentality emerged, one shared by Christian evangelicals. The Jews returned to a land they considered entirely and unconditionally theirs—a land in which Jewish worship, customs and laws enjoyed a Biblical right to predominate.

Now Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox rabbinical authorities in Israel increasingly assert that Israel has the right to actually exclude Christians and Muslims from full participation in the religious life of the nation.

Although Israel’s population is largely secular, the official religious position of the state is Orthodox. The Encyclopedia Judaica: “There are very few Reform or Conservative congregations in the State of Israel. Orthodoxy is the official religious position in Israel with the majority of rabbis belonging to the old school of Talmudic jurists.” [1] The Grand Rabbinate in Jerusalem determines what is “halakah,” or binding Jewish law, not only to lesser rabbinic authorities but in every level of the nation’s life and commerce—even in the military.

Unlike in America, there is no separation of synagogue and state in Israel. And, unlike in America, which was founded largely on respect for the Bible, Orthodoxy in Israel is established squarely on the teachings of the ancient Pharisees as embodied in their Babylonian Talmud and its mystical/revolutionary companion, the Zohar or Kabbalah. [2]

Both Talmud and Zohar are vehemently anti-Christian. The Talmud views Christ as the bastard son of Mary, a loose woman. He was also a false prophet who led Israel into apostasy. It says Jewish leaders righteously had Him crucified and He now languishes in hell, writhing in boiling semen. (See actual pages from the Talmud confirming this at the end of this article.) Considering such anti-Christian animus from Israel’s highest religious authority, it is understandable why Christian inhabitants of Palestine have fared poorly over the last century. The Encyclopedia of the Palestine Problem documents hundreds of acts of discrimination and persecution against Christians almost since the beginning of the Zionist experiment. [3] These include profanation of Christian churches and holy places as well as a general program of unpublicized harassment and discrimination. Much of the energy behind such anti-Christianity has emerged from the Grand Rabbinate in Jerusalem and the many Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox rabbis under its influence. (Ultra-Orthodox haredim differ from Orthodox primarily in their exaltation of the authority of the Zohar above the Talmud.)

At the turn of the 20 th century, upwards of 20 percent of the inhabitants of Palestine were Christian; but as a result of incessant, long-term discrimination, only 2 percent are Christian today – and that number is shrinking.

Rabbinic War on Christmas

Recent events in Israel leading up to Christmas confirm efforts by the Grand Rabbinate and lesser rabbinic councils to exclude Christianity from Palestine. A recent Ha’aretz article says the Rabbinate stands behind the “'Lobby for Jewish Values" in its attempts to eradicate Christian symbols from Jerusalem, especially during Christmas. They are “condemning the holiday and inciting the public to boycott restaurants and hotels that sell or put up Christmas trees and other ‘foolish’ Christian symbols…” Their intention is to revoke kosher certification for any business that allows a Christian symbol to be displayed, thus probably ruining them. (See Rabbis versus Christmas: Religious rivalry in Jerusalem benefits no one)

Such behavior reflects a deep loathing for Christianity within Talmudic Orthodoxy. WorldNetDaily recently published Ha’aretz’s article “Christians in Jerusalem Want Jews to Stop Spitting on Them.” It begins: “A few weeks ago, a senior Greek Orthodox clergyman in Israel attended a meeting…When he returned to his car, an elderly man wearing a skullcap came and knocked at the window. As the clergyman let the window down, the passerby spat in his face...

Anti-Christianity in Israel is not only fueled by the Orthodox establishment but, incredibly, by evangelical Christians themselves. The Jerusalem Post (Oct 23, 2009) says that evangelicals have donated $70 million a year to Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein’s “International Fellowship of Christians and Jews,” one of a number of Israeli charities accepting millions annually from Christians. But Eckstein admits now that much of it has gone toward support of the very Orthodox and haredi groups most responsible for harassment and persecution of Christians in Israel today! The Post says, “Various haredi organizations in Israel and abroad receive money from the IFCJ or have received support in the past.” Part of the evangelical millions, according to Eckstein, goes to fund orthodox and ultra-orthodox rabbinical organizations as far away as the Ukraine and Morocco, including the Rabbinate in Turkey. (See Christian donor to out haredi recipients)

Every Christian is bound by Scripture to donate first to “those of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10) i.e. Christian churches, missionaries and charities. “Israel-first” evangelicals have no justification for this ungodly drain on Christian resources to assist the persecutors of their brethren...MORE...LINK