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4. 16 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 News 4 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 “For products from Palestine that do not originate from settlements, an indication which does not mislead about the geographical origin, while corresponding to international practice, could be ‘product from the West Bank (Palestinian product)’, ‘product from Gaza’ or ‘product from Palestine’.” (para 9) “For products from the West Bank or the Golan Heights that originate from settlements, an indication limited to ‘product from the Golan Heights’ or ‘product from the West Bank’ would not be acceptable. Even if they designated the wider area or territory from which the product originates, the omission of the additional geographical information that the product comes from Israeli settlements would mislead the consumer as to the true origin of the product. In such cases, the expression ‘Israeli settlement’ or equivalent needs to be added, in brackets, for example. Therefore, expressions such as ‘product from the Golan Heights (Israeli settlement)’ or ‘product from the West Bank (Israeli settlement)’ could be used.” (para 10) The Notice is a strange document. It is not a separate piece of legislation and has no direct binding effect in the Member States. Its status is extremely unclear. The Notice was the subject of much controversy in the Dutch Parliament in 2015. The then Foreign Minister Koenders, in response to questions, answered that the Dutch government regards the Notice as being applicable in the Netherlands. IPC has rejected the NVWA’s demand and refuses to change the labels until there is more clarity about EU law on this issue. Director of Christians for Israel Netherlands, Roger van Oordt, issued a press release stating that the actions of NVWA are “simply anti-Jewish”. “The EU’s Notice makes a distinction between products produced by Jews and products produced by Arabs”, he said. “Labelling was originally intended to ensure food safety. It has become a political instrument to put pressure on the Jewish State of Israel. That is unacceptable.” The Notice is also currently the subject of legal proceedings in France. The Notice has been implemented in French law. The Psagot Winery (whose winery is located in Benjamin, north of Jerusalem) instituted proceedings against the French Minister of Economic Affairs claiming that the Notice is invalid because it is in breach of European law. Particularly, it alleges that the notice is discriminatory because it applies to only one specific instance of ‘occupied’ territories, and not to other cases. The French court referred the question of the validity of the Notice to the European Court of Justice. In mid-June, the Advocate General Hogan issued his advice to the Court, in which he basically confirmed the validity of the Notice. In doing so, he adopted the faulty reasoning of the International Court of Justice in the Wall case (2004) about the status of the territories outside the Green Line. The most concerning aspect of this is that the Advocate General completely ignores the Mandate for Palestine, and rejects out of hand (without giving any reasons) the possibility that Israel may have a legitimate claim to sovereignty over East Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. The Advocate General also states that the ‘occupation’ in itself is illegal. That is a false and misleading statement, as a belligerent occupation is not illegal under international law. But even assuming Judea and Samaria are ‘occupied’, he overlooks that the only thing that is possibly illegal is the Israeli policy to ‘transfer or deport’ Israelis into the ‘occupied’ territories (article 49(6) of the Fourth Geneva Convention). This means that in the case of the Hebron winery, the Dutch authorities would need to prove that the Israeli government enabled, facilitated or encouraged its establishment in Hebron - and that without the government’s support, the winery would not have been established. It is important to note that the AG did not address the arguments of Psagot that this labelling requirement is discriminatory and restricts trade. Further, as the lawyer for Psagot has noted, the AG’s reasoning is very open- ended: the same requirements would have to be applied to all other cases of ‘settlements’ in ‘occupied territories’. In fact, products from any country breaching any aspect of international law would need to mention the illegality on the label. These cases are another example of ‘lawfare’ – the use of law and legal systems to impose a particular political view on others who are opposed to that view. Continued from page 1 Israel is a multi-cultural and very diverse society. There is perhaps no other country in the world that has been faced with the challenge of absorbing so many people from so many countries and cultural backgrounds in such a short period of time. The total population in Israel today is about 8 million people. About 75% are Jews, who can be roughly di vided into ‘Ashkenazi’ and ‘Sephardi’ Jews. They or their ancestors came to Israel over the last 100 years or so from about 100 countries in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Americas and Oceania. About 25% are often referred to as ‘Arabs’, but many of these are neither Arabs nor Muslims: the total number includes many different nationalities and religions including Arab Muslims, Bedouin, Druze and Ahmadiyya, as well as Arameans and other non-Arabs. Of course, Israel is far from perfect, and as the story of Ethiopian Jews shows, there are many problems on the ground. These came to a head recently when 19-year-old Solomon Tekah was killed on 30 June in Haifa, by a bullet fired by an off-duty Israeli police officer. According to The Times of Israel, the officer, who has been arrested, claims “that he was trying to break up a street fight and was set upon by three youths who hurled stones at him, endangering his life. The officer said he did not target Tekah and instead fired at the ground. A Police Internal Investigations Department probe found that the bullet ricocheted on the ground and hit Tekah, fatally wounding him.” The youth’s death sparked off violent protests by Israel’s Ethiopian community, which feels it has been the object of prejudice and discrimination. The government has announced the formation of a task force to tackle complaints of police violence against members of the community. Ther e are about 150,000 Ethiopian Jews in Israel. Most are immigrants and descendants of the immigrants from the Beta Israel communities in Ethiopia. Some are ‘Falash Mura’ – a community of Beta Israel who had converted to Christianity over the past two centuries but were permitted to immigrate to Israel upon returning to Judaism. Most of the community made aliyah to Israel in two waves of mass immigration assisted by the Israeli government: Operation Moses (1984) and Operation Solomon (1991). But the project of bringing the Ethiopian Jews home is far from finished. Many Ethiopian families in Israel are still separated from their loved ones back in Ethiopia. There are still several thousands of Jews in refugee camps in Addis Ababa and Gondar in Ethiopia awaiting aliyah. Once in Israel, Ethiopian Jews face a massive challenge to integrate into a society completely different from where they came from. Shahar Golan reports in The Times of Israel: “The new arrivals from a rural, developing African country struggled to find their footing in an increasingly high-tech Israel. Throughout the decades, Ethiopians have suffered discrimination. In the late 1990s, it was discovered that Israel’s health services were throwing out Ethiopian blood donations over fears of diseases contracted in Africa. Accusations have also been raised that Israel has deliberately tried to curb Israeli-Ethiopian birth rates. Today, Israel’s Ethiopian community number ... some 2 per cent of the country’s 9 million citizens. While some Israelis of Ethiopian descent have made gains in areas like the military, the police force and politics, the community continues to struggle with a lack of opportunity and high poverty rates.” Despite (or perhaps because of) the challenges, there are many examples of Ethiopian Jews who have achieved great success and made major contributions in public service, the arts, science and industry in Israel. One of these is Blue and White Knesset Member Pnina Tamano- Shata, a lawyer who became the first Ethiopian woman to be elected to the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) in 2013. As a three-year-old, she fled the conflict in Ethiopia via refugee camps in Sudan to Israel. “We lived on an extremely tight budget – my parents worked as cleaners – and they did everything in their ability to make us feel happy. When I was 11, I began cleaning in hospitals and old age homes – without my parents even knowing – and I encountered plenty of employers who took advantage of my age and didn’t pay me for my work. These experiences served as an impetus for me to strive for bigger things.” After service in the IDF and earning a law degree, Ms Tamano-Shata became involved in civil service and later became a successful journalist and businesswoman. She has been an ardent activist against discrimination and racism and was awarded the Martin Luther King Award in 2016. “The more I became involved with other people, the more I realised that my experiences growing up as an Ethiopian in Israel had prepared me well to help others, too. I felt like I had a responsibility toward Israeli society to make things better. I began fighting against the racism that I’d experienced all my life. Soon enough, I found myself establishing the headquarters for the struggle for equal rights for Ethiopian Israelis.” The Israeli government faces a huge challenge to ensure the return of the Ethiopian Jews remaining in Ethiopia, and their successful integration into Israeli society. Triumph and Tragedy of Ethiopian Jews Blue and White MK Pnina Tamano-Shata attending a Knesset committee meeting. | Photo: Flash90

13. 5 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Opinion Piece Enoch Lavender Pastoral leader of Shalom Israel and Assistant Pastor at Living Way Christian Network. The End Times is often portrayed as a time of doom and gloom. But that is not the full story! When Peter spoke his famous sermon on the day of Pentecost, he not only spoke to the people in his day, but also shared a key insight about the End Times from a different perspective. The key is found in Acts 3:21 where Peter declares “that He may send Jesus Christ... whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets...” In other words, Peter predicted that the Messiah would return not in a time only known for great turmoil and tribulation, but also in a time period marked by restoration. By definition, this implies that there would be a time of loss for God’s people in the period prior to the End Times—leading up to the time of restoration. Interestingly, the history of Israel and the Church for the past 2000 years precisely follows this pattern. A Period of Loss Since the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, the Jewish people have experienced significant loss. They lost their land; they lost the Temple and also lost the use of the language of Hebrew. Likewise, the Church went through its own dark ages. During this period, church services where held in Latin and were non- intelligible for the common man. The gifts and power of the Spirit were lost and the Church was far from its Jewish roots. However, as we entered the early 19th Century, a period of unprecedented restoration began to take place. A Restored Language As the Jews were scattered all over the world, the language of Hebrew had become extinct except for use in religious ceremonies. But one man named Eliezer Ben Yehuda had a vision to restore the language. Diagnosed with deadly TB at the age of 18, Eliezer none-the-less dedicated himself to bring the ancient language back to life. From 1881 to 1921, Eliezer worked tirelessly and succeeded by the end of his life to see Hebrew recognised as one of three languages in Palestine. The ancient prophet Zephaniah declared “...I will restore to the peoples a pure language” (Zeph 3:9). While this verse definitely predicts the restoration of a pure language, which language is he speaking of? The previous verse contains the clue. Zeph 3:8 is the only verse in the entire Hebrew Bible to contain every single letter of the Hebrew alphabet—including 5 special letters that have a unique form when they appear at the end of words. It seems therefore that Zephaniah predicted this restoration of the Hebrew language that has happened in our day. The language of Hebrew was not the only language that was lost during the time of Israel’s exile. In the early centuries of the church, the gifts of the spirit appeared to die out. However, in the late 18th century, many believers began to earnestly seek and pray for a new Pentecost. On New Years eve 1901 in Topeka Kansas, there was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit evidenced by the speaking in tongues. This was the beginning of a mighty Pentecostal revival which swept the globe. It is fascinating to note that the restoration of the language of the Spirit to the Church happened precisely in the middle of the 40 year period in which Hebrew was being restored to the Jewish nation. Restored Faith in Miracles During the holocaust, many Jews lost their faith in God. A tale is told of a rabbi’s son who witnessed a truck ferrying desperate Jews to the gas chambers of Auschwitz. In desperation, he cried out – “God, stop this truck!” But the truck did not stop, and the young rabbi’s son turned his back on the scene emotionally declaring ‘There is no God’. However, only 3 years later, the infant state of Israel miraculously fended off an invasion from five modern Arab armies. On the battlefield and in successive wars, the Jewish people experienced miracle after miracle of divine protection. 1948 clearly marks the beginning of new move of miracles in the nation of Israel. The church had also lost faith in the God of miracles. For centuries it had been taught that healing was not for today. However, in 1947, a healing revival broke out in the US—which would radically change the churches understanding. Again, there was a dual restoration of Israel and the church—this time in the area of the miraculous. 1967 Restoring Unity During the 1948 war, the city of Jerusalem was divided—and it remained divided until the miraculous 6 day war of 1967. Meanwhile in the Church, the move of the Holy Spirit had become a source of division in the wider body of Christ. 1967 marks the beginning of a significant change—as the Holy Spirit began to be poured out in mainstream denominations including the Anglican and Catholic churches. Thus 1967 marked a period of restored unity for both Israel and the Church. The Ongoing Restoration Since 1948, Israel has experienced a 16-fold increase in its harvest—and this tiny, dry and desolate land has literally become the fruit bowl of many nations. Meanwhile, the church has experienced an unprecedented harvest in global evangelism. I believe the greatest is still to come—I believe the church is going to be restored to a fuller and deeper understanding of the Jewish roots of our faith in the years ahead. I believe also that we are going to see a greater move of the Holy Spirit in our midst—restoring and bringing us back to the power displayed in the book of Acts. I believe Israel is also going to experience further restoration—to inherit the full extent of her promised land and ultimately be restored back to her Messiah! Truly the Messiah is going to come in a time of restoration—and we are now closer than ever! ________________________________________________________ Ps. Enoch and Sarah Lavender Enoch is the Pastoral leader of Shalom Israel and serves as Assistant Pastor at Living Way Christian Network. Sarah is a graduate of the Caleb Company training program and has led a ministry tour to Israel and been involved in many aspects of local church ministry. I believe the church is going to be restored to a fuller and deeper understanding of the Jewish roots of our faith The Dual Restoration of Israel and the Church

17. 9 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Opinion Piece Dr Ron Weiser AM Hon Life Pres of the Zionist Council of NSW The amazing thing about coming to Israel, perhaps especially in summer, is that for all of the fears that people outside of Israel have for her, apparently Israelis themselves are not troubled nearly as much as her supporters overseas are. In Australia we worry for Israel about Iran. We worry about Israel not having a government. We worry about many things. Talking to Israelis in the streets, these issues seemingly are almost as it were, being taken care of—yihye b’seder!—she’ll be right mate! The beaches, the hotels, the restaurants— once again, are all full. Politically, if anyone did want to discuss the next elections, most people cannot believe that Netanyahu will lose, but at the same time, cannot see how he would form a government. Same same. Having been to visit Auschwitz (where my mother had been incarcerated) previously and privately, this was however our first time also visiting the general area my parents were born in and came to Australia from, after enduring the Shoah. We travelled from Budapest to Munich via Bratislava, Vienna, Krems, Linz, Cesky Krumlov and Passau. In each place we took a guided tour, visited synagogues where they existed (functioning and not) and sampled the very few kosher restaurants in operation. It did not matter where we went, there were features in common. Many of my friends and people whose opinion I respect, have been trying to convince me that Germany et al have learnt their lessons, have erected many memorials and museums and are working to ensure that the past cannot be repeated. They may even be right in small part, but I came away with no such feeling. Yes, Holocaust denial is against the law across some 16 European countries—and when it occurs, action is indeed taken. But I was left with a deep impression of something that I think is worse—Holocaust silence or omission—not a denial, but a wiping out of that period altogether from Europe’s memory. And a revisionist view of the role of much of the populations of Germany and the surrounding countries. In the current representations put to us: the people had limited roles in anything that was bad; the life of the Jew was more or less good before the NAZIs came along and who appeared as if by magic; and the true victims were everybody. That is, in their narrative, the victims were all of the people of Europe— which in a way they were once they suffered the consequences of their actions. But the guides’ emphasis was always strongly on the consequences—the Allied invasions and subsequent damages—and not on the home grown causes. With eight different guides (in buses full of people), in eight different cities there were some oft repeated themes—and remember that these are officially trained guides, who go through approved courses. They’re not just making it up as they go along: • Initially, no mention of the Shoah at all. There was WW1 and then a big jump to how horrible communism was and the suffering that occurred for decades under Soviet rule. When asked by myself about the Shoah, the response each time was very similar—it was “a horrible period”, and guides stressed, it was “especially important to note that not only the Jews suffered” and in fact whatever country we were in, they all claimed to be victims of the NAZIs themselves. According to the guides, the emphasis was always firstly and mainly on the continual suffering of the general populations of Europe under Nazism, then the Allied bombings and invasion and then the Soviets. • In Bavaria when I asked the Passau guide if there was a Jewish community there or a synagogue I could visit, he told me with some relief that no Jews were killed in Passau during WW2. Initially I thought that the residents there must indeed be very special. But, he went on to say, the Jews of Passau had been wiped out in the Middle Ages and there had not been a Jewish community there since. What a relief for the good citizens of Passau. • Centuries of anti-Semitism and a Europe soaked in Jewish blood—not denied, but simply minimised or ‘overlooked’. • When pushed, guides said that life for Jews in their respective towns and countries was by and large quite good with a typical response being that “prior to the NAZIs invading us, there was almost no anti-Semitism at all.” In particular, the Hungarian guide was insistent on this point. I guess she had forgotten about the 1920 Numerus Clausus, Hungary having been the first country in Europe to enact these restrictions on Jews. Or the Arrow Cross. Or... • Memorials where they existed in these places at all, were almost exclusively to “the victims of National Socialism”, particularly in Munich, where by the way, when touring the Olympic Stadium, not a single mention was made of the massacre of the Israeli athletes there in 1972. In some ways, even many ways, it felt like being back in my childhood home albeit in Australia, but with strong European influences. Being in these parts of Europe caused me some nostalgia and conflicted love/hate type feelings. But the future for Jews in Europe seems very bleak to me. And if Hungary indeed has Europe’s third largest Jewish population, well that does not inspire confidence in the future at all. On reflection, it seemed to me that compared to Europe, Israelis are correct. Although their neighbourhood is bad, Israelis have the ability and will to defend themselves. There was a world of difference between the security we felt as Jews and for Jews whilst in Israel, compared to the European countries we visited. ________________________________________________________ Dr Ron Weiser AM is a Life Member of the ZFA Executive, Past President of the ZFA and Hon Life Pres of the Zionist Council of NSW. ...the guides’ emphasis was... not on the home grown causes. Is the Holocaust being wiped from European’s Memories? PHOTO: Auschwitz II-Birkenau (German death camp), Oświęcim, Poland. Nelson Pérez , Wikipedia

24. 24 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Andrew Tucker n International Editor | Christians for Israel It was former Israeli diplomat Abba Eban who once famously stated: “The Arabs never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity”. Today, an increasing number of Arab leaders are realising they may have a unique opportunity they should not miss. It is the Palestinians who are missing yet another opportunity to achieve the independence for which they yearn. In late June a conference was held in the Bahraini capital Manama to launch the United States ‘Peace to Prosperity’ initiative. The conference was attended by some Arab finance ministers, heads of international financial organisations, and private sector business executives and investors from dozens of states. The $50 billion ‘Peace to Prosperity’ plan envisions a global investment fund to lift the Palestinian and neighbouring Arab state economies. It aims in 10 years to create a million new jobs, slashing unemployment and improving living standards in the West Bank, Gaza and across the Middle East. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner said his plan for the Middle East was “the opportunity of the century” for the Palestinians, but their acceptance was a precondition to peace. “Agreeing on an economic pathway forward is a necessary precondition to resolving the previously unsolvable political issues,” Kushner said. “To be clear, economic growth and prosperity for the Palestinian people are not possible without an enduring and fair political solution to the conflict — one that guarantees Israel’s security and respects the dignity of the Palestinian people.” “My direct message to the Palestinian people is that despite what those who have let you down in the past say, President Trump and America have not given up on you,” Kushner said. “For too long the Palestinian people have been trapped in an inefficient framework of the past,” said Kushner, criticising the “conventional wisdom” about peacemaking. “In meeting after meeting and conference after conference I hear the same broken record of negativity about why progress is not possible,” he said. Meanwhile, the Palestinian people were being left behind. He said his goal was to encourage those assembled to “begin thinking about these challenges in a new way.” The proposal has been rejected by the PLO because it does not include a framework for resolving their conflict with Israel. The Palestinian political leadership utterly rejects normalisation of relations with Israel. At one extreme, the radical Islamic parties such as Hamas utterly reject the existence of a Jewish political entity of any kind and openly seek the violent annihilation of the State of Israel. The more secular PLO/Fatah elite based in Ramallah demands the creation of a Palestinian state within the ‘1967 borders’, even at the expense of economic advancement of their people (hence their boycott of the Trump-sponsored ‘Peace to Prosperity’ initiative). “We don’t need the Bahrain meeting to build our country, we need peace, and the sequence of (the plan) – economic revival followed by peace is unrealistic, and an illusion,” Palestinian Finance Minister Shukri Bishara explained on the sidelines of a meeting of Arab finance ministers in Cairo. “First of all, give us our land and our freedom.” US Palestinian businessman Sam Bahour called the Bahrain conference a ‘circus’ and defended the Palestinian boycott. ‘How many more attempts will it take to convince people that Palestinians’ rights are inalienable and not for sale?’ I personally witnessed the PL O’s intransigence a few weeks ago, when I participated in a meeting with the PLO’s Negotiation Affairs Department at the PLO headquarters in Ramallah, together with a delegation of lawyers from Singapore, Australia and the Netherlands. At the meeting, the PLO representatives presented the PLO’s case. Essentially, they argued that the Israeli occupation is the sole cause of Palestinian suffering. Remove the occupation, and their problems will be resolved. They refused to condemn Palestinian terrorism or to acknowledge any Palestinian responsibilit y for their own plight. The cause of their problems is the existence of the State of Israel, and the only solution is full Israeli withdrawal to the ‘1967 lines’ (with a possibility of land swaps). Despite the Palestinian boycott, the Bahrain conference may nevertheless bear fruit. According to Jeffrey Sonnefeld, who moderated many of the sessions in Bahrain, the Bahrain conference was – perhaps because of the absence of the Palestinians and Israelis – a greater success than generally acknowledged. “The Bahrain summit’s projection of a spirit of hope, from Palestinian and Israeli business leaders and their peers around the globe, provides a welcome response to the growing dismay among younger people in the region - and a counter to growing cynicism about the failures of Israeli and Palestinian political leadership. Weary of decades of violence, younger people are demanding change and are open to a direct appeal from their Arab neighbours. The plans discussed in Bahrain offer younger people a path to become relevant and effective.” There are many divergent opinions and aspirations within Palestinian society. Many ordinary Palestinians, while desirous of Palestinian autonomy, are frustrated by the corruption and intractable political ‘rejectionism’ of their leaders, and would like to see closer cooperation (economic, political and personal) between Jews, Palestinians, Israelis and Arabs. For more information about the Palestinians, we recommend you read The Palestinians – Myths and Martyrs by Johannes Gerloff, available from amazon.com. ISNB: 978-3944603124. White House senior adviser Jared Kushner giving a speech at the opening of the ‘Peace to Prosperity’ workshop in Manama, Bahrain. | Photo: AFP Israel & the Palestinians 12 Palestinians Miss Another Opportunity August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Israel’s Story in Maps Map 6| Second Partition, 1947 n UN proposes partition - Israel accepts; Arabs reject and go to war On 29 November 1947, the UN voted on a proposal to partition the territory of Mandate Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state. 33 countries voted for the plan, 13 against (including the Arab countries), and 10 countries abstained. The Jews accepted the decision and worked towards implementing it. However, the Arab leadership in the area, the Arab League and other Arab states rejected the offer outright. Thus, it never became a binding agreement. Following that rejection, the Arabs immediately took up arms and began fighting the not-yet-born State of Israel. The partition idea died in infancy because the Arab side rejected it. In May 1948, after the British Army left the Land of Israel, 7 Arab armies and other irregular forces invaded the newly created State of Israel with the goal of destroying it. They failed. Map 7 | Map of Israel - 10 June 1967 n In 1951, Jordan had annexed Judea and Samaria, a move which was not recognised by the international community nor the Arab League. During the Six Day War, Israel urged Jordan not to join Egypt and Syria in the fighting; however, King Hussein opened fire on Israel. During this war, Israel conquered Judea, Samaria, the Golan Heights, Sinai and the Gaza Strip and assumed administrative control over these areas. In 1967, the Israeli Knesset extended Israel’s legal and administrative jurisdiction to all of Jerusalem and expanded the city’s municipal borders. In 1981, Israel extended its legal control of the Golan Heights and all the Sinai was returned to Egypt in 1982. Egypt rejected the offer to regain the Gaza Strip. In 1988, Jordan’s King Hussein declared that Judea and Samaria were not part of the Jordanian kingdom, leaving Judea and Samaria a legal ‘no-man’s land’. In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew from the G aza Strip, expelled its Jewish population and destroyed all the Jewish communities there.

1. 13 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 5 Pray for Jerusalem Understanding Israel and world events from a Biblical perspective & Christians Today ISRAEL August 2019 Av - Elul 5779 Israel & Christians Today is the premier publication of Christians for Israel 7 Rev Cornelis ‘Down-under’ 11 Walking in the Dust 13 Neil Armstrong - Jerusalem Roger van Oordt, Director of Christians for Israel Netherlands Labelling ‘Settlement’ Products - More Politics than Law The governments of France and the Netherlands are trying to compel importers of products made by Israelis in the ‘West Bank’ to inform consumers that they have been made in ‘Israeli settlements’. These cases are testing the validity of the EU’s policy that ‘East Jerusalem’ and the ‘West Bank’ do not belong to Israel. The Israel Products Centre (IPC), a Dutch company connected with the non-profit organisation Christians for Israel that publishes this newspaper, imports a wider range of products from pr oducers in Israel and sells them in the Netherlands and several other European countries. Amongst these are certain wines produced in a winery located in Hebron, south of Jerusalem in what is known as ‘Area C’ under the Oslo agreements. The Dutch Food and Commodities Authority (NVWA) carried out a surprise ‘investigation’ at IPC’s distribution centre in Nijkerk in mid-April 2019. Three inspectors came unannounced. At the end of the visit, they stated that IPC is breaching the law and can expect to receive a letter specifying the breaches and the required changes. Later, the NVWA sent a notice to IPC stating that the ‘Product of Israel’ labels on the ‘Judea Winery’ and ‘Hebron Heights’ wines (which are produced in Hebron) are ‘misleading’ within the meaning of EU Regulation 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers as implemented in the Netherlands. IPC must ‘immediately’ amend the labels and website in order to comply with this regulation. The NVWA says it is required to comply with the ‘Interpretative Notice’ 2015/C 375/05 published by the European Commission on 12 November 2015 (‘Notice’), and that therefore IPC is also bound by the Notice. The Notice was issued by former EU High Commissioner Mogherini to the Member States. She said she was just implementing EU policy that all territory outside the Green Line is ‘not a part of Israel’s territory’. According to the European Commission, the Notice was issued in order to clarify to consumers, market players and national authorities how EU legislation concerning the indication of origin applies to products ‘from Israeli- occupied territories’. Continued on page 4 AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA www.c4israel.com.au | info@c4israel.com.au

8. 20 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 C4I Happenings 8 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Chan Siew Fong n Christians for Israel Asia Regional Trainer with input from Ms Shanti Pandey Adhikari The Christians for Israel International 6th Asia Pacific Leadership and Training Conference held in June 2019 in Kathmandu, Nepal was exceptional in at least two ways. Firstly, the conference took less than three months from conception at the Christians for Israel (C4I) Forum in Israel in March to implementation from 3 to 5 June. This was possible because of the amazing work of our hosts, Message of Hope Ministry, the organising committee and staff helmed by Reverend Dr Simon Pandey, C4I Representative in Nepal, who was introduced to the C4I family by Ian Worby, C4I National Leader for Australia. Secondly, the initial response of 50 participants grew from 50 to 200 over the few days before the conference began, so the venue – Hankook Inn, at Lalitpur – was filled to overflowing. Among the local conferees, there were more than 60 participants from outside Kathmandu. International participants included delegates from Australia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Nepali conferees were astonished at the revelations they received from our speakers concerning Israel, having never heard from this perspective before. Leaders from Tikapur in the far west of Nepal, who had bussed almost 16 hours to Kathmandu for this milestone conference, were among those who attested to the fresh insights received. The Christians for Israel teaching team was headed by Reverend Willem Glashouwer and Reverend Cornelis Kant and supported by C 4I Asia Regional Trainers, Reverend Dr Conrado Lumahan, Brother Kuen Yoon and Sister Siew Fong. Organisational powerhouses, our indefatigable C4I Asia-Pacific Director, Reverend Dr Wilson Ng and Sister Shanti Pandey Adhikari from Message of Hope Ministry, smoothed out all aspects of the conference programme. Excited whispers permeated the hall on the third morning in anticipation of the arrival of Israel’s ambassador to Nepal, His Excellency Benny Omer. His half-hour address touched on Nepal’s longstanding relationship with Israel as well as ini tiatives of organisations in Israel to mentor young Nepalis in agriculture and education. For example, local youths may intern in Israel and return to run farms to grow the economy. By helping Nepalis to operate sustainable businesses, Israel can help to stem the brain drain of bright Nepalis to other countries. Ambassador Omer won the hearts of all who were present with his warmth and understanding of the nation’s challenges, effectively building a bridge between the Embassy and the Christian community represented at the conference. Ambassador Omer was gifted wi th books by Reverend Glashouwer, a copy of Israel and Christians Today newspaper and a copy of the Israel 70 Years magazine. The two-and-a-half-days conference ended with prayers for Israel by national leaders, followed by photo-taking, with requests and assurances of further training and dialogue. The organising team has received many letters and messages from participants expressing their gratitude for inviting them to this conference. Many pastors and church leaders were blessed by the conference sessions. Several have requested audio recordings of Reverend Willem’s teaching. Participants are looking forward to receiving the Nepali version of Reverend Glashouwer’s Why Jerusalem ? and Why End Times?, and to attend the next Christians for Israel conference. Exceptional Kathmandu Conference From left: Rev Dr Pandey, Ian Worby, HE Ambassador Omer, Rev Glashouwer, Shanti Pandey, Rev Cornelis Kant, Rev Dr Wilson Ng and Rev Dr Lumahan James E. Patrick n National Representative | Christians for Israel UK The European Nepali-Speaking Christian Network was established in 2015, to bring together Nepali believers with Nepali-speaking Bhutanese refugees from all over Europe who are coming to Christ in large numbers. Their conference on 25-27 July 2019, attended by between two and three hundred people from ten countries, was initiated and planned by Bimala Sada in her home town of Bradford, England, after a surprising encounter with Israel just a few months earlier this year. Bimala had travelled to Israel to visit friends who work with CMJ, but being a Christian from a Hindu background, she had rejected the common Hindu worship of holy places, so did not expect Israel to be special. But she was surprised by the presence of God in the Garden of Gethsemane and at the Western Wall, and heard Jesus tell her that He had truly been there. This is a big difference with Hindu religious stories that never actually happened. She asked Garth Gilmour of CMJ if he could come and speak about Israel to Nepali-speakers, but he recommended James Patrick in his place, knowing that James was the UK representative of Christians for Israel. In James’ message on the Friday morning, he was translated into Nepali by Bimala. He told the story of Israel’s calling to live with God in the land as a blessing to all nations, and yet how Israel’s sin had resulted in their exile among all nations. He quoted Jesus’ promise, as the prophets said, to gather both exiled Jews and others from all nations and restore them to God as one flock. He encouraged them that God has appointed times and boundaries for every nation, and when Jesus has united believers of all nations to help the Jewish people return, then when He comes again, every nation will dwell in peace in its own land under God. The God of Israel fulfils His promise to regather the exiles from all nations, and Israel is the pattern. Many of the Bhutanese refugees are illiterate, and Bimala explained that this would have been the first time they had ever heard about Israel. But copies of Rev Willem Glashouwer’s book Why Israel? translated into Nepali, that were provided by Christians for Israel, were eagerly received by those at the conference, including many church leaders. A large number of English-speaking Nepali young people were also present, and they had many good questions for James afterwards. There is now an open door to return and speak more in future. Israel Gives Hope to Nepali-Speaking Refugees Dr James E. Patrick with conference organiser and translator Bimala Sada. | Photo: James E. Patrick

5. 17 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast 5 Rev Willem JJ Glashouwer n President | Christians for Israel International A question that has been haunting me for many years is: “Where was the Church”? Today the question that is constantly on my mind is: “Where is the Church”? And that leads to a final question: “Where will the Church be”? On 25-26 June 2019, I had the privilege to speak at the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast conference in The Hague. The theme of this meeting was: Anti-Semitism. Christian, Jewish and secular leaders came together to speak out publicly against the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe today, and reaffirm the importance of the Jewish people. The opening session took place in the very impressive ‘Ridderzaal’ (‘Hall of Knights’) of the Dutch Parliament. Originally built in the 13th century, in a way this impressive building personifies European public life. Each year, the Dutch monarch delivers a speech in this place to the Parliament. This is the very location in which the Nazi leadership installed the Austrian Arthur Seyss- Inquart as Reichskommissar in Nazi-occupied Netherlands in 1940, leading to the slaughter in the next few years of over 70% of the Dutch Jewish population in the Nazi concentration camps – the highest percentage in Europe. So it was highly significant that the Jewish people could be honoured here, eighty years later. Europe has an appalling history of anti-Semitism. Just read Simon Wiesenthal’s book: Every Day Remembrance Day: A Chronicle of Jewish Martyrdom. This chilling calendar of horrors brings together over a thousand entries detailing atrocities committed against Jewish people over the past 2000 years. Items from diverse centuries are clustered under the dates on which they occurred: on August 23, for instance, we find the massacre of the Jewish population of Koric Ukraine in 1648, and a Gestapo shooting of 16 Jews in 1942. Often the question is asked: “Where was God”? One of the leading ‘God is dead’ theologians once said: “Since Auschwitz, I cannot believe in God any more. At least, not in a concept of God as a personal reality Who is involved in the history of this world”. One day a Jewish rabbi answered her: “Maybe even after Auschwitz I still can believe in God, but I cannot believe in Man anymore.” My question after 2000 years of Christian anti-Semitism is not: ‘Where was God’? But my question is: ‘Where was the Church when the Jewish people needed her’? One of the most famous Dutch theologians Dr Hans Jansen (1931-201 9) once said: “The verbal attacks and boycott calls by a variety of Western Protestant, mainly liberal, denominations, as well as the World Council of Churches, have raised new interest in the origins of Christian anti-Semitism and in particular its Protestant version. “Among the Protestants’ founding fathers, Martin Luther was particularly anti-Semitic. His writings were precursors of twentieth-century National Socialist texts. Adolf Hitler, Joseph Goebbels, and Julius Streicher gladly quoted from Luther’s works, even if he never recommended the physical destruction of the Jews. Luther did, however, advise burning synagogues in honour of God and Christianity, confiscating Jewish books, and expelling Jews from Christian countries. In 1985, the World Federation of Lutheran Churches distanced itself from these statements of Luther. Other sixteenth-century Protestant reformers such as John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, and Philipp Melanchthon also considered Judaism archaic but were against drawing operational conclusions from this. Another reformer, Martin Bucer, took a more favourable position toward the Jews – that is, to support the Jews. Now that anti-Semitism is rearing its ugly head again today, my question is: Where is the Church? What is the Church doing to counter anti-Semitism? I suspect that in the current anti-Israel positions of liberal Western churches, non-theological influences are probably more important than theological influences. Blaming Jews is for many of them a question of protecting their own spiritual welfare and of avoiding having to look into the mirror at our own past. For several decades there has been in many Jewish circles the impression that Christian anti-Semitism was declining and would fade away in the course of a generation or two. This perception stemmed mainly from the major post-Holocaust policy change by the Roman Catholic Church in its attitude toward the Jews. But the churches have taught antipathy to Jews for two thousand years. It is a mistake to think this can be overturned in a few decades. The new expressions of Christian hatred toward Israel reflect deep psychological processes. Somehow, aversion to Jews (and therefore aversion to a Jewish State) is ingrained in our thinking in Europe. So my concern is: Where will the Church be tomorrow when the Jewish people need our help? This is a real, existential question for the Church. Jesus will ask us when He comes back in glory as it is written in Matthew 25:31-46. “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the peo ple one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left... Then He will say to those on His left, “Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink, I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in, I needed clothes, and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison, and you did not look after Me... Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did not do for Me. Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Where is the Church? Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Marie-Louise Weissenböck n Christians for Israel Austria A few days before Shavuot (Pentecost), from 4-6 June 2019, the third Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast (JPB) was hosted in Jerusalem, Israel. The JPB is a prayer movement that exists to gather government leaders and key individuals to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the prosperity of Israel in alignment with Psalm 122. Initiated and chaired by the former Knesset member and chairman of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus, Robert Ilatov, the JPB is co-chaired by former United States Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and administered by the JPB director Albert Veksler. The inaugural breakfast was first held in Jerusalem in June 2017 to celebrate and commemorate 50 years of a reunited Jerusalem. Since then the JPB each year has brought together Christian leaders, rabbis, Israeli officials and MPs from around the world. This year the JPB hosted around 650 delegates from over 60 countries. A letter from President Trump was read at the gathering, in which he reaffirmed the United States’ longstanding commitment to future peace and security for the region., as well as the fact that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. Netanyahu expressed to all participants his thanks for their dedication and lasting friendship in a letter of welcome: “At a time when efforts are being made to deny the Jewish people’s 3,000-year-old connection to Jerusalem, we appreciate your efforts to recognise history and to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” Rabbi Aryeh Lightstone, senior advisor to the US Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, urged the participants “to pray harder”. “Your prayers are going straight to heaven. SO much more needs to be done for Jerusalem.” Rabbi Tuly Weisz, head of Israel 365 and a keynote speaker at the event, emphasised the political importance of what was essentially an interfaith gathering. “The people who attend do so in the knowledge that prayer is the way to push plans forward,” he said. The rabbi cited Ruth as the archetypal non-Jew praying for the Jewish people. To conclude the event, Rabbi Weisz led the participants in a recitation of Ruth 1:16: ‘But Ruth replied, “Do not urge me to leave you, to turn back and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go; wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”’ (The Israel Bible). August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 MK Robert Ilatov and Albert Veksler greet the participants of the JPB 2019 | Photo: Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast JPB Director, Albert Veksler opens the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast 2019 with a word of greeting. | Photo: Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast Inside the Ridderzaal, The Hague | Photo: Shutterstock

26. 26 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Rev Henk Poot n Christians for Israel Netherlands We started our journey in the north of Samaria, at Ebal and Gerizim, where Abram entered the land. From there we continued along the ancient route of the patriarchs towards the south, through the hills of Manasseh, Ephraim and finally the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. Our last stop there was Bethel, where the Mount of Olives came into sight in the distance. To the east, between the rugged mountains and valleys of Samaria and the Jordan, lies the Jordan Valley. This valley is approximately ten kilometres wide and 80 kilometres long (roughly six miles wide and fifty miles long), marked by Jericho in the south and Beth Shean in the north. It is devastatingly hot. In the summer, temperatures here soar to over 50 ° C (122 ° F), and it rains for no more than a few weeks per year. With this in mind, it is amazing to see that the valley has become a beautiful agricultural area. Plantations of date palms and other crops stretch as far as the eye can see. This was the territory of the prophets Elijah and Elisha and also where the Israelites entered the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua. The Valley of Achor In Jericho, you can still see part of the burnt walls of the biblical city of Jericho. There is not much left of them. It reminds you of the famous story: for seven days, the people walked around the city, according to God’s command. On the seventh day, they walked around it seven times. Then the priests began to blow their shofars, Israel shouted, and the impenetrable walls of Jericho collapsed. Beyond Jericho, the people set up their tents on an enormous plain. But when they went up to Ai in the hills of Benjamin they were defeated, much to their surprise. As a result, the plain came to be called the Valley of Achor, which literally means ‘misfortune valley’ or ‘valley of sorrow’. The cause of this defeat was the sin of Achan, who had taken some of the riches of Jericho for himself. Because of this, God’s anger was over Israel as a dark shadow. Joshua lay on his face before God and pleaded with Him, and the Lord pointed him towards Achan. When the judgement on Achan was completed, God opened a new future after all, and during a new campaign, Ai was defeated. A New Beginning In Hosea, we come across the name of the valley again (Hosea 2). When God punished His people with failed harvests and hunger because they had chosen to worship Baals, God made way for a new beginning in the middle of all the suffering. God will lead you into a desert, Hosea told the people, but it is there that God will speak to your heart again. Then you will love Him again, and He will make you His bride for eternity. The Valley of Achor will become a door of hope, a petah tikva. I am standing on the edge of the plain, with the Jewish village Yitav just behind me. Here the children of Jews from the former Soviet Union have made a new beginning. It was not easy. Especially the older residents are still Russian to the bone and have held on to habits from the hard life of their past. There are many social problems, and many children struggle to keep up in school. But it is great to see that there are initiatives. A few young teachers are working hard to help their students catch up and excel, and we, in turn, help where we can to reopen a door of hope in the valley of sorrow. The Biblical Heartland 14 View of the modern city of Jericho. | Photo: Wikimedia Commons Kassan at Yitav, at the edge of the Valley of Achor. | Photo: Flash90 Beautiful hill formations in the Jordan Valley. | Photo: Flash90 Valley of Achor Jerusalem The Valley of Hope Never Lose a Sock with BT Beacon Tags An Israeli startup, Wiliot, founded in 2017 by three Israeli entrepreneurs, has developed a technology to keep you from losing socks in the wash. This is just one of dozens of examples that the R&D team from Caesarea-based Wiliot is spinning to promote the benefits which its battery-free Bluetooth beacon tags may bring to consumers and manufacturers, starting as early as 2020. Wiliot’s main product is a postage stamp-sized Bluetooth beacon that can be attached just about anywhere – on clothing, on medicine bottles, inside appliances, even behind wallpaper. Bluetooth beacons, essentially tiny radio transmitters, generate a signal that can be read by another device – say, your phone or refrigerator. The small beacons can track how often you wear a garment or report if something is missing in the fridge or a medicine is running out. | Photo: Shutterstock Baptismal Font Discovered In the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem, archaeologists discovered a late antique baptismal font during restoration work. Experts around the globe are now analysing the baptismal font, located within the existing baptismal font. The stone material is the same as that used to build the columns of the Church of Nativity. The experts suspect that the baptismal font dates back to the church’s construction period. Vandalism in Prague The Prague memorial monument for the Jewish children who managed to escape the Nazis has been vandalised. The monument commemorates Sir Nicholas Winton who managed to bring 669 Jewish children to the United Kingdom by train. The vandals removed a window from the monument and then vandalised it. | Photo: antisemitism.org.il Short News August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779

21. 21 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Interview 9 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Sara van Oordt n Christians for Israel Netherlands Jerusalem is one of the most complex places on earth. We asked Chaim Silberstein (left ) from Keep Jerusalem for a straight-forward explanation of what we need to know about the city to understand the current situation. “Let me just start with this: there is nothing straightforward about Jerusalem. But I will explain it plainly with an example. Imagine Jerusalem is a five-story building. The first floor is the geography – the ground level, so to speak. They are simply understanding where the borders of Jerusalem are. Where are the city limits? Where is the east, w here is the west, the north, the south? What was part of the city before 1967 and what was part of it afterwards? That is the base. Then you have the next floor up – demographics, population. For example, how many Jews, Arabs, and Christians live in Jerusalem? Where do they live? That is an important aspect of understanding Jerusalem. “Now we move up to the third story. This is the legal floor. Many people in Europe accuse Israel of building illegally in East Jerusalem or illegally occupying Palestinian land. But whose is Jerusalem really according to international law? We, as religious people, believe that God gave us this land. It says so in the Bible. “The fourth floor is security. Which security challenges and threats face Jerusalem? How do we deal with them, and where do they come from? “These floors, which we have built up one by one, bring us to the penthouse at the top – understanding the strategic challenges facing Jerusalem. In other words, what should we do about the future of Jerusalem? Where are we going? If you want to understand the options for the future of Jerusalem (should Jerusalem remain united, should it be divided, what will bring peace), if you want to understand these incredibly difficult questions, you need to understand the bottom few stories.” Jerusalem Floor by Floor “Let’s take the building that is Jerusalem apart and take a closer look at each floor. We’ll start at the bottom, the geography. In 1967, during the Six-day War, Israel was attacked by Jor dan. Thank God, we were able to defeat Jordan, and East Jerusalem was liberated after nineteen years of Jordanian occupation. Jerusalem was reunited. As a result, the Israeli government moved the limits of Jerusalem to the limits as we know them today. That is geography. Now let’s move on to the demographics, [the second floor]. Approximately 890,000 people live in the city. Of these roughly 300,000 are Arab – living primarily in the eastern part of the city, and roughly 550,000 Jews – about half of which live in the eastern part of the city and half in the western part. If you look at the total population of the city, about forty per cent is Arab. This is the reason for concern because in recent years, the number of Arab residents has increased, and the number of Jewish residents has decreased. Jews can no longer afford to live in the city, and job options are limited, so they move to other places with more affordable housing and better employment opportunities. In contrast, Arabs are moving into Jerusalem. They usually build [housing] illegally and can find work. If this trend continues, they would be able to ‘take over’ the city council. After all, they can vote. “As we go on to the third floor, the law, we see another problem. Arabs often think that we, the Jews, stole the land. That is not true. If someone who believes this would become mayor, however, and maybe make Jerusalem a sort of caliphate or Hamas state, it would be very bad for Israel and freedom and democracy, as well as for Christianity.” Lack of Knowledge “If you dig a little deeper and get to know the history a bit, you will see that we never stole someone’s country. The people who say that we claim Palestinian land as our own are either misinformed or subconsciously antisemitic. Only a minority are antisemitic and wants to drive us out of our land. The large majority of people who think that we are on Palestinian land are simply misinformed or ignorant of the facts.” Jerusalem in a Nutshell On 17 July, over 250 Jews arrived in Israel from France, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina and Russia. So far it is the largest group of olim (Jewish immigrants) that came to Israel this year. It is the start of a new ‘season’ of Jews exchanging their native country for their new homeland. The youngest to arrive was two months old, the oldest 79 years old. Fleeing Anti-Semitism The seven immigrants from Venezuela fled a country disrupted by violence, a failing economy, lack of food and massive protests. The country’s previous president often used anti-Semitic language to criticise the country's financial situation. This anti-Semitism convinced many Jews to leave, and the current crisis is only contributing to this. Warm Welcome It was a warm welcome. Literally, because a heat wave plagued Tel Aviv. But also the enthusiasm of all present was heart-warming: Hundreds of family members were present to welcome the travellers. Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, Minister Yoav Galant of Aliyah and Integration, and Jewish Agency Chairman Isaac Herzog were present. And a few representatives of Christians for Israel were also there to welcome the new immigrants on your behalf. In the coming months, thousands of Jews will return to Israel. Thanks to your support, we can help. Will you join us in offering these people a hopeful future in the promised land? For AUD $288, you help one Jewi sh man or woman home from Ukraine and the former Soviet Union. You can donate by completing the coupon on the back page. Over 250 Jews Arrive in their homeland: Israel New immigrants arrive at Ben Gurion Airport. | Photo: David Vandeputte, Christians for Israel Belgium India Votes with Israel Jackson Richman n JNS | Article courtesy of Unitedwithisrael.com For the first time ever, India voted in June with Israel at the United Nations against granting observer status to a Palestinian human-rights organisation named ‘Shahed’. The motion at the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) was rejected by a 28-14 tally. “Thank you India for standing with ‘Israel in UN’ and rejecting the request of terrorist organisation ‘Shahed’ to obtain the status of an observer in UN. Together we will continue to act against terrorist organisations that intend to harm,” tweeted Maya Kadosh, deputy chief of mission at the Israel embassy in India. “This is a good sign... India was the first country to support us amongst the Asia group, so we are very happy.” “This is a truly historic vote. By taking a principled stand at the United Nations, India has finally broken a voting pattern reminiscent of the Cold War era,” Vijeta Uniyal, founder of Indians for Israel, told JNS. “In my opinion, the position taken today by Prime Minister Modi’s government finally reflects the long-held of wishes and attitudes of the Indian people.” UN Building, New York City | Photo: Shutterstock New olim arrive at Ben Gurion airport and receive their Israeli passport. | Photo: David Vandeputte, Christians for Israel Belgium

15. 7 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Jill Curry Article Continued... the Miphkad altar was aligned east of the Temple near its summit especially to allow the high priest to see into the Temple precincts when he sacrificed the red heifer and threw its blood in the direction of the Holy of Holies. Currently, the Mosque of the Ascension is located at the southern summit of the Mount of Olives in line with the Dome of the Rock and the Russian church of the Ascension is close by. This would make the location of the New Testament Miphkad altar somewhere in that vicinity, and the site of the Crucifixion close to this point. The Tomb If this were the site of the crucifixion then there must be a tomb nearby. There are a number of first century tombs on the Mount of Olives, but the best candidate is probably the one in the grounds of the Pater Noster (Our Father) Church near the summit of the Mount of Olives, at the crossroads of the road to Bethphage and the road along the top of the Mount of Olives. It has the remains of a 4th century Byzantine church built over a cave with an adjacent first century burial complex. When the Jewish believers returned to Jerusalem, they were not allowed to enter Hadrian’s Aelia Capitolina, and so set up their headquarters on the Mount of Olives, the ‘new Zion’ (Eusebius, Proof of the Gospel VI:18). The earliest pre-Constantine historians and visitors talk about visiting a CAVE on the Mount of Olives (Eusebius, Proof of the Gospel VI:18). The easiest way to build a tomb in the first century was to chip into the sides of a pre-existing limestone cave. Most burial chambers at this time had an entrance chamber (often a cave) with oven- shaped niches hewn into the rock into which the body was inserted lengthwise— called Kokhim tombs. They sometimes had a shelf where a body could be laid before it was inserted. The other type of first century grave was called an arcosolium which had an arch cut into the walls and the body placed on a shelf. However, they were only about 60 cm high. For Mary to see the angels at the head and feet of where Jesus’ body had lain, it could not have been inside a kokhim grave. Most likely, since the body had been quickly laid to rest before the Sabbath and the anointing process was not yet complete, it was left on a shelf. Also since it was a new, unused tomb, it may not yet have had the kokhim graves cut into it. The tombs at Pater Noster are of the kokhim variety with room for five bodies. The area of the Mount of Olives, as anyone who has visited would know, is covered in graves on its southern end and also has monumental graves in the Kidron Valley. One would have also noticed the prevalence of olive groves and trees on the Mount named after these since the time of David (2 Sam 15:30). How much more must this have been the case in the first century? Moreover, Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy member of the Sanhedrin council and Bethphage was a priestly city. Could it be that he owned land and allowed the disciples to meet in a cave on his property where he had an Olive grove or garden and in the close vicinity to where he was building a family tomb? Biblical Significance So what difference does it make where Jesus was crucified and buried? In the light of the Scripture in Hebrews 13, Jesus suffered outside the gate, and we are to go outside the camp as He did bearing His reproach. If Jesus suffered near the very place of the red heifer sacrifice, it adds a whole other dimension to Him becoming our sin offering and cleansing us. Hebrews 9:13-14 says: ‘For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?’ Jesus became not just a sacrificial Passover lamb but also the specific red heifer sacrifice that cleanses the defilement that causes us to have to stay ‘outside the camp’ of His presence. Not only has the veil been torn but the problem of sin dealt with once for all so that all who repent of sin and embrace Jesus’ sacrifice for us can now enter with confidence into the Holy Presence of God (Heb 10:19-22). Furthermore, the Mount of Olives was the place that the Shekinah glory left from in Ezekiel’s vision (Ezek 11:22-23) and it returned through the eastern gate (Ezek 43:1-5). Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:9-12) and will return to it when He comes in glory to take up His holy throne on earth and rule the world from Jerusalem in righteousness and truth (Zech 14:4,9). This truly is a place of great importance— and perhaps even more so than we have previously understood. ________________________________________________________ Jill Curry is author of ‘The Anzac Call.’ PHOTO: The beautifully stunning Garden Tomb - a popular destination for protestant pilgrims journeying to the Holy Land. Free Delivery orders over $50 vision.org.au/store | 1800 00 50 11 ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY! HAS THIS ARTICLE PEEKED YOUR INTEREST? Would you like to discover more on this perspective on the Historical, Archeological and Biblical evidence for an alternate location of Christ’s Crucifixion? C4I highly recommends the following resource from Christian Archaeologist, Bob Cornuke. Golgotha: Searching for the True Location of Christ’s Crucifixion. by Bob Cornuke 12257DVD | Run Time: approx 120 minutes (also includes mp3 version & notes) $19 95 Maybe it’s time you learned the truth about the true location of where Christ was crucified... Warning! This DVD will challenge your understanding as to where Jesus Christ was crucified. Known for his detective approach to Bible archaeology, Bob Cornuke sets aside the emotionally held traditions of the past that may have obscured the pathway to truth and opens the door to a whole new way of finding the Biblical site of the crucifixion. By using the compass of solid evidence, Bob charts a course for discovery that will thrill the willing Bible explorer who is on a quest for what really happened, and where.

14. 6 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Opinion Piece Those who travel to Israel are generally familiar with two possible sites for the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. If you come from a Roman Catholic or Orthodox background, you will most likely visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which has been the traditional site since the time of Constantine in the 4th Century. However, if you are from a Protestant or Pentecostal tradition you are more likely to spend time at the Garden Tomb, which beautifully reflects the character of the resurrection but archeologically the grave has been identified as from the First Temple period—8th to 7th century before Christ. The Mount of Olives Of more recent times, a third site has been suggested and is gaining support from Bible teachers and pastors. This is the Mount of Olives. This was proposed by Dr Ernest Martin, who bases his arguments largely upon the Scripture in the Book of Hebrews. ‘We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest (as an offering for) sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.’ Hebrews 13:10-13 (emphasis added) Outside the Camp The key phrases which help us to identify a place are ‘outside the gate’ and ‘outside the camp’. This passage refers to the rituals that were carried out at an altar ‘outside the camp’. To understand this we must go back to the Old Testament. There were two altars in the Tabernacle and subsequently in the Temple. One was the incense altar in the Holy Place and the other was the altar of burnt offering from which the priests could eat certain parts of some of the offerings. There was, however, another altar from which the priests could not eat, mentioned in verse 10. This was an altar ‘outside the camp’ where the remains of the sin offerings were burnt and where the ashes from the burnt offerings in the temple were brought (Lev 4:12,21, 6:11, 9:11, 16:27, Num 19:3,9). For the sin offerings, the entire animal was sacrificed and the priests had no portion. The Red Heifer On the Day of Atonement, the red heifer was sacrificed on this altar and also the goat for the Lord was sacrificed there (Lev 16). Their blood was brought into the Holy Place and sprinkled to cleanse and make atonement for the sanctuary, the tent of meeting, the altar, the priests and the people. In Jewish law, the ashes of the red heifer, mixed with spring water, was essential for the cleansing of those who had become defiled (Numbers 19:9,17, Hebrews 9:13). Modern Judaism understands the importance of this and the Temple Institute is trying to breed a perfect red heifer which is the last essential step before they are fully prepared to build the third temple. The Miphkad Altar In the tabernacle in the wilderness, the Holy of Holies faced east, towards the rising sun, as did ancient maps, not north as ours do now. There was only one entrance to the tabernacle—on the east side (see Ex 40, Num 2). The clean place where the ashes were taken was also to the east (Lev 1:16). When the Temple was built, the arrangement was the same. In Jerusalem, this altar ‘outside the camp’ was located on the Mount of Olives near the summit in view of the Temple precincts (Mishnah, Middoth 2:4). It was called the Miphkad altar and was referred to in the Mishnah as a pit (eg Para 4:2). The gate that led to it was called the Miphkad (mustering or inspection) gate. In New Testament times, there was a double arched causeway that led from the Temple Mount to the Mount of Olives built by the priests for the High Priest to walk on to this altar, raised over the Kidron valley so he would not become unclean by walking over graves (Mishnah, Para 3:6). The eastern wall was lower than the other walls to cater for the High Priest to be able to see over it into the temple precincts in order to be able to perform his duties on the Day of Atonement (Mishnah, Middoth 2:4, Para 4:2). Outside the camp meant a distance of 2000 cubits (about 900 meters—Num 35:5, Mishnah, Rosh HaShanah 2:5) from the seat of the Sanhedrin in the Chamber of Hewn Stone in the Temple. The Crucifixion Now with this background, let’s look at the Crucifixion of Jesus. Those condemned to death had to be killed ‘outside the camp’ in particular those who had blasphemed the name of the Lord i.e. cursed (Lev 24:10-16,23, Num 15:35-36). Both the Holy Sepulchre and the Garden Tomb are less than 2000 cubits from the Temple chambers, so both would be excluded on this point. Roman law said that a person should be executed at the place of their crime and if this were not possible, then the place of their arrest or a main roadway (Digest 48:9.19.28.15; cf. Collectio Legum Nosaicarum et Romanarum, I. 6, Acts of Pilate, IX. 5). Crucifixion was carried out in a public place as it was meant to deter others from committing crimes (Declamationes, 274). The major route that Jesus took when coming to Jerusalem was via Jericho, Bethany and Bethphage, which was the most common route of the Jews coming from Galilee, especially for the Feast times. From Bethphage the road ascended over the Mount of Olives then descended to the Kidron Valley and up to the Temple and the city. What better place to crucify someone accused of blasphemy than by the very road he used, on the mountain on which he taught and on the route he had come a week before to be proclaimed king? These criteria would truly bring us to the Mount of Olives, as Jesus rode the donkey down this road and was arrested at the Garden of Gethsemane which was across the Kidron on the Mount of Olives. What the centurion saw The Gospels record that there were supernatural signs that occurred at Jesus’ death—an earthquake, graves opened and the dead were walking around the city, and especially that the curtain in the temple was torn from top to bottom. Martin holds this as a key to the place of the crucifixion. The centurion and others near him at the crucifixion site SAW these events that took place and this caused the centurion to declare that ‘truly this was the Son of God’ (Matt 27:54, Mk 15:39). The only place where it would be possible to see this take place is on the Mount of Olives on the eastern side of the Temple. The summit is 76 metres higher than the current temple platform. As we saw earlier, Jill Curry Jewish Prayer Focus coordinator Was Jesus Crucified and Buried on the Mount of Olives? Could it be that [Joseph of Arimathea] owned... an Olive grove or garden and in the close vicinity to where he was building a family tomb? PHOTO: Churches - Church of All Nations (Basilica of the Agony), Dominus Flevit and The Russian orthodox church of Hl and Mary of Magdalene on the Mount of Olives. Renata Sedmakova / Shutterstock.com

9. Dear faithful readers & friends (chaverim), Welcome to our AUG–SEP Australian edition of Israel & Christians Today. We have another jammed packed paper of new and current affairs updates, expert commentary and opinion pieces. There are also some great theological discussions concerning Israel and the church from some of the best advocates and experts from around the world—delivered without charge into your hands every two months. C4I Launch in Nepal In July 3-6 I was privileged to attend the 6th International Asia Pacific Christians for Israel training and teaching conference in Kathmandu Nepal. The event was hosted by my good friends from UCB Message of Hope Nepal , Dr Simon Pandey and is daughter Shanti. Dr Pandey had attended the Bi-annual Forum and Study Tour earlier in the year in Jerusalem, his first visit which left a very strong and profound impression on him. He quickly organised the training and teaching conference with the C4I Asia regional director Dr Wilson NG, and had as guests: • International President Rev. Willem Glashouwer, as the keynote speaker • Executive Director Rev. Cornelius Kant • Supporting speakers Rev. Dr Conrado Lumahan from the Philippines • and husband and wife Singapore based trainers Chan Koen Yoon & Chan Siew Fong. Over 200 pastors attended this inaugural Christians for Israel event and the highlight for many was the unexpected and unprecedented visit by Israeli Ambassador to Nepal, H.E. Benny Omer. He was welcomed by the Chairman of C4I Nepal, Dr Simon Pandey, and gave a very informative address on the history of Israel’s rebirth and its relatively long relationship with Nepal since 1964. Ambassador Omer also outlined many of the practical ways Israel is helping Nepal with training and sharing of its technical advances in medicine, agriculture and high tech. He also encouraged Nepalese Christians to consider taking a pilgrimage tour in the footsteps of the prophets and Jesus and pledged his personal support in making tourist visas easy to obtain for this purpose. You can watch the Ambassadors address by visiting the following link: www.bit.ly/omer-c4i-2019 C4I Launch in the Solomon Islands Following on from that event—up on the rooftop of the World, but closer to home—we also had the privilege to attend the inaugural Christians for Israel 3 day Understanding the Times Conference and launch of C4I in the Solomon Islands in the Capital, Honiara. Unfortunately our keynote speaker Rev. Willem Glashouwer took ill just days before the speaking tour of the Solomons, Australia and New Zealand. However we had the very capable and experienced Executive Director Rev. Cornelius Kant coming for his first visit down-under. He was also joined by Keith Buxton, who has served as an ordained pastor in PNG and Australia, and for the past 12 years as the National Director for Bridges for Peace. Keith has also led many tours to Israel and has developed a very unique teaching presentation using short but informative, and sometimes provocative, video clips to show the wonders and miracle of Israel as well as demonstrating the ongoing threats from its neighbours and biased mainstream media and political adversaries. I, as the Regional Director of C4I Oceania was also able to show a powerpoint presentation, introducing who Christians for Israel is—a non denominational, not- for-profit grassroots Christian movement with a message for the church and a mandate to Inform, Inspire and comfort Israel in the last days before the return of the Messiah. The local organisers from the Awaken The Nations executive did a wonderful job of promoting and running the event. A huge colour banner had been erected over the very bust central markets in the main street of Honiara. The event was held in the huge auditorium of the Anglican Cathedral and every night we were treated to wonderful praise and worship by the local youth choir and band. The opening ceremony had a moving flag ceremony with the flags of the nations of Oceania presented. The opening address was given by Prime Minister Manasseh D. Sogavare, who gave a rousing and passionate address arguing his support for Israel is a natural extension of his love and devotion to the Almighty. You can watch his address here ( www.bit.ly/sogavare- c4i-solomons ) and see the closing flag ceremony with Israel’s flag leading the nations of Oceania and the Pacific. The next day we received a personal invitation to give devotions in the Prime Minsters board room and a private meeting with him afterwards in his chambers. Executive Director Rev. Cornelius Kant was able to present the Prime Minister with a limited commemorative edition of C4I’s Israel 70 Magazine. Later he presented copies of Australian borne International Lawyer Andrew Tucker’s new book Israel on Trial to the PM’s personal secretary and the Secretary general, as they will be able to use this resource before making important decisions when voting on August 2019 Report From Our National Leader Comforts Informs Inspires Ian Worby C4I Australia National Leader and Regional Director for Oceania Israel is a natural extension of his love and devotion to the Almighty Ian & Mandy Worby, Northen Israel, Mount Hermon C4I Oceania delegation on Study Tour in Northern Israel, Mount Hermon in the background. Oceania Regional Director, Ian Worby, with C4I Nepal Chairman Dr Pandey presenting I&CT Newspaper to Ambassador Omer at inaugural confernce, Katmandu, Nepal.

11. 3 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 JUL 17 TO AUG 13 Stan is currently speaking down-under until August 13. He is looking forward to sharing his insights on Political, Biblical and Prophetic issues in light of Israel and the Church—and what part Australia can yet play in there ultimate outcomes. Stan Goodenough: 6th Australian Speaking Tour 2019 WESTERN AUSTRALIA Saturday 3 August: Perth 2-4pm, Youth Hall, Lifestreams Church, 2 McNabb Loop, Como Contact David, TAV Ministry: tavministry@gmail.com Sunday 4 August: Inglewood, 2-4pm, Function Room, Terry Tyzack Leisure Centre, 62 Alexander Drive, Contact Cherilyn Moolaman: 0406733730 | cherilynmoolman@yahoo.com.au Wangara, 5.30pm, Menora Church, 2/14 Uppill Place Contact Pastor Natanael: ausperanta@gmail.com Monday 5 August: Joondalup, (Perth) 7 pm Globalheart Church, 10 Winton Rd, Contact Jeremy Crouch: 08 93010733 NORTHERN TERRITORY Wednesday 7 August: Bakewell/Darwin 7pm Crossroads Christian Church, 9 Moorhen Circuit Contact Pastor Bruce: crccpastor@gmail.com NE AND SE QUEENSLAND Friday 9 August: Cairns, 7pm Cairns City Library, 151 Abbott St Contact Pastor Melissa Haigh: 0439352465 Sunday 11 August: Milla Milla 10am, Milla Milla Christian Fellowship, CWA HALL, Palm Ave Contact Lyndon Hockey: 0428 772 902 Yarrabah, 6pm Anglican Church, Workshop Road, Contact Pastor Melissa Haigh: 0439352465 Monday 12 August: Mackay 7pm Church of Christ, Beaconsfield Rd, Beaconsfield. Contact Susan Galletly: susan.galletly@hotmail. com or Mike Hutchinson: 07 49425412 Tuesday 13 August: Ormiston 7pm, Ormiston Christian Faith Church, 8-12 Thorn St, Contact Anne Window: 0477000773 Stan’s August Itinerary: If you would like to host Stan for future tours and events or make enquires about his current itinerary please contact Joy Heylen today: joyhey50@gmail.com or 0439661996 Stan Goodenough meeting Dr Ron Weiser on an earlier trip to Australia. Stan Goodenough is the Jerusalem Watchman!

16. 8 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 New Aliyah Stories of Hope Orly Wolstein First Home in the Homeland Jewish Agency for Israel “Kniga” from Russian means “book”. Today I will tell you a story of a Jewish family with a name Kniga. Jews together with Christians were traditionally called by Moslems “People of the Book” . As Maimonides writes: ‘Every Jew is obligated to study Torah, whether he is poor or rich, healthy or ill, young or old. Even if he is a pauper who derives his livelihood from charity, or if he has family obligations to his wife and children, he must still establish fixed times for Torah study—both day and night, as it says (Joshua 1:8), “You shall think about it day and night” who is brave enough to start everything from zero, children or parents? When parents feel uncertain, children make Aliyah (go to Israel) first!’ This scenario happened in the family of Alexander and Nina Kniga four years ago when their sons Maxim and Evgeni announced to the parents as a fait accompli: “We make Aliyah right now!” “My Max was by that time 12 years old,” — says Nina. Evgeni and after two years also Maxim made Aliyah, learned in boarding schools and missed their parents a lot. But very quickly they became real Israelis. Both of them had “Shabbat Parents”, families where they could come for weekends or holidays. Evgeni didn’t have much luck with his “adoptive family”, but Maxim came along with his Shabbat Parents very well. After two years of waiting for every call or message from their children Alexander and Nina finally felt that they are ready for the big step of Aliyah. Their split family became an integral whole again! In December 2018 Alexander and Nina left behind their life in Moscow and took a plane to Israel. That’s how they arrived to their first home in the Homeland, located in the North of the country, in the kibbutz Yagur near Haifa. ‘It’s still almost impossible for us to come all together at the same time in the same place’ tells me Nina, ‘Evgeni is now in the army, Maxim in the boarding school, we are in the Hebrew course five days a week’. But still the feeling of being together is so valuable! Before leaving to Israel Nina and Alexander gave out almost all their belongings that didn’t fit into three bags every of which 23 kg. The most painful was a farewell to the books! So the Kniga family decided to bring the most valuable and beloved books to the office of the Jewish Agency in Moscow. One of them was a “Remembrance book” about the Holocaust victims, Kniga family had volumes one and three. Silently Nina left the books on the shelf in the office of JAFI. How surprised she was when the next week she saw on the same shelf four volumes instead of two! Someone else got inspired by their idea... “Our Jewishness was always a forbidden theme in our family. My grandfather changed his name, but the Jewish look you cannot change,” Nina laughs. A day before the eldest son Evgeni left to Israel In 1952-1953 Joseph Stalin organized in Moscow an anti-Semitic campaign against Jewish doctors, they were accused of conspiring to kill Soviet leaders. Both of Nina’s grandparents were doctors, her grandfather invented a special measurement tool for burnt skin. He was close to being arrested, but at the last moment the director of the hospital where he worked sent all his family on a long-term mission to Mongolia, away from Moscow. It saved his life and all his family members as well. Today the grand-grandchildren of doctor Shraiber can say openly that they are Jews, they can without fear choose every profession and be evaluated without any prejudice. This family got reunited in Israel thanks to your support! Alexander and Nina are one of more than 245 families that made Aliyah via First Home in the Homeland program in 2018. Now our “busy season” is well under way and we’re getting ready for August, when First Home opens its doors in five regions of Israel at the same time, over 100 families are coming. And every one of them has his or her own story! ________________________________________________________ Orly Wolstein Is an ambassador for First Home in the Homeland and The Jewish Agency for Israel The People of the Book From left to right: Alexander Kniga, Yegor Rubenchik (curator from kibbutz Yagur), Nina Kniga A day before the eldest son Evgeni left to Israel Kinga families beloved books Doctor Michael Shraiber, grandfather of Nina, demonstrates his invention You can help Jews make Aliyah and get them established in their new Home! Run by The Jewish Agency , families are carefully matched with one of the 30 participating kibbutzim in the Negev and the Galilee. They’re assigned a coordinator who’ll helps them to get settled. For the first six months parents study three or five mornings weekly, while their children attend schools on the kibbutz or nearby. After completing studies, they then have the option to extend their stay another half-year; most olim use that try to find employment in the area, continue in advanced studies, or join vocational courses. Each kibbutz also provides after- school care for school-age children six days a week and on holidays. Additionally, local recreation centers offer after-school sports, music, ballet, and the like. Throughout their stay, the coordinator is there to assist them. Following the absorption through First Home in the Homeland , most kibbutzim will give families the option to stay on as residents, or to apply for kibbutz membership. 1. Securley Online: c4israel.com.au/product/first-home 2. Credit Card or Cheque: Use form on the back page 3. EFT ANZ Bank BSB: 016-464 Account No: 45415 8806 Ref: Your ‘name’ + ‘First Home’ or confirm by: info@c4israel.com.au 3 EASY WAYS TO GIVE:

18. 10 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Featured Resources and Gifts Filled with gorgeous portraits of the land where the many of the Biblical stories took place, this unique calendar shows Australians a sampling of Israel’s beauty, while also highlighting major feasts found in the Old Testament that Jews still celebrate today. Christian audiences will discover a new-found appreciation for the Old Testament and its connection to Jesus and His role as their Messiah. Jewish audiences will also discover the Christians perspective of the Old Testament’s connection to their religious convictions found in the New Testament and how it shapes their understanding of God’s redemptive plan for humanity. Unique Features of this 12 Month Calendar includes: • All major Biblical/Jewish (Lord’s appointed times) and Israeli holidays marked and explained in a special reference chart in back of calendar. • Western and Hebrew Dates. • Australian National Holidays. • Sabbath (Shabbat) beginning and ending times. • Suggested Feast Day Scripture readings for both the Old and New Testaments in back of calendar. A unique calendar for Australians that showcases the beauty of Israel and celebrates the Biblical feasts and Holidays of the Jewish people. $18 The Holy Land of Israel 2020 Calendar SKU: 13030GFT Free Delivery orders over $50 vision.org.au/store | 1800 00 50 11 ORDER ONLINE TODAY! There’s even more great gifts and topical resources on Israel from Vision Christian Store ! See below, and for our full range go online: vision.org.au/store by John and Matthew Hagee Discoveries of Israel takes you on a fascinating journey through the Holy Land to explore the city of King David from the Old Testament and New Testament Perspective. $18 95 12692DVD Discoveries of Israel: City of David DVD by Amir Tsafarti As the last hour approaches, it’s time to topple misconceptions and discern God’s true plan. We all have questions about the end times. But, as Israeli Christian and respected Bible teacher Amir Tsarfati explains, biblical prophecy is a mystery, not a secret. Understanding is available to anyone who takes the time to study it. Let this book be your guide. $19 95 12726BKP The Last Hour: An Israeli Insider Looks At The End Times PAPERBACK NEW! For centuries, their nation had been in exile. For a generation, they had been without access to their ancestral city. For six days, surrounded by enemies, Israel stood alone... and changed history. The Spring of 2017 marked the 50th anniversary of the Six-Day War and a CBN Documentaries Film commemorates this historical battle. by CBN $20 12470DVD In Our Hands: The Battle for Jeruslaem DVD by CBN The documentary series of short films comes from the creators of In Our Hands and shows viewers a side of Israel they haven’t seen before. Watch as five Israeli organizations make a difference in the daily lives of the people they encounter—including their enemies. $20 12644DVD To Life: How Israeli Volunteers are Changing the World DVD

20. 12 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Other Events and Upcoming Tours SEE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR PHOTOS AND VIDEOS OF OUR PAST TOURS: facebook.com/visionchristiantours  EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST TODAY! PHONE ............... 1300 550 830 Call Olive Tree Travel , our expert travel agents EMAIL ............... info@olivetreetravel.com.au WEB .................... visiontours.org.au    13 NIGHTS IN ISRAEL & JORDAN YOU WILL NEVER FORGET! *Twin share. Includes return economy airfares+airport taxes, 4 star plus hotels, buffet breakfast and dinner each day and some lunches, site entry fees, luxury coaches and much more. Conditions apply . See the pages of your Bible come alive on this unique deluxe tour, as you praise Jesus in the places He... • calmed the storm • walked on water • fed 5000 • wept for the lost • healed, preached, prayed, died and rose again. Great Value for Money! $8590 * Per Person 24 FEB TO 10/17 MAR 2020 JEWISH & ISRAEL PRAYER FOCUS – SEPT 29-OCT 20 2019 – The Feast of Tabernacles is the festival of the nations. Our 18th edition of the Jewish & Israel Prayer Focus (formerly Jewish Prayer Focus) has the theme, ‘Come to the Mountain of the Lord’ (Isaiah 2:2). It is a call to pray for the Jewish people and the nation of Israel for the 22-day period (Sept 29-Oct 20, 2019) during the Holy Days of the Biblical calendar in Lev 23:26. We align with the Autumn Feasts— Day of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles in Israel, meet believers in the Land and also prepare Messiah’s return, which these holidays prophetically foreshadow. The prayer guide contains prayer points, teachings, testimonies, and introductions to Israeli congregations and ministries, mostly written by the ministry leaders themselves. Printed copies are available from JPF, PO Box 54, Kerrimuir VIC 3129, call 03-9090 7575; 0431 403 843 or email watchmen777@optusnet.com.au Donation: $10 for one copy, $17.50 for 2, $23.50 for 3, $75 for 10 incl local postage. Cheques to Living Way Christian Network Inc. Download PDF version or Credit Card purchases at our website www.jewishandisraelprayerfocus.org – also available at Koorong. To receive the Prayer Focus one page daily for 25 days via Whats App on your phone, email your name and mobile phone number to me at watchmen777@optusnet.com.au. _______________________________________________________ Jill Curry Jewish & Israel Prayer Focus International Coordinator

25. 25 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Andrew Tucker n International Editor | Christians for Israel It was former Israeli diplomat Abba Eban who once famously stated: “The Arabs never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity”. Today, an increasing number of Arab leaders are realising they may have a unique opportunity they should not miss. It is the Palestinians who are missing yet another opportunity to achieve the independence for which they yearn. In late June a conference was held in the Bahraini capital Manama to launch the United States ‘Peace to Prosperity’ initiative. The conference was attended by some Arab finance ministers, heads of international financial organisations, and private sector business executives and investors from dozens of states. The $50 billion ‘Peace to Prosperity’ plan envisions a global investment fund to lift the Palestinian and neighbouring Arab state economies. It aims in 10 years to create a million new jobs, slashing unemployment and improving living standards in the West Bank, Gaza and across the Middle East. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner said his plan for the Middle East was “the opportunity of the century” for the Palestinians, but their acceptance was a precondition to peace. “Agreeing on an economic pathway forward is a necessary precondition to resolving the previously unsolvable political issues,” Kushner said. “To be clear, economic growth and prosperity for the Palestinian people are not possible without an enduring and fair political solution to the conflict — one that guarantees Israel’s security and respects the dignity of the Palestinian people.” “My direct message to the Palestinian people is that despite what those who have let you down in the past say, President Trump and America have not given up on you,” Kushner said. “For too long the Palestinian people have been trapped in an inefficient framework of the past,” said Kushner, criticising the “conventional wisdom” about peacemaking. “In meeting after meeting and conference after conference I hear the same broken record of negativity about why progress is not possible,” he said. Meanwhile, the Palestinian people were being left behind. He said his goal was to encourage those assembled to “begin thinking about these challenges in a new way.” The proposal has been rejected by the PLO because it does not include a framework for resolving their conflict with Israel. The Palestinian political leadership utterly rejects normalisation of relations with Israel. At one extreme, the radical Islamic parties such as Hamas utterly reject the existence of a Jewish political entity of any kind and openly seek the violent annihilation of the State of Israel. The more secular PLO/Fatah elite based in Ramallah demands the creation of a Palestinian state within the ‘1967 borders’, even at the expense of economic advancement of their people (hence their boycott of the Trump-sponsored ‘Peace to Prosperity’ initiative). “We don’t need the Bahrain meeting to build our country, we need peace, and the sequence of (the plan) – economic revival followed by peace is unrealistic, and an illusion,” Palestinian Finance Minister Shukri Bishara explained on the sidelines of a meeting of Arab finance ministers in Cairo. “First of all, give us our land and our freedom.” US Palestinian businessman Sam Bahour called the Bahrain conference a ‘circus’ and defended the Palestinian boycott. ‘How many more attempts will it take to convince people that Palestinians’ rights are inalienable and not for sale?’ I personally witnessed the PL O’s intransigence a few weeks ago, when I participated in a meeting with the PLO’s Negotiation Affairs Department at the PLO headquarters in Ramallah, together with a delegation of lawyers from Singapore, Australia and the Netherlands. At the meeting, the PLO representatives presented the PLO’s case. Essentially, they argued that the Israeli occupation is the sole cause of Palestinian suffering. Remove the occupation, and their problems will be resolved. They refused to condemn Palestinian terrorism or to acknowledge any Palestinian responsibilit y for their own plight. The cause of their problems is the existence of the State of Israel, and the only solution is full Israeli withdrawal to the ‘1967 lines’ (with a possibility of land swaps). Despite the Palestinian boycott, the Bahrain conference may nevertheless bear fruit. According to Jeffrey Sonnefeld, who moderated many of the sessions in Bahrain, the Bahrain conference was – perhaps because of the absence of the Palestinians and Israelis – a greater success than generally acknowledged. “The Bahrain summit’s projection of a spirit of hope, from Palestinian and Israeli business leaders and their peers around the globe, provides a welcome response to the growing dismay among younger people in the region - and a counter to growing cynicism about the failures of Israeli and Palestinian political leadership. Weary of decades of violence, younger people are demanding change and are open to a direct appeal from their Arab neighbours. The plans discussed in Bahrain offer younger people a path to become relevant and effective.” There are many divergent opinions and aspirations within Palestinian society. Many ordinary Palestinians, while desirous of Palestinian autonomy, are frustrated by the corruption and intractable political ‘rejectionism’ of their leaders, and would like to see closer cooperation (economic, political and personal) between Jews, Palestinians, Israelis and Arabs. For more information about the Palestinians, we recommend you read The Palestinians – Myths and Martyrs by Johannes Gerloff, available from amazon.com. ISNB: 978-3944603124. White House senior adviser Jared Kushner giving a speech at the opening of the ‘Peace to Prosperity’ workshop in Manama, Bahrain. | Photo: AFP Israel & the Palestinians 12 Palestinians Miss Another Opportunity August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Israel’s Story in Maps Map 6| Second Partition, 1947 n UN proposes partition - Israel accepts; Arabs reject and go to war On 29 November 1947, the UN voted on a proposal to partition the territory of Mandate Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state. 33 countries voted for the plan, 13 against (including the Arab countries), and 10 countries abstained. The Jews accepted the decision and worked towards implementing it. However, the Arab leadership in the area, the Arab League and other Arab states rejected the offer outright. Thus, it never became a binding agreement. Following that rejection, the Arabs immediately took up arms and began fighting the not-yet-born State of Israel. The partition idea died in infancy because the Arab side rejected it. In May 1948, after the British Army left the Land of Israel, 7 Arab armies and other irregular forces invaded the newly created State of Israel with the goal of destroying it. They failed. Map 7 | Map of Israel - 10 June 1967 n In 1951, Jordan had annexed Judea and Samaria, a move which was not recognised by the international community nor the Arab League. During the Six Day War, Israel urged Jordan not to join Egypt and Syria in the fighting; however, King Hussein opened fire on Israel. During this war, Israel conquered Judea, Samaria, the Golan Heights, Sinai and the Gaza Strip and assumed administrative control over these areas. In 1967, the Israeli Knesset extended Israel’s legal and administrative jurisdiction to all of Jerusalem and expanded the city’s municipal borders. In 1981, Israel extended its legal control of the Golan Heights and all the Sinai was returned to Egypt in 1982. Egypt rejected the offer to regain the Gaza Strip. In 1988, Jordan’s King Hussein declared that Judea and Samaria were not part of the Jordanian kingdom, leaving Judea and Samaria a legal ‘no-man’s land’. In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew from the G aza Strip, expelled its Jewish population and destroyed all the Jewish communities there. Historical | Israel Today 13 This problem has now been solved for all hikers who don’t understand Hebrew but do have a decent grasp on English. Now you can follow the route and read information about sights along the way in 52 maps – one for each segment of the trail. “There was a growing demand for an English version of the map from tourists who come to Israel and want to hike”, says Motto Shitrit of The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI). Practical Brochures The map brochures are well designed. Each map is lightweight and easy to bring with you. The 1,070-kilometer route has been divided into 52 segments so that you can easily hike a single segment or just go for a weekend trip. Each segment has its own separate brochure - you can leave the segments you do not need at home. Epic Trail The increased demand for information about this trail in English is not surprising. In 2012, National Geographic magazine named the trail in their list of the 20 most epic hikes in the world. “The trail powerfully connects to something that often gets lost in all the headlines – the sublime beauty of the wilderness of the Middle East.” For more information about the Israel National Trail and to purchase the maps, go to https://www.natureisrael.org/INT Take a Hike! Israel In this new series, I would like to introduce you to biblical names and their meanings. In the Bible, names are often meaningful. A name tells us something about the person who carries that name. In this new column, I will explore biblical names and their possible meanings. I start with the name Israel. When David Ben Gurion in 1948 declared the independence of the Jewish state and revealed the name to be the State of Israel, he appealed to Biblical history and the Biblical rights of the Jewish people. The name Israel is a programme. In the Bible, the name of Israel is given to the patriarch Jacob. He is one of the forefathers of the People of Israel. The name reveals what this nation is, following the example of its ancestor. Genesis 32 tells how Jacob wrestled near the Jabbok river: “A man wrestled with him” (verse 24). Jacob appears to be the stronger. Therefore, his attacker gives him a new name: “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome” (verse 2 8). The Hebrew name Yisrael contains the word El, meaning God. Yisra is interpreted as ‘he struggles’. Usually, within such names that bear a reference to God, God is the subject. That would mean: God struggles. If that was its intended meaning, then the form of the word would be different. Verse 28 points to Jacob as the one who is struggling. Based on this verse, one could render the meaning of the name: ‘a God’s struggler’. The King James Version has a different approach: “For as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.” Jacob has behaved like a prince. His princely behaviour becomes clear in his perseverance in the struggle and his victory. This would lead to a rendering of Israel as ‘Prince of God’. Yisra, then, is derived from the Hebrew word sar, meaning ‘prince’ (compare Sarah, ‘princess’). The two interpretations are interrelated. Looking at the story, the meaning ‘struggle’ seems to be obvious. However, in ancient days, was it not the task of a prince to lead his army in the battle? Last but not least: who is struggling with whom? It is also possible to translate verse 28 as: “You have struggled with gods and men.” By gods, we have to think of heavenly beings. For example, the patron angels of the nations (compare Daniel 10:13, the prince of the Persian kingdom and Michael, the archangel, one of the chief princes, who is the prince of Israel). This would mean that Jacob has fought with divine beings and with humans. Jacob fights with the God of Israel against gods and men as powers that rise against God and His fighter. With the God who fights for Israel, Israel can overcome this spiritual battle. That sheds particular light on our time, too. August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Biblical Names By Kees de Vreugd There is no shortage of natural beauty in Israel. There are plenty of hiking trails too, but if you can’t read or understand Hebrew, it can be difficult to find useable trail maps. The Israel National Trail is a gorgeous long-distance hiking trail from the north to the south of Israel – or the other way around. However, it is not ideal for hiking the trail without the Hebrew brochure and trail map. Christians United for Israel n When Neil Armstrong walked in Jerusalem, he said: “I am more excited stepping on these stones than stepping on the moon.” Fifty years ago, on 20 July 1969, man first stepped foot on the moon. Whilst many would describe this moment as one of the greatest steps in human history, they were not the greatest steps to the man who made them. Neil Armstrong, the first man to ever walk on the moon, said he was more excited to walk where Jesus walked in Jerusalem than he was making the steps for which he is most famous. Thomas Friedman wrote in From Beirut to Jerusalem : “When American astronaut Neil Armstrong, a devout Christian, visited Israel after his trip to the moon, he was taken on a tour of the Old City of Jerusalem by Israeli archaeologist Meir Ben-Dov. When they got to the Hulda Gate, which is at the top of the stairs leading to the Temple Mount, Armstrong asked Ben-Dov whether Jesus had stepped anywhere around there.” “I told him, ‘Look, Jesus was a Jew,’” recalled Ben-Dov. “These are the steps that lead to the Temple, so he must have walked here many times.” Armstrong then asked if these were the original steps, and Ben-Dov confirmed that they were. “So Jesus stepped right here?” asked Armstrong. “That’s right,” answered Ben-Dov. “I have to tell you,” Armstrong said to the Israeli archaeologist, “I am more excited stepping on these stones than I was stepping on the moon.” Armstrong was the first to utter the famous phrase, “One small step for man... one giant leap for mankind.” Whilst many will see these astronaut’s achievements as being one of the most important events in human history, we would argue that Christ’s birth, ministry, death and resurrection are the most important for mankind. Neil Armstrong understood this, and that is why God blessed his path. https://www.cufi.org.uk/news/when-neil-armstrong-walked-on- jerusalem-i-am-more-excited-stepping-on-these-stones-than-stepping- on-the-moon-2/ Neil Armstrong Walked on Jerusalem | Photo: Christians United for Israel

19. 11 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Speaking Events and Tours How to Register: Register online at: www.derekprince.com.au $40 per person Post to: Derek Prince Ministries 1 st Floor, 15 Park Road, Seven Hills NSW 2147 Phone: (02) 9838 7778 Email: enquiries@au.derekprince.com For other Dr Korman meeting dates and venues in Aus tralia please call the above number. How to Register: Register online at: www.derekprince.com.au $40 per person Post to: Derek Prince Ministries 1 st Floor, 15 Park Road, Seven Hills NSW 2147 Phone: (02) 9838 7778 Email: enquiries@au.derekprince.com For other Dr Korman meeting dates and venues in Aus tralia please call the above number. Special ANZAC Israel Trip September 16-30th 2019 Register online at: www.derekprince.com.au $40 per person Post to: Derek Prince Ministries 1st Floor, 15 Park Road, Seven Hills NSW 2147 Phone: (02) 9838 7778 Email: enquiries@au.derekprince.com For other Dr Korman meeting dates and venues in Australia please call the above number. Hosted by Beit Neitser Messianic Fellowship Tuesday 20th August Morning Session: 7-8:30am Living Torah, Living Community Evening Session: 7-9:30pm Keys to Spiritual Warfare Location: Intenciti Church 187 Preston Rd Wynnum West, QLD, 4178 Important Information: Limited car parking available next to the church, on Appleby Road. Car parking is available across the road in the Shopping Centre grounds. Hosted by Prayer for Israel, Australia Monday 19th August 7-9:30pm Session 1: An understanding of God’s plans and purposes for Israel Session 2: Understanding of the End Times and preparing for the Lord’s Return Location: Stafford Heights Baptist Church 268 Appleby Road, Stafford Heights, QLD, 4053 Contact: Patrick and Joan Sheehan – 07 3265 4714 An exciting trip to Israel that culminates in the unveiling of the full size statue at Semakh to commemorate the Aboriginal Troopers of WW1. This significant occasion is a result of a joint program between C4Israel and the Australian Light Horse Association. The itinerary will cover the ANZAC history in the land, as well as the sites of Biblical interest. Barry Rodgers OAM who has led the Australian Light Horse anniversary and Centenary tours, will be leading this most relaxed, informative and enjoyable experience. TOTAL LAND PRICE for the trip is an affordable $4,220 AUD airfares available from $1750 . Contact Barry at 0428 662 528 or email barry@emugully.com.au for a detailed itinerary. HURRY! Secure you seat today! Other Times and Locations In partnership with Derek Prince Ministries and CVM Group HaYovel – Serving Israel’s farmers If you are looking for a way to put hands and feet to your love for Israel, you’ve found it! HaYovel is a non-profit organization that brings Christian volunteers from all over the world to serve Jewish farmers in Israel. Come to Israel with HaYovel, volunteer in the vineyards of Judea and Samaria, and connect to the place where prophecy meets reality. Volunteering with HaYovel is much more than just working the Land – an average week with HaYovel offers: • Volunteering 4 days per week in the vineyards and olive groves • Touring 2 days per week in the areas of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, meeting the local people and hearing their stories • Experience an Israeli-style Shabbat (rest day) every Saturday. Staying on Har Bracha (Mt of Blessing), nearly every evening, volunteers hear from influential speakers, like members of Knesset, rabbis, pioneers, and heroes of Israel’s history. By the time volunteers arrive back home, they are educated ambassadors, ready to be advocates on behalf of Israel and the restoration unfolding in the Heartland. The following opportunities are available in 2019: Summer Trip 3 Weeks, 16 July to 6 August Harvest Trips 2 Week grape harvest, 13-27 Aug 3 Week grape harvest, 28 Aug - 17 Sep 5 Week grape harvest, 18 Sep - 22 Oct 2 Week grape/olive harvest, 23 Oct - 6 Nov We welcome volunteers of all ages to join us for one of our many family- friendly volunteer trips. Go to www.HaYovel.com for photos, videos, and information about how to join us. HaYovel actively supports and advocates for Israel in a multitude of ways, including the Joshua and Caleb Report, a film series dedicated to telling the stories of the people and places of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. Deon Van Baalen, HaYovel’s Advocate in Australia, would love to connect with you to tell you more about HaYovel’s work in Israel, or to speak at your church or congregation. Contact Deon at Deon@HaYovel.com or 0487 090 882 .

27. 27 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Rev Henk Poot n Christians for Israel Netherlands We started our journey in the north of Samaria, at Ebal and Gerizim, where Abram entered the land. From there we continued along the ancient route of the patriarchs towards the south, through the hills of Manasseh, Ephraim and finally the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. Our last stop there was Bethel, where the Mount of Olives came into sight in the distance. To the east, between the rugged mountains and valleys of Samaria and the Jordan, lies the Jordan Valley. This valley is approximately ten kilometres wide and 80 kilometres long (roughly six miles wide and fifty miles long), marked by Jericho in the south and Beth Shean in the north. It is devastatingly hot. In the summer, temperatures here soar to over 50 ° C (122 ° F), and it rains for no more than a few weeks per year. With this in mind, it is amazing to see that the valley has become a beautiful agricultural area. Plantations of date palms and other crops stretch as far as the eye can see. This was the territory of the prophets Elijah and Elisha and also where the Israelites entered the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua. The Valley of Achor In Jericho, you can still see part of the burnt walls of the biblical city of Jericho. There is not much left of them. It reminds you of the famous story: for seven days, the people walked around the city, according to God’s command. On the seventh day, they walked around it seven times. Then the priests began to blow their shofars, Israel shouted, and the impenetrable walls of Jericho collapsed. Beyond Jericho, the people set up their tents on an enormous plain. But when they went up to Ai in the hills of Benjamin they were defeated, much to their surprise. As a result, the plain came to be called the Valley of Achor, which literally means ‘misfortune valley’ or ‘valley of sorrow’. The cause of this defeat was the sin of Achan, who had taken some of the riches of Jericho for himself. Because of this, God’s anger was over Israel as a dark shadow. Joshua lay on his face before God and pleaded with Him, and the Lord pointed him towards Achan. When the judgement on Achan was completed, God opened a new future after all, and during a new campaign, Ai was defeated. A New Beginning In Hosea, we come across the name of the valley again (Hosea 2). When God punished His people with failed harvests and hunger because they had chosen to worship Baals, God made way for a new beginning in the middle of all the suffering. God will lead you into a desert, Hosea told the people, but it is there that God will speak to your heart again. Then you will love Him again, and He will make you His bride for eternity. The Valley of Achor will become a door of hope, a petah tikva. I am standing on the edge of the plain, with the Jewish village Yitav just behind me. Here the children of Jews from the former Soviet Union have made a new beginning. It was not easy. Especially the older residents are still Russian to the bone and have held on to habits from the hard life of their past. There are many social problems, and many children struggle to keep up in school. But it is great to see that there are initiatives. A few young teachers are working hard to help their students catch up and excel, and we, in turn, help where we can to reopen a door of hope in the valley of sorrow. The Biblical Heartland 14 View of the modern city of Jericho. | Photo: Wikimedia Commons Kassan at Yitav, at the edge of the Valley of Achor. | Photo: Flash90 Beautiful hill formations in the Jordan Valley. | Photo: Flash90 Valley of Achor Jerusalem The Valley of Hope Never Lose a Sock with BT Beacon Tags An Israeli startup, Wiliot, founded in 2017 by three Israeli entrepreneurs, has developed a technology to keep you from losing socks in the wash. This is just one of dozens of examples that the R&D team from Caesarea-based Wiliot is spinning to promote the benefits which its battery-free Bluetooth beacon tags may bring to consumers and manufacturers, starting as early as 2020. Wiliot’s main product is a postage stamp-sized Bluetooth beacon that can be attached just about anywhere – on clothing, on medicine bottles, inside appliances, even behind wallpaper. Bluetooth beacons, essentially tiny radio transmitters, generate a signal that can be read by another device – say, your phone or refrigerator. The small beacons can track how often you wear a garment or report if something is missing in the fridge or a medicine is running out. | Photo: Shutterstock Baptismal Font Discovered In the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem, archaeologists discovered a late antique baptismal font during restoration work. Experts around the globe are now analysing the baptismal font, located within the existing baptismal font. The stone material is the same as that used to build the columns of the Church of Nativity. The experts suspect that the baptismal font dates back to the church’s construction period. Vandalism in Prague The Prague memorial monument for the Jewish children who managed to escape the Nazis has been vandalised. The monument commemorates Sir Nicholas Winton who managed to bring 669 Jewish children to the United Kingdom by train. The vandals removed a window from the monument and then vandalised it. | Photo: antisemitism.org.il Short News August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Our Projects 15 Marijke Terlouw n Christians for Israel Netherlands “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13). You could almost post it as a motto on the plaque near the entrance of Aleh. But even if it is not posted on a plaque, it is abundantly present everywhere: love. Here in the heart of Jerusalem is a home, school, health care centre and so much more, for the children who need love desperately: both physically and mentally handicapped children. Just when I walk into Aleh, the place is buzzing with comings and goings. Rush hour at Aleh. It is the end of the afternoon. Some are in a hurry because something needs to be fixed quickly, but for the rest it is a kind of pleasant chaos. Everyone is going somewhere, home or maybe to another club or association. I take a quick glance into a sort of classroom. A couple of women are sitting on the floor, engaged with young children. They are doing exercises, they laugh with the children, talk to them – they don’t worry that everything is not neat and tidy. That seems to be the c ase everywhere here: you almost think that you are in a chaotic household, but nothing could be further from the truth. Everything has its rhythm and place. In a slightly quieter place, I hear more about Aleh and about their request. The children are taken to and from Aleh with specially adjusted minibuses. These minibuses are used intensively. And they have to be replaced from time to time. Could Christians for Israel possibly help with a special minibus, a kind of ambulance? A minibus fitted with not only a lift but also fitted with medical equipment so that the children who need help while in transit can reach their destination safely as well. Special Transport Needed Shraga Evers from Aleh explains: “Our residents need help with just about everything, 24 hours a day. They need help with daily activities like eating, washing and sitting. The children are facing all kinds of challenges and serious medical issues such as epilepsy, breathing problems, severe physical disabilities and orthopedic complications. Some need special seats, others can only be fed with a tube. From time to time they need treatments we cannot provide and for which they have to go to a clinic or a medical centre. And then unfortunately there are acute medical situations as well. These children cannot be transported in any kind of wheelchair van. They need a bus that is equipped like an ambulance so that they can be taken to their place of destination, safely and with the best possible care.” Can’t You Call a Real Ambulance? “For emergency situations we always can, although it still can be difficult, because ambulances are not equipped for special wheelchairs. We are talking about children for whom you need everything close at hand, for example, oxygen. But also, there are practical issues with the construction of a bus. Think about special safety belts and a floor on which you can secure all kinds of different wheelchairs. We would like to deploy the bus for normal outings of our residents. Just like you and I, they like to go out on an excursion. Then we take them to a shopping mall to eat pizza. Or we go for a moment of relaxation in a park or on a beach. A lovely picnic, that sort of thing. Just like everybody else. These people have a sense of belonging too. We want them to experience as much of the same things as anybody else.” On Behalf on Aleh’s Children... Shraga Evers concludes: “So, my question to the friends of Christians for Israel is: can you help with this special ambulance wheelchair minibus? I am not asking for myself, I am asking on behalf of the eighty children who live with us in Jerusalem and almost the same number of children who come to our special school and health care centre. I am sure that there will be a lot of happy faces when these children can go out on a field trip. It would also give peace of mind to parents knowing that we are providing suitable and safe transportation whenever their son or daughter has to go to a specialist for treatment. We know that your help is appreciated enormously. Whenever you are in Israel and feel like visiting Aleh or joining us as a volunteer, you are more than welcome.” Your donation for the ambulance wheelchair minibus is welcome, you can donate by completing the coupon on the back page. Ambulance Wheelchair Minibus for Aleh Orly Wolstein n First Home in the Homeland | Jewish Agency for Israel What if instead of following the prophecy and gathering in Israel, Jews would go somewhere else... let’s say to the Far East... and try to build there a Jewish State? Indeed, history knows such attempts, some of them on the international level, but one unique story is a story of Jews from Birobidzhan, Russia. The Soviet plan of creating a homeland for Jews in Birobidzhan at the back of beyond in Siberia seemed to be such a great idea. It consisted of shipping 100,000 Jews off to create an autonomous nation within the union of Soviet nations under the rule of Comrade Stalin. It was a great plan to get rid of the prominent Jewish politicians and scientists and send them off to the far Chinese border. On the other hand, thousands of Jews, who had a painful longing for Home, took up this idea with great enthusiasm. Many of them moved of their own free will away from other p arts of the USSR, but also from the USA, Canada and Argentina to make their dream of a homeland after centuries of diaspora, come true. Yiddish is still today an official language there; it is taught at schools and the University. There is also a newspaper Birobidzhaner Stern published in two languages: Russian and Yiddish. The majority of the Jewish population left there, just after the fall of the ‘Iron Curtain’ in 1991, but some are still there, in the far Taiga forests on the eastern border of the Russian Federation. That’s why the Jewish Agency of Israel and Ofek Israeli organised an aliyah seminar. 11,000 km away, two flights and 7 hours difference – this is what I have to go through to see with my own eyes the miraculous Jewish Autonomous District, and its capit al Birobidzhan. In my family it was told by my grandparents in Ukraine that they were about to be sent off to the Chinese border. The trains were already prepared, and neighbours were discussing who would take what from their belongings, but then Stalin died (exactly on Purim, 5 March 1953) and the plan was never fulfilled. Otherwise, maybe I would have been born there. This long trip was definitely worth it! So many Jewish people that only now have got a chance to reveal their Jewish identity... Lev from Birobidzhan, 22 years old, applied for the seminar simply out of curiosity and on the way found out that his grandfather was a prominent rabbi. Alina from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk had to take a flight together with her daughter to get to the seminar. This city is located on Sakhalin island, on the Japan border. There is no other way to get out of there except a plane. In general, distances here on the other side of the globe are so different. People travelled some hundreds of kilometres to listen to us about the Land of Israel. I explained to them about the First Home in the Homeland, the absorption programme that would be happy to welcome them in Israel. The idea of a kibbutz is very familiar to these people. Their grandfathers and grandmothers, exactly as the kibbutz pioneers, arrived at a far land to develop it and to make it Home. The difference is... 11,000 km and God’s blessing for the Promised Land. Thank you for your support of aliyah, this miracle that goes on right now in front of our eyes! “Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth.” Isaiah 43:5-6 In these seminars Jewish families get full information on how to make aliyah and what they can expect in Israel. Christians for Israel supports these Aliyah seminars and the absorption programme of First Home in the Homeland in Israel. You can donate by completing the coupon on the back page. Israeli Days in the Far East “These people ha ve a sense of belonging too. We want them to experience as much of the same things as anybody else” Four years ago, we helped Aleh department in Gedera with an ambulance minibus too. Today this minibus is still gratefully used. Will you help to provide a special minibus to the Aleh department in Jerusalem as well?

12. 4 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Commentary Ron Ross Author and Middle East correspondent and commentator Jesus! Palestinian or Jew? The Jewishness of Jesus is a foregone conclusion for Bible readers. Nevertheless, the debate rages. Was Jesus Palestinian or Jew? It surfaced again last April. US politician Ihan Omar faced instant backlash when she retweeted a post by American Muslim scholar and civil rights activist Omar Suleiman. Suleiman said in his tweet: “I was once asked by a relative who is a Palestinian Christian why the Christian right in America largely supports their oppression,” Suleiman wrote. “Don’t they know we’re Christian too? Do they even consider us human? Don’t they know Jesus was Palestinian?’“ Said Amir Tsarfati, an Israeli Bible scholar and founder of Behold Israel Ministry: “I suggest that she reads the Bible and see for herself that the Lion from the tribe of Judah that came from the house of David was definitely a Jew who taught in synagogues and not mosques!” (christianheadlines.com, April 25, 2019) This all resurfaced when anti-Israel activist Linda Sarsour declared Jesus was a ‘Palestinian’. She wrote Jesus and Moses were ‘Middle Eastern’. She added “Jesus was Palestinian of Nazareth and is described in the Quran as being brown copper skinned with wooly hair.” On her Facebook page Sarsour is described as ‘a racial justice and civil rights activist and every Islamophobia’s worst nightmare.’ She lit up Twitter! ‘Try cracking a history book, Linda. It’ll blow your mind,’ the America Jewish Committee tweeted. Yair Netanyahu, son of the Israel Prime Minister was very direct. “Are you that stupid?’ He wrote “on the cross above Jesus’ head was the sign INRI which means in Latin Jesus of Nazareth king of the Jews.” Others chimed in. “Fiction! Fairytale. Lies!” declared the Jerusalem Centre of Public Affairs. The debate has history. Yasser Arafat, chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization 1969-2004 described Jesus as ‘the first Palestinian Fedayeen’ (Arabic for militant fighter). Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas told Christians Christmas 2013; “In Bethlehem, 2,000 years ago, Jesus was born – a Palestinian who brought the gospel and became a guide for millions worldwide, just as we, the Palestinians, are fighting for our freedom, 2,000 years later. We try to walk in his footsteps to the extent possible.” Saeb Erekat, the PA chief negotiator said Jesus was ‘Palestine’s first martyr after the Canaanite Palestinians.’ This belief is not restricted to the obvious sources. British analyst and commentator Melanie Phillips reported: “The former Anglican bishop of Jerusalem Riah Abu el-Assal made an astounding claim for Palestinian Christians: ‘We are the true Israel...No one can deny me the right to inherit the promises, and after all the promises were first given to Abraham and Abraham is never spoken of in the Bible as a Jew...He is the father of the faithful.” (Jesus was a Palestinian: Return of Christian Anti-Semitism, Commentary, June 2014) The Matthew and Luke Gospel’s confirm Jesus was born in Bethlehem. He was a Galilean from Nazareth and frequently was called Jesus of Nazareth. Today Bethlehem is part of the Palestinian Authority. When the tax burden on Jews in Bethlehem was increased Mary and Joseph moved to Nazareth with many others. Nazareth today is in Israel. As a child Jesus attended a Synagogue in Kfar Nachum (Capernaum). Later with his disciples Jesus ministered through northern Israel, in the area known today as the Galilee. As if to create grounds for debate Jesus was born in the place the Romans called Palestine, but He lived and developed his young and eventful life in Israel. The ethnic make up of the Nazareth region is interesting. Israel Today published ‘How Jewish was Jesus?’ by David Lazarus, July 10, this year. The article reviewed archaeological research in Zippori, a city located near Nazareth. “Clear archaeological evidence indicates that the city of Zippori was very much Jewish, not Gentile, as was the Galilee in general,” Dr Michael Brown wrote an article “No, Jesus Was Not a Palestinian” saying “Let’s set the record straight. Jesus was a Galilean Jew, not a Palestinian Muslim. He celebrated Passover, not Ramadan, and he was called “Rabbi” not “Imam.” His followers were named Yaakov and Yochanan and Yehudah, not Muhammad and Abdullah and Khalid. And he himself had one of the most common Jewish names of the day: Yeshua.” (No, Jesus Was not a Palestinian, My Christian Daily) Dr Mordechai Kedar, a senior lecturer in the Department of Arabic at Bar-Ilan University suggested the entire debate is an attempt to ‘re-engineer history.’ Dr Kedar said; “They can re-engineer history for any country, for any people, for any part of history that is not consistent with the Islamic narrative. Muslims who live in America believe that America is an Islamic country with an Islamic history and therefore they belong there, have a greater right to the country and ruling it, than anyone else.” (Read more prophecynewswatch.com ) Jesus gave obvious witness to His Jewishness through the Biblical Feasts. Every year He and His family observed seven annual feasts. First Passover... “Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us,” (1 Corinthians 5: 7) The Feast of Unleavened Bread... “Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:8) Pentecost... “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father on you, but tarry in the city of Jerusalem, until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24: 49) The Feast of Trumpets... “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” (1 Thessalonians 4: 16) The Day of Atonement... “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; it shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15) The Feast of Tabernacles... “Now about the middle of the feast Jesus wen up into the Temple and taught.” (John 7: 2-14) The Eighth Day, the last great resurrection day. (Read Ezekiel 37: 12-14) _______________________________________ Ron Ross worked as a newsman in Jerusalem, broadcasting Middle East reports internationally. He is the Middle East correspondent for Vision Christian Radio and a popular speaker. www.ronross.org | ronandyvonne@mac.com Let’s set the record straight. Jesus was a Galilean Jew, not a Palestinian Muslim.

6. 18 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Biblical Reflection 6 A Cruel Assignment - Psalm 2 - Part 6b Johannes Gerloff n Theologian, Journalist, Lecturer & Author This article is the sixth instalment (split into 2 parts) in a series of contributions to the interpretation of Psalm 2. The Coming Messiah... According to the testimony of the New Testament, it is first of all the exalted Messiah, who, two thousand years ago, went His way from the crib to the cross as suffering Christ and in the near future will come back as ruler of the world in order to govern the nations. In Revelation 1:16, He is the One ‘out of whose mouth a sharp, double-edged sword’ comes, with which He will smite the Gentiles. In principle, John the seer paraphrases Psalm 2:9 in Revelation 19:15: “He shepherds them with an iron rod. He stamps the winepress of the wine of the fierce wrath of the Almighty God.” With this, the New Testament picks up what the prophets of ancient Israel had seen. Isaiah describes the “sprig from the trunk of Isaiah” as the one who “strikes the land with the rod of his mouth”. “With the spirit of his lips, he kills evil” (Isaiah 11:4). In chapter 49, Isaiah describes the Servant of the Lord, whose mouth God has set “like a sharp sword” (verse 2). Strangely blurry – and we keep that as observation for the following – the prophet explicitly identifies this Servant of the Lord, who as an individual person has been called “from the womb of his mother” (verse 1) with the collective nation of Israel (verse 3). The German Old Testament scholar Franz Delitzsch wrote in the 19th century: “The office of the Messiah is not only that of Saviour but also of Judge. Redemption is the beginning and the judgment the end of His work... The Lord himself frequently refers in the Gospels to the fact of His bearing side by side with the sceptre of peace and the shepherd’s staff, the sceptre of iron also, Mat. xxiv. 50 sq., xxi. 44, Luke xix. 27. The day of His coming is indeed a day of judgment – Apoc. vi. 17. ” Undoubtedly, Psalm 2:9 describes the process Zechariah 9:9-10 tells us about, where the One who two thousand years ago entered Jerusalem “poor” “on a donkey, on a donkey’s foal,” will destroy “the chariot from Ephraim” and “the horse from Jerusalem” – that is, the most powerful weapons systems imaginable at that time. He summarises: “The bow of battle will be eradicated.” When the messianic king commands peace to the Gentiles who rebel against Him, then the first step may be a smashing, as Psalm 2 describes it. In the end, it will lead to a situation in which “His rule will stretch from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the land.” If we have the five hermeneutical levels of Psalm 2 in mind, it is conceivable that the regional policy of King David three thousand years ago mirrored on a small scale this scenario, which today has global proportions. ...His People Israel... Psalm 110:2 says that “the Lord will send out the rod of His power from Zion”.” Micah 4:13 gets more concrete by requiring: “Get up and thresh, daughter Zion. Because I make your horn of iron, I make your hooves bronze. You will crush many nations.” Isa iah 41:15-16 and Zechariah 12:6 are further texts describing a similar scenario in which the nation of Israel is used by God to judge Gentile peoples. ...and us? No, I do not want to read any instructions for action from this text to the Jewish people or its modern State of Israel – and most certainly I do not wish to justify any injustice committed in war. I am not entitled to do so. Nor would it help in any way those who became or will become guilty in the turmoil of armed conflict. But what if these prophetic texts predict scenarios in order to prepare us to do the right thing at the right moment? Undoubtedly, the biblical context sees the eschatological messianic king as not only judge for the nations, but also His people Israel as a tool of judgement. And the Book of Revelation, which mentions the sword of judgement for the nations twice in viewing the exalted Christ (Revelation 12:5; 19:15), also sees it once in the hand of a victorious follower of Messiah. In Revelation 2:26-27 , the Risen One says: “He who overcomes and keeps my works to the end, to him I give authority over the Gentile nations. He will shepherd them with an iron rod; he will smash them like pots of clay.” This does not mean that we, as followers of Jesus, should take the sword out of the hand of our returning Lord and hit out – certainly not ahead of time. But the Bible shows us that the Lord involves the people of Israel and us in His dealings with this world, not only in grace but also in judgement. As a stimulus for further thought: The second part of the book of Isaiah repeatedly suggests a similar scenario as here in Psalm 2. I myself have experienced war several times and personally know soldiers who suffer from terrible feelings of guilt in the framework of war. No one who goes to war will get away wi thout trauma. That’s why I’ve become very careful not to envy anyone because he is chosen, or even to wish for election myself. Isaiah 40 begins with the words, “Comfort, comfort my people!” The prophet speaks of an end to “military service” (Luther translated ‘bondage’) and does not trivialise guilt and failure in any way. God rarely reveals anything to us unless it concerns us directly. Therefore, the question arises: If Psalm 2 speaks into our time, what is our mission? The full text of this article, including extensive footnotes, can be found at www.c4israel.org/teaching-articles/ August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Ancient pot of clay from the First Temple period found in 2016. This gate-shrine from the First Temple period (eighth century BCE) is perceived by archeologists as compelling evidence of King Hezekiah’s efforts to abolish worship there, the Israel Antiquities Authority said. | Photo: Flash90 Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem Saved The UN cultural authority says that the Church of the Nativity of Bethlehem is no longer considered a World Heritage Site ‘at risk’, thanks to extensive restoration work. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee decided to take the church and the nearby pilgrim's path from the list of endangered places, due to the "high quality of work" on the leaking roof, broken windows, damaged columns and grass-covered mosaics. The church was built in the 4th century over a cave in which the Virgin Mary is said to have given birth to the baby Jesus. The extensive renovation under the leadership of the Palestinian Authority has been ongoing since 2012. At times almost the whole church was scaffolded. | Photo: Pravmir.com Arab Runs Bank Leumi Israel’s largest bank, Bank Leumi, has appointed Samer Haj Yehia as Chairman of its Board of Managing Directors. The 48-year-old has been a director at Leumi since 2014. He thus became the first Arab chairman of an Israeli bank. His appointment is still subject to approval by the Bank of Israel, said Leumi. Haj Yehia is a board member of a number of companies, including Hadassah Medical Center and Strauss Group. He holds a PhD in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was Vice President of Fidelity Capital Markets from 2006- 2012. Since 1990, Haj has been a senior lecturer at universities such as MIT, Harvard and Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Israeli Flag in Space What do you take along in a spacecraft as an American astronaut? An Israeli flag! It doesn’t sound logical, and yet that is exactly what Jessica Meir will do when she goes on a mission in space in September 2019. The Israeli president Rivlin extended a special word of thanks: “Thank you for taking us along on your world tour in space. We are so proud of you.” | Photo: flickr Short News

10. 2 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 National Leaders Report Continued... matters concerning Israel in the UN. We encouraged the Prime Minister and his staff to remember that the One Nation One Vote gives the Solomons the same voice as larger nations when standing in the UN. Also drawing from the Scriptures we shared the promises in Genesis 12:3 that those who Bless Israel will be blessed, and from Joel 3 and Matthew 25 that when Messiah returns He will bring all the nations in to the Valley of Jehoshaphat for Judgement— where he will separate the ‘Sheep Nations’ form the ‘Goat Nations.’, We wanted to encourage the people of the Solomon’s to be counted amongst the ‘Sheep Nations’. A major theme during our time in the Pacific islands was from the book of Jeremiah 31:10 – “Hear the word of the LORD, you nations, and declare it in the islands afar off ; and say, “He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as shepherd does his flock.” Aside from the obvious message being aimed at those who live in the remote parts of the world—the Islands scattered across the vast oceans—we saw this reoccurring theme about those who were “afar off ” . As we read in Paul’s letter to the Church in Ephesus 2:13-14 – ...“remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were off have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility...” and also in the Book of Acts 2:39 we read... “This promise belongs to you and to your children and to all who are far off , to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.” What a Good and Great Shepherd we have in Jesus—our coming Messiah and King! Plans are now in train to visit our C4I connections in Vanuatu in September, Samoa in May next year and the possibility of coordinating a combined pilgrimage and study tour September 2020 with a delegation of Islanders travelling to the land of promise. End of Financial year reports and praise We have just completed our upgrade and installation of the new customer relations management system and financial management software, thanks to the hard work of Eric Belcher, our Treasurer Katherine Chew, and our wonderful dedicated volunteers, Katherine and Robert Steele and Rudy Oei. We should now be ready for our Annual audit which we send off to the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit authority as part of our obligations and accountability process. I’m very pleased to report that this past financial year we have raised: • $160,000 for Aliyah, to help many Jewish families return home to Israel. • $77,500 has been raised for the various humanitarian projects we support. • We also received $120,000 in general donations which helped pay for six editions of the Newspaper and 42,000 copies at a cost of $72,000 in printing and postage. Praise the Lord! It’s because of the wonderful, prayerful and generous support of you our readers and partners that we have been able to pay our printing and postage bills and grow the ministry slowly and effectively. If you would like to make a general donation towards the ongoing costs of future editions of the Newspaper we would be very grateful. Those gifts, small or large, go directly to inform, inspire the Church, and comfort the Lord’s people as we read in Isaiah 40:1 The special memorial Light Horse statue matching fund raising project update For the past 3 editors we have been encouraging our readers and supporters to make a special donation to our matched dollar-for-dollar project—up to $30,000— for the completion of a special statue to be cast in Israel using new 3D scanning and printing technology. The clay model was scanned, but due to the intricate details of the horse, rider, bridal and reins etc the costs blew out to almost another 50% on what was originally quoted. We also learned the materials used had increased in costs quite considerably. Barry Rodgers has done all he can to contain these costs and we are seeking grants and support from other organisations. Our matching fund-raising project was 105% successful and we are still able to offer the Certificates, Book and DVD and limited-edition Medallion, of which only 100 have been struck, for donations of $500 or more. For those who have already given, thank you for your generosity and your patience. The medallions have finally arrived and so in the coming weeks we will be sending off the Certificates, Books and DVDs and Medallions to those who have been patiently waiting to receive these tokens of our appreciation and partnership in this commemorative project. I’m confident many will see and enjoy this monument for many years to come, as they learn the story of the brave Australian Light Horsemen who helped liberate God’s people from 400 years of Islamic Ottoman occupation. Barry is also organising a special commemorative tour to Israel which will include the official unveiling of the statue on location at the Semack Railway station— which has been beautiful restored and turned into a museum. The event will be officiated by the Australian Ambassador to Israel and other officials—it will be an historic event not to be missed, not to mention the rest of the tour of Israel, the Galilee and Jerusalem! Please see the advertisement on page 11 or contact Barry Rodgers on 0428 662 528 for more information. Only weeks away now from our next Vision Christian Tour to Israel, Jordan and Turkey Many people have read my wife Mandy’s articles in the Newspaper or have heard her speak from one of Vision Christian Radio’s 700+ stations across Australia. Mandy hosts Night Vision from 7pm to Midnight Mon-Friday AEST as well as her unique programme Foundations: ‘understanding the hebraic foundations of the Christian faith’ —a 10 minute daily program aired Mon-Friday at 1:10 PM and again at 10:45 PM. You can listen to Mandy’s podcast at www.visionradio.org.au/foundations and also download the free study notes. Well, Mandy and I will be leading another wonderful life-changing tour walking through the lands of the Bible this September. We will once again tour Israel, Jordan and Petra, and for the first time in 3 years, we’ll visit the 7 Churches of Revelation in Turkey and also visit Gallipoli and ANZAC cove. There might be a few seats still available – but you will have to move fast if you want to book your seat. Call our Agent Olive Tree Travel on 1300 550 830 without delay. Also we are taking bookings for our spring tour in February 2020 to Israel, Jordan and Petra, plus, we are offering people the option to stay on for our to walk in the footsteps of Apostle Paul in fabulous Greece! See details on page 12. As we often say, a two week tour to Israel and the Holy Land is like two years in Bible College. So many come back profoundly and deeply changed with new insights, understanding and and increased love for God’s Word, His people and His land of promise. We know there are cheaper holiday destinations, but going to Israel is more than a vacation its an investment and a ‘pilgrimage’ with memories and experiences that will last a life time. I love the Promise found in Psalm 84:5 – “How happy are those whose strength comes from you, who are eager to make the pilgrimage to Mount Zion. ” Thank you again for your continued prayers and practical support, and if it be the Lord’s will and he gives you the opportunity and means, we would love to see you next year in Jerusalem. God Bless and Toda Roba (thank you very much) _____________________________________ Ian Worby National Leader & Regional Director for Christians for Israel Australia & Oceania. We wanted to encourage the people of the Solomon’s to be counted amongst the ‘Sheep Nations.’ Closing flag ceremony with Israel leading the nations of Oceania LEFT: Rev. Kant on Vision Christian Radio with Matt Prater. RIGHT: PM Sogovare, Keith Buxton and Ian Worby

22. 22 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 5IePMPHZ  Book Review By Ruben Ridderhof When you love reading and language, a well written, well-composed story is a joy to read. Just as you can marvel at the beauty of a building or a musical composition, you can appreciate the way an author has woven language into a story, how he or she describes details, uses certain words or expressions and chooses metaphors. With such kind of joy have I read Kay Wilson’s book ‘The Rage Less Traveled’. And this strangely eases the gruesome story she tells. “Over what sounds like soup bubbling, birds twitter and flies hum. It is a bewitching noise that woos me to close my eyes. Eternal sleep, kind and tender, is beckoning me. Warm and at peace, my mind drifts, thinking pleasantly how, once-upon-a-world-ago, I went for a walk in a beautiful forest. That was then. And then is gone. While thinking this, I gaze lazily at a soggy mass of maroon in the bushes. Kristine. That’s Kristine!” On December 18, 2010, Israeli tour guide Kay Wilson and her American Christian friend Kristine Luken went for a hike through the Matta Forest, near Beit Shemesh. There, two Arab terrorists ambushed them and butchered them with machetes, murdering Kristine. Kay, however, barely survived. Stabbed 13 times, gagged, bound and barefoot, she managed to stumble back through the woods until she reached a recreational area where people helped her and called an ambulance. ‘The Rage Less Traveled’ is Kay’s vivid recollection of these events and the process that followed. The period of recovery, of dealing with trauma, of facing her killers in court and meeting Kristine’s parents. It’s a journey that no one who hasn’t stared terror in the eyes can really relate to. Yet, Kay manages to tell it in such a way that you’ll begin to understand what coping with trauma really means. “Hearing the replay of Kristine’s whimpers began the night I spoke to her father in hospital. It came from n owhere and has not left me since. Neither the chatter of my friends, talk radio, a barking dog, a boiling kettle, nor any other noise, mutes this tinnitus of death. For hours on end, I swivel my fingers in my ears and try to gouge out her cries. Soon there is a squelch. My ears are warm and wet. When someone pulls out my fingers, they are covered in waxy blood.” Kay’s ‘lifelong road to recovery’, as she puts it in her foreword, is a bumpy road, filled with moments of desperation, disbelief and survivor’s guilt. In telling how she faced all this, she’s frightfully honest, painting her darkest thoughts in bright colours. “‘They’ve found Kristine’s body.’ She flings her face into the mattress and sobs. I, on the other hand, let my eyes drift up to the curtain rings. (...) Each time I count, I come up with a different number. I can’t concentrate. With her incessant ‘I’m so sorry I’m so sorry’ and never-ending howling, Hannah is disturbing me. How very inconsiderate. Finally, she stops. Thank God for that.” And yet, Kay’s story is filled with subtle humour, which makes her book a light read, despite the heavy subject. Her descriptions of the people involved, the little flashbacks that she uses to introduce her friends, the way she warmly describes Kristine Luken, it all attests to Kay’s choice of life over death. In the end ‘The Rage Less Traveled’ is an amazing testimony of love for life, of hope and resilience. A testimony echoing the history of the Jewish people, who, throughout the ages, have always chosen life in the face of death. The Rage Less Traveled; Kay Wilson, $14,99 can be ordered from amazon.com. ISBN: 978-1733752206. An audiobook read by the author will be available soon. The Rage Less Traveled by Kay Wilson Shabbat Chazon Shabbat before Tish’a B’Av 10 August 2019 Shabbat Chazon (Sabbath of vision) takes its name from the Haftarah that is read on the Shabbat immediately prior to the mournful fast of Tisha B’Av, from the words of rebuke and doom coming from Isaiah in the Book of Isaiah 1:1-27. It is also referred to as the Black Sabbath due to its status as the saddest Shabbat of the year. Tish’a B’Av The Ninth of Av, fast commemorating the destruction of the two Temples 11 August 2019 Tish’a B’Av is an annual fast day that commemorates the destruction of both the First Temple and Second Temple in Jerusalem, which occurred about 655 years apart, but on the same Hebrew calendar date, according to tradition. Tu B’Av Jewish Holiday of Love 16 August 2019 Tu B’Av is a minor Jewish holiday. In modern-day Israel, it is celebrated as a holiday of love, similar to Valentine’s Day. It has been said to be a ‘great day for weddings’. Shabbat Nachamu Shabbat after Tish’a B’Av 17 August 2019 Shabbat Nachamu (Sabbath of comforting) takes its name from the haftarah from Isaiah in the Book of Isaiah 40:1-26 that speaks of ‘comforting’ the Jewish people for their suffering. It the first of seven haftarahs of consolation leading up to the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Leil Selichot Prayers for forgiveness in preparation for the High Holidays 21 September 2019 Selichot are Jewish penitential poems and prayers, said in the period leading up to the High Holidays, and on Fast Days. In the Ashkenazi tradition, it begins on the Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah. If, however, the first day of Rosh Hashanah falls on Monday or Tuesday, Selichot are said beginning the Saturday night prior to ensure that Selichot are recited at least four times. Rosh Hashanah The Jewish New Year 30 September - 1 October 2019 Rosh Hashanah (literally head of the year) is the Jewish New Year. It is the first of the High Holidays or Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe), celebrated ten days before Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah is observed on the first two days of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. It is described in the Torah as Yom Teru’ah, a day of sounding (the Shofar). Jewish Festivals Kees de Vreugd n Theologian | Christians for Israel International & Editor | Israel & the Church In this article, we continue our discussion of the ‘Twelve Theses of Faith on Israel’ published by Christians for Israel. Thesis 9: We believe that the City of Jerusalem is the place where the Lord again will make His Holy Name dwell. Elaboration: In eager expectation we are looking forward to the moment that Jerusalem will be the praise in all the earth. Then the nations will go up to the mountain of the Lord, for Torah will go out from Zion, the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Finally, peace and righteousness will cover the earth, and the nations shall train for war no more (Isaiah 2:2-4). Clarification: The aforementioned hope is based upon the words of the prophet Isai ah 2:2-4 and Micah 4:1-4. It is expressed magnificently in the statue made by Evgeney Vuchetiv that has been given its proper place in the garden close to the United Nations building in New York. Without a shadow of doubt this can be an inspiration for those in the United Nations who are trying to come to the proper decisions with regard to world peace. But unfortunately, there is no mentioning that such will only be the case if and when Torah shall go forth from Jerusalem! Hizki Laluyan n Christians for Israel Indonesia Comment: What does it mean to me? What is the importance of this belief? My faith is strengthened, believing that Jerusalem will be the place where the Lord will again make His holy name dwell, as the prophet Isaiah prophesies (Isaiah 2:2- 4). I truly believe that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob always fulfills what he has said. The city of Jerusalem has always been significant to Christians. The Bible has nearly 800 references to Jerusalem as the city of our God. It is recorded that in Jerusalem, Jesus ministered, was crucified, was resurrected and ascended to heaven. We know from Romans 11:17 that we Gentiles, who are believers in Yeshua, are grafted into the ‘olive tree’, namely the people of Israel for whom the city of Jerusalem is central to their identity. As a result, the national history of Israel becomes a part of our spiritual history. Sadly, in my findings, throughout church history, Christians had little regard for anything Jewish because they saw themselves having replaced the Jewish people as God’s chosen people. Instead, they were focused on the heavenly Jerusalem. I must admit, I used to have similar thoughts as well. Last March, I visited Israel for the first time. I stayed in Jerusalem for two nights and had time to explore the city. I began to understand more clearly why Jerusalem is so important. The prophet Isaiah envisioned Jerusalem being the world’s centre where the nations will be taught the Law of the Lord, will beat their swords into ploughshares, and learn war no more. This new, deeper understanding of Jerusalem helps me to stand for Israel and the Jewish people. It gives me peace as well, knowing that the concept that Christians have replaced the Jews as the chosen people, is not correct. If we are truly aiming for world peace, then we must not forget the importance of Jerusalem as the place where the Prince of Peace shall come. th 9 Thesis: Jerusalem August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Yevgeny Vuchetich Sculpture: Let Us Beat Swords into Ploughshares, UN Headquarters. | Photo: flickr

2. 14 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Editorial 2 Colophon Israel & Christians Today is the premier publication of Christians for Israel Mission Our mission is to bring Biblical understanding in the Church and among the nations concerning God’s purposes for Israel and to promote comfort of Israel through prayer and action. Editorial Team Andrew Tucker International Editor-in-Chief atucker@c4israel.org Cathy Coldicutt Managing Editor newspaper@c4israel.org Marloes van Westing International Communications Manager international@c4israel.org Ian Worby, Bryce Turner, Rita Quartel, James Patrick, Marie-Louise Weissenböck and Marijke Terlouw Scripture references: THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. C4I Offices Christians for Israel International Leon Meijer, Chairman Rev. Willem J.J. Glashouwer, President Rev. Cornelis Kant, Executive Director P.O. Box 1100 | 3860 BC Nijkerk, The Netherlands | Tel: +31 33 422 0405 info@c4israel.org | www.c4israel.org The English Edition of Israel & Christians Today is published by the following English speaking branches: Christians for Israel - Australia Ian Worby, National Leader PO Box 1508, Springwood Q ueensland, Australia 4127 Tel: +61 402 277 930, info@c4israel.com.au www.c4israel.com.au Christians for Israel - New Zealand Bryce Turner, National Executive Director PO Box 12 006, Penrose, Auckland, New Zealand 1642 Tel: +64 9 525 7564, info@c4israel.org.nz www.c4israel.org.nz Christians for Israel - United Kingdom PO Box 789, Sutton Coldfield West Midlands B73 5FX, United Kingdom Tel: +44 121 647 3710, ukinfo@c4israel.org Christians for Israel - USA Fred J van Westing, CEO PO Box 2589, Manteca, CA 95336, USA Tel/Fax: +1 209 665 4280 fredvanwesting@c4israel.org www.c4israel.us DISCLAIMER - Articles printed in Israel & Christians Today expr ess the views of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Editors or that of the Board of Christians for Israel. The printing of articles or advertising in Israel & Christians Today does not necessarily imply either endorsement or agreement. ©Christians for Israel International Reproduction, or storage in a retrieval system or in any other form, is prohibited without permission. Please contact the Managing Editor should you wish to syndicate or r epublish any articles or materials appearing in Israel & Christians Today. www.facebook.com/c4israel Biblical Heartland Prayer Points By Pieter Bénard Israel l Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unable to form a coalition and Israel will go back to the polls on 17 September. The country faces several major challenges. Pray for Israel during this political crisis.� l Pray for a peaceful election campaign, that leaders of political parties will treat each other with respect and be honest towards the voters. l Pray for a good summer period for Israel, that the many tourists who are planning to visit Israel this summer will be a comfort and blessing to the Jewish people.� l Summers in Israel can be very hot and dry. Pray that there will be no wildfires. Israel & the Nations l Pray for the Islamic countries surrounding Israel. Pray that many Muslims may come to faith and may see that God loves Israel and that the Jewish people are God’s chosen people. l Pray for peace in the land of Israel. Pray that when Israel is threatened from all sides, Christians may form a wall of prayer around the country. l Unfortunately, anti-Semitism is on the rise, especially in Europe. Pray that Jews from Europe who want to make aliyah have sufficient means to do so. Pray for God’s protection of the Jews in Europe. l Genesis 22:18: “...and through your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed because you have obeyed me.” Give thanks for this promise to Abraham’s descendants, the Jewish people. Christians for Israel l Pray for health and strength for all representatives of Christians for Israel around the world. Pray that they will have time and peace for this important work and spiritual inspiration. l Give thanks that Christians for Israel can publish the newspaper ‘Israel & Christians Today’ along with several other publications. Pray for inspiration for the editors and that they will choose the right topics for the articles. l John 17:11: “I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.” Pray for unity in the Church and unity among Jews and Christians. For daily Prayer Points, go to our website www.c4israel.com.au Andrew Tucker n International Editor | Christians for Israel The Old City of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria are often referred to by Jewish people as their ‘Biblical Heartland’. In the Bible, God refers to these areas ( in Ezekiel 36) as ‘the mountains of Israel’. He said that these mountains would become ‘ruins and deserted towns’ and suffer ‘the scorn of the nations’, but that He would bring His ‘people Israel’ back to these mountains and settle them there again, never to be uprooted. Since about 1950, these areas have been generally referred to as ‘East Jerusalem’ and the ‘West Bank’ – names which were deliberately chosen to avoid any suggestion of a connection with the Jewish people. Yet these secular names cannot erase the fact that the mountains of Israel have a deep place in the hearts and souls of the Jewish people, and that they have always been at the heart of the Zionist dream of the return of the people to the land of their forefathers. When Theodor Herzl promoted the idea of the Jewish people returning to Zion, thereby formulating the tenets of political Zionism, it’s likely he was thinking of the territory including the Biblical Heartland. The Biblical Heartland was part of the Mandate for Palestine (1922 – 1948), which was established after WWI to enable the reconstitution of the Jewish homeland ‘in Palestine’. No-one doubted then that territory known as ‘Palestine’ included the ‘Biblical Heartland’ and that the Jewish homeland would include the Biblical Heartland. But when the Mandate came to an end, and the State of Israel was established in May 1948, the Biblical Heartland was captured in an illegal attack on the new State by Jordan, who renamed this region their own ‘West Bank. It was only in the Six-Day War in June 1967 that Israel (miraculously) evicted the Jordanians and gained control over the Biblical Heartland (and a lot more territory as well). Since the early 1970s, many nations in the UN and other multilateral organisations such as the EU have taken the position that the Biblical Heartland of Israel – the Old City of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria – does not, cannot and will not belong to Israel. Today, the European Union and a majority of nations in the UN are determined to end Israel’s presence in these territories and ensure that these territories become part of an Islamic ‘State of Palestine’. The official EU position is expressed as follows: “The European Union, in line with international law, does not recognise Israel’s sovereignty over the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967 , namely the Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and does not consider them to be part of Israel’s territory, irrespective of their legal status under domestic Israeli law. The Union has made it clear that it will not recognise any changes to pre-1967 borders, other than those agreed by the parties to the Middle East Peace Process (MEPP).” Note the words: ‘in line with international law’ which are critical. They suggest that international law is very clear on this point. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are many divergent opinions among international law experts about this. Some say they belong to Israel, for various reasons such as (1) the 1920 San Remo resolution effectively conferred sovereignty on the Jewish people, or (2) the Mandate conferred rights on the Jewish people to settle the land, or (3) the international law principle of uti possidetis juris means that the administrative boundaries of the Mandate became the borders of the State of Israel upon its creation in 1948. Others say they belong to the ‘Palestinian people’, or that they are (or will become) part of the ‘State of Palestine’. Others have argued that sovereignty over these territories is ‘in abeyance’. Some say these territories cannot be a part of Israel because they are ‘occupied’ or because Israel took them through the use of force (the UN Charter forbids the acquisition of territory by force). But whatever the relative merits of these arguments, the point is that there is no clear consensus on the legal status of the Biblical Heartland, and there are no international tribunals who can make a definitive or binding decision on this. Not even the International Court of Justice can, without Israel’s consent, make a binding decision on the legal status of the Biblical Heartland. It is important to understand that the EU and other nations are using references to international law to support what is, in essence, a political decision: they want the Biblical Heartland to be part of a State of Palestine. And in order to justify that view, they state that international law supports it. They are trying to enfor ce their own view on this issue, without regard for the views of Israel or of others who dispute their political perspective. This is not only unfair and dishonest, and a fundamental breach of Israel’s right to be treated as a sovereign state and resolve its own border disputes without external interference. It is also a big mistake. The nations that continue with this policy of dividing the land will discover they are on a collision course with God, who is re- establishing His people Israel on the mountains of Israel – never to be uprooted. This is not only unfair and dishonest, and a fundamental breach of Israel’s right to be treated as a sovereign state and resolve its own border disputes without external interference. It is also a big mistake.

7. 19 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Biblical Reflection 6 A Cruel Assignment - Psalm 2 - Part 6b Johannes Gerloff n Theologian, Journalist, Lecturer & Author This article is the sixth instalment (split into 2 parts) in a series of contributions to the interpretation of Psalm 2. The Coming Messiah... According to the testimony of the New Testament, it is first of all the exalted Messiah, who, two thousand years ago, went His way from the crib to the cross as suffering Christ and in the near future will come back as ruler of the world in order to govern the nations. In Revelation 1:16, He is the One ‘out of whose mouth a sharp, double-edged sword’ comes, with which He will smite the Gentiles. In principle, John the seer paraphrases Psalm 2:9 in Revelation 19:15: “He shepherds them with an iron rod. He stamps the winepress of the wine of the fierce wrath of the Almighty God.” With this, the New Testament picks up what the prophets of ancient Israel had seen. Isaiah describes the “sprig from the trunk of Isaiah” as the one who “strikes the land with the rod of his mouth”. “With the spirit of his lips, he kills evil” (Isaiah 11:4). In chapter 49, Isaiah describes the Servant of the Lord, whose mouth God has set “like a sharp sword” (verse 2). Strangely blurry – and we keep that as observation for the following – the prophet explicitly identifies this Servant of the Lord, who as an individual person has been called “from the womb of his mother” (verse 1) with the collective nation of Israel (verse 3). The German Old Testament scholar Franz Delitzsch wrote in the 19th century: “The office of the Messiah is not only that of Saviour but also of Judge. Redemption is the beginning and the judgment the end of His work... The Lord himself frequently refers in the Gospels to the fact of His bearing side by side with the sceptre of peace and the shepherd’s staff, the sceptre of iron also, Mat. xxiv. 50 sq., xxi. 44, Luke xix. 27. The day of His coming is indeed a day of judgment – Apoc. vi. 17. ” Undoubtedly, Psalm 2:9 describes the process Zechariah 9:9-10 tells us about, where the One who two thousand years ago entered Jerusalem “poor” “on a donkey, on a donkey’s foal,” will destroy “the chariot from Ephraim” and “the horse from Jerusalem” – that is, the most powerful weapons systems imaginable at that time. He summarises: “The bow of battle will be eradicated.” When the messianic king commands peace to the Gentiles who rebel against Him, then the first step may be a smashing, as Psalm 2 describes it. In the end, it will lead to a situation in which “His rule will stretch from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the land.” If we have the five hermeneutical levels of Psalm 2 in mind, it is conceivable that the regional policy of King David three thousand years ago mirrored on a small scale this scenario, which today has global proportions. ...His People Israel... Psalm 110:2 says that “the Lord will send out the rod of His power from Zion”.” Micah 4:13 gets more concrete by requiring: “Get up and thresh, daughter Zion. Because I make your horn of iron, I make your hooves bronze. You will crush many nations.” Isa iah 41:15-16 and Zechariah 12:6 are further texts describing a similar scenario in which the nation of Israel is used by God to judge Gentile peoples. ...and us? No, I do not want to read any instructions for action from this text to the Jewish people or its modern State of Israel – and most certainly I do not wish to justify any injustice committed in war. I am not entitled to do so. Nor would it help in any way those who became or will become guilty in the turmoil of armed conflict. But what if these prophetic texts predict scenarios in order to prepare us to do the right thing at the right moment? Undoubtedly, the biblical context sees the eschatological messianic king as not only judge for the nations, but also His people Israel as a tool of judgement. And the Book of Revelation, which mentions the sword of judgement for the nations twice in viewing the exalted Christ (Revelation 12:5; 19:15), also sees it once in the hand of a victorious follower of Messiah. In Revelation 2:26-27 , the Risen One says: “He who overcomes and keeps my works to the end, to him I give authority over the Gentile nations. He will shepherd them with an iron rod; he will smash them like pots of clay.” This does not mean that we, as followers of Jesus, should take the sword out of the hand of our returning Lord and hit out – certainly not ahead of time. But the Bible shows us that the Lord involves the people of Israel and us in His dealings with this world, not only in grace but also in judgement. As a stimulus for further thought: The second part of the book of Isaiah repeatedly suggests a similar scenario as here in Psalm 2. I myself have experienced war several times and personally know soldiers who suffer from terrible feelings of guilt in the framework of war. No one who goes to war will get away wi thout trauma. That’s why I’ve become very careful not to envy anyone because he is chosen, or even to wish for election myself. Isaiah 40 begins with the words, “Comfort, comfort my people!” The prophet speaks of an end to “military service” (Luther translated ‘bondage’) and does not trivialise guilt and failure in any way. God rarely reveals anything to us unless it concerns us directly. Therefore, the question arises: If Psalm 2 speaks into our time, what is our mission? The full text of this article, including extensive footnotes, can be found at www.c4israel.org/teaching-articles/ August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Ancient pot of clay from the First Temple period found in 2016. This gate-shrine from the First Temple period (eighth century BCE) is perceived by archeologists as compelling evidence of King Hezekiah’s efforts to abolish worship there, the Israel Antiquities Authority said. | Photo: Flash90 Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem Saved The UN cultural authority says that the Church of the Nativity of Bethlehem is no longer considered a World Heritage Site ‘at risk’, thanks to extensive restoration work. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee decided to take the church and the nearby pilgrim's path from the list of endangered places, due to the "high quality of work" on the leaking roof, broken windows, damaged columns and grass-covered mosaics. The church was built in the 4th century over a cave in which the Virgin Mary is said to have given birth to the baby Jesus. The extensive renovation under the leadership of the Palestinian Authority has been ongoing since 2012. At times almost the whole church was scaffolded. | Photo: Pravmir.com Arab Runs Bank Leumi Israel’s largest bank, Bank Leumi, has appointed Samer Haj Yehia as Chairman of its Board of Managing Directors. The 48-year-old has been a director at Leumi since 2014. He thus became the first Arab chairman of an Israeli bank. His appointment is still subject to approval by the Bank of Israel, said Leumi. Haj Yehia is a board member of a number of companies, including Hadassah Medical Center and Strauss Group. He holds a PhD in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was Vice President of Fidelity Capital Markets from 2006- 2012. Since 1990, Haj has been a senior lecturer at universities such as MIT, Harvard and Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Israeli Flag in Space What do you take along in a spacecraft as an American astronaut? An Israeli flag! It doesn’t sound logical, and yet that is exactly what Jessica Meir will do when she goes on a mission in space in September 2019. The Israeli president Rivlin extended a special word of thanks: “Thank you for taking us along on your world tour in space. We are so proud of you.” | Photo: flickr Short News C4I Happenings 7 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Ian Worby n Regional Director | Christians for Israel Oceania After attending this year’s Christians for Israel (C4I) International Biennial Forum in Israel, and the Study Tour to Israel, Pastor Geoffrey Alakey, representing the local ‘Awakening the Nations’, invited International President Rev Willem Glashouwer to speak and officially launch C4I in the Solomon Islands. Plans were coordinated for both Rev Willem Glashouwer and newly appointed C4I International Executive Director, Rev Cornelis Kant, to come via Brisbane to Honiara, the capital of the Solomons, for a three-day ‘Signs of the Times’ conference from 14-16 July. Unfortunately, just days before the event, Rev Glashouwer took ill and was unable to travel. Fortunately for us, Rev Cornelis Kant, Keith Buxton (C4I Australia) and Ian Worby were available to fill the speaking events. Keith Buxton is an ordained pastor with years of experience working in the islands of Papua New Guinea and Australia. Keith was the former National Director for ‘Bridges for Peace’, a similar pro-Israel Christian organisation, for over ten years. He has led many tours to Israel and has a very unique teaching style using short video clips to show the modern-day miracle of the regathering and rebirth of Israel. After a welcome dinner, we had several morning events, with Keith and Ian speaking at Bibleways Church and Cornelis speaking at another church. Sunday evening was the official launch of the conference by the Prime Minister Hon. Manasseh D. Sogavare, who gave a powerful address of his support for Israel and why it is an important challenge for Christian leaders to decide whom they will stand with. We pray that the Solomon Islands will continue to be a ‘sheep nation’ when they vote in the UN. To this end, Cornelis Kant presented the Secretary-General and the PM’s Private Secretary with Andrew Tucker’s new book, Israel On Trial as a valuable resource in answering many of the lies and propaganda against Israel. The opening event started with a flag ceremony of all the nations of Oceania and closed with a very moving flag ceremony, this time with the Israeli flag symbolically leading the way. Over 300 people, including many Christian pastors and civic and government leaders, attended the events, with many travelling some distance to attend from Cook Islands, Fiji and Papua New Guinea. A lot of people purchased Willem’s new book, The Signs of the Times and Why Israel? books, DVDs and study guides. Over 200 newspapers were distributed as valuable teaching aides in fulfilment of C4I’s three main activities: Inform, Inspire and Comfort. We hope to return to the Solomon Islands with more teaching and development of the fledgeling new Christians for Israel chapter in the islands of Oceania. Please continue to pray for the local team. Inauguration of C4I Solomon Islands From left: Keith Buxton, Geoffrey Alacky, Rev Cornelis Kant, PM Manasseh D. Sogavare, Ian Worby and Ronald Fugui, PM’s Secretary Rev Cornelis Kant n Executive Director | Christians for Israel International After being the director of Christians for Israel International for a year, it was high time to visit our Australian team. It was heartwarming to meet all the volunteers at the office in Springwood (Brisbane) and see their dedication to the ministry. In the studio of Vision Radio, I had an interview about Christians for Israel with Matt Prater, an enthusiastic radio presenter with humour. Listeners could call the Vision studio to ask questions. Many of them did and asked questions like: “Will the Temple literally be rebuilt in the future?”, or “Do we as Christians have to obey the Old Testament law?” In Sydney, I had a meeting under the leadership of Pastor Paul Kim, and we had a profound conversation about the genesis of replacement theology in church history. “What is the spiritual significance in our times of Christians so divided about Israel’s place i n God’s plan and our Christian faith?” This was a question one of them asked us, which touched us all. We agreed about the huge importance of spreading the message about Israel in our churches. In Melbourne, Pastor Enoch Lavender and I spoke at the Shalom Israel Conference. What a blessing when you witness and discover the evidence of Israel being a Sign of the Times according to the prophetic Word of God in both the Old and New Testaments. “Israel and Christians Today is the best newspaper about Israel I’ve ever seen”, a woman told me during a coffee break of the conference. How impressive. For us, the newspaper is so familiar. Let us hope and pray God may bless the spreading of the newspaper in Australia, so that many people may be inspired and encouraged. I was invited by Pastor Phil Mercer to preach about Israel in the Trinity Presbyterian Church. I told the visitors about our wonderful experience in the Solomon Islands, where we inaugurated a new Christians for Israel team (see Ian Worby’s article above). After the church service, three elderly people told me: “Long ago our father was a missionary on the Solomon Islands and they were challenging times.” How wonderful, because now we could witness how blessed their work has been. Visit ‘Down Under’ From left: Rev Cornelis Kant, Mr Chew, Rudy Oie, Eric Belcher, Robert & Katherine Steele and Katherine Chew Bryce Turner n Executive Director | Christians for Israel New Zealand Following the Solomon Islands and Australia, Rev Cornelis Kant was able to fit in a brief but busy three-days in New Zealand. Arriving in Auckland late on Monday 22 July, Cornelis had a solid day of meetings and engagements on Tuesday with the team from Christians for Israel NZ. While modern technology allows almost effortless communication; it is quite different to be able to meet with people in person. Meeting with the Christians for Israel NZ Board gave Cornelis a great opportunity to see firsthand how the NZ affiliate operates, to share in the plans and projects fo r the future, and to gain an even deeper understanding of the Christians for Israel branches throughout the South Pacific. The work of Christians for Israel is growing steadily in the Pacific Islands with a wonderful team of dedicated local leaders in each island nation, who are supported by the New Zealand office. Cornelis also met with the team who, together with an international editorial panel, produce Israel and Christians Today. Having regularly communicated via email, Cornelis was finally able to meet managing editor Cathy Coldicutt in person. After a grue lling schedule of meetings, Cornelis then joined the entire Christians for Israel NZ team and their families for dinner on Auckland’s spectacular waterfront. Visitors come from all over the world to see New Zealand’s unique landscape and, of course, the Shire. Cornelis enjoyed a brief break from his busy schedule to visit Hobbiton, before returning to Auckland to speak at a public meeting. Cornelis’ final day in NZ included a visit to the Chief Rabbi of the Auckland Hebrew Centre, and coffee with Perry and Sheree Trotter, directors of Shadows of Shoah. A time of great encouragement to the New Zealand team, it was great to have Rev Cornelis come to visit us. Rev Kant Visits Kiwis Christians for Israel NZ team and their families enjoying dinner in Auckland Rev Cornelis Kant briefly visited Hobbiton, while in NZ

3. 15 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Editorial 2 Colophon Israel & Christians Today is the premier publication of Christians for Israel Mission Our mission is to bring Biblical understanding in the Church and among the nations concerning God’s purposes for Israel and to promote comfort of Israel through prayer and action. Editorial Team Andrew Tucker International Editor-in-Chief atucker@c4israel.org Cathy Coldicutt Managing Editor newspaper@c4israel.org Marloes van Westing International Communications Manager international@c4israel.org Ian Worby, Bryce Turner, Rita Quartel, James Patrick, Marie-Louise Weissenböck and Marijke Terlouw Scripture references: THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. C4I Offices Christians for Israel International Leon Meijer, Chairman Rev. Willem J.J. Glashouwer, President Rev. Cornelis Kant, Executive Director P.O. Box 1100 | 3860 BC Nijkerk, The Netherlands | Tel: +31 33 422 0405 info@c4israel.org | www.c4israel.org The English Edition of Israel & Christians Today is published by the following English speaking branches: Christians for Israel - Australia Ian Worby, National Leader PO Box 1508, Springwood Q ueensland, Australia 4127 Tel: +61 402 277 930, info@c4israel.com.au www.c4israel.com.au Christians for Israel - New Zealand Bryce Turner, National Executive Director PO Box 12 006, Penrose, Auckland, New Zealand 1642 Tel: +64 9 525 7564, info@c4israel.org.nz www.c4israel.org.nz Christians for Israel - United Kingdom PO Box 789, Sutton Coldfield West Midlands B73 5FX, United Kingdom Tel: +44 121 647 3710, ukinfo@c4israel.org Christians for Israel - USA Fred J van Westing, CEO PO Box 2589, Manteca, CA 95336, USA Tel/Fax: +1 209 665 4280 fredvanwesting@c4israel.org www.c4israel.us DISCLAIMER - Articles printed in Israel & Christians Today expr ess the views of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Editors or that of the Board of Christians for Israel. The printing of articles or advertising in Israel & Christians Today does not necessarily imply either endorsement or agreement. ©Christians for Israel International Reproduction, or storage in a retrieval system or in any other form, is prohibited without permission. Please contact the Managing Editor should you wish to syndicate or r epublish any articles or materials appearing in Israel & Christians Today. www.facebook.com/c4israel Biblical Heartland Prayer Points By Pieter Bénard Israel l Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unable to form a coalition and Israel will go back to the polls on 17 September. The country faces several major challenges. Pray for Israel during this political crisis.� l Pray for a peaceful election campaign, that leaders of political parties will treat each other with respect and be honest towards the voters. l Pray for a good summer period for Israel, that the many tourists who are planning to visit Israel this summer will be a comfort and blessing to the Jewish people.� l Summers in Israel can be very hot and dry. Pray that there will be no wildfires. Israel & the Nations l Pray for the Islamic countries surrounding Israel. Pray that many Muslims may come to faith and may see that God loves Israel and that the Jewish people are God’s chosen people. l Pray for peace in the land of Israel. Pray that when Israel is threatened from all sides, Christians may form a wall of prayer around the country. l Unfortunately, anti-Semitism is on the rise, especially in Europe. Pray that Jews from Europe who want to make aliyah have sufficient means to do so. Pray for God’s protection of the Jews in Europe. l Genesis 22:18: “...and through your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed because you have obeyed me.” Give thanks for this promise to Abraham’s descendants, the Jewish people. Christians for Israel l Pray for health and strength for all representatives of Christians for Israel around the world. Pray that they will have time and peace for this important work and spiritual inspiration. l Give thanks that Christians for Israel can publish the newspaper ‘Israel & Christians Today’ along with several other publications. Pray for inspiration for the editors and that they will choose the right topics for the articles. l John 17:11: “I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.” Pray for unity in the Church and unity among Jews and Christians. For daily Prayer Points, go to our website www.c4israel.com.au Andrew Tucker n International Editor | Christians for Israel The Old City of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria are often referred to by Jewish people as their ‘Biblical Heartland’. In the Bible, God refers to these areas ( in Ezekiel 36) as ‘the mountains of Israel’. He said that these mountains would become ‘ruins and deserted towns’ and suffer ‘the scorn of the nations’, but that He would bring His ‘people Israel’ back to these mountains and settle them there again, never to be uprooted. Since about 1950, these areas have been generally referred to as ‘East Jerusalem’ and the ‘West Bank’ – names which were deliberately chosen to avoid any suggestion of a connection with the Jewish people. Yet these secular names cannot erase the fact that the mountains of Israel have a deep place in the hearts and souls of the Jewish people, and that they have always been at the heart of the Zionist dream of the return of the people to the land of their forefathers. When Theodor Herzl promoted the idea of the Jewish people returning to Zion, thereby formulating the tenets of political Zionism, it’s likely he was thinking of the territory including the Biblical Heartland. The Biblical Heartland was part of the Mandate for Palestine (1922 – 1948), which was established after WWI to enable the reconstitution of the Jewish homeland ‘in Palestine’. No-one doubted then that territory known as ‘Palestine’ included the ‘Biblical Heartland’ and that the Jewish homeland would include the Biblical Heartland. But when the Mandate came to an end, and the State of Israel was established in May 1948, the Biblical Heartland was captured in an illegal attack on the new State by Jordan, who renamed this region their own ‘West Bank. It was only in the Six-Day War in June 1967 that Israel (miraculously) evicted the Jordanians and gained control over the Biblical Heartland (and a lot more territory as well). Since the early 1970s, many nations in the UN and other multilateral organisations such as the EU have taken the position that the Biblical Heartland of Israel – the Old City of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria – does not, cannot and will not belong to Israel. Today, the European Union and a majority of nations in the UN are determined to end Israel’s presence in these territories and ensure that these territories become part of an Islamic ‘State of Palestine’. The official EU position is expressed as follows: “The European Union, in line with international law, does not recognise Israel’s sovereignty over the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967 , namely the Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and does not consider them to be part of Israel’s territory, irrespective of their legal status under domestic Israeli law. The Union has made it clear that it will not recognise any changes to pre-1967 borders, other than those agreed by the parties to the Middle East Peace Process (MEPP).” Note the words: ‘in line with international law’ which are critical. They suggest that international law is very clear on this point. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are many divergent opinions among international law experts about this. Some say they belong to Israel, for various reasons such as (1) the 1920 San Remo resolution effectively conferred sovereignty on the Jewish people, or (2) the Mandate conferred rights on the Jewish people to settle the land, or (3) the international law principle of uti possidetis juris means that the administrative boundaries of the Mandate became the borders of the State of Israel upon its creation in 1948. Others say they belong to the ‘Palestinian people’, or that they are (or will become) part of the ‘State of Palestine’. Others have argued that sovereignty over these territories is ‘in abeyance’. Some say these territories cannot be a part of Israel because they are ‘occupied’ or because Israel took them through the use of force (the UN Charter forbids the acquisition of territory by force). But whatever the relative merits of these arguments, the point is that there is no clear consensus on the legal status of the Biblical Heartland, and there are no international tribunals who can make a definitive or binding decision on this. Not even the International Court of Justice can, without Israel’s consent, make a binding decision on the legal status of the Biblical Heartland. It is important to understand that the EU and other nations are using references to international law to support what is, in essence, a political decision: they want the Biblical Heartland to be part of a State of Palestine. And in order to justify that view, they state that international law supports it. They are trying to enfor ce their own view on this issue, without regard for the views of Israel or of others who dispute their political perspective. This is not only unfair and dishonest, and a fundamental breach of Israel’s right to be treated as a sovereign state and resolve its own border disputes without external interference. It is also a big mistake. The nations that continue with this policy of dividing the land will discover they are on a collision course with God, who is re- establishing His people Israel on the mountains of Israel – never to be uprooted. This is not only unfair and dishonest, and a fundamental breach of Israel’s right to be treated as a sovereign state and resolve its own border disputes without external interference. It is also a big mistake. The EU is undergoing a decisive transition, which seems likely to lead to increased EU criticism of Israeli policies, and escalating tensions between Brussels and Jerusalem. Following the recent elections of a new European Parliament, in which a number of ‘right-wing’ parties gained significant influence, the most important top executive jobs are about to be handed over to a new generation of highly politicised Eurocentric bureaucrats. As Soeren Kern reports at Gatestone Institute: “After weeks of frenzied backroom wrangling, European leaders on 2 July nominated four federalists to fill the top jobs of the European Union. The nominations — which must be approved by the European Parliament — send a clear signal that the pro-EU establishment has no intention of slowing its relentless march toward a European superstate, a ‘United States of Europe ,’ despite a surge of anti-EU sentiment across the continent.” Of particular concern is the fact that Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell has been nominated to replace Federica Mogherini as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Kern: “Like Mogherini, Borrell is a well-known supporter of the mullahs in Iran and is likely to clash with the United States and Israel over the nuclear deal with Tehran.” Borrell, who worked on a kibbutz in Israel as a young man, once spoke out strongly in favour of the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state within secure borders. But in recent years, he has been an outspoken critic of Israel, and a supporter of the recognition of Palestinian statehood as a solution to the stalemate in negotiations between Israel and the PLO. In a scathing op-ed on 18 May 2018, the Spanish Foreign Minister condemned Israel for its response to the riots on the Gaza border four days earlier, which coincided with the 70th anniversary of the creation of the State of Israel and the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem. These celebrations were “covered in blood as this black Monday reflects the dehumanisation of the Palestinians by a large part of the Israeli political class and society,” he wrote in the Spanish newspaper Republica. It seems likely that, if he is confirmed as head of the European External Action Service – the executive arm of the EU Foreign Council of Ministers – Borrell will continue the European foreign policies set in place under his predecessor Mogherini. Two of those policies caused a major rift between Brussels and Jerusalem. Iran The first is the EU position concerning Iran. For Israel, Iran – which finances and promotes terror groups throughout the Middle East, including Syria and Lebanon, aimed at the destruction of Israel and other western interests – is existential threat number one. As is well known, the EU has been the major proponent of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) negotiated in 2015 between the ‘P5+1’ (the five Permanent Members of the UN Security Council – US, Russia, China, France and the UK – plus Germany), the EU and Iran, requiring Iran to scale down its nuclear program in return for lifting of certain sanctions. The first sanctions against Iran were imposed by the United States in November 1979 after the start of the US Embassy hostage crisis following the Iranian Revolution in which the Islamic Republic was instituted under Ayatollah Khomeini. The sanctions imposed by the US included freezing about $12 billion in Iranian assets, including bank deposits, gold and other properties, and a trade embargo. The United States imposed new sanctions in 1987 after Iran’s actions from 1981-1987 against the US and other shipping vessels in the Persian Gulf and support for terrorism, and further expanded in 1995. Israel has always been strongly opposed to the deal. PM Netanyahu stated at the time: “Iran is going to receive a sure path to nuclear weapons. Many of the restrictions that were supposed to prevent it from getting there will be lifted. Iran will get a jackpot, a cash bonanza of hundreds of billions of dollars, which will enable it to continue to pursue its aggression and terror in the region and in the world. This is a bad mistake of historic proportions.” In April 2018, Mossad operatives managed to capture and ship thousands of hidden documents out of Tehran that proved Iran had previously pursued a nuclear weapons program. Trump cited the Israeli findings in his decision, a month later, to quit the JCPOA. Brussels and the EU member states, especially Germany and France, were furious when the US pulled out of the deal. Josep Borrell has shown clearly that he will continue to promote the EU’s cooperation with Iran and oppose both Israel’s concerns about the deal and the current US Administration’s confrontationist line of thinking. In a February 19 interview with Politico, Borrell declared: “The Americans decided to kill [the Iran nuclear deal], unilaterally as they do things without any kind of the previous consultation, without taking care of what interests the Europeans have. We are not children following what they say. We have our own prospects, interests and strategy, and we will continue working with Iran. It would be very bad for us if it goes on to develop a nuclear weapon... Iran wants to wipe out Israel; nothing new about that. You have to live with it.” The Two-State Solution The other area of EU foreign policy in direct conflict with Israel’s official position concerns Palestinian statehood. The official EU position for the last couple of decades is that the Palestinians have a right to statehood, with ‘East’ Jerusalem as its capital; the borders of the state are the ‘1967 line s’ unless the PLO agrees otherwise; Israel is obliged to ensure the creation of the Palestinian state; and Israeli settlement policies are illegal and an impediment to the realisation of the ‘two-state solution’. This policy is arguably in direct conflict with the Oslo Accords, to which the EU is a signatory. In those Accords, the parties (Israel and the PLO) agreed that autonomy over the territories occupied by Jordan between 1949 and 1967 would be transferred gradually to the Palestinian Authority, subject to the achievement of certain conditions and milestones. In the meantime, Israel retains security control of Area B, and full control over Area C. The Oslo Accords – which have never been revoked – do not guarantee the creation of a Palestinian state. They also expressly state that certain ‘permanent status’ issues are the subject of further negotiation: (1) Jerusalem, (2) refugees, (3) settlements, (4) security arrangements, (5) borders, (6) relations and cooperation with other neighbours, and (7) other issues of common interest. The EU claims that Israel’s expansive settlement policies since the collapse of the peace process and the outbreak of the First Intifada in 2000 have effectively prevented the creation of a viable Palestinian state. Israel, on the contrary, argues that Oslo does not prohibit the establishment of settlements, that settlements do not necessarily prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, and that in any event, these are all a matter for negotiation. The EU also alleges that Israel deliberately refuses or delays the grant of building permits to non-Israelis in Area C, and also strongly opposes Israel’s policies of house demolitions and evictions in Areas A, B and C, as well as East Jerusalem. The EU has financed the construction of buildings for Bedouins in Area C – which Israel considers to be in breach of Oslo. As Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell promoted a motion in the European Parliament to recognise Palestine as an independent state, as a way of breaking through the negotiations stalemate. News 3 Trees in Impact Craters Traces of missiles are visible in the Israeli earth along the Gazan border. Impact craters are everywhere. Students of the pre-military academy Mieratim know what to do with them: they plant trees in them. “Then something good will come forth from this evil”. | Photo: Unitedwithisrael.org Synagogue Collapses In Pidhaitsy, Western Ukraine, stood an old synagogue from the sixteenth century. With an emphasis on ‘stood’. The largely neglected and dilapidated synagogue was no longer able to resist the heavy rainfall at the beginning of May 2019. One of the pillars collapsed and with that the entire synagogue. Germany Backs Israel The unfair treatment of Israel in the UN has been a known fact for years. But the German government has recently stated that the country is seriously concerned about this anti-Israel bias. On the 70th anniversary of Israel’s UN membership (1949), the German Minister for Foreign Affairs Heiko Maas said that: “Germany will always dedicate itself to this cause, under which in the UN, that Israel’s right to exist will never be brought up for discussion.” | Photo: UN Aid for Developing Countries Countries in Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia and South America can count on Israel’s knowledge and expertise. The fact is that Israel is going to assist the World Bank in its efforts to promote digital security in developing countries. Israel joins the team of Japan, United Kingdom, Finland, Denmark and Norway, amongst others. Bulletproof Rucksack The Israeli company Massada-Armour developed a rucksack - especially for school age children – that in just a few seconds can serve as a bulletproof vest. Both on the front and back they are protected against revolver shots, and in the advanced version against rifle shots as well. The rucksack weighs only 3kg. Short News August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 EU on Collision Course with Israel From left: Ursula Von Der Leyen, President of the European Commission; Charles Michel, President of the European Council; Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank; and Josep Borrell Fontelles, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. | Photo: European Council

23. 23 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 5IePMPHZ  Book Review By Ruben Ridderhof When you love reading and language, a well written, well-composed story is a joy to read. Just as you can marvel at the beauty of a building or a musical composition, you can appreciate the way an author has woven language into a story, how he or she describes details, uses certain words or expressions and chooses metaphors. With such kind of joy have I read Kay Wilson’s book ‘The Rage Less Traveled’. And this strangely eases the gruesome story she tells. “Over what sounds like soup bubbling, birds twitter and flies hum. It is a bewitching noise that woos me to close my eyes. Eternal sleep, kind and tender, is beckoning me. Warm and at peace, my mind drifts, thinking pleasantly how, once-upon-a-world-ago, I went for a walk in a beautiful forest. That was then. And then is gone. While thinking this, I gaze lazily at a soggy mass of maroon in the bushes. Kristine. That’s Kristine!” On December 18, 2010, Israeli tour guide Kay Wilson and her American Christian friend Kristine Luken went for a hike through the Matta Forest, near Beit Shemesh. There, two Arab terrorists ambushed them and butchered them with machetes, murdering Kristine. Kay, however, barely survived. Stabbed 13 times, gagged, bound and barefoot, she managed to stumble back through the woods until she reached a recreational area where people helped her and called an ambulance. ‘The Rage Less Traveled’ is Kay’s vivid recollection of these events and the process that followed. The period of recovery, of dealing with trauma, of facing her killers in court and meeting Kristine’s parents. It’s a journey that no one who hasn’t stared terror in the eyes can really relate to. Yet, Kay manages to tell it in such a way that you’ll begin to understand what coping with trauma really means. “Hearing the replay of Kristine’s whimpers began the night I spoke to her father in hospital. It came from n owhere and has not left me since. Neither the chatter of my friends, talk radio, a barking dog, a boiling kettle, nor any other noise, mutes this tinnitus of death. For hours on end, I swivel my fingers in my ears and try to gouge out her cries. Soon there is a squelch. My ears are warm and wet. When someone pulls out my fingers, they are covered in waxy blood.” Kay’s ‘lifelong road to recovery’, as she puts it in her foreword, is a bumpy road, filled with moments of desperation, disbelief and survivor’s guilt. In telling how she faced all this, she’s frightfully honest, painting her darkest thoughts in bright colours. “‘They’ve found Kristine’s body.’ She flings her face into the mattress and sobs. I, on the other hand, let my eyes drift up to the curtain rings. (...) Each time I count, I come up with a different number. I can’t concentrate. With her incessant ‘I’m so sorry I’m so sorry’ and never-ending howling, Hannah is disturbing me. How very inconsiderate. Finally, she stops. Thank God for that.” And yet, Kay’s story is filled with subtle humour, which makes her book a light read, despite the heavy subject. Her descriptions of the people involved, the little flashbacks that she uses to introduce her friends, the way she warmly describes Kristine Luken, it all attests to Kay’s choice of life over death. In the end ‘The Rage Less Traveled’ is an amazing testimony of love for life, of hope and resilience. A testimony echoing the history of the Jewish people, who, throughout the ages, have always chosen life in the face of death. The Rage Less Traveled; Kay Wilson, $14,99 can be ordered from amazon.com. ISBN: 978-1733752206. An audiobook read by the author will be available soon. The Rage Less Traveled by Kay Wilson Shabbat Chazon Shabbat before Tish’a B’Av 10 August 2019 Shabbat Chazon (Sabbath of vision) takes its name from the Haftarah that is read on the Shabbat immediately prior to the mournful fast of Tisha B’Av, from the words of rebuke and doom coming from Isaiah in the Book of Isaiah 1:1-27. It is also referred to as the Black Sabbath due to its status as the saddest Shabbat of the year. Tish’a B’Av The Ninth of Av, fast commemorating the destruction of the two Temples 11 August 2019 Tish’a B’Av is an annual fast day that commemorates the destruction of both the First Temple and Second Temple in Jerusalem, which occurred about 655 years apart, but on the same Hebrew calendar date, according to tradition. Tu B’Av Jewish Holiday of Love 16 August 2019 Tu B’Av is a minor Jewish holiday. In modern-day Israel, it is celebrated as a holiday of love, similar to Valentine’s Day. It has been said to be a ‘great day for weddings’. Shabbat Nachamu Shabbat after Tish’a B’Av 17 August 2019 Shabbat Nachamu (Sabbath of comforting) takes its name from the haftarah from Isaiah in the Book of Isaiah 40:1-26 that speaks of ‘comforting’ the Jewish people for their suffering. It the first of seven haftarahs of consolation leading up to the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Leil Selichot Prayers for forgiveness in preparation for the High Holidays 21 September 2019 Selichot are Jewish penitential poems and prayers, said in the period leading up to the High Holidays, and on Fast Days. In the Ashkenazi tradition, it begins on the Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah. If, however, the first day of Rosh Hashanah falls on Monday or Tuesday, Selichot are said beginning the Saturday night prior to ensure that Selichot are recited at least four times. Rosh Hashanah The Jewish New Year 30 September - 1 October 2019 Rosh Hashanah (literally head of the year) is the Jewish New Year. It is the first of the High Holidays or Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe), celebrated ten days before Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah is observed on the first two days of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. It is described in the Torah as Yom Teru’ah, a day of sounding (the Shofar). Jewish Festivals Kees de Vreugd n Theologian | Christians for Israel International & Editor | Israel & the Church In this article, we continue our discussion of the ‘Twelve Theses of Faith on Israel’ published by Christians for Israel. Thesis 9: We believe that the City of Jerusalem is the place where the Lord again will make His Holy Name dwell. Elaboration: In eager expectation we are looking forward to the moment that Jerusalem will be the praise in all the earth. Then the nations will go up to the mountain of the Lord, for Torah will go out from Zion, the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Finally, peace and righteousness will cover the earth, and the nations shall train for war no more (Isaiah 2:2-4). Clarification: The aforementioned hope is based upon the words of the prophet Isai ah 2:2-4 and Micah 4:1-4. It is expressed magnificently in the statue made by Evgeney Vuchetiv that has been given its proper place in the garden close to the United Nations building in New York. Without a shadow of doubt this can be an inspiration for those in the United Nations who are trying to come to the proper decisions with regard to world peace. But unfortunately, there is no mentioning that such will only be the case if and when Torah shall go forth from Jerusalem! Hizki Laluyan n Christians for Israel Indonesia Comment: What does it mean to me? What is the importance of this belief? My faith is strengthened, believing that Jerusalem will be the place where the Lord will again make His holy name dwell, as the prophet Isaiah prophesies (Isaiah 2:2- 4). I truly believe that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob always fulfills what he has said. The city of Jerusalem has always been significant to Christians. The Bible has nearly 800 references to Jerusalem as the city of our God. It is recorded that in Jerusalem, Jesus ministered, was crucified, was resurrected and ascended to heaven. We know from Romans 11:17 that we Gentiles, who are believers in Yeshua, are grafted into the ‘olive tree’, namely the people of Israel for whom the city of Jerusalem is central to their identity. As a result, the national history of Israel becomes a part of our spiritual history. Sadly, in my findings, throughout church history, Christians had little regard for anything Jewish because they saw themselves having replaced the Jewish people as God’s chosen people. Instead, they were focused on the heavenly Jerusalem. I must admit, I used to have similar thoughts as well. Last March, I visited Israel for the first time. I stayed in Jerusalem for two nights and had time to explore the city. I began to understand more clearly why Jerusalem is so important. The prophet Isaiah envisioned Jerusalem being the world’s centre where the nations will be taught the Law of the Lord, will beat their swords into ploughshares, and learn war no more. This new, deeper understanding of Jerusalem helps me to stand for Israel and the Jewish people. It gives me peace as well, knowing that the concept that Christians have replaced the Jews as the chosen people, is not correct. If we are truly aiming for world peace, then we must not forget the importance of Jerusalem as the place where the Prince of Peace shall come. th 9 Thesis: Jerusalem August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 Yevgeny Vuchetich Sculpture: Let Us Beat Swords into Ploughshares, UN Headquarters. | Photo: flickr Theology 11 Mandy Worby n Christians for Israel Australia Throughout the centuries, different countries have pictured Jesus through the lens of their own culture. An artist in Peru would paint Him with dark braided hair and a poncho with a Peruvian face, while artists in Europe have painted Him with blond hair and blue eyes and the Ethiopians portray Him as a tall black man. None of them ever stop to ask what a Jew from 2000 years ago would have looked like. An example is Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting of the Last Supper. That painting influenced much of Christendom’s understanding of that event, but most people are unaware of the fact that it is culturally and biblically wrong in almost every detail. The ‘Last Supper’ was actually a Passover Feast but the painting shows the meal taking place during the daytime. Passover meals always take place at night; the people in the painting are white Caucasians instead of Semitic people with darker skin and dark hair; there are none of the necessary elements of the Passover meal on the table; there is ordinary leavened bread like bread rolls instead of unleavened Matza, and the meal of what appears to be grilled eels and oranges is completely non-kosher so would not have been eaten at any time, and certainly not during a Passover meal. They were sitting on chairs at a table, whereas during the actual event, they would have reclined on soft cushions around a low table on the floor. It is important for us to look at Jesus and what He said and did, through the Hebrew cultural eyes of those living in Israel 2000 years ago. Jesus’s teachings were life- changing, and to His first followers what He taught was astounding. The disciples left all their earthly belongings and risked their relationships in order to follow Him. Yet, as earth- shattering as Jesus’s teaching was 2000 years ago in a Jewish cultural context, we modern readers react to His words and actions with a ho-hum attitude sometimes because we don’t understand the context and setting. We simply read words on a page, quickly passing over their significance. But what if we were to scrub away the past 20 centuries of western influence and thinking and look at the original context of what Jesus said and did. While His words would not change, they would carry greater insight and significance. During Jesus’ lifetime, the environment and cultural setting consisted of rabbis, synagogues, nomads, farmers, shepherds, despotic kings, brutal oppressive regimes, and distinctive traditions, rituals and ceremonies. The very first church, birthed in Jerusalem, included many eyewitnesses who had seen all Jesus did. They knew the people involved in the events that happened around Him. When you read the first chapters in the book of Acts you can almost feel their excitement and passion. Their honesty and faith is very evident in their prayers. They were joyful when they met together, and they were incredibly generous toward each other. Most people do not realise that the very first church in the Book of Acts was made up entirely of Jews who continued to study Torah. (Remember that the New Testament hadn’t been written at that time.) They worshipped in the Jewish Temple, maintained the celebration of the feasts and recognised Jesus as the fulfilment of every aspect of the feast; and they kept the Sabbath. In fact, the church didn’t have any contact with Gentiles until Peter had his vision of the unclean animals in the sheet when he was staying in Jaffa. He then promptly went to the house of the Gentile, Cornelius, at Caesarea. That was almost a decade after the events listed in Acts chapter 2 ! When you compare the conduct of the Jewish congregations with Gentile congregations it is obvious that the Jewish church was in a far healthier condition because they alr eady had an amazing understanding of the Bible – they’d been raised in it their whole lives. The Gentile church at Corinth, for example, was a mess. They were selfish, greedy, immoral, self-indulgent and they were proud of it. But the Jerusalem church – all Jews – were for the most part, thoughtful, generous, selfless, moral and righteous in their behaviour. The Jewish church wasn’t given to the same level of worldliness that the Gentile church was because they already understood the precepts of God as laid out in the Torah – the Jewish Scriptures. Part 2 will be published in the October Isr ael & Christians Today. These studies are based on the book ‘Walking In The Dust Of Rabbi Jesus: How The Jewish Words of Jesus Can Change Your Life’ by Lois Tverberg. www.ourrabbijesus.com Walking in the Dust of Our Rabbi - Part 1 Rev Cornelis Kant n Executive Director | Christians for Israel International Over the last decades, numerous versions of new Bible translations have been published. Bible Societies want to translate the Bible as a more and more understandable book for a broader public. But translating also means interpreting. Does the original meaning of the text in its Hebrew or Greek language remain, or has it been replaced by something else? Let us see what happened with two Bible passages that explicitly speak about Israel: Romans 11:28 and Galatians 6:16. Romans 11:28 “As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but concerning the election, they are beloved for the sake of the fathers” (New King James Version). The Jewish people are called “enemies for your sakes”. So their enmity concerning the gospel has a divine purpose – it is for our sake, that is, to benefit the Gentiles spiritually. But concerning the election, they remain beloved. In verse 32, Paul concludes about the Jewish people that God will have mercy upon all. So their being “enemies” is limited, instrumental and temporary. But how do the more recent Bible versions translate this passage? Good News Translation (GNT) says: “Because they reject the Good News, the Jews are God’s enemies for the sake of you Gentiles. But because of God’s choice, they are his friends because of their ancestors.” Here suddenly the Jews are being called: “God’s enemies’” That’s a huge allegation. The original Greek text does not say enemies “of God”. That is really an addition. By using the word ‘enemies’ Paul indicates some kind of enmity between the gospel and the Jewish people, but he does not call them enemies of God. That would be something totally different, and of a deeper dimension. The GNT also mentions the reason why: “Because they reject the Good News”. That is not a translation, but an interpretation and addition. And what implications are such additions intended to have in the minds and heads of the readers? Are the translators trying to put the Jewish people in a negative light and suggest that their role has been played out? Further, “beloved” (from the Greek agapè ) has been degraded to “friends”. The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) also calls the Jews: “enemies of God’’. The English Standard Version (ESV) also has a so- called ‘Anglicised Version’ (ESVUK), and this version also translates this passage as “enemies of God”. Galatians 6:16 “And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God” (New King James Version). Paul warns his readers in this chapter not to “boast in your flesh”, but “in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ”. He emphasises it is all about being “new creation in Christ’” Then Paul says: “as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them”. And then he follows saying: “and upon the Israel of God”. So by using the word “and” Paul makes a distinction between those who follow this rule and Israel of God. Both receive peace and mercy. So the church as the body of Christ and Israel are distinct, and both receive peace and mercy. Israel has not been replaced by the church. But how do the more recent Bible versions translate this passage? The New International Version (NIV) says: “Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to [b] the Israel of God’”. The word “and” (the Greek kai ) has been removed. So “the Israel of God” is now not any more distinct but only a description or a specific indication of “those who follow this rule”. Only in a footnote, they add the word “and” as another option. This can be interpreted as if the church is now the new Israel. The Revised Standard Version (RSV) says: “Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule, upon the Israel of God.” Here the word “and” has also been removed, by which the Israel of God has been reduced to just a description of the former. Good News T ranslation (GNT) says: “As for those who follow this rule in their lives, may peace and mercy be with them—with them and with all of God’s people!” Here even “Israel” has disappeared and been replaced by “all of God’s people”, whoever that may be. You don’t need to be a theologian to conclude that those translators had something in mind concerning Israel. Making the Bible more understandable and accessible for a broader public is a very good intention. But concerning Israel and the Jewish people, passages have been changed, and words have been removed, which have nothing to do with making the Bible more understandable. So we have to be cautious in our choice of which Bible version to use. I suggest the following test: “Does my favourite Bible version honestly reflect the meaning of the original Hebrew or Greek text”? Bible Versions and Israel August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 | Photo: Lightstock

28. 28 August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 2 3 Our Projects 16 Help a Widowed Grandmother to Make Aliyah Michael Freund n Founder | Shavei Israel In recent years, Christians for Israel has supported the efforts of Rabbi Michael Freund, the founder and Chairman of Shavei Israel, an organisation which has brought more than 4,000 Bnei Menashe on aliyah to the Jewish state. Shavei Israel will be bringing a large group of 250 Bnei Menashe immigrants to Israel later this year, including Esther Haokip, who has been separated from the rest of her family for decades. That day is now rapidly approaching, and with your assistance, we can make it happen. In this article, Michael explains how we can help Esther and her family, and others like her to return to the land of their forefathers. This autumn, after many years of waiting, Esther Haokip will finally get to embrace her two Israeli-born grandchildren whom she has never met. Esther, a widow, is a member of the Bnei Menashe Jewish community of northeastern India, who are descendants of one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. She has longed for the day when she could make aliyah and be reunited with her relatives in the Holy Land. Esther resides in the Indian state of Manipur, along the borders with Burma and Bangladesh. “My husband Yishai passed away in 2009, and his dream of making aliyah was lost and unfulfilled,” she says. “However, I never abandoned my dream nor my longing to return to my homeland, the Land of Israel,” she adds. In 2007, Esther bade a tearful farewell to her daughter, Chedva, who made aliyah . Stuck in India, Esther has not seen her daughter in more than 12 years. She missed attending Chedva’s wedding in 2011 and has not yet held Chedva’s offspring, her only grandchildren. Before that, in 1998, Esther’s parents, brother and sister moved to Israel. “I’m very happy for them. But I miss them a lot. We have been separated for 21 years,” she says. Esther’s painful separation from her loved ones has been very difficult for her. And since the death of her husband, she has had to take care of her three sons who live with her. But the timing of Esther’s move to Israel, along with the other 249 Bnei Menashe who will make aliyah with her, depends in part on funding. The cost per immigrant is just AUD $1402, which covers airfare and transportation from India to Israel as well as some of the initial absorption costs. For every $1402 that is raised, Esther or another Bnei Menashe will be able to make the long journey home to Zion. “My sons and I believe that life in Israel would be an opportunity to reconnect with our roots and our forefathers,” Esther says, adding, “but we need help to go home to Zion.” By supporting the Bnei Menashe Aliyah, you can be part of fulfilling the Divine Will by bringing the Lord’s children back from exile. Please give generously so that Esther Haokip’s tears of longing can, at last, be transformed into tears of joy when she is reunited with her family in Jerusalem. You can donate to Bnei Menashe Aliyah on the coupon below. Esther Haokip and her three sons | Photo: Shavei Israel August 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Av - Elul 5779 PLEASE COMPLETE FORM & RETURN TO: Christians for Israel Australia, PO Box 1508, Springwood, QLD 4127 or you can donate securely online www.c4israel.com.au/donate Yes, I would like to make a donation towards... C4I MINISTRY 1 SOCIAL WELFARE PROJECTS ALIYAH - BRING THE JEWS HOME TEACHING RESOURCES & PREMIUM GIFTS DONATION DONATION SEE OUR FULL RANGE AT: C4ISRAEL.COM.AU/STORE QUANTITY SUB TOTAL $___________ SUB TOTAL $___________ MY TOTAL DONATION $___________ $___________ My donation for general admin costs (inc print & post) $___________ Semakh Statue Memorial (Matching dollar for dollar appeal) $___________ Hineni soup kitchen & Holocaust survivor support $300 One Person* $5000 One Busload (25 persons) $1350 Bnei Menashe - Asian Jews (1 person) $___________ $___________ First Home in the Homeland ($350 pp) Emergency Fire Fighting Appeal $1000 One Family (5 persons)* $______ ___________ Israel and Christians Today Paper (free or by donation) Riding Into History (BOOK - NEW ) by Barry Rodgers Light Horse History Bundle (BOOK + DVD - NEW ) by Barry Rodgers $50 each ___________ $100 each Adi Watches (Mens) (Ladies) ___________ $12 each The Signs of the Times (BOOK NEW ) by Willem J.J. 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Wilem Glashouwer 5 Pray for Jerusalem Understanding Israel and world events from a Biblical perspective & Christians Today ISRAEL August 2019 Av - Elul 5779 Israel & Christians Today is the premier publication of Christians for Israel 7 Rev Cornelis ‘Down-under’ 11 Walking in the Dust 13 N eil Armstrong - Jerusale m Roger van Oordt, Director of Christians for Israel Netherlands Labelling ‘Settlement’ Products - More Politics than Law The governments of France and the Netherlands are trying to compel importers of products made by Israelis in the ‘West Bank’ to inform consumers that they have been made in ‘Israeli settlements’. These cases are testing the validity of the EU’s policy that ‘East Jerusalem’ and the ‘West Bank’ do not belong to Israel. The Israel Products Centre (IPC), a Dutch company connected with the non-profit organisation Christians for Israel that publishes this newspaper, imports a wider range of products from pr oducers in Israel and sells them in the Netherlands and several other European countries. Amongst these are certain wines produced in a winery located in Hebron, south of Jerusalem in what is known as ‘Area C’ under the Oslo agreements. The Dutch Food and Commodities Authority (NVWA) carried out a surprise ‘investigation’ at IPC’s distribution centre in Nijkerk in mid-April 2019. Three inspectors came unannounced. At the end of the visit, they stated that IPC is breaching the law and can expect to receive a letter specifying the breaches and the required changes. Later, the NVWA sent a notice to IPC stating that the ‘Product of Israel’ labels on the ‘Judea Winery’ and ‘Hebron Heights’ wines (which are produced in Hebron) are ‘misleading’ within the meaning of EU Regulation 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers as implemented in the Netherlands. IPC must ‘immediately’ amend the labels and website in order to comply with this regulation. The NVWA says it is required to comply with the ‘Interpretative Notice’ 2015/C 375/05 published by the European Commission on 12 November 2015 (‘Notice’), and that therefore IPC is also bound by the Notice. The Notice was issued by former EU High Commissioner Mogherini to the Member States. She said she was just implementing EU policy that all territory outside the Green Line is ‘not a part of Israel’s territory’. According to the European Commission, the Notice was issued in order to clarify to consumers, market players and national authorities how EU legislation concerning the indication of origin applies to products ‘from Israeli- occupied territories’. Continued on page 4 AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA www.c4israel.com.au | info@c4israel.com.au 5 Pray for Jerusalem Understanding Israel and world events from a Biblical perspective & Christians Today ISRAEL August 2019 Av - Elul 5779 Israel & Christians Today is the premier publication of Christians for Israel 7 Rev Cornelis ‘Down-under’ 11 Walking in the Dust 13 Neil Armstrong - Jerusalem Roger van Oordt, Director of Christians for Israel Netherlands Labelling ‘Settlement’ Products - More Politics than Law The governments of France and the Netherlands are trying to compel importers of products made by Israelis in the ‘West Bank’ to inform consumers that they have been made in ‘Israeli settlements’. These cases are testing the validity of the EU’s policy that ‘East Jerusalem’ and the ‘West Bank’ do not belong to Israel. The Israel Products Centre (IPC), a Dutch company connected with the non-profit organisation Christians for Israel that publishes this newspaper, imports a wider range of products from pr oducers in Israel and sells them in the Netherlands and several other European countries. Amongst these are certain wines produced in a winery located in Hebron, south of Jerusalem in what is known as ‘Area C’ under the Oslo agreements. The Dutch Food and Commodities Authority (NVWA) carried out a surprise ‘investigation’ at IPC’s distribution centre in Nijkerk in mid-April 2019. Three inspectors came unannounced. At the end of the visit, they stated that IPC is breaching the law and can expect to receive a letter specifying the breaches and the required changes. Later, the NVWA sent a notice to IPC stating that the ‘Product of Israel’ labels on the ‘Judea Winery’ and ‘Hebron Heights’ wines (which are produced in Hebron) are ‘misleading’ within the meaning of EU Regulation 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers as implemented in the Netherlands. IPC must ‘immediately’ amend the labels and website in order to comply with this regulation. The NVWA says it is required to comply with the ‘Interpretative Notice’ 2015/C 375/05 published by the European Commission on 12 November 2015 (‘Notice’), and that therefore IPC is also bound by the Notice. The Notice was issued by former EU High Commissioner Mogherini to the Member States. She said she was just implementing EU policy that all territory outside the Green Line is ‘not a part of Israel’s territory’. According to the European Commission, the Notice was issued in order to clarify to consumers, market players and national authorities how EU legislation concerning the indication of origin applies to products ‘from Israeli- occupied territories’. Continued on page 4 AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA www.c4israel.com.au | info@c4israel.com.au 5 Pray for Jerusalem Understanding Israel and world events from a Biblical perspective & Christians Today ISRAEL August 2019 Av - Elul 5779 Israel & Christians Today is the premier publication of Christians for Israel 7 Rev Cornelis ‘Down-under’ 11 Walking in the Dust 13 Neil Armstrong - Jerusalem Roger van Oordt, Director of Christians for Israel Netherlands Labelling ‘Settlement’ Products - More Politics than Law The governments of France and the Netherlands are trying to compel importers of products made by Israelis in the ‘West Bank’ to inform consumers that they have been made in ‘Israeli settlements’. These cases are testing the validity of the EU’s policy that ‘East Jerusalem’ and the ‘West Bank’ do not belong to Israel. The Israel Products Centre (IPC), a Dutch company connected with the non-profit organisation Christians for Israel that publishes this newspaper, imports a wider range of products from pr oducers in Israel and sells them in the Netherlands and several other European countries. Amongst these are certain wines produced in a winery located in Hebron, south of Jerusalem in what is known as ‘Area C’ under the Oslo agreements. The Dutch Food and Commodities Authority (NVWA) carried out a surprise ‘investigation’ at IPC’s distribution centre in Nijkerk in mid-April 2019. Three inspectors came unannounced. At the end of the visit, they stated that IPC is breaching the law and can expect to receive a letter specifying the breaches and the required changes. Later, the NVWA sent a notice to IPC stating that the ‘Product of Israel’ labels on the ‘Judea Winery’ and ‘Hebron Heights’ wines (which are produced in Hebron) are ‘misleading’ within the meaning of EU Regulation 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers as implemented in the Netherlands. IPC must ‘immediately’ amend the labels and website in order to comply with this regulation. The NVWA says it is required to comply with the ‘Interpretative Notice’ 2015/C 375/05 published by the European Commission on 12 November 2015 (‘Notice’), and that therefore IPC is also bound by the Notice. The Notice was issued by former EU High Commissioner Mogherini to the Member States. She said she was just implementing EU policy that all territory outside the Green Line is ‘not a part of Israel’s territory’. According to the European Commission, the Notice was issued in order to clarify to consumers, market players and national authorities how EU legislation concerning the indication of origin applies to products ‘from Israeli- occupied territories’. Continued on page 4 AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA www.c4israel.com.au | info@c4israel.com.au NEW! NEW! NEW! Please post cheque or money order to: Christians for Israel Australia Inc (don’t use staples) INTERNET BANKING: BSB: ANZ BANK – 016-464 Account No: 454158806 Ref: Your name & donation purpose. Please confirm be emailing info@c4israel.com.au MY DETAILS Name: _________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________ Phone: _________________ Email: __________________ Christians for Israel Australia ABN: 79 941 819 693 *NOTE: Certificates for individuals and families from the Ukraine only. $35 each 2 for $60 4 for $100 $25 each 2 for $40 4 $___________ CFOIC Heartland

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