The Day Jimmy Carter Saved the Jews from Mike Evans

Jewishisrael is no friend of Jimmy Carter. Yet in the aftermath of this month's brouhaha over the incongruous decision by the editors of Cardoza Law School’s Journal of Conflict Resolution to honor the former president, JewishIsrael felt it timely to recount an episode also plagued with absurdity which still has serious repercussions for both Israeli and Diaspora Jewry.

In 1978, President Jimmy Carter, under pressure from the American Jewish community, intervened to save countless numbers of Jewish youth from Christian missionary Mike Evans, who was effectively working to "save" [sic] as many young Jewish souls as possible.
This report is no parody, but it is a terrible paradox, as both Evans and Carter have caused irreparable damage to Am Yisrael, but now find themselves being acclaimed by leading American Jewish and Israeli institutions. How the Jewish community got to this absurd juncture is worth exploration…more

Reflections on Michael Freund's article on Christians and Repentance
"When Christians Repent", is an article by Michael Freund, currently featured on Aish HaTorah’s website. The article also appeared in the Jerusalem Post. With all due respect to Mr. Freund and the extraordinary work that he does, Jewishisrael has repeatedly taken issue with his unreserved approach to embracing evangelical Christians. We again feel Mr. Freund has missed the mark, as it is neither anti -Semitism, replacement theology, or missionary activity which is the primary reason for Jews maintaining a respectful and necessary distance from zealous Christians. JewishIsrael takes a profound look at the issue …more

Vatican Radio anticipates Israel relinquishing control of Cenacle Shrine on Mt. Zion
As promised, Jewishisrael has an important update to our report, Pope to get seat over the Tomb of King David. There's a new Pope and Vatican Radio, which serves as "the voice of the Pope and the Church in Dialogue with the world", is pushing in a not-so- friendly-way for control of the Cenacle Shrine above the tomb of King David. Shimon Peres will be traveling to the Vatican at the end of April to meet Pope Francis and this update covers an enormous amount of ground concerning the happenings on Mount Zion...more

Eckstein's IFCJ continues to be a source of controversy for Jewish Charities : focus on Netanya
Conflicting reports have appeared in the Jewish Press as to whether or not Netanya's largest charity, Kupat Tzedaka Merkazit, has rejected a 100,000 shekel donation from Yechiel Eckstein's organization, IFCJ (Keren L’Yedidut -The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews). Jewishisrael investigated to get the real the story. In addition, we explore why Eckstein's approach to fundraising and his methods continue to cause discomfort among Jews across the religious and political spectrum.
And yes, it seems rabbis and community leaders in Netanya have good reason to be suspect of Christian generosity….more

JewishIsrael Community Alert : Missionary Infiltration

Since 2009, JewishIsrael has been cautioning the Israeli and Diaspora community about  HaYovel's Tommy Waller, his aspirations for a Christian restoration in Israel, and the missionary agenda of so many of his associates. JewishIsrael has provided reports, video materials and given presentations in both English and Hebrew to a broad audience of rabbis, Jewish community leaders, politicians, and activists. This has led to the formulation of halachic positions regarding the acceptance of monetary and manpower assistance from Christian organizations or individuals. Recently, information came to light which further validates our concerns and confirms the disturbing entanglement between Tommy Waller,  a number of HaYovel volunteers, and messianic missionaries such as Mike Isley and Boaz Michael (a.k.a. Michael Detweiler)…more

Pope to get seat over the Tomb of King David UPDATED

Outgoing Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon is leaving his mark on Jerusalem. After years of negotiations with the Vatican over property and tax issues, it seems that Israel is about to formalize diplomatic relations with the "Holy See".

But there are disturbing reports that the Vatican will receive a degree of "control" and "an official seat" for the Pope in the Upper Room (Cenacle Shrine), which sits above the traditional Tomb of King David, and is a central part of the Diaspora Yeshiva grounds on Mt. Zion.
Jewishisrael reviews the reports, some recent history and gets reactions from the Diaspora Yeshiva and from the director of the Mt. Zion Redevelopment Project....more

Politicians miss the mark and the truth about the Jeremy Gimpel video

The staff and board members at JewishIsrael are Torah observant Zionists with a number of political views and preferences. We strive to address complex issues in an honest and forthright manner, which will appeal to all Jews regardless of political persuasion.

Although we regularly run critical reports on Knesset members across the political spectrum, we deliberately avoided commenting on the election. However, we feel that the uproar caused days before Israel’s election over Israel’s Bayit Yehudi party’s candidate Jeremy Gimpel's remarks to a church group, recorded back in 2011, requires a truthful response, because all political sides chose to ignore what's most fundamentally wrong with that video clip...more

Israel and the Christmas Spirit
In recent years, the Christmas culture is making determined inroads in Israel. How do Jews in a Jewish and democratic state, which depends heavily upon Christian tourism, welcome non-Jewish visitors during their holiday season without compromising the foundations and principals of our faith? Well, based on the number of faux pas rung up in the last couple of weeks by our government representatives, activists and writers, we could do a lot better. JewishIsrael looks at an embarrassing and very sad situation...more

Rabbinic Committee Formulates Policy Regarding the Acceptance of Assistance from Christian Sources
A document of principles regarding the acceptance of monetary and manpower assistance from Christian organizations or individuals has been formulated by the Committee of Binyamin Region Rabbis. The halachic document which can be read here in Hebrew should be reviewed by any Jew in Israel who is involved in any way with Christian sources. It is very thorough, clear, and addresses many of the concerns which JewishIsrael has brought to the attention of the public over the years. The document enjoys the endorsement of an impressive list of prominent rabbinic leaders in Israel…more

JewishIsrael Responds to Rabbi Riskin's Reinterpretation of Rav Soloveitchik's Position

JewishIsrael feels Rabbi Riskin's feature article in Makor Rishon inverted the inherent intent of Rabbi Joseph Dov Ber Soloveitchik’s (the Rav) major essay on the subject, "Confrontation", and JewishIsrael has responded with a comprehensive report.
In the report, JewishIsrael takes a very in-depth look at Rabbi Riskin's article and his reinterpretation of the Rav’s directives. Our report explores the activities and aspirations of some of the major personalities and "friends" mentioned in Rabbi Riskin's article, who almost without exception are not only partnering with and supporting the Christian messianic movement and missionaries in Israel, but are actively engaged in advancing a theological unification of the Judaic and the Christian, something the Rav was adamantly against...more

Dr. David Berger Responds to Rabbi Riskin in Makor Rishon

In May 2012 the Israeli newspaper Makor Rishon ran a lengthy feature article by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin. The subject matter was whether or not Jewish-Christian theological dialogue is permissible. In that article Rabbi Riskin appeared to have inverted the long-standing position of Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik, z"l.
In a lengthy rebuttal of Rabbi Riskin's position, Rabbi Dr. David Berger, a recognized scholar on Jewish-Christian relations who serves on the Rabbinical Council of America's (RCA) Interfaith committee, has upheld Rav Soloveitchik's stance as it has long been understood...more

Hospital History in the Holy Land: a Proactive Jewish Response to Christian Missionary Activity
Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America, is celebrating their centennial anniversary. Hadassah and other Jewish medical foundations were founded, in part, as a proactive response to Christian missionary hospitals which were fiercely dedicated to converting Jews in pre-state Israel. Jewish Israel feels it is especially timely to review some hospital history because today's modern state of Israel is embracing evangelizing entities and becoming progressively more dependent on donations from those sources. The reaction to missionary activity among today's Jewish leadership stands in startling contrast to the historic norm. …more

Open wide and and say "Jesus"

Reverend Dr. Jonathan Hansen of World Ministries International is an end-times "prophet" and an in-your-face missionary. Hansen has been actively proselytizing in Sderot, Israel. He hopes to set up a missionary dental clinic in cooperation with the Sderot municipality. Hansen's website proudly displays his numerous connections with Israeli political, rabbinic and community leaders and activists. He sells interviews with these personalities in order to support and promote his missionary efforts...more

Rabbi Riskin's Parasha commentary finds unity in the Shema, the trinity, and buddhism

Could Rabbi Shlomo Riskin's recent video on Parashat Vaetchanan place a question mark in the hearts and minds of Jews over the issue of what constitutes idolatry? Rabbi Riskin feels that the Shema is a verse which is "difficult to understand". He offers two interpretations, one of which appears to give credence to "unity" in the form of the Trinity, Buddhism and Hinduism. Jewish Israel turned to some rabbinic scholars for clarification…more

Israel's Ministry of Education provides license for Christian missionary camp
Israel's Ministry of Education recently granted a business license to known missionaries to operate a summer camp in Northern Israel. It seems that a number of government bodies in Israel are recklessly churning out permits and authorizations to our "Christian friends", while turning a collective blind eye to youth-oriented missionary activity in the Jewish state. Jewish Israel offers a disturbing sampling of recent developments and activities designed to fuel a jesus revolution among Israeli youth. And it's been a very hot summer…more

Hey, where's the beef?

Jewish Israel is still here and working hard to keep our readership informed of some very disturbing developments on the Israel-Evangelical front.  We are in the midst of preparing Hebrew and English publications and video materials, as we continue to meet with rabbinic and community leaders. Because of the length of the new reports and gravity of the situation, all documentation is undergoing a thorough review before being released to the online public. We ask that our readership please have patience. We continue to regularly update our video library with footage that is relevant to future reports. But here is a preview of what's to come...more

Losing Judaism in the Pursuit of Commonality

Jewish Israel takes an in-depth look at very recent developments in Israel's relationship with evangelicals and how the pursuit of "a common future and destiny" with Christianity is eroding Jewish foundations and blurring the distinction between faiths.  Is Jewish leadership inadvertently leading us down the road to spiritual assimilation, and is it time for a lesson in basic Judaism?  ...more

Hagee Preaches the Gospel from the Aish HaTorah Rooftop

Last week, Pastor John Hagee used the rooftop of the Aish HaTorah World Center, which overlooks the Western Wall and Temple Mount, to declare that jesus is lord and king and to assert that "every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess"that belief.

Jewish Israel contacted the administration of the Aish Center at the Kotel to ask some questions.  In this report we also ask, how is it that Pastor Hagee felt so emboldened to take such liberties at the site of a renowned Torah institution in Eretz Yisrael?…more

Israel, Look What They’ve Done to Your Torah: the Ralph Messer Story

Last month a video of popular Christian messianic missionary and Hebraic roots teacher "Rabbi" Ralph Messer, wrapping mega-church leader Eddie Long in a Torah scroll, became a viral punch in the gut for Jews of all persuasions, and caused members of various evangelical sects to shift into damage-control mode. Jewish Israel promised our readership a full investigation. We have just released that report.

Messer is not marginal.  Some of Israel's best friends and Christian Zionist leaders have joined him and actively participated in the desecration of Torah scrolls and the warping of Jewish symbolism.  Jewish Israel lifts the mask on this charade and covers all of the angles in an in-depth report which exposes the Jewish and Christian parties directly and indirectly responsible for this growing trend and travesty…more

Passion Play to be Performed at the Footsteps of the Temple Mount

UPDATE (March 20): Mention of the Davidson Center and the Old City as the venue for the play has now been removed from the passionjerusalem.com website 

Jewish Israel has just learned that a Passion Play produced by JBS Theatricals, a production company under the auspices of Stivale Ministries, is scheduled to be performed at the Kotel’s Davidson Center in the spring of 2012. Titled "The Kingdom", and billed as "the Passion in the Heart of Jerusalem", this production puts the nature and dignity of Jewish Jerusalem to shame. Jewish Israel has interviewed one of the producers and posted the promotional video clip as it appeared at the time of the interview...more

Kosher Jesus: judging a book by its cover

UPDATE: Rabbi Boteach has taken an interest in Jewish Israel's report and graphic presentation (see correspondence)

Last August Jewish Israel reported on Rabbi Shmuley Boteach's plans to launch his book "Kosher Jesus". In this newest report we ask, "how far and low will a Jewish man go in order to ensure and secure that loving embrace from evangelical Christians?" It seems we're about to find out as "Rabbi Shmuley" attempts to theologically reconcile Judaism with Christianity.

In this extensive report Jewish Israel explores Boteach's high risk venture from a number of angles and takes a look at the reactions coming in from rabbis, counter-missionaries, and Christians…more

The "Other Side" of Torah

Pastor Mark Biltz, leader of the messianic El Shaddai Ministries of Tacoma Washington, has the kind of christ-driven "pro-Israel" approach, which should cause responsible Jewish community leaders to abruptly about-face and pave a clear detour to ensure the spiritual integrity of the Jewish collective. Biltz inter-changes religious identities and definitions in order to deliberately wreak confusion and blur the definitive lines between faiths. And yet, one can find a hefty sampling of Israel's best "Land-of-Israel" spokespersons and rabbis on the guest speaker line-up of that thriving messianic Christian congregation...more

Messianic Calev Myers and Likud MK Danny Danon form new Knesset Caucus

Likud MK Danny Danon and messianic/evangelical attorney Calev Myers have just founded a Knesset caucus to battle international anti-Semitism. Putting Myers at the helm of such a venture would be something  akin to appointing  fallen White House Press Correspondent Helen Thomas as director of the Anti-Defamation League. Myers frequently derides – in the strongest of language - the Torah observant community and those who resist messianic overtures and moves towards assimilation in Israel....more

The Sons of the Foreigners will Plant Strange Worship in Your Land

In the wake of the Waller family's and Hayovel Ministry's continued involvement with a number of communities in Yehuda and Shomron, Jewish Israel has been asked to issue an updated report.  Some of the information presented herein was included in the presentation given to Rav Dov Lior and the Hebron community council on September 14, 2011.  In this report, Jewish Israel exposes the very recent activities of the Wallers and those of their close missionary affiliates, such as Reverend Dean Bye of Return Ministries, who are active throughout Israel and have facilitated in bringing Christian missionaries on aliyah…more

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