Study: American Evangelicals Stand Behind Israel

7/27/2015 BOB SMIETANA/FOR LIFEWAY RESEARCH  charisma news

A recent LifeWay Research study shows, as a whole, American Evangelicals stand behind Israel. (iStock photo )

A recent LifeWay Research study shows that American evangelicals remain among the strongest supporters of the nation of Israel.

Most believe God has plans for that nation, both now and in the future. And many of America's preachers say Christians need to support Israel.

Those are among the findings of a LifeWay study of American attitudes toward Israel and the Bible. As part of the study, researchers conducted two separate surveys of 1,000 Americans, along with a survey of 1,000 senior pastors of Protestant churches.

"No piece of literature has had more impact on American culture than the Bible," said Scott McConnell, vice president of LifeWay Research. "No country is more intertwined with the ancient biblical narrative than Israel, and evangelical Americans see a contemporary connection with the nation."

Researchers found evangelicals see a close tie between God and Israel.

About 7 in 10 (69 percent) say the modern nation of Israel was formed as result of biblical prophecy. A similar number (70 percent) say God has a special relationship with the modern nation of Israel. And nearly three-fourths of evangelicals (73 percent) say events in Israel are part of the prophecies in the Book of Revelation.

While evangelicals remain convinced about a tie between Israel and God's plans, Americans generally are less certain.

Less than half (46 percent) believe the formation of modern Israel is a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. More than a third (36 percent) disagree, while 17 percent aren't sure.

Americans are split down the middle over whether Jews are God's chosen people as referenced in the Bible, with just under half (46 percent) saying they agree. A similar number (44 percent) disagree, while 10 percent are not sure.

And some Americans think God was closer to ancient Israel than to the modern-day nation.

About two-thirds (64 percent) of Americans say God had a "special relationship with ancient Israel." About 1 in 4 (27 percent) disagrees, while 9 percent are not sure.

In contrast, only 48 percent of Americans say God has a special relationship with modern Israel—fewer than the 53 percent of Americans who believe God has a special relationship with the United States, according to previously released LifeWay research.

About 4 in 10 (39 percent) disagree that God has a special relationship with modern Israel, while 13 percent are not sure.

Evangelicals (70 percent) are much more likely to agree than Americans who don't identify as evangelicals (38 percent).

Overall, nearly half (47 percent) of Americans believe events in Israel are tied to the Book of Revelation. Forty percent disagree, and 13 percent are unsure.

Younger Americans, those 18-24, are less likely (36 percent) to see a tie between Israel and the Book of Revelation than those 45 and older (52 percent).

Women (52 percent) are more likely to agree than men (42 percent). Those with graduate degrees (24 percent) are much less likely to agree events in Israel are part of the prophecies in Revelation than those with a high school degree or less (55 percent).

Support for Israel

Schooling and prophecy both play a role in how Americans view Israel. When asked whether they support Israel's statehood, 42 percent agree, while 35 percent disagree. One in four (23 percent) is not sure.

Higher levels of education correlate to higher levels of support for Israeli statehood. Those with a graduate degree are most likely to be supporters at 61 percent, followed by those with a bachelor's degree (56 percent), those with some college (43 percent), and those with a high school diploma or less (31 percent).

Slightly more than half of men (51 percent) say they support Israeli statehood, compared to a third (33 percent) of women. Support is also significantly higher among evangelicals (50 percent) than others (39 percent).

Supporters are split on the reasons they back Israel. Sixteen percent say the Bible tells them to, and 9 percent say it's because Israel is important for biblical prophecy.

Some (13 percent) say they support Israel primarily because Israel is America's best friend in the Middle East. Others say it's because Jews needed a refuge after the Holocaust (11 percent) or because Israel is the one and only Jewish homeland (15 percent).

Though the term Zionist is synonymous with believing Jews should have their own state, only eight percent of Americans claim this label. A third (32 percent) of Americans are not sure whether they are Zionist.

Among the most ardent of Israel's supporters are senior pastors of Protestant churches. Most (80 percent) agree "Christians should support Israel." About one in 7 (14 percent) disagrees.

Even though they support Israel, some pastors have their doubts about Israel's military actions. About 4 in 10 (41 percent) agree with the statement, "It is hard to defend Israel's military tactics." Fifty percent disagree, while 9 percent are not sure.

McConnell noted, "It is surprising that evangelicals, who have such a fascination with Israel's biblical connections, are no more likely to have an opinion about Israel's statehood than other Americans."

Bob Smietana is former senior writer for Facts & Trends magazine.

Methodology

The first phone survey of Americans was conducted September 19-28, 2014. The second phone survey of Americans was conducted September 26-October 5, 2014. The calling utilized Random Digit Dialing. Sixty percent of completes were among landlines and 40 percent among cell phones. Maximum quotas and slight weights were used for gender, region, age, ethnicity, and education to more accurately reflect the population. The completed sample is 1,000 surveys. The sample provides 95% confidence that the sampling error does not exceed plus or minus 3.5 percent. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups. Those labeled evangelicals consider themselves "a born again, evangelical, or fundamentalist Christian."

The phone survey of Protestant pastors was conducted September 11-18, 2014. The calling list was a stratified random sample drawn from a list of all Protestant churches. Each interview was conducted with the senior pastor, minister, or priest of the church called. Responses were weighted by region to more accurately reflect the population. The completed sample is 1,000 surveys. The sample provides 95 percent confidence that the sampling error does not exceed plus or minus 3.1 percent. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups.

LifeWay Research is a Nashville-based, evangelical research firm that specializes in surveys about faith in culture and matters that affect the church.

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Messianic Judaism Gaining Momentum in Israel

12/1/2014 BARRY RUBIN   CHARISMA NEWS

Worship time at Emmanuel Messianic Jewish Congregation (Barry Rubin)

In recent decades, Messianic Judaism, a movement of Jewish people who have accepted Yeshua (Jesus) as Messiah and continued to embrace their Jewishness, has been steadily growing—especially in the United States.

Jews have been coming to faith in Yeshua for centuries, increasingly so after Israel became a reality again in the late 1800s with the Zionist movement. After the Holocaust, when Israel became a nation again in 1948, the number of Jewish believers in Yeshua has been increasing worldwide, almost in lock step with Jewish immigration to Israel.

But what is the state of Messianic Judaism in Israel itself?

Because Israel is in an extremely dangerous area of the world, surrounded by Arab countries that have threatened its extermination, Jews there live with a certain amount of anxiety. When would the next Intifada take place? Which country would declare its desire to push Israel into the sea? When would Hamas rockets fly again?

Living with those concerns, the people have become cautious about "outsiders," especially after nearly two millennia of "Christian" anti-Semitism. Thus, Christian missions to the Jews of Israel often have been met with suspicion. Yet some have been successful, especially if they are sensitive to and supportive of Messianic Judaism.

There are historic Anglican Jewish missions from the United Kingdom. King of Kings (kkcj.org) is a congregational ministry of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. The Caspari Center (caspari.com) is a Scandinavian Lutheran mission to the Jews. Christian Witness to Israel (cwi.org.uk) sponsors Grace and Truth congregation in Rishon L'Tzion. They also publish books, as does Keren Yeshua.

Modern Jewish missions are also active in Israel. Jews for Jesus (jewsforjesus.org) has a new center in Tel Aviv. The Christian Jew Foundation (cjfm.org), not only does missionary work, it also supports a number of national pastors. Chosen People Ministries (chosenpeople.com) has centers in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and congregations in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Ashkelon, Ashdod and Ariel. Maoz (maozisrael.org) is an Israeli organization that publishes books in Hebrew and supports Israel while helping Jewish people meet their Messiah. There are others as well, but, as with most overseas missions, indigenous works have had the most success. Nowhere is this truer than in Israel.

The primary evangelistic work in Israel is not through missions. It is being done through local Messianic congregations. The larger ones are in Tiberias, K'far Saba, Netanya, Jerusalem and Joffa. There are 150-plus congregations in Israel with as many as 15,000 Messianic Jewish believers, of whom about 60 percent speak Russian as their first language.

The growth in the number of congregations has increased over the last 20 years, just as it has in the United States and other countries. Nearly every year, another indigenous congregation or two springs up, and as more and more Jews from around the world return home, this will only increase.

Israel is a small country—about the size of New Jersey—so these congregations are easily noticed by their fellow Israelis. More and more, Israel is increasingly aware that there are Jews who trust Yeshua as the Messiah and savior, much as it was in the New Testament era.

These Messianic Jewish congregations are now led by Israelis, even though they may have a mix of Jews and Gentiles. Most services are in Hebrew (sometimes Russian, Amharic, French or Spanish). The music too is indigenous, as is the style of worship —very Israeli. The melodies have a distinctly Middle Eastern tone to them. Most meet on Saturday when Jews generally hold worship services. These congregations of Yeshua-followers are clearly Jewish.

Messianic Jews are gaining more acceptance in Israel. Instead of being perceived as threats to the Israelis, due to prejudices going back 2,000 years, they are recognized as friends, fellow citizens, and an active part of Israeli society. In part, the groundwork for this was laid by the benevolence work of groups such as Chosen People Ministries (chosenpeople.com), The Joseph Storehouse (www.visionforisrael.com), the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America's Joseph Project (mjaa.org), and other similar works.

Israelis, who have been especially challenged during the wars with Lebanon, Hamas and the high taxes used to pay for defense, are grateful to Messianic Jews, sometimes in spite of themselves, for food, clothes, medicine and other supplies. They need our help. This is a very tangible expression of the love of Messiah. Messianic Jews are being trusted enough to allow them to materially assist Israel during her most difficult times.

It is known that there are many Messianic Jews serving in the army—mostly the children of immigrants from the United States and Europe—who were raised in Israel. This shows unity with the people, so much so that the funeral of one Messianic Jewish soldier killed in the last war was well attended by Israel's leaders. The newspapers noted that he was a Messianic Jew, part of a congregation in the Haifa area.

A television special featuring interviews of members of the Christian Moshav, Yad Hashmonah, was widely watched. It included a Messianic Jewish family celebrating Shabbat, etc., giving a very good impression of Messianic Jews in Israel. No longer are followers of Yeshua seen as people to stay away from. Now, they are embraced as fellow strugglers in Israeli life.

Over the past centuries, because of all the atrocities done to Jews in the name of Jesus, Jewish people have avoided having anything to do with Him, His followers, or His teachings. It was too costly, too risky. And in Israel, where people are more vulnerable to attacks, this is acutely so. But Messianic Judaism is changing things. Now, Israelis are more open to talking about Yeshua and considering his claims to Messiahship.

The congregational leaders in Israel need connections with pastors in the West. Many would appreciate prayer, fellowship and sometimes even financial support for special projects.

Western pastors have a lot to give to Israel's Messianic leaders by way of training and guidance, as well as prayer. Most Israeli pastors do not have much formal training and would benefit from partnering with non-Israeli pastors. Most Israeli pastors are pioneers and need more seasoned spiritual mentors to guide them.

Encouragingly, the perception of Messianic Jews is undergoing a steady transformation in Israel these days—from one of mistrust and outright loathing to recognition and acceptance. Knowing the love of Yeshua in the Messianics' hearts, the bridge between them and Orthodox Jews is getting shorter all the time. Doors to hearts once closed are beginning to open wide.  

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Rabbi Barry Rubin is the president and publisher of Messianic Jewish Publishers and Resources/Jewish New Testament Publications. He is also the Rabbi of Emmanuel Messianic Jewish Congregation.

How a Pakistani Muslim Became a Zionist

By John Waage and Julie Stahl

CBN News Middle East Bureau

Monday, September 22, 2014

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JERUSALEM, Israel -- The recent Israeli-Hamas war sparked huge protests in Europe and exposed a growing epidemic of anti-Semitism. But in an interview with CBN News before the summer war between Israel and Hamas, one British Muslim explained how he became a Zionist just by checking out the facts.

Kasim Hafeez is a Pakistani Muslim born, raised and living in the United Kingdom.

"I was brought up around a lot of anti-Israel feeling and especially from my dad, very blatant and direct Israel hatred and anti-Semitism," Hafeez told CBN News.

As a university student, Hafeez campaigned against the Jewish state, joined protests and called for boycotts of Israel. He said he was even willing to die to free Palestine and rid the world of Israel.

"My narrative was this: there was a Palestinian state, the Jews came from Europe, stole the land, and voila - Israel," Hafeez said.

Then he found Alan Dershowitz' book, The Case for Israel and decided to read it so he could refute what he thought was "Zionist propaganda."

"I thought I'll buy it and be able to disprove it because Israel has no case. I know the history. I'm an expert in it all," he said.

"So I start reading this book, and the most basic of facts about Israel and the Jewish people I had no clue about. I mean one of the most basic ones I came across was a Palestinian state has never existed," he added.

Profiles in Racism

And that was just the beginning. Two years later Hafeez visited Israel but got himself into trouble before he ever entered the country.

"When you go to passport control and they say, 'What is the purpose of your visit?' just say you're here for a holiday. Don't say, 'Well, I used to be anti-Semitic and anti-Israel, now I'm not quite sure so I thought I'd come and see what it's like,'" he explained.

After eight hours in airport security, Hafeez was allowed into Israel despite his confession. But the time spent in airport security was a real eye opener.

"It highlighted Israel's unique security situation," he said. "Look it's not politically correct to say this, it's not nice to say this, but people from my background, people with my kind of name have an awful tendency of blowing stuff up in Israel."

Kasim said he was also "treated with a lot of respect" from the security agent who repeatedly offered him coffee and was very apologetic. He compared it to a trip he had taken to Saudi Arabia four years earlier.

"You want to see racism, go to Saudi Arabia as a non-Arab," he said.

A Huge Surprise

After leaving the airport, Hafeez encountered his next surprise when he arrived in Jerusalem and saw the different ethnic and religious groups mixing in the city.

"Be it Muslims, be it people from African heritage, be it European, be it people from the Middle East -- it's just such a crazy mix of people. And then you see the signs in English and Hebrew and Arabic and it straight away blows away that idea of apartheid and racism," he recalled.

Hafeez said he wanted to know how people from Arab backgrounds really felt about living in Israel, so he asked various people, saying it must be "so difficult for you here."

"They look [at you] like you're mentally ill. They look at you as if you have some sort of problem because they look at you like 'no it's actually fine here, we have no problems here,'" he said, smiling.

He was even more confused when he spoke to people who are Druze, a group that has traditionally been persecuted in the Middle East, he said. They told him, "We love it here. You know, this is our home. My son's in the IDF."

He realized he was seeing "the real Israel you won't see in a lot of the Western mainstream media."

He said nothing changes your mind like seeing it for yourself.

Pro-Israel vs. Anti-Arab?

According to Hafeez, family and friends initially thought Israel's Mossad secret service had recruited him. Now some have come around.

"There's this awful idea that people think it's a zero-sum game, that if you stand up for Israel, you're instantly anti-Arab. It's ridiculous," he said.

"I have members of my family who are quite supportive of Israel now, which is nice. But with friends who have now turned their views to be more supportive of Israel, [they] wouldn't say it publicly," he added.

Hafeez said Muslims refuse to accept Israel's existence in the middle of the Arab world. Then there are conspiracy theories and the pack mentality.

"It's kind of ingrained that there's this global conspiracy by the Jews to destroy Islam and take over the world," he said.

"It's really sad but this whole anti-Israel cause has become very popular. It's seen as the cool cause almost, and nobody wants to kind of break off from the kind of pack and be seen as an outsider," he added, saying it was very difficult for him to admit that he had been wrong.

A Revelation about Israel

Nevertheless, Hafeez said, he believes it's possible for Muslims to have a revelation about the Jews and Israel. But to do so they must honestly assess what they believe and be willing to embrace reality.

They need to take a step back and look at the world and what they stand for, he said, and ask themselves if this "irrational hatred over a group of myths" they've been told is really worth giving their lives for it. They need to ask themselves if they really want peace.

"One of the most frustrating things for me is within the Muslim community. We have a double standard," he said. "We judge Israel and America by one standard, which we refuse to apply to ourselves."

Asked if he thought God had played a role in opening his eyes or giving him the desire to ask questions, Hafeez said his "a-ha" moment came at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

"I sincerely believe that things don't just happen, everything happens for a reason. I believe I'm on a particular path, I don't know where the destination will end, but I feel I'm very blessed to be where I am," he told CBN News.

"Because it has changed my life for the better, you know. It's beautiful to wake up without this hatred, without this anger, you know and I feel so lucky and so blessed," he said. "Is it God? I don't know. Maybe. It's very difficult to say."

Watch the interview: CBN Video Interview

How a Pakistani Muslim Became a Zionist

By John Waage and Julie Stahl

CBN News Middle East Bureau

Thursday, September 11, 2014

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JERUSALEM, Israel -- The recent Israeli-Hamas war sparked huge protests in Europe and exposed a growing epidemic of anti-Semitism. But in an interview with CBN News before the summer war between Israel and Hamas, one British Muslim explained how he became a Zionist just by checking out the facts.

Kasim Hafeez is a Pakistani Muslim born, raised and living in the United Kingdom.

"I was brought up around a lot of anti-Israel feeling and especially from my dad, very blatant and direct Israel hatred and anti-Semitism," Hafeez told CBN News.

As a university student, Hafeez campaigned against the Jewish state, joined protests and called for boycotts of Israel. He said he was even willing to die to free Palestine and rid the world of Israel.

"My narrative was this: there was a Palestinian state, the Jews came from Europe, stole the land, and voila - Israel," Hafeez said.

Then he found Alan Dershowitz' book, The Case for Israel and decided to read it so he could refute what he thought was "Zionist propaganda."

"I thought I'll buy it and be able to disprove it because Israel has no case. I know the history. I'm an expert in it all," he said.

"So I start reading this book, and the most basic of facts about Israel and the Jewish people I had no clue about. I mean one of the most basic ones I came across was a Palestinian state has never existed," he added.

Profiles in Racism

And that was just the beginning. Two years later Hafeez visited Israel but got himself into trouble before he ever entered the country.

"When you go to passport control and they say, 'What is the purpose of your visit?' just say you're here for a holiday. Don't say, 'Well, I used to be anti-Semitic and anti-Israel, now I'm not quite sure so I thought I'd come and see what it's like,'" he explained.

After eight hours in airport security, Hafeez was allowed into Israel despite his confession. But the time spent in airport security was a real eye opener.

"It highlighted Israel's unique security situation," he said. "Look it's not politically correct to say this, it's not nice to say this, but people from my background, people with my kind of name have an awful tendency of blowing stuff up in Israel."

Kasim said he was also "treated with a lot of respect" from the security agent who repeatedly offered him coffee and was very apologetic. He compared it to a trip he had taken to Saudi Arabia four years earlier.

"You want to see racism, go to Saudi Arabia as a non-Arab," he said.

A Huge Surprise

After leaving the airport, Hafeez encountered his next surprise when he arrived in Jerusalem and saw the different ethnic and religious groups mixing in the city.

"Be it Muslims, be it people from African heritage, be it European, be it people from the Middle East -- it's just such a crazy mix of people. And then you see the signs in English and Hebrew and Arabic and it straight away blows away that idea of apartheid and racism," he recalled.

Hafeez said he wanted to know how people from Arab backgrounds really felt about living in Israel, so he asked various people, saying it must be "so difficult for you here."

"They look [at you] like you're mentally ill. They look at you as if you have some sort of problem because they look at you like 'no it's actually fine here, we have no problems here,'" he said, smiling.

He was even more confused when he spoke to people who are Druze, a group that has traditionally been persecuted in the Middle East, he said. They told him, "We love it here. You know, this is our home. My son's in the IDF."

He realized he was seeing "the real Israel you won't see in a lot of the Western mainstream media."

He said nothing changes your mind like seeing it for yourself.

Pro-Israel vs. Anti-Arab?

According to Hafeez, family and friends initially thought Israel's Mossad secret service had recruited him. Now some have come around.

"There's this awful idea that people think it's a zero-sum game, that if you stand up for Israel, you're instantly anti-Arab. It's ridiculous," he said.

"I have members of my family who are quite supportive of Israel now, which is nice. But with friends who have now turned their views to be more supportive of Israel, [they] wouldn't say it publicly," he added.

Hafeez said Muslims refuse to accept Israel's existence in the middle of the Arab world. Then there are conspiracy theories and the pack mentality.

"It's kind of ingrained that there's this global conspiracy by the Jews to destroy Islam and take over the world," he said.

"It's really sad but this whole anti-Israel cause has become very popular. It's seen as the cool cause almost, and nobody wants to kind of break off from the kind of pack and be seen as an outsider," he added, saying it was very difficult for him to admit that he had been wrong.

A Revelation about Israel

Nevertheless, Hafeez said, he believes it's possible for Muslims to have a revelation about the Jews and Israel. But to do so they must honestly assess what they believe and be willing to embrace reality.

They need to take a step back and look at the world and what they stand for, he said, and ask themselves if this "irrational hatred over a group of myths" they've been told is really worth giving their lives for it. They need to ask themselves if they really want peace.

"One of the most frustrating things for me is within the Muslim community. We have a double standard," he said. "We judge Israel and America by one standard, which we refuse to apply to ourselves."

Asked if he thought God had played a role in opening his eyes or giving him the desire to ask questions, Hafeez said his "a-ha" moment came at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

"I sincerely believe that things don't just happen, everything happens for a reason. I believe I'm on a particular path, I don't know where the destination will end, but I feel I'm very blessed to be where I am," he told CBN News.

"Because it has changed my life for the better, you know. It's beautiful to wake up without this hatred, without this anger, you know and I feel so lucky and so blessed," he said. "Is it God? I don't know. Maybe. It's very difficult to say."

Yom Yerushalayim - Jerusalem Day is May 28, 2014

Yom Yerushalayim 

- Jerusalem Day

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Jewish Holidays: Table of Contents | Upcoming Dates | Festivals in Israel

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Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day in Herbew) is the anniversary of the liberation and unification of Jerusalem under Jewish sovereignty that occurred during the Six Day War. It is one of four holiday (in addition to Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron, andYom HaAtzmaut) that were added to the Jewish calendar in the 20th century. Yom Yerushalayim is celebrated on the 28th of the month of Iyar (one week before Shavuot).

David Rubinger's famous photograph of IDF soldiers after liberating the Kotel (Western Wall) in June 1967

The liberation of Jerusalem in 1967 marked the first time in thousands of years that the entire city of Jerusalem, the holiest city in Judaism, was under Jewish sovereignty. The destruction of Jerusalem was a watershed event in Jewish history that began thousands of years of mourning for Jerusalem, so, it follows, that the reunification of Jerusalem should be a joyous celebration that begins the process of reversing thousands of years of destruction and exile. Jerusalem is central to the Jewish tradition. Jews face in the direction of Jerusalem and all of the prayer services are filled with references to Jerusalem.

The observance of Yom Yerushalayim outside of the city cannot compare to its celebration in reunited Jerusalem. In Jerusalem, thousands of people march around the city and walk through the liberated Old City, where Jews were denied access from 1948 to 1967 while it was under Jordanian control. The march ends at the Kotel (Western Wall), one of the ancient retaining walls surrounding the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site. Once everyone gets to the Kotel, there are speeches and concerts and celebratory dancing.

Rare in the Jewish liturgy, a festive Hallel is recited during the evening prayers. This practice is only done on the first night (and, outside of Israel, on the second night) of Passover and Yom HaAtzmaut. The Chief Rabbinate of Israel declared that the holiday version of Pseuki d'Zimra and Hallel should be recited. According to the major religious Zionist halakhists (decisors of Jewish law), even those who do not recite the blessing over Hallel (psalms of praise) on Yom HaAtzmaut should recite it on Yom Yerushalayim because the liberation and reunification over the entire city of Jerusalem is said to be of an even greater miracle than Jewish political sovereignty over part of the land of Israel.

Many religious leaders also hold that the mourning restrictions of 33 days of the omer are lifted on Yom Yerushalayim for those who observe them after Lag B'omer. In the Progressive (Reform) community in Israel, the prayerbook notes that Hallel should be recited on Yom Yerushalayim but the Masorti (Conservative) prayerbook does not. The American Conservative siddur Sim Shalom mentions that Hallel is recited "in some congregations" on Yom Yerushalayim. When it is celebrated in liberal Jewish communities the commemoration tends to include special programs on Jerusalem and festive celebration.

Despite the fact that the religious Zionist community in Israel holds that Yom Yerushalayim is even more important than Yom HaAtzmaut, the non-Orthodox diaspora Jewish community generally does not observe Yom Yerushalayim. This may be because the holiday makes politically liberal Jews uncomfortable as the status of Jerusalem in the international community is debated, and the international community does not recognize the liberation and restoration of Jewish sovereignty over Jerusalem as valid.

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Sources: Yom Yerushalayim," WUJS; "Overview: Yom Yerushalayim," My Jewish Learning

Website: Jewish Virtual Library

Leno Loves Israel

Monday, May 12, 2014 |  Israel Today Staff  

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American comedian and former late-night talk show host Jay Leno is coming to Israel for his first visit after making abundantly clear that he is a Zionist at heart.

Leno will emcee the inaugural awarding of the “Genesis Prize,” which many have dubbed “the Jewish Nobel Prize.”

In the run-up to his departure for the Holy Land, Fox News got ahold and Leno and asked what he thinks of the Jewish state in general, and of its role in the Middle East conflict, in particular.

“At some point in your life, you have to sort of take sides. I tend to side with the Jewish point of view on many things, especially issues like this one. I realize how important Israel is,” said Leno, insisting that he is “very pro-Jewish, very pro-Israeli.”

In response to pressure on international artists and public figures to boycott Israel and to avoid performing here, Leno simply said, “It’s a great honor. It’s a great country. It’s a great people.”

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg will be the first Genesis Prize laureate, after meeting the prize committee’s criteria of “excellence and international renown in their chosen professional fields”, and whose actions, in addition to their achievements, embody “ in a way that embodies ”the character of the Jewish people through commitment to Jewish values, the Jewish community and/or to the State of Israel."

The ceremony will be held in Jerusalem on May 22. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be among a guest list of 400 dignitaries.

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Yeshua Transforms Orthodox Girl Into Zionist - ISRAEL TODAY

Yeshua Transforms Orthodox Girl 

Into Zionist

Sunday, May 11, 2014 |  David Lazarus ISRAEL TODAYhare on blogger

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Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew) had no problem turning water into wine, but turning a Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jew into a staunch Zionist is quite another story. For many streams of Haredi Judaism, Zionism is a dirty word, and last week's Yom Ha'Atzmaut (Independence Day) was just another bad day. But such was no longer the case for Chava (not her real name), a 23-year-old Haradi Jewess who recently accepted Yeshua as Messiah.

"This was my first Yom Ha'Atzmaut," says Chava. "In our family, we were forbidden to even mention it. We were told by our parents to close the shutters so that we could not see what the abominable Goyim (derogatory word for Gentiles) were doing in the streets. We call it 'Tzibele' (onion) day in Yiddish." For many Haredi Jews, Yom Ha'Azmaut is foul, dirty and pagan.

"We hated Israel," Chava admits. "Our parents did not want us to be Israeli at all. My father wanted to take us all to America."

Now a believer in Yeshua, all of that changed for Chava forever. "When I heard the siren sound in memorial for the fallen soldiers who had given their lives for this nation, I stood up, and my heart stood still," she said. "I understood for the first time how much the people of Israel, my people, had sacrificed to bring us back to this land and make a nation and a home for us, the Jewish people."

Chava feels embarrassed that her whole life she never honored the brave men and woman who had given their lives to secure a homeland for the Jewish people. She admits that she even despised and hated them. "I give thanks to Yeshua who opened my eyes. He has given me a right spirit and a whole new understanding," she says.

In Israel, Memorial Day flows directly into the Yom Ha'Azamut celebrations. Independence can only be celebrated while remembering those who have gave their lives to make it happen, while the joy of nationhood can sweeten some of the painful memories of those who have fallen.

"I understand now how important it is to show respect and honor for the people of this land who have sacrificed so much for me, for my family and for Jewish people around the world," says Chava about her first Memorial Day and Yom Ha'Atzmaut.

"I feel proud to be an Israeli now," she says. "I am glad that I can live here and be a part of our people. God loves our people, all of our people, secular, religious, Arab and Jew. He loves us all," she smiles.

PHOTO: Ultra-Orthodox Jewish anti-Zionists burn Israeli flags as the rest of the country celebrates Independence Day.

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