Israel Boycotts Conference on Harassment of Christians in Jerusalem

“Why do Jews spit on Gentiles?” That’s the name of the upcoming conference. And organizers wonder why the government won’t participate.

By Israel Today Staff | | Topics: CHRISTIANS
Jewish activists protest against a gathering of Christians outside the Davidson Center in Jerusalem's Old City on May 28, 2023. Photo: Aria Leib Abrams/Flash90
Jewish activists protest against a gathering of Christians outside the Davidson Center in Jerusalem's Old City on May 28, 2023. Photo: Aria Leib Abrams/Flash90

Israel’s Foreign Ministry has decided to boycott a conference dealing with the increasing harassment of Christians in Israel by Jews. This raised some eyebrows given the increasingly warm relations between the Israeli government and Christians around the world, in particular Evangelicals.

Several instances of Christians in Jerusalem being harassed by ultra-Orthodox Jews and right-wing extremists have been heavily highlighted in local and international media in recent months. Most involve Christian clergymen or nuns being spat on by young ultra-Orthodox in the narrow alleyways of Jerusalem’s Old City. There were also acts of vandalism against churches, monasteries and other Christian symbols.

See:

Just this week, a hundred or more religious Jews demonstrated against Christian “missionary activity” as a large group of Christian tourists arrived at the Southern Stairs of the Temple Mount to conclude the Isaiah 62 fast for Israel.

According to Walla News, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, complained earlier this year that he was having difficulty arranging meetings with ministers and senior officials in the new Israeli government. Instead, he was forced to speak to lower officials. The reason given was that some ministers did not want to upset their voters. Many of the lawmakers making up the new cabinet under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are ultra-Orthodox Jews or far-right religious nationalists, and both groups remain suspicious of Christian intentions for historical reasons.

The abbot of the Benedictine monastery in Jerusalem, Nikodemus Schnabel, also expressed concern over the situation. He explained that this was due to the fact that “Christian-haters” were now in government.

The report noted that in April of this year, the deputy director of public diplomacy at the Foreign Ministry, Emmanuel Nachshon, deleted a tweet condemning attacks on Christians. It is believed that this was done at the direction of the foreign minister’s office to address political sensitivities toward ultra-Orthodox and far-right parties in the governing coalition.

A few weeks ago, Yasaka Harani, a local expert on Christianity and Christian history who had also advised the Foreign Ministry on the issue, decided to hold a conference to address the matter. The conference is being titled “Why Jews Spit on Gentiles.”

With a name like that, the Foreign Ministry said it simply can’t participate.

But ministry officials did tweet that they remain committed to religious freedom for Christians and everyone else.

Earlier in the week, opposition lawmaker and former Minister of Religious Affairs Matan Kahana publicly apologized to visiting Christians for the behavior of a small number of misguided people, and stressed that Israel as a whole continues to see Christians as its greatest supporters.

For more on this from a Jewish perspective, see: Don’t Reject Evangelical Support for Israel

 

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2 responses to “Israel Boycotts Conference on Harassment of Christians in Jerusalem”

  1. hdfuerst says:
    June 3, 2023 at 10:16 pm

    Google Translation:
    The indignation of some religious Jews against Catholic Christians is understandable, since Pope Francis has said that the Torah is no longer valid and freed by keeping it
    none of sin.

    Die Empörung einiger religiöser Juden gegen die katholischen Christen ist verständlich, hat doch Papst Franziskus gesagt, die Tora sei nicht mehr gültig und befreit durch das Halten
    niemand von Sünde.

  2. Annette Leon says:
    June 6, 2023 at 4:58 pm

    I am horrified that it is a tradition for Orthodox Jews of this kind to be allowed to spit on non Jews, or even it seems can spit on women who do not comply to their concept of so called modest dress or the place where women can walk and the like.
    Not much different than the Taliban IMV….BUT I will admit that if I was in Jerusalem I might be drawn to understanding their protest. I am a non practising Ethnic Jewess. To these Orthodox Jews it is the most Holy site and these Christiams have no right promoting their Evangelical beliefs there. It is very disrespectful.
    How would some Christians feel if a group of Muslims turned up in their Church, came in with Prayer rugs praying to Allah and promoting Islam.🤔🔯

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