The Israeli media is busy trying to understand the weird relation between certain Israeli Parliament Members and some Evangelical leaders. Here is another report by Lili Galili from Haaretz.
"Contrary to the contention that "Bibi is good for the Jews," which has yet to be definitively proven, it is already clear that the Christians are good for Bibi − Benjamin Netanyahu. Last Monday, at the height of the drama over the appointment of new Likud ministers, Netanyahu found a few minutes to go to the lecture hall at the Knesset to meet with the evangelical preacher John Hagee at an event organized by "the parliamentary lobby for relations with Christians."
By Lily Galili, Haaretz, Nov 11, 2005
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EGYPT \ Nov 07, 2005
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Egypt's beleaguered Christian Coptic minority is to launch its own satellite television this month, but even some Copts fear the church's patronage of the channel will fan sectarian strife. In the aftermath of deadly riots in Alexandria on October 21 religious Copts see the creation of the channel as an essential tool to assert their repressed identity.
By Agence France Presse (AFP), Nov 3, 2005
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ISRAEL \ Nov 06, 2005 1820
A mosaic and the remains of a building uncovered recently in excavations on the Megiddo prison grounds may belong to the earliest church in the world, according to a preliminary examination by the Israel Antiquities Authority.
One of the most dramatic finds suggests that, instead of an altar, a simple table stood in the center of the church, at which a sacred meal was held to commemorate the Last Supper.
Photographs of three Greek inscriptions in the mosaic were sent to Hebrew University expert Professor Leah Di Segni, who told Haaretz on Sunday that the use of the term "table" in one of them instead of the word "altar" might lead to a breakthrough in the study of ancient Christianity. It is commonly believed that church rituals based on the Last Supper took place around an altar.
By Amiram Barkat, Haaretz, Nov 6, 2005
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ISRAEL \ Oct 31, 2005 1679
After more than 30 years of organising testimonial dinners for right-wing Israeli politicians, handing out checks to Israeli charities, and forming alliances with conservative Jewish leaders and groups, evangelical Christians may finally be getting a chunk of the "Promised Land".
In a move geared toward solving northern Israel's unemployment crisis, increasing tourism to the country, and solidifying relations with U.S. evangelical Christians, the Israeli government has offered 35 acres of land on the shore of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) for development by Christian evangelicals.
Bill Berkowitz, IPS News, Oct 3, 2005
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OPINION \ Oct 30, 2005 4093
One of the most popular writers in Israel writes a sarcastic column about the strange relationship between few Israeli Knesset members from "The lobby for promoting ties with Christian communities abroad" from one side, and some Evangelical Churches from the other.
"For evangelicals, return of Jews to Israel is only first step"
Meir Shalev, Ynet, Oct 21, 2005
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TOP STORIES \ Oct 30, 2005 4004
The Vatican is hoping to regain control of the Room of the Last Supper in Jerusalem, one of the most sacred sites in Christianity.
It will, in exchange, hand over to the Jewish community the historic synagogue at Toledo in Spain, at present a Catholic church.
Times Online, Oct 13, 2005
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ISRAEL \ Oct 29, 2005 1561
The uneasy alliance between the Zionist state and America?s fundamentalist right has found a common goal. Starting early next year, Israel?s oldest English-language paper, the Jerusalem Post, will launch a Christian edition.
The Post, a widely respected paper until it was bought and the contents were changed from objective to right-wing subjective by its former owner Conrad Black, is now seeking to bolster its North American circulation by building on the tight relationship between the Israeli right and Christian evangelicals.
Barbara Ferguson, Arab News, Oct 23, 2005
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ISRAEL \ Oct 27, 2005 1853
The newly elected Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, submitted a petition to the High Court on Wednesday in which he and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchy accused the government of Israel of making its recognition of the patriarch conditional on his signing of "questionable" real estate deals.
The petition claims that the Israeli government is applying pressure on Theophilos to approve deals that the Patriarchy had signed, by means of its former financial manager Nikolaus Papadimas, who had received power of attorney from the previous patriarch Ireneos I, to sell assets to foreign companies representing the right-wing settler organization Ateret Kohanim.
The petition demands that the government unconditionally recognize Theophilos, who was elected last August, as Ireneos was simultaneously ousted from his position.
By Arnon Regular, Haaretz, Oct 27, 2005
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EGYPT \ Oct 27, 2005 5895
One hundred years ago, Alexandria was a cosmopolitan city that was home to Muslims, Christians and Jews.
Over the past week, Alexandria has been home to an ugly hatred that spurred Muslim rioters to rampage through Christian neighbourhoods, attacking churches and shops. This in turn caused a Christian candidate in next month?s parliamentary elections to withdraw and left many Christians scared to leave their homes.
Four people died and a nun was stabbed in the worst religious violence in Egypt in five years.
Mona Eltahawy, Octover 27, 2005
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