Posts Tagged ‘Israel’

Jerusalem for all Abrahamic religions, not just one

Thursday, December 7th, 2017

Jerusalem was formally recognised by the United States (US) as the capital of Israel on Wednesday. At the same time, President Trump announced plans to eventually relocate the US Embassy to the holy city. Pope Francis responded to the change in US policy, saying he wants the “status quo” to remain. He says he is Read more

Christians are Israel’s best friends

Monday, October 16th, 2017

The Israeli prime minister says Christian communities are Israel’s best friends. Benjamin Netanyahu was speaking to a group of Christian media professionals at the Christian Media Summit in Jerusalem. His comments and the event itself reflect the close ties and staunch support for Israel in the evangelical world. Read more

50 years of occupation by Israel – enough is enough!

Thursday, October 5th, 2017

Fifty years is a long time to endure forced suffering. Since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War when Israel captured and occupied the Palestinian territories of East Jerusalem, the remaining part of the West Bank and Gaza, the Palestinian people have lived under the heavy yoke of Israeli military occupation. According to Human Rights Watch’s Middle East Read more

Gay marriage not a civil right, rules court

Monday, September 4th, 2017

The Israeli Supreme Court has unanimously rejected an appeal for the law against gay marriage to be overthrown. The court justices ruled that Israel’s practice of not recognising same-sex marriages does not contravene Israel’s Basic Law on Human Dignity and Liberty. The ruling followed an appeal to the court from Israel’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Read more

Pope – pray for peace and reconciliation at Temple Mount

Monday, July 24th, 2017

Pope Francis is urging people to pray for peace and reconciliation and has called for “moderation and dialogue” during an upsurge in violence between Israel and the Palestinians over Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. Francis says it is with “trepidation” he is following the “grave tensions and violence” that erupted at the holy site on 14 July. Read more

Joseph and the amazing disappearing Israel reference

Monday, June 19th, 2017

The Wellington City Council has apologised to Sir Tim Rice after the word “Israel” vanished from song sheets featuring the renowned lyricist’s work. The printed lyrics – with a modified version of Close Every Door from Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – were prepared for this year’s annual Wellington children’s festival, Artsplash Read more

Benjamin Netanyahu – hero or villain?

Thursday, February 23rd, 2017

Benjamin Netanyahu is about to make an historic visit to Australia. Should he come and how should he be received? Having just guided legislation through the Knesset ‘legalising’ the illegal: settler outposts on private Palestinian land; he has seemingly set in motion an unstoppable movement which, taken to its ultimate conclusion, could deprive Palestinians of Read more

Israeli restrictions for Holy Week worry Christians

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2016

Restrictions imposed by the Israeli government are preventing Christians from worshipping freely in the Holy Land this Holy Week. Yusef Daher, secretary-general of the Jerusalem Interchurch Center, said the network of Israeli police barriers disrupt the flow and number of people who are able to reach the church of the Holy Sepulchre for Good Friday Read more

Peace in the Holy Land — an elusive dream

Friday, December 11th, 2015
Refugees

As Christians around the world prepare during Advent to celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, much of the world is at war and preparing for more war – more bombs, more drones, more boots on the ground. From the drug cartel war in Mexico, to the civil war in South Sudan, to the Read more

Netanyahu: a frightful glimpse into his mind

Friday, October 30th, 2015

In the space of just a week, twin failures by Binyamin Netanyahu coalesced into a new menace: the one, a near monstrous failure – the matter of the mufti and Hitler; the other, a small and nearly comic stumble, surveying the Gaza border region through binoculars that still had their lens caps on. At once Read more