- Israeli free-speaking newspaper
<http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/994682.html>Ha'aretz reports that
anti-Christianity toward messianic Christians in Israel is now so intense they
can't worship safely without armed protection. Militant ultra-orthodox Jewish
settlers dominate most local government and police in central Israel and the
West Bank. Police do nothing as Christians are harassed and threatened with
violence. (See
<http://www.truthtellers.org/alerts/christiansinisraelrepost.html#part2>"Christians
in Israel: An Endangered Species")
-
- In October, a Jerusalem church used by messianic believers
was mysteriously torched. A messianic teen was critically injured by explosion
of a package bomb in his face; police believe ultra-Orthodox terrorists were
responsible. Angry orthodox Jews publicly burned hundreds of New Testaments.
(See <http://www.truthtellers.org/alerts/burningnewtestaments.htm>"Burning
New Testaments in 'Democratic' Israel")
-
- Official persecution of Christians is sharply on the rise in
Israel. Ha'aretz says, "Calev Myers, a lawyer who represents messianic Jews,
said he has fought 200 legal cases in the past two years. Most involve
authorities' attempt to close down houses of worship, revoke the citizenship of
believers or refuse to register their children as Israelis In incidents of
violence [against Christians], police are reluctant to press charges."
-
- The government of Israel maintains a hands-off policy. It
contends that Christians who witness and are persecuted deserve it. The
government is just as anti-Christian as local magistrates. Israel continues to
attempt to deport a German Christian student for the alleged "crime" of
witnessing. (See
<http://www.truthtellers.org/alerts/christiandeportedfromisreal.htm>"Christian
Deported from Israel")
-
- History of Persecution
-
- As every Bible student knows, Jewish leaders did not welcome
the emergence of Christianity in the first century. The Pharisee Saul of Tarsus
led ruthless and homicidal persecution of the infant church until his miraculous
conversion to Christianity. The Book of Acts recounts several dozen instances of
violent persecution of Christians throughout Israel and the Mediterranean. Such
Jewish hatred may have continued under Nero, a convert to Judaism.(1) Perhaps
the greatest authority on ancient Rome, Edward Gibbon, asserts that Nero's
zealously Jewish wife, the beautiful Poppaea Sabina (ancestor of one of the most
renowned sages of the Talmud, Rabbi Meir)(2), almost certainly incited Nero to
blame a relatively unknown sect, the Christians, for the burning of Rome.(3) In
that persecution, countless Christians (including most of the apostles) were
martyred. .....
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