On Jews, Christians, Messianic Jews and Israel

Ever since I was 16 I had been participating in Jewish rallies and many of them had Christians as participants, especially the early Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry demonstrations.

We had no problem with clerical collars or nuns.

Now, though, there's a problem.

There has been a growing opposition in some quarters to the Christian Zionist groups that seek to support Israel financially, politically and with an active presence on the ground here in Israel and specifically, Judea and Samaria.

The opposition has been on the one hand, unwilling to properly distinguish between the groups and, on the other, very enthusiastice in broadbrushing as as either proselytizing Christians or disguised as Jews, the "messianic Jews".

Now in New York, the presence of Calev Myers, an unsavorable character, highlights the problem. A joint interaith rally against Durban III is becoming a ruckus and it is probably Israel's fault:-

The Myers controversy has put another co-sponsoring Evangelical Christian leader, Rev. Robert Stearns, who is the founder and executive director of Eagles Wings, in somewhat of a bind.

“I did not invite Myers or his organization to the table,” he said.
“They were invited by public officials in Israel. I’m caught between a
rock and a hard place. … How do you have a non-religious human rights
rally and disinvite any group that wants to stand up for Israel?”
Edelstein, the Israeli minister, told The Jewish Week that he had met with
Myers and Rev. Stearns during a June 6 breakfast meeting here of Christian
activists.

“I was asked to join them because they were planning all kinds of action
to fight Durban and the Israel bashing that was hijacking the UN’s human
rights agenda,” he said.

“I fully approved of their activities and said it serves a very good
cause,” Edelstein said. “I never checked or had a reason to check [their
backgrounds]. I guess if we [the Israeli government] had cooperated [with
the rally], I would have checked.”

Okay, who is responsible for informing Yuli of the facts?

Was JewishIsrael so much interested in being the 'outsider', the punisher, that it was unable or even unwilling to seek to inform those in power as to the pitfalls or unrefined approachs and cooperation?

In any case, a reassessment must be made. Israel cannot afford to lose true friends, no matter what religion.

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