The United States has halted all funding to a UN agency that helps Palestinian refugees, in a move likely to further heighten tensions between the Palestinians and the Trump administration.
Key points:
UNRWA says it helps around 5 million Palestinian refugees across the Middle East
The US had withheld $82m of funding in January, pending a review
The UN has called for other countries to fill funding gap, with Germany already offering to help
US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the business model and fiscal practices of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) were an "irredeemably flawed operation."
"The administration has carefully reviewed the issue and determined that the United States will not make additional contributions to UNRWA," she said in a statement.
Ms Nauert said the agency's, "endlessly and exponentially expanding community of entitled beneficiaries is simply unsustainable and has been in crisis mode for many years."
UNRWA rejected the criticisms, with spokesman Chris Gunness describing it as "a force for regional stability".
Speaking in Jordan, where more than 2 million registered Palestinian refugees live, including 370,000 in 10 refugee camps, Mr Gunness said: "It is a deeply regrettable decision … some of the most disadvantaged, marginalised and vulnerable people on this planet are likely to suffer."
The Editor of this blog is a practising Christian with a degree in Religious Studies. She is also a member of a number of interfaith organisations which she enjoys because she finds it the the spice of life to mingle with so many people of different religious, cultural and political backgrounds. Mutual respect is needed in such social situations. As well, we need to be prepared to listen, to learn, and - above all - do our best to understand.
So when she received the material which forms the previous post, she sought advice from Jewish friends. I have now received from AIJAC (Australia/Israel Jewish Affairs Council) via a Jewish friend the article which is linked below.
Yet whatever missteps there may have been in creating this law, some perspective is in order. The ongoing national project that is Israel, Jewish and democratic, which existed before the passage of the law, continues unchanged. The partnership between Israel’s Jewish and Zionist majority and its non-Jewish and/or non-Zionist minorities will endure – a necessity for both populations, destined to live together in forging a common future.
For now, what is needed is a time for healing, and for the Israeli Government to reassure the country’s minorities through words and deeds that Israel’s laudable recent achievements to improve their welfare and integration in the economic, social and educational spheres will be not only sustained but enhanced.
STATEMENT – The recently enacted Basic Law: “Israel, the Nation-State of the Jewish People” is a cause of great concern. Seemingly enacted for internal political reasons, while defining Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people, the law fails to provide any constitutional guarantees for the rights of the indigenous and other minorities living in the country. Palestinian citizens of Israel, constituting 20% are flagrantly excluded from the law.
It is beyond conception that a Law with constitutional effect ignores an entire segment of the population, as if its members never existed. The law might not have practical effects, yet it sends an unequivocal signal to the Palestinian citizens of Israel, to the effect that in this country they are not at home. The Arabic language has been downgraded from an official language to a language with “a special status”, and with the commitment to work on the development of Jewish settlement in the land, with no mention of the development of the country for the rest of its inhabitants.
This Basic Law is exclusive rather than inclusive, disputed rather than consensual, politicized rather than being rooted in the basic norms that are common and acceptable to all fractions of the population.
This discriminatory law directly contravenes the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181, as well as Israel’s own Declaration of Independence. The first guaranteed the establishment of a Jewish State while ensuring full civil rights to the Arabs living therein and in the Second, the founders of the Country clearly and unequivocally committed to foster its development for the benefit of all its inhabitants and to ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all, irrespective of religion, race or sex.
Finally, this law contravenes and contradicts the Basic Law: “Human Dignity and Liberty” enacted in 1995 that guarantees the respect of the dignity of every person. Where there is discrimination, there is no dignity.
In other words, the law says that there are not equal rights between Jews and Arabs and refuses to acknowledge their existence.
It not enough to have and guarantee individual rights. Any state with large minorities ought to recognize the collective rights of these minorities, and guarantee the preservation of their collective identity, including their religious, ethnic and social traditions.
The Christian citizens of Israel have the same concerns as any other non-Jewish communities with respect to this Law. They call upon all citizens of the State of Israel who still believe in the basic concept of equality among citizens of the same nation, to voice their objection to this law and the dangers emanating thereof to the future of this Country.
“We see in
these actions a systematic attempt to undermine the integrity of the Holy City
of Jerusalem and the Holy Land, and to weaken the Christian presence. We affirm
in the clearest possible terms that a vital, vibrant Christian community is an
essential element in the make-up of our diverse society, and threats to the
Christian community can only increase the troubling tensions that have emerged
in these turbulent times,” the statement read.
The bill,
submitted by lawmaker Rachel Azaria (Kulanu), states that all land belonging to
churches that was sold to private investors be transferred to the state in
return for compensation. The churches fear that if the bill passes, it will
hurt their ability to make future real estate deals in Israel.
Two weeks ago, the JerusalemDistrict
Court ruled that Ateret Cohanim's purchase of two monumental buildings at the
Old City's Jaffa Gate and another building in the Muslim Quarter from the Greek
Orthodox Church is valid. The court rejected the church’s argument that it was
a corrupt deal that should be voided.
“Such
attempts to undermine the Christian community of Jerusalem and the Holy Land do
not affect one Church only; they affect us all, and they affect Christians and
all people of good will around the world,” the church leaders’ statement went
on to say.
“We have
always been faithful to our mission to ensure that Jerusalem and the Holy Sites
are open to all, without distinction or discrimination, and we are unanimous in
our support of the actions, including a High Court appeal, against the
judgement in the ‘Jaffa Gate’ case and in our opposition to any proposed law
that would restrict the rights of the Churches over our properties.”
Church
leaders also called for Israel to be pressured to keep the bill from advancing.
“We
therefore, as those to whom Divine Providence has entrusted the care of both
the Holy Sites and the pastoral oversight of the living, indigenous Christian
communities of the Holy Land, call upon our fellow Church leaders and faithful
around the world, as well as the heads of governments, and all people of good
will, to support us in order to ensure that no further attempts are made from
any quarter to change the historical Status Quo and its provisions and spirit,”
the statement said.
“We cannot
stress strongly enough the very serious situation that this recent systematic
assault on the Status Quo has had on the integrity of Jerusalem and on the
well-being of the Christian communities of the Holy Land, as well as on the
stability of our society. We, the Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem, stand
resolutely together in working for reconciliation and for a just and lasting
peace in our region, and we ask God’s blessings on all the peoples of our
beloved Holy Land,” the statement concluded.“I am working to resolve the
residents’ real problem. This is about the investors who bought the lands, not
about the church,” Azaria said in response to the statement. “Our goal is to
protect the people who live in the apartments and don’t know what tomorrow will
bring. We have always respected the church. But as soon as the sales are made
to anonymous buyers, that’s who we are dealing with, and it’s not connected to
the church. I have a responsibility to the people who live in the
apartments. For me, the question is, 'how do I protect the residents of
Jerusalem?'”
Beside The Creek Editor's Note/Food for Thought:
There is an interesting word in this article: "indigenous". There are many claims on Jerusalem and Israel but is it about time that governments, including the government of Israel, acknowledge that there are indigenous claims which are historic and that there are returning and/or immigrant claims which may not be historic but opportunistic. For instance, how possible it might be for opportunistic immigrant claims from Jews to trump (no pun intended) genuine and historically proven claims from Christians and Muslims.
Hundreds of Poles gathered to express their solidarity with Jews who perished in the Holocaust, were expelled from Poland 50 years ago or feel the effects of anti-Semitism today, in Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, March 11, 2018. The speakers at the demonstration also denounced the policies of the current Polish government which have led to a dispute with Israel and sparked a wave of anti-Semitic rhetoric. (Credit: Czarek Sokolowski/AP.)
The Knesset passed a law Wednesday allowing the interior minister to revoke the permanent residency status of Palestinians living in East Jerusalem who engage in terror or other anti-Israel activities and any permanent residents involved in such acts. Under the law, the state can deport anyone whose residency status is withdrawn. The government-sponsored law specifies three situations in which the interior minister can revoke permanent residency: If the status was granted under false pretences, if the resident endangered public safety or security, or if he betrays the State of Israel. The law applies to all permanent residents, whether they are recent immigrants or long-time residents of East Jerusalem. Under the law, the interior minister must grant an alternative status to a person whose residency was revoked if the individual cannot be permanently resettled in another country. The law was drawn up after the High Court of Justice last year overturned the revocation, more than a decade ago, of the permanent residency status of four East Jerusalem men. In January 2006, Mohammed Abu Tier, Ahmad Attoun and Muhammad Totah were elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council as representatives of the Hamas party. The fourth man, Khaled Abu Arafeh, was the minister for Jerusalem affairs in the short-lived government of Ismail Haniyeh. Then-Interior Minister Roni Bar-On rescinded their residency on grounds of disloyalty to Israel.
JERUSALEM (AP) — The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem reopened early on Wednesday after Israeli officials suspended a plan to impose taxes on church properties in the holy city.
The iconic church, revered by Christians as the site of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, had been closed for three days to protest the Israeli tax plan.
Father Sinisa, a Franciscan cleric, said that clergymen from various Christian denominations had continued their prayer routines inside the church throughout the closure. But he said the public must also be able to visit.
“It’s important to reopen the doors of the Church, to let the people who sometimes come once in their life to visit this holy place,” he said. “Because a holy place without people is nothing ... only the stones.”
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said his decision had affected only commercial properties, such as hotels, restaurants and offices, and not houses of worship. He said other cities follow similar practices worldwide.
But angry religious leaders say their non-church properties provide valuable services for pilgrims and their local flocks, and fund important services like schools and health clinics.
They also accused Barkat of surprising them with the order and violating longstanding understandings with the churches. Barkat’s office claimed the churches have debts of roughly $185 million.
The closure of the church raised tensions with the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches, as well as smaller denominations, weeks ahead of the busy Easter season.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said a professional team, including representatives from the Jerusalem municipality as well as government ministries, was being established to negotiate with church officials to “formulate a solution.”
Israel also suspended legislation in parliament that would govern sales of church sales to private developers.
In this Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018 file photo, visitors pray outside the closed doors of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditionally believed by many Christians to be the site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus Christ, in Jerusalem. Leaders of the two largest Christian sects in Jerusalem on Monday said the Church of the Holy Sepulchre will remain closed indefinitely to protest an Israeli attempt to tax their properties in the holy city, shuttering one of Jerusalem's most venerable and popular holy sites. (Credit: Mahmoud Illean/AP.)
JERUSALEM - Jerusalem’s mayor on Tuesday suspended a plan to impose taxes on properties owned by Christian churches, backing away from a move that had enraged religious leaders and led to the closure of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
In a statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said a professional team was being established to negotiate with church officials to “formulate a solution.”
“As a result, the Jerusalem Municipality is suspending the collection actions it has taken in recent weeks,” it said.
There was no immediate reaction from church leaders, and it was unclear whether the Church of the Holy Sepulchre would reopen.
Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and leaders of other Christian denominations closed the famed church on Sunday to protest an order by Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat to begin taxing their properties.
The church is revered as the site where Jesus was crucified and resurrected, and the decision closed one of Jerusalem’s most visited holy sites just ahead of the busy Easter season.
Barkat said his decision affected only commercial properties, such as hotels, restaurants and offices, and not houses of worship. He said other cities followed similar practices worldwide.
“As the mayor of the city of Jerusalem, my goal and role is to make sure people pay their taxes,” he said in an interview earlier Tuesday. “We have no negative or bad intentions here.”
The churches accused Barkat of acting in bad faith and undermining a longstanding status quo. They say their non-church properties still serve religious purposes by providing services to pilgrims and local flocks.
In Tuesday’s announcement, Netanyahu said Cabinet Minister Tzachi Hanegbi would head the new negotiating committee, which will include representatives from the city, and the finance, foreign and interior ministries.
“The team will negotiate with the representatives of the churches to resolve the issue,” it said.
All of Israel is on high alert as threats and attacks from Syria and Iran continue to escalate. With your help, The Fellowship team is already on the ground caring for innocent civilians suffering from anxiety due to rocket sirens blasting over northern Israel.
Because of your unwavering support, The Fellowship has supplied thousands of bomb shelters in the region, emergency facilities and equipment in five northern hospitals, and supplies of blankets, food, and other basic necessities should innocent Jews be displaced by these attacks from hate-filled regimes.
That is why I urge you to join with me in praying for God’s continual protection over Israel and her people. Pray for peace in the region and for the safety of our team as they respond with immediate care and provision for those impacted by this senseless violence.
With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
Founder and President
PS – We continue to prepare should, God forbid, the unrest and attacks continue to rise. Thank you for your prayers and support of Israel and the Jewish people.
The Gospel reading for this second Sunday of Epiphany (John 1:43-51) takes us to one of the most mysterious and beautiful moments in the New Testament. As the disciples begin to gather around Jesus, Philip finds Nathanael and says "We have found him of whom Moses in the Law, and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph" (John 1:45) Nathanael's unpromising response is 'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?' Nathanael is not alone in having this kind of bigoted and prejudiced attitude to 'other' places and people, as we have seen from the recent shameful outburst by the president of a great nation, but Phillip gives the best possible reply that anyone sharing the mystery of their faith can give; 'Come and see'. and that 'come and see' sets a theme of 'seeing' and vision which culminates in the amazing exchange between Nathanael and Jesus that follows.
Before Nathanael has uttered a word Jesus says 'Behold an Israelite indeed' and turns the tables of 'vision' onto Nathanael himself, and in that moment Nathanael suddenly knows that he is completely known by this man he has never met. 'Whence knowest thou me?' he asks, and Jesus' reply is again about vision and seeing: 'Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.' Something amazing happens here, Nathan, who was scoffing at Nazareth a minute before, has a sudden leap of understanding, outpacing reason or teaching, leaping ahead of all the other disciples to an understanding and certainty that even Peter would not attain for another three years, and declares 'Rabbi thou art the Son of God, thou art the king of Israel!'
An Epiphany has taken place, something whole and complete has been disclosed in a single glance, to see and be seen is enough! This is an example in the Gospel of a sudden 'awakening', a direct pointing to reality, which some people think is only associated with Buddhism, but here it is. And then Jesus, alluding subtly to Nathanael's mention of Israel, promises that this is just the beginning of a greater epiphany. Nathanael is 'an Israelite indeed' and Jesus points to the key epiphany in the life of Israel, when he was still called Jacob, the epiphany in which he saw the ladder connecting heaven and earth:
'Verily, verily I say unto you, Hereafter you shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man'
Here is one of those thrilling moments when a mysterious image from the Old Testament finds its fulfilment in the New! The ladder was a prophetic image given in a dream to Jacob of what is to come, now it has come true! I am the ladder, Jesus is saying, the true connection, the true gate of Heaven. And in this intimate exchange Nathanael has seen with his waking eyes what his ancestor had seen only veiled in dream and symbol!
I have tried to embody something of these reflections in the following sonnet. I am grateful again for Margot Kreb's Neale's beautiful photograph, itself a commentary on this same mystery. The poem itself is from my collection Sounding the Seasons, published by Canterbury Press and available on Amazon or from your local bookshop. As always you can hear this poem by clicking on the ‘play’ button or on the title. 619940-nathanael-s-epiphany.mp3 Nathanael's Epiphany
A fugitive and exile, Jacob slept, A man of clay, his head upon a stone And even in his sleep his spirit wept He lay down lonely and would wake alone. But in the night he dreamt the Heavens parted And glimpsed, in glory, as from Heaven's core, A ladder set for all the broken-hearted And earth herself becoming Heaven's door.
And when the nameless Angel named him Israel He kept this gift, whose depth he never knew; The promise of an end to all our exile, For now a child of Israel finds it true, And sees the One who heals the deep heart's aching As Jacob's dream becomes Nathanael's waking.
And here also is a link to the podcast of a sermon inspired by this story and concluding with this poem:
