Judaism

Over the past couple of weeks, Paul Coyer had a series of conversations with Rabbi Pynchas Brener about the history of the Jewish community in Venezuela, the role it has played both prior to and during the period of Chavismo, and his hopes for his nation’s future.

Nothing separates Christianity from other religions like the two big holidays of Christmas and Easter, and Christmas especially.

The international community already decided almost 100 years ago that Israel can be the national home for the Jewish people while respecting non-Jews civil rights.

There is a need to scrutinize and criticize the new nation-state law, but it is unfortunate that several aspects of the Latin Patriarchate’s statement are simply unproductive and even inflammatory.

David Ben-Gurion, who declared the establishment of the State of Israel 70 years ago this week, once mused that “God left one commandment out of the Bible. Perhaps the Almighty delivered this commandment to Moses, but Moses forgot to bring it down from the mountain. That commandment is No. 11: ‘Be strong.'”

Few would have estimated 70 years ago, let alone one thousand, that this week would arrive. On Monday, May 14, Israel celebrated the seventieth anniversary of becoming a nation. In light of this remarkable and unlikely reality, Christians are faced with the task of celebrating and interpreting this event against the backdrop of the last 70 years.

Israel’s founding was at once a victory for justice, a triumph for freedom, and a crushing blow to antisemitism. It was a story of David against Goliath. But 70 years later, things are different. Israel isn’t David anymore.

Are we, in fact, seeking through foreign policy to protect ourselves from a pre-millennial apocalypse—or, perhaps, to bring about a post-millennial one? The intellectual and spiritual resources of Protestant Christianity have a great deal to add to this debate. But up until now, I haven’t seen much evidence that these resources have yet been brought to bear on these questions.

Christian leaders in the Holy Land were offered a remarkable opportunity this week when Vice President Mike Pence visited. But instead of seizing this occasion and making full use of it to save their brothers and sisters, Middle East Christian leaders chose to prioritize their opposition to Israel.