Dispatch from Jerusalem

Above-Average Rainfall Falls Short

{image_1} Israel’s rainy season—the majority of which traditionally runs from the fall (or autumn) until the early spring—had posted above-average rainfall as of early April in various areas around the country, including the North where the Sea of Galilee is located. The lake is a key part of Israel’s fresh water supply. Despite that good news, the past few years’ drought means that even an above-average rainy season isn’t enough to recover from the bad years.

Mauritania Cuts Ties with Israel

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Israel’s last official ambassador to Mauritania said he was surprised by the country’s announcement that it had completely severed ties with the Jewish state. “To be honest,” Boaz Bismut told The Media Line, “I didn’t believe it would happen because I knew the relations were something good and had positive consequences on both sides.

BFP in Action: God Is with Us

The most frequent question I am asked is “How is Bridges for Peace doing in the current financial crisis?” Although many ministries and charities are in crisis mode, Bridges for Peace experienced only a minor 3% drop in income from 2008 (our best year ever) to 2009. Prudently, we had budgeted for a decrease in 2009 but exceeded that budget by 2%. We can only say that God has been with us and continues to bless the work that He called us to do.

800 Million-Shekel Plan for Arab Sector

{image_1}Amid warnings of a third intifada outbreak, the Ministry for Minority Affairs announced a government plan to invest NIS 800 million [about US $215 million] in Israel's minority population, as part of a perennial project. The plan will invest the funds in 10 selected towns during the next five years. The investment will focus on four main realms: occupational development, infrastructure, upgrading the transportation network, and preparing plots of land for construction.

Broken Promises

{image_1}An Arab refugee in Lebanon described in an interview on Palestinian Authority [PA] TV how he and other Arabs left for Lebanon from Israel during the 1948 war after Arab leaders said their absence would be temporary: “They [Arab leaders] said, 'A week, two weeks, approximately, and you'll return to Palestine,'” said Sadek Mufid. This refugee's testimony is yet another example of how Palestinian leaders, writers, and refugees themselves have begun to speak out in recent years and openly blame the Arab leadership for the creation of the Arab refugee problem.

Gaza Teen “Killed” by IDF Recounts Egyptian Prison Ordeal

“I won’t go back there even if they offered me [US] $1 million.” Muhammad Farmawi, the 15-year-old boy from the Gaza Strip who was thought to have been killed by Israel Defense Forces [IDF] soldiers [the end of March], revealed on April 5th that he had been held in an Egyptian prison.

Messiah—Mashiach

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Both Christians and Jews eagerly long for the coming of the Messiah. Yet, the topic of Messiah is one that has caused great division between Christianity and Judaism. The greatest dispute is the identity of the Messiah. As Christians, we know that Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ) is the Messiah. Jews equally “know” that He is not the Messiah. The Jewish rejection of Yeshua as the Messiah has been a catalyst for Christian persecution of Jews throughout the centuries.  Perhaps we can shed some light on these differences by looking at the meaning of the Hebrew word and its Greek equivalent.

Salt Therapy—A Breath of Fresh Air

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After three years of unsuccessfully treating his five-year-old son's chronic ear infections with conventional medicine, Jonathan Kestenbaum, an immigrant to Israel from New York, started to explore alternative therapies. “We were at a point where it was either tube surgery or antibiotics for an undetermined amount of time,” explains Kestenbaum, 32. He researched several alternatives before he stumbled upon salt therapy, a natural remedy for respiratory and sinus problems dating back to salt caves in Greece in the Middle Ages

New “Gospel Trail” Inaugurated

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Now Christian pilgrims can bike where Jesus walked. Along the 40-kilometer (25-mile) trail from Nazareth to Capernaum, bikers can stop at several sites mentioned in the Bible during Jesus’ Galilean ministry. As anyone knows, one gets a much better feel for the country when biking and walking instead of speeding along in a car or tour bus on a heavily-trafficked paved roadway, and, of course, Jesus walked at a much slower pace.
 

Birds and Legislators Share Jerusalem Hill

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It may be the seat of power in Israel and located in the middle of a busy city, but Jerusalem Hill—the site of Israel's parliament—is also home to a significant bird observatory. When it comes to birds, Israel is one of the busiest thoroughfares in the world. Every spring and fall [or autumn], without fail, half a billion birds cross the country on their long migration from Africa to Europe and back. As the first green habitat they encounter on their long and perilous journey, it's no surprise that Israel takes its birds seriously—so seriously, in fact, that even in the heart of Jerusalem, just a stone's throw from the Supreme Court and the Knesset, you can find a bird observatory.