Dispatch from Jerusalem

The Dead Sea Is it really Dead?

You have probably heard at least one preacher give a sermon on tithing. I’ve heard a lot of them. Some are fun, others are interesting, and some contain errors. I won’t try to correct all of the errors or repeat all of the goodies. But I will try to correct one erroneous message I’ve heard and give an alternative, which will allow the same sermon to be preached without that error.

Called To Serve

With a smile, the waitress asked, “May I serve you?” as she handed menus to Richard Bristol and Pieter Marais, from our Food Bank. They were eating lunch at Carmei Ha’ir (Vineyards of the City), a Jerusalem restaurant near Machane Yehuda, a popular outdoor fruit and vegetable market. The food served was delicious, with meat and fish choices, and the service was prompt and courteous. Certainly, this was a restaurant to remember. But, wait, this was no ordinary restaurant! When they finished eating, no one brought a bill or asked for payment.

Bnei Menashe-  “Descendants of Israel”

In a historic decision in March, Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar decided to recognize formally the Bnei Menashe (sons of Manasseh) of northeastern India as “descendants of Israel.”

“Pullout Will Be Followed by Increased Terror”

Speaking at a conference in April, Israel’s outgoing army chief of staff warned not to “expect the Messiah to come with” Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Lieutenant General Moshe Yaalon warned that terror will increase significantly after the pullout, particularly in the Samaria area of the West Bank where four Israeli communities are being evacuated.

Iraqi Visitor- Arabs Have Good Life Under Israel

Those Arabs living in Israel and areas under the Jewish state’s overall control enjoy far greater freedoms than any of their brethren throughout the Middle East, said Mithal Al-Alusi, leader of the Democratic Party of Iraq, after visiting Israel.

“I am sure that the Palestinian [Arabs] in Israel have more rights than in any other Arab country, and even the Iraqi citizens during the time of Saddam [Hussein],” he said.

Israel’s Amazing Variety of Foods: Hot Avocado Soup

What’s new on the Israeli menu? The variety of foods in Israel is amazing due to the fact that her immigrants come from well over 100 nations, bringing their favorite recipes, which then get blended into new taste sensations.

Arabs Vandalize Judaism´s Holiest Site

An act of Islamic vandalism on a wall of Judaism’s holiest site, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, has elicited outrage on the part of archaeologists. In March, the word “Allah” was found carved into the eastern wall of the Temple Mount. The Arabic letters are approximately a foot tall (30.5 centimeters).

Israel Expects Middle Eastern war in 2006

Israel has expressed its belief that Iran and several of its Arab allies are preparing for a full-scale war against the Jewish state, possibly following the expected United States withdrawal from Iraq in 2006.

Unnamed U.S. officials told Middle East Newsline in April that, according to Israeli assessments, the departure of most American forces from the region will lead to increased tensions and provide an atmosphere ripe for an escalation of violence against Israel.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon “has relayed repeated messages to the U.S. administration that Iran and its Arab allies are preparing for war,” one official said.

Thieves Try to Sell Ancient Bones

First, the antiquities thieves sold stolen ancient burial boxes. Now, they are trying to sell the human bones inside them as well. Israel’s Antiquities Authority announced that they had thwarted an attempt by two Jerusalem Arab men to sell four Second-Temple ossuaries—and the human bones inside—to Zaka, Israel’s volunteer rescue and recovery organization, for reburial.

Pa TV Continues Incitement Against Israel and the U.S.

Official Palestinian Authority (PA)-sponsored television broadcast a sermon in April that accused Israel and the United States of seeking to conquer the Arab world.

“Our enemies want to occupy Arab and Islamic lands under their leadership,” Sheikh Ibrahim Mudayris declared in his weekly sermon. The imam (Islamic preacher) is on the payroll of the PA, according to Hebrew University Professor and Arab affairs expert Dr. Michael Widlanski, who translated the sermon.