Five Doves, KS Rajan: So Israel Today went out and surveyed a representative sampling of Israelis to find out. This survey was conducted under the supervision of Camille Fuchs, Professor Emeritus of Statistics, Tel Aviv University. The precise sample was selected from the Jewish population of 500 respondents according to the distribution of the level of religiosity in the population. . . . . . . .three out of every four Israelis (77%) . . . say yes, Christian support for Israel is important. Christians around the world are recognized for their strong stand with Israel. It is interesting to note that almost all (87%) of the older generation of Orthodox Jews over the age of 65 said that they appreciate Christian support for Israel. A large majority (76%) of Israelis said that Evangelicals support the Jewish State more than other Christians. In general, Catholic, Orthodox and other Protestant churches in Israel and around the world tend to identify with the Palestinian agenda. On the other hand, we also found that nearly half (47%) of all Israelis (secular and religious) indicated that they do not know if Evangelicals support Israel more than other Christians. To Israeli Jews, a Christian is a Christian be he Catholic, Protestant, Greek Orthodox or otherwise. A majority (66%) of all Jewish Israelis believe that yes, the rebirth of the State of Israel has changed the way Christians see Jews. Three out of every four Israelis (75%) say that Christians (Evangelicals mostly) changed their attitudes towards Jews because they support Israel. Just one in three Israelis (34%) say they learned about Christianity in school. The Ministry of Education told Israel Today that “Christianity has been taught in Israeli schools since the beginning of the state.” Pastor Kalisher: “Most teachers do not teach correctly when it comes to Christianity. My children studied in public schools and according to their testimony, their teachers involved their emotions and personal opinions and came with an 'anti-Christian’ agenda that set the tone for their teaching. From a religious Jewish perspective, anyone born to a Jewish mother is Jewish. That is why 86% of ultra-Orthodox Jews said that “Jesus is Jewish,” even more than secular Jews (81%). It is also interesting to note that almost 90% of all young Israelis aged 18-24 say “Jesus is Jewish,” more than their elder religious or secular parents. Only 16% of those who responded see Jesus in a positive light. 36% are not interested and 25% have no opinion. The history of conflict between the Church and Synagogue, combined with the lack of education in Israeli schools as seen above, have contributed to the generally ambivalent view of Jesus in Israel. As one Israeli man told us, “In Israel, Jesus is seen as a dead man hanging on a cross, an image strange and alien to the Jewish mind.” Pastor Kalisher: “The overall 16% that are positive are mainly secular, and they measure Jesus from a social and moral standpoint – not a theological one. When they measured him that way, their conclusion is that he was a great guy, a great Jew. More than one in every two Jews say yes, Jews and Christians believe in the same God (53%). Israelis who study history understand that the three monotheistic faiths all stem from the same God. A slight majority of religious Jews do not think that Jews and Christians believe in the same God because they are looking at the theological difference between Judaism and Christianity, in particular the idea that God has a son who is also God. For Jews, this violates the first commandment to have no other gods besides the Almighty, the Holy One of Israel. It is interesting to note that while almost all Israelis (78%) said “Jesus is Jewish,” only a third (33%) say that a Jew who believes in Jesus remains Jewish. This most likely has to do with the Supreme Court ruling from over 30 years ago that determined a Jew who believes in Jesus is not considered a Jew for the purpose of immigration. The Coming of the Messiah is central to Jewish faith and the Messianic Kingdom to Judaism. Yet only slightly more than half (56%) of all Israelis believe in a messiah, a number that reflects the deep rift between secular and religious Jews. Our very own Oriel Moran wrote: “There is a common thread weaved between the answers of the poll: ignorance. “Most Jewish Israelis have a very surface-level and often misguided understanding of who Jesus is. . . ." https://www.israeltoday.co.il/read/what-do-israelis-think-of-jesus/ JERUSALEM, Israel — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken tried to meet privately with Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi on Wednesday, without Israel’s elected leaders present, before the meeting was blocked by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Blinken’s goal may have been to thwart an Israeli attack on Rafah, near the Egyptian border, a key smuggling point and the last part of the Gaza Strip that Israel has not attacked. Refugees have gathered there from other parts of Gaza, which poses a risk of civilian casualties, but without Israel's control of Rafah, Hamas can sneak in weapons — or sneak itself, and its hostages, out. Blinken has been accused of trying to micromanage Israel’s war effort on behalf of President Joe Biden, holding one meeting with Israel’s war cabinet in October that lasted several hours. The goal is to restrict Israel’s freedom to act against Hamas terrorists, ostensibly because taking out Hamas decisively could involve more civilian casualties in the short term than a slower war effort. Amir Tsarfati: Many are asking me if the hostages are dead. This indicates that Hamas holds just over 100 living hostages but dozens of bodies. The IDF has recovered eight bodies during its operations in Gaza. A senior Hamas terrorist told a Lebanese news outlet, which the allied jihadist group Hezbollah operates, on Thursday that his group would offer “no compromise” on the destruction of Israel, describing the Jewish state as having “no future in the region.” That is almost unbelievable in this day and age. May God bless and keep Israel.
What Do Israelis Think of Jesus?
Do you think the support of Christians around the world for the State of Israel is important or not important?
As far as you know, compared to other streams of Christianity, do Evangelicals support the State of Israel more or less, or the same?
In your opinion, did the establishment of the State of Israel cause a change in Christianity’s attitude toward the Jewish people? And what caused that change?
As far as you remember, did you learn about Christianity and Jesus in school in Israel?
In your opinion, is Jesus a Jew?
What is your general opinion regarding Jesus?
As far as you know, do Jews and Christians believe in the same God?
In your opinion, is a Jew who believes in Jesus still Jewish?
Do you believe in the coming of the Messiah?
Blinken Tried to Meet Privately with Israeli Military Chief; Netanyahu Nixed:
As many as 50 of the Israeli hostages taken on October 7 could be dead, according to an Israeli assessment.
Israel has confirmed 31 the hostages have been killed and are currently assessing the veracity of intelligence that suggests 20 other hostages may be dead.
.....
Hamas Declares It Will Not Accept Existence of Israel as Biden Admin Touts ‘Two-State Solution’:
