June 1990
“And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone
for all peoples; all that burden themselves with it shall be cut
in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together
against it.”
How ironic that the
"City of Peace" is the center of bitter world
controversy! Not only is East Jerusalem contended between Israel
and the Arab world, but world political and religious leaders also
join in the fray. Christian leaders continue to ignore this
warning of the Lord by the Prophet. What should be the
"Christian attitude" now toward Jerusalem?
In March President
Bush-an avowed born-again Christian-berated Israel for building
Jewish "settlements" in East Jerusalem because, he
claimed, the status of East Jerusalem is negotiable in
Israeli-Arab peace talks. This statement was a startling change of
U.S. policy-which many felt was the real reason for the collapse
of Israel's coalition government. Jerusalem's Mayor Teddy Kollek,
a solid moderate, observed that Bush's comment resulted in an
increase of violence in East Jerusalem.
In April when a group
of Jewish families moved into the so-called Christian Quarter of
Jerusalem, some Jewish leaders questioned the wisdom of the
timing. But the media and church leaders whipped up world opinion
into a hysteria. THE NEW YORK TIMES called the building sublet by
these Jewish families an "occupied Greek Orthodox
Church." The WASHINGTON POST spoke of it as "the Greek
Orthodox Church complex." But the following quote from a
letter President Chaim Herzog of Israel wrote to the U.S. Greek
Orthodox Primate (JERUSALEM POST, May 26, 1990) clarifies the
issues:
"I do not propose
to go into the rights or wrongs of the action taken by those
claiming a right to residence in the building, following the
payment of a considerable amount of money. . .I am, however, very
disturbed by the behavior of the Greek Orthodox Church on this
issue. It is extremely alarming. . .to note the manner in which
the neglected, abandoned, misused hospice, suddenly becomes a Holy
Site.
"I must say that
the sight of a priest in clerical garments standing on a ladder,
ripping down a Star of David from a Jewish residence, cheered by
an enraged mob, is a horrible reminder of what our people lived
through in history. . . .
". . .the
building was described as being a few meters away from the [Church
of the] Holy Sepulchre. Any visitor to the site, with its enclosed
streets, will confirm that this assertion is false."
In an interview with
Jordan television, Patriarch Disdoros, head of the Greek Orthodox
patriarchate in Jerusalem, described Jerusalem as being
"under conquest." During a visit to Greece he charged
that this incident was part of an attempt by Israel to take over
the Christian Quarter of Old Jerusalem.
Of course, the Vatican
entered the controversy. THE NEW YORK TIMES reported that Pope
John Paul II, in an audience which included senior officials from
Arab countries and a representative of the PLO, "expressed
'profound concern.'" Cardinal O'Connor, however, reflected
the hysteria of the Roman Catholic church over the Jerusalem
issue. In an article appearing in the CATHOLIC NEW YORK, he called
the move "obscene" and the Israeli government's role in
the incident as "reprehensible." He characterized the
move of 25 parents and 100 children and infants into the hospice
as an invasion by armed men-part of "a conspiracy to grab
land all over Israel currently occupied by Christians. . .[and] a
design to make it virtually impossible for Christians to function
anywhere in the land."
To put this
controversial incident in balanced perspective, it must be noted
that Jews formerly lived in this area until they were violently
expelled by Arab attack in 1936. In fact, it was during the same
period of the British Mandate that the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem
was drastically reduced. (Later the reduced segment of the Jewish
Quarter-including its many Synagogues-was destroyed during the
Jordanian occupation of 1948-1967.) Where was the Christian outcry
then? Why is there Christian silence when Jews are abused? While
the hospice is owned by the Greek Orthodox Church, the building
was never used for religious purposes. Furthermore, the building
was leased to an Arab and the ground floor was occupied by Moslem
stores. Because the Christian Quarter is actually two-thirds
Moslem, a Mosque nearby serves this active Moslem population. . .
.
As Christian and
Moslem leaders gathered in the Greek Orthodox Patriarch's offices,
masked intifada youths began waving PLO flags chanting anti-Jewish
slogans. The PLO flag was then placed at the top of the Church of
the Holy Sepulchre. (Who then actually desecrated a Christian holy
site?)
Why are Catholics
opposed to Jews living in the Christian Quarter yet are gladly
living together with Arabs? Why is the Vatican so opposed to
Israel possessing Old Jerusalem while insisting on Jerusalem's
internationalization?
When the
world community was finally ready to grant Israel statehood in
1947, the specter of the Vatican loomed over the United Nations.
Since Israel's rebirth the Vatican has never recognized it as a
nation. New York's Cardinal Spellman, used all the powers of his
office to keep Jerusalem out of Israeli control. Telegraphing the
Papal nuncios (ambassadors) in South American countries, he
demanded that they urge those governments to take an
uncompromising stand at the U.N. for Jerusalem's
internationalization.
The Vatican's apparent
reason is that all three faiths will have free access to their
holy places. However, from 1948 to 1967, Jordan desecrated Jewish
holy places and destroyed synagogues while completely denying
Jewish access to East Jerusalem. In all those years the Vatican
never raised a cry for internationalization. Since acquiring Old
Jerusalem in 1967, Israel has guaranteed and preserved for all
(Christians and Moslems as well) free access to their respective
holy places. Yet the Vatican is presently insisting on
internationalization to provide a right that these three religions
already enjoy. Obviously, a more fundamental reason for Vatican
opposition to Israel's possession of Old Jerusalem prevails.
The Roman Catholic
Church maintains Israel's right to be the Kingdom of God ended
forever with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the
Roman Legion in 70 C.E. Growing to world prominence, the Roman
Catholic Church claimed to be the rightful heir of the Kingdom of
God with Rome as the "New Jerusalem." But this claim of
Rome to be the "eternal city," was deflated when in 1967
Jerusalem, "the eternal city," became Israel's capital.
Why does the
Vatican act like a major world power-exchanging ambassadors with
other nations, etc.? No other Christian church claims this
prestige.
The only excuse the
Vatican has to act as a world power is the claim that it is both
the spiritual and temporal Kingdom of God, the "New
Jerusalem." Israel's repossession of the capital of its
ancient kingdom is a galling challenge to Rome-a challenge which
Rome seems compelled to remove. When Jerusalem is
"internationalized," the Vatican plans to dominate its
supervision and thereby cement its claim to be the Kingdom of God
on earth. The Vatican will not rest until Jerusalem is wrested
from Israel.
Other world powers,
including the United States, insist that Jerusalem is
"negotiable" in any Israeli-Arab peace talks. Jerusalem
is not negotiable. Remember Zechariah's prophecy-all who contend
in the Jerusalem issue will be sorely hurt. National and religious
leaders had better heed this warning.
Christian leaders who
misrepresent Israel or Jews in issues such as this hospice rental
incident may be betraying latent anti-Semitic attitudes ingrained
in their organization. In any case, such leaders are certainly
sowing seeds of bitter feelings of anti-Semitism. Christians
should not be trapped by media hysteria, but should rationally
consider the Scriptural and historical perspective.
Jerusalem, indeed,
will be internationalized! But it will belong to the Jew forever.
People from all over the world will come to Jerusalem to worship,
but it will be to enquire about the God of the Jews and to praise
His holy Name.
"Yea,
many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of
hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. Thus saith the
Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men
shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall
take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go
with you: for we have heard that God is with you." Zechariah
8:22, 23 (See also Isaiah 2:2,3; 60:10-12; 66:18-22)
"And it shall
come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's
house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall
be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the
mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he
will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out
of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from
Jerusalem." Isaiah 2:2,3
