The Jewish Deputy Mayor of Or Yehuda has publicly apologized for the burning of hundreds of New Testaments in his town, after he urged Orthodox Jews to confiscate books that had been distributed by Messianic Jews in the area. Uzi Aharon had initially defended the action of the yeshiva boys when he first heard about the incident, describing it as "purging the evil among us". In an interview with the Maariv newspaper, Aharon said he did not condemn the book-burning but that he did condemn those who distributed them, stating it was a "commandment" for Jews to burn materials that urge them to convert to Christianity. But following international condemnation of the act, he later claimed that he was sorry for the burning, and that he only arrived at the scene after the fire had been started. He also said he was unaware that Christians might have found the burning of the New Testaments offensive.

Quote: "Bible Society in Israel director Victor Kalisher, whose organization printed the Bibles burned in Or Yehuda, responded to the incident: "What worries me is that nobody has stood up against this," said Kalisher, the son of Holocaust survivors, to the Post. "It seems there is a war against messianic Jews in Israel." Kalisher argues that Bibles are not forced on anybody or into any homes, contrary to what many Orthodox Jews claim about Christian evangelism. "The book has never harmed anyone, you can choose to read it or choose not to read it," he said. "If this happened to Jewish books overseas we would be screaming anti-Semitism."

The incident was also condemned by the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, the Jewish Anti Defamation League, and the even the Israeli government issued a statement on it. The ADL condemned the book-burning as a heinous act that was reminiscent of the burnings of the Torah and Talmud in the various pogroms perpetrated against the Jews throughout history. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's spokesman, Mark Regev, stated that "Israel is a country in which freedom of religion is one of our highest principles", and that he hoped that the police would launch a thorough investigation into the incident. Unfortunately this is only the latest in a long line of attacks that have been perpetrated on Messianic believers living in Israel. Just a few weeks ago, Orthodox rabbis mounted a vicious campaign against Bat-El Levy, a Jewish believer who was competing in the International Bible Contest in Jerusalem. They tried to get her thrown out of the competition on the grounds that her faith in Yeshua means she cannot be considered a true Jew in their eyes. I posted several comments on the Arutz 7 forum in response to the original article on Bat-El Levy, but the site administrators only published comments that were favourable to their viewpoint. I wrote this great one about the rabbis being like Peter - afraid of a little girl, or perhaps they were afraid she might know her Bible better than they did! No doubt they couldn't delete that posting quick enough. And in March of this year, fifteen year-old Amiel Ortiz was severely wounded, when a nail-bomb that had been planted in a Purim basket exploded in his face. Remember the Jewish believers in Israel in your prayers

In other related news, a NATO soldier and two civilians have been killed during rioting in Afghanistan, after a single copy of the Qur'an was discovered to have been desecrated by a US soldier in Iraq. The soldier had been using it for target practice, and the book was riddled with bullet holes. The US government issued an unprecedented apology over the desecration, the soldier is to be disciplined, and a brand new Qur'an was presented to a local Iraqi mosque. But despite all of this, three people have lost their lives because someone has dared to insult the Islamic religion.

Quote: "A Nato soldier and two civilians were killed in Afghanistan when 2,000 protesters armed with stones tried to break into an airfield in Chaghcharan in protest about a copy of the Koran being used for target practice by a US soldier in Iraq.

I don't condone the actions of this US soldier for one minute, and I don't believe we should purposely desecrate any religious book. But as you can see, the reaction of the Muslims towards the desecration of their holy book is in stark contrast to that of Christians and the burning of the Bibles in Israel. Imagine if hundreds of Qur'ans were burned on the streets of London. There would be a third world war. But when hundreds of New Testament's go up in flames, nobody so much as bats an eyelid. Does that mean Christians don't care about the desecration of their book? No. The Bible is precious to us, for it is the Living Word of God. These people have not reproached us, but they have reproached the Holy One of Israel (Acts 9:4), and God will hold them to account. Praise God that His Word is eternal, and it can never be destroyed.

Luke 21:33
Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. 

Source Christian Post, International Herald Tribune, Anti Defamation League, CNS News, Forbes, Times Online, Israel Prayer

She is just 17 years old and she has already won the Jerusalem District Bible Contest for secular public schools. She is one of four pupils who will represent Israel at the annual International Bible Contest, which will be held on Independence Day in Jerusalem this week. It seems that nothing can stop her. At least, nothing except her faith in Yeshua. For Bat-El Levy belongs to a family of Messianic Jews, who believe that Jesus is the Messiah of Israel. Israeli anti-missionary organization Yad L'Achim were fuming whenever they found out that a Messianic Jew was representing Israel in the International Bible Contest. They believe that Bat-El has "has a chance of becoming the world Bible champion", and that her participation in the contest will serve only to "greatly encourage the spread of Christianity among the Jews". Yah L'Achim director Shlomo Dov Lipschitz sent a letter to the Rabbinical and lay leaders in the religious community to try and have her disqualified from the competition, on the grounds that her faith in Yeshua means she cannot be considered a true Jew. But the Ministry of Education have refused to disqualify her, stating that the school records and population registry list her as Jewish, and that she is eligible to take part in the competition. Yad L'Achim has now written to some of the contestants and is hoping to convince them to boycott the contest over Bat-El's participation in the event.

Quote: "Levy, the Bible quiz champion for the Jerusalem district, was unavailable for comment. Relatives said she was too busy studying for the competition to deal with the media uproar.

As the article points out, if it weren't for the interference of Yad L'Achim, none of this would have come to the attention of the press. The event would have passed off without so much as a whisper, but now everyone's eyes will be on Bat-El to see whether or not she can win the competition and silence her antagonists. Unfortunately Jewish believers in Yeshua are still persecuted for their faith in the Messiah in Israel, just as they were in New Testament times.

Acts 5:27-29
And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

But praise God that He is working amongst the Jewish people in Israel, and that the blindness which has afflicted the nation for nearly 2000 years is being lifted. Pray for Bat-El, that the Lord would give her help to obey God rather than men, and that the name of Yeshua will be lifted up among His people.

Source JTA, Arutz 7

A young boy has been severely wounded after a device that was concealed inside a gift basket his family had received for Purim exploded. The fifteen year old boy who suffered wounds to his chest, neck and head, is still in critical condition in the Beilinson hospital in Petah Tikvah. Doctors were forced to amputate one of his legs, and have warned that he could still lose his eyesight. The Israeli police are carrying out a full investigation into the incident. Initial reports suggested that the attack may have been carried out by some sort of cult, but the family's links to Messianic Judaism have left some wondering whether elements closer to home may have been involved. Messianic Judaism is a branch of Judaism that recognizes Yeshua, Jesus Christ, as the Messiah. Arutz 7, which often publishes articles defaming Messianic Jews, was largely silent as to the possible religious motivations behind this incident.

Quote: ""All Messianic Jewish communities are still in shock and pain over the incident," Roni, a family friend, said. "The feeling is really difficult right now. The most important thing is that the youth come out of the operating room and the second thing is that we hope that they will catch the person who did this and condemn the phenomenon." Roni, also a member of the sect, accompanied the injured teen to the hospital. "Messianic Jews suffer a lot of harassment and from other types of violence – burning down meeting places, pestering (us) at home, the publishing of announcements with featuring our pictures and more." Roni also said that the primary danger threatening the members of the community came from extremist religious organizations – Muslim and Jewish. "There is always a danger from the religious perspective but the question is: Where does it come from? "We would really like to believe that it doesn't come from Judaism. Every Messianic Jew is a target for radical Jews and in the past Messianic Jewish synagogues have even been burned down in Israel.

So it seems that not much has changed. Jewish believers in the Messiah often faced similar persecution from the religious authorities in New Testament days. Rabbi Shaul, a Pharisee of the Pharisees, even went as far as persecuting 'this way' unto death (Acts 22:4). His name, Shaul - 'a haughty one', later became Paul - 'a little one', and he would in turn suffer many things by his own countrymen for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 9:16, 2nd Corinthians 11:24-33). And in the West, today we remember the sufferings of our Lord, who was mocked, scourged, beaten and crucified for us. Paul suffered willingly for the Lord, but he did not chose to suffer. Jesus Christ chose to suffer because of His great love for us. He made Himself poor so that we could be rich (2nd Corinthians 8:9). He suffered so that our joy might be full (John 15:11). He died so that we might have life (John 10:10). "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends", John 15:13. Who can measure the love of God? Trust in Jesus Christ for salvation today.

1st Peter 3:18
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

Source YNet News, Haaretz, Arutz 7