A Palestinian journalist has some very insightful thoughts about the current situation in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel. It’s not short, but it’s honest.
John Piper’s latest biographical sermon is now available (audio, text). His subject was George Whitefield and his title was “‘I Will Not Be a Velvet-Mouthed Preacher! ‘ The Life and Ministry of George Whitefield: Living and Preaching as Though God Were Real (Because He Is).”
There’s a guy still living who fought in World War I. In this article, he mentions talking to his grandmother, born in 1817. It makes you think differently about how quickly time passes and how stories could be passed on.
24 things about to disappear in America. Some won’t surprise you, but some might.
Is it possible to become an Israeli citizen if you ‘re not Jewish by blood and not Jewish by faith? I know a guy who is. He wanted to join the army, but they wouldn’t take him unless he was a citizen. He tried to become a citizen, but they wouldn’t take him because he wasn’t in the army. Somehow he managed both. The JPost has an article of another guy who managed to get permanent residency. This will probably fuel a few dreams.
I have occasionally toyed with the idea of trying to get Israeli citizenship. My father was Jewish, as where his grandparents. I was adopted, but I don’t think that matters.
I just have’t figured out why I might need it.
“I just have ‘t figured out why I might need it.”
Maybe you need some headaches and a way to drop a LOT of money.
I suppose if at any time I want to spend an extended time in Israel or want to go there to do something other than being a tourist, it could come in handy.
I know a few people who have had difficulty getting a visa for an extended stay or a teaching job (and a few who seem to have had theirs denied for political reasons).
Al,
My comment was both tongue in cheek and honest. I think we may have had this same discussion before, but I’ll elaborate just a bit, in case it was someone else, or others might be interested.
First, the government isn’t giving out citizenship to be handy in case someone wants to come here at some future point to study or stay a little longer, etc. Actually, they have build in mechanisms to prevent those kinds of things.
Second, most people’s (i.e. Christians, Messianic Jews, etc.) visa’s are being denied for religious reasons. And there is a growing stream of denials (of residence visas and citizenship) because of a few things – one of those being the ease in which government clerks can gather information on individuals through the internet and accusations (false or otherwise) by those who might oppose a particular individual’s presence in Israel. Google is their best friend, if you know what I mean.
The anti-missionary groups have had a growing influence in the Ministry of Interior, and the clerks there have too much discretion. Even though the clerks make decisions that are, at best, legally questionable, many, if not most people don’t have the money, patience or desire to enter a prolonged battle with the government.
The ministry of interior is obstinate, and often refuses to comply with the court orders. Again, much of their strategy is to stall so that the victim will run out of money, patience, or desire.
They are now running rough-shod over students at Hebrew University whom they think might be here primarily for reasons other than studying.
And, in the last year or so, there have been Knesset discussions about adjusting the Law of Return to make it more difficult for persons like yourself who would be trying to gain citizenship not as a Jew, but rather under the umbrella of the Law of Return, which grants citizenship also to those who are not Jewish but have at least one grandparent who is Jewish.
Al, I’m not trying to rain on your parade; I wish more believers could easily live here, or come and go according to their own pleasure. I simply want you to be aware of the situation on the ground here – sooner rather than later. And, most importantly, it isn’t my decision whether you try or whether you receive citizenship.
If you think you really want to try and there is anything I can do to help you, I will be happy to try.
Thanks for the comments. We have a few Presbyterian fraternal workers who used to be based in Israel who suddenly found that their visas would not be renewed. One I know is now in Jordan.
Of course, their work there was, IMHO, decidedly one sided in the Palestinian-Israel conflict. I’m not sure I blame Israel for not playing nice with someone who they see as working against them.
It is interesting that the definition of Jewish does seem to be changing. There was a time you could be Jewish EITHER by your ethnic (family) background or your religious faith. If I remember correctly, many of the early Zionists were Jewish communist, atheists.
My father always called himself a “Gentile Jew”. I might have found that amusing if, as a child, I had any idea what a Gentile was. His parents were not observant either.
I suspect you are dead right. I have read that it does seem to be moving in the direction of having to be a Jew by religious practice, but the right kind of Jew too. Of course, Israel is their country and a democracy and it is up to them to decide their own standards – – though from what I read, it may be a minority who are driving this position.
I probably won’t ever do it, but I’d like to think that my very slight Jewish roots could do something more for me than allowing me to occasionally call congregation “you Gentiles”.