FOLLOW-UP REPORT:  Israeli Supreme Court Hearing on ultra-Orthodox Demonstrations
                                        Against Messianic Believers in Israel 
                                       
Keep pressing in for impending Judges' Decision!

The Israeli Supreme Court held a hearing Monday on a petition brought by Hassidic ultra-Orthodox petitioning the court to be allowed to demonstrate with 700 protesters directly in front of the private home of a Messianic believer, a widow woman with several foster children. 
This petition is part of a two-year campaign of harassment and persecution by the ultra-Orthodox against various members of a Messianic Jewish congregation in the small desert town of Arad.

Disposition:  Failing to bring the parties to a compromise, the 3-judge Supreme Court has yet to hand down a ruling on the matter.  Israeli pastors are asking for the continued prayers of Christians on their behalf and for the protection of religious freedoms in IsraelPlease pray for a just decision in this cause!

A request from a Negev Desert pastor:  "Please use your own connections with Israeli officials and government ministers to let them know that you -- believers in the Bible and in the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, and in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ -- are concerned about the poor attitude being shown by the authorities here against your brothers and sisters.  
    "We also request that Christians would ask the Lord for the necessary grace to maintain His patient love and to not to let the enemy of our souls cause any of us to simply write off the Jews, who are 'enemies of the gospel for your sake but beloved by God for the sake of the fathers' to whom He gave such great and precious promises."

Lift up your voice mightily, O Zion!

 


Sixty-four protesters 'crash' the Messianic believers' fellowship dinner earlier this year--
one of many intrusions in a seemingly never-ending campaign of harassment..

 

B A C K G R O U N D

The ultra-Orthodox were petitioning the Supreme court because Israeli law does not allow demonstrations in front of the personal residences of public figures.  The ultra-Orthodox are seeking a legal sanction to assemble 700 demonstrators in front of the home of a believing widow who is a foster parent to children with Messianic Jewish or Christian backgrounds.  The ultra-Orthodox have singled out this woman to protest for precisely the reason that she is a foster parent, accusing her of attempting to 'steal the souls' of Jewish children.  It is illegal in Israel to present the gospel to children under the age of eighteen. 

Another elderly couple in the congregation have been targeted for operating a chess club and book store for the elderly residents of the small town of
Arad.  Their facility was gutted by arsonists in August of this year. The next day a chess club operated by the Hassidic opened right behind them.  Another Negev bookstore, the Bible House in Beer Sheva, was also fire-bombed in June of 2004.

Police are mainly non-responsive to the almost daily vandalism, violence, threats and demonstrations many in this small congregation of believers in Yeshua have been enduring for the past two years.  The mayor, like many politicians in
Israel, is reluctant to enforce laws that would cause him to lose the vote of the religious residents--even if it means a severe compromise of the Israeli Declaration of Independence and laws governing the land

Christian prayers and attention to this failure to protect believing Israeli citizens
can make a difference for the situation of our brothers and sisters in Israel
Please make your voice heard!


Protesters in April 2004 assembled in front of the home of Polly, a widow/foster parent

Yakim Figueras, pastor of the Arad congregation asks Christians
worldwide to please pray for
:  
   The judges decision - they can still change their mind.
      The believers in Arad to discern and to do what is right in the Lord’s eyes.
      Help to come from the Lord, that He may receive glory, for the benefit of the gospel.
         Protection for our children.

Here is Yakim's first hand report of the Supreme Court hearing on
Monday 9-12-05:

It is our joy and encouragement to know you are standing behind us with prayers. The Lord is sovereign  As you have been praying, I would like to share what actually happened there. There was no decision made. The judges tried to bring the sides to a compromise. As there was no agreement to reach such compromise, the judges declared they would have to rule over the matter. That is still due to take place.

I assume you know the happenings in Arad during the last year and a half. If you remember, at the beginning of the problems in Arad, there was a big demonstration with about 250 participants just outside the house of Mrs. Polly Sigulim. Terrible things were said there by the demonstrators, which I wrote about in the past. This court hearing was concerning a request by the Ultra-Orthodox to hold a demonstration of 700 (!!) right there in front of Polly’s house. The police would not allow it to take place near the house and therefore the ultra orthodox appealed to the Supreme Court.
  
The judges in this case are – the president of the Supreme Court, Mr. Aaron Barak, Mr. Jubran (an Arab from Christian background) and Mrs. Dalya Dorner (if we remember correctly).

The police were represented by a lawyer from the Ministry of Justice Ms. Michal Tzuk, who understands the severity of the situation in Arad.

The court started with the appellant's lawyer, bringing his case, stating by the way, that the last big demonstration was “peaceful and quiet”, and mentioning all the best reasons why they should have it there.

The police’s lawyer – Michal, tried to show a different picture and convince the judges to decide about a location for the demonstration which is 800 meters away from the house – where it would not be close to private homes. She tried to show the judges the larger picture of the situation in Arad, with small demonstrations taking place a few time a week. She described the situation as real persecution that is taking place here. One of Polly’s neighbors that were there – Mr. Zohar Gallant, whose mother is a holocaust survivor, described very emotionally his feeling when seeing the daily demonstrations that used to take place near Polly’s house. He made a direct parallel between the situation that led to the holocaust in Europe, and the situation in Arad. He called it a contra-anti-Semitism.

Also Polly spoke, and then I was given as well an opportunity to say something (even though I wasn’t one of the official repliers). Polly spoke very well (in Hebrew!), “apologized” for having a different belief and confessed her faith in the New Testament, as a Jewess. She shared with them who she was and told about her children and foster children. Two of her own boys were sitting in the front row in military uniform. Amongst other things she told the judges the fact that all the children under her foster care, actually come from messianic or Christian backgrounds, and, yes that in the past they did hold small worship meetings at her house.

I tried to show a complete different picture of the last big demonstration near Polly's house. I also tried to describe all the events that are still taking place of continued intimidation and harassment in
Arad.

To our surprise, the judges (actually Barak was leading the whole session and did almost all of the talking on their side) would not connect the overall situation (of persecution) in
Arad to this particular request for a demonstration. Barak urged the two sides to reach an agreement on a demonstration right there – in front of Polly’s house limited. Michal tried not to go this way but it didn’t help. Both Polly and I as well as the other believers who were there, thought there is no way we should compromise on this. And in any case, our opinion didn’t really matter. The agreement had to be between the appealers and the police.

Michal, who was actually pushed to the corner by the judges suggested to allow a limited demonstration of 100 participants once a year, with no loudspeakers. Then judge Barak came with the suggestion of having it once a year only with a “limited” number of 250 (just like the last big demonstration). The appealers said they could never agree to such an offer and that they return to their first demand – a demonstration of 700 participants.

It was then that the judge dismissed the court, saying the court will have to decide on a verdict.
 
Personally I am disappointed by Barak’s stand. I didn’t imagine he would allow such an event to happen near a private house. On the other hand, it is just another example that shows us the need to trust the Lord.
  
Only He is really sovereign. He is trustworthy. He may lead us in the future to use the legal system in other ways. The end of the matter is: only He is trustworthy, only He is our rock and He is sovereign.
  
The judges still have time to consider the case. Who knows, perhaps they will read the material and rethink the whole issue.

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Useful Contact Information  Put feet on your faith!

Israeli government:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs  feedback@mofa.gov.il
The Israeli government addresses:   http://www.gov.il/FirstGov/BottomNavEng/Contact
General Government website:  http://gov.il
Israeli Police Force: http://www.police.gov.il/english/default.asp
Current Knesset Members
email links http://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/mkindex_current_eng.asp

Israeli newspapers:
Jerusalem Post  editors@jpost.com
HaAretz letters@haaretz.co.il
Yediot Aharonot news@ynetnews.com