Jerusalem
Shalom,
Israeli Arab Christian Party Condemns EU Boycott
The State of Israel has found new allies among its Christian Arab population.
A newly formed Israeli-Arab Christian party called B’nei Brit (Allies or The New Alliance) calls for the enlistment of Christians in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and recognizes Israel as the home of the Jewish people.
“They [Israeli-Arab party leaders] think being against Israel is Arab nationalism, that it is the manly thing. But if you oppose this way of thinking, you are a traitor. This is what needs to be changed. It’s stupidity. So I demand that we, the Christians, be recognized as loyal citizens of the state,” the party’s founder, Bishara Shlayan, said. (Algemeiner)
Shlayan also condemned the recent move by the European Union (EU) to boycott settlements on the other side of the 1967 cease fire line, saying it will ultimately hurt the Arab community.
“The boycott is a big mistake,” he said. “It [the Israeli territory beyond the pre-1967 lines or Green Line] is the livelihood for many, mainly the Arabs in the West Bank.” (JNS)
A recent survey suggests that 20,000 Palestinians are working in Judea
and Samaria earning more than twice what they would receive from
Palestinian employers. Although, many Palestinians working in Israel
and the settlements work in construction, a good number also work in
factories and related industries. (Jpost)
The European Commission of the EU has set down guidelines stipulating that member states should not give grants, awards, or loans to Israeli people or companies living or operating beyond the pre-1967 lines, which is Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) and East Jerusalem.
To effectively promote the boycott, the European Union also wants all goods emanating from Judea and Samaria to be labeled as such.
Besides condemning the EU boycott, Shlayan is promoting the idea that Israel should build even more universities and businesses in Judea and Samaria,noting that such activity ultimately results in improved employment opportunities for the Arabs living there.
Jews and Arabs in Israel have proved that it is possible to live peacefully
together. In the above photo, Jewish and Arab students of Tel Aviv
University strike together in sympathy with the junior staff.
Sadly, the EU is not alone in its attempt to delegitimize the presence of Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria.
Reacting to Israel’s announcement of 1,200 new housing units over the 1967 Green Line, US Secretary of State John Kerry said last week that the US “views all of the settlements as illegitimate.”
That comment, however, does not reflect the true political situation in Israel. These territories, which were once illegally occupied by Jordan, are disputed and subject to the results of final status negotiations. (JNS)
Biblically speaking, however, these lands represent the Jewish heartland.
Indeed, even Yeshua (Jesus) indirectly acknowledged this when He outlined the role His Jewish disciples would play in bringing the Good News of Salvation to the world:
“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Act 1:8)
Prayer at the Western (Wailing) Wall in Jerusalem
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the Temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths. The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” (Micah 4:2)
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