Rabbonim are concerned, and voicing their protest over ongoing efforts by Jerusalem City Hall to encourage Evangelistic Christians to visit Jerusalem, setting its goal at 10 million visitors a year.
According to a HaMevaser report, at a city council meeting on Thursday, in which Christian activists and members of the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem (ICEJ) participated, the council approved the city’s tourism office’s program to expand efforts to attract a greater number of Evangelistic Christians.
The city has categorized the Christian visitors as a ‘preferred’ group and Mayor Nir Barkat plans to put his money where his mouth is, willing to invest to reach his goal of 10 million visitors to the capital annually.
Mr. Berman, a representative of the ICEJ spoke of the difficulties in attracting larger number of Christian visitors in the past, explaining in the years preceding the current administration, the atmosphere in City Hall was not exactly friendly, not seeking to bring more Evangelist Christians to the capital.
The council spoke of the need to improve and glorify Christian sites towards attracting more visitors, in line with the decision to dedicate this year to bringing larger numbers of Christian pilgrims.
Rabbonim are complaining over the shift in City Hall’s policy, a move they believe will leave Jerusalem ‘exposed’ and a larger Christian presence will diminish the holy atmosphere of the Holy City.
Yad L’Achim activists are concerned that such a move may result in stepped-up missionary activities in the capital.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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7 Responses
polytheism and idolatry. they can visit anywhere else in there very large world. gentiles have shown a pattern of abusing this situation. they dont care about judaism and most of them take an active dislike. no good can come of handing over our holy city. lets just call it jerusalem zoo then and hand out little figurines of abraham on a stick to european children at their new amusement park. they have enough places like that can we have one single tiny city on the earth?
it’s actually a positive thing that the non jews come to jerusalem, even chazal made allowences for goyim to bring korbanos, and the passuk says that l’asid, cohanim will come from the non jewish nations to the bais hamikdash.
it is a positive thing and a step in the right direction.
Do any of of the Rabbonim Shlita have names?
I prefer *real* religious Christians and Muslims, to some Jews around here.
I’d much rather have Armenian monks as neighbors than criminal ‘shababnikim’.
Of course, the J4Yoshke-like type must be thrown out and rejected, but peaceful Christians who come to E”Y / Jerusalem to visit – I have no problem with that at all.
daniel, you make a good point, very valid.
the christian monks aren’t throwing rocks at people who they disagree with…even peaceful muslimin don’t do that. something tells me that the “rabbunim shlita” don’t make condemnations of charedim throwing rocks and attacking people.
and about the jews for joisel, i do think that they’re insidious when they try to convince jews that what they have to say is judaism…there should be a law that if they want to do outreach, it should be to toher people like them, but not to unsuspecting jews. other than that, i dont have a problem with contemporary christianity.
The medina shel k’firah is evolving into the medina shel shmad.
Ger: are you stil happy that you supported Nir
(which means empty in lashon haKodesh) over
a Chareidi candidate?
What happend to my earlier comment? I’ll say it again.
If the Rabbonim Shlita would recognize the STate of Israel and support the State of Israel like the Christians do then perhaps they should have a say. Since they don’t contribute to the State I think they should keep their opinions to themselves and continue to live their isolated lives.