News & Blog

ABC5DFBA 450B 4381 83A3 1DDBAD8008AB

Jerusalem’s East Gate (also the Golden Gate, Beautiful Gate, and in Hebrew, Gate of Mercy)

 Part of the current gate was built in the sixth or seventh century, probably upon the foundation of the original gate. The gate was sealed by the Ottoman ruler Suleiman (he rebuilt the city’s current walls) in the early 1500s.

The East Gate features prominently in tradition and Scripture. In Jewish literature, when Messiah finally comes to Jerusalem it will be through the East Gate. Thus, one view why the gate was sealed by Suleiman was to prevent the coming of Messiah. It has also been suggested this is why he established a graveyard in front of the gate (as seen in the image), as it was believed a holy man could not enter a cemetery.

Article by Colin Barnes, tutors with KEDS/JCS.

What is the role and purpose of the Palestinian Christian in God’s good plans concerning Israel? Where do the Palestinian churches and Christians fit in Christian Zionism?

Many Palestinian Christians strongly believe that Christian Zionism ignores them, or even wishes that they did not exist.

Isaac Munther; “Christian Zionism has ignored us Palestinian Christians at best.”

A significant portion of Palestinian Christianity feels that ‘if modern Israel is the fulfilment of prophecy, then we are disinherited, have no right to be here. Our very existence and validity depend on Israel not being of God! Otherwise, we would be squatters, strangers on a land given to others. We need Israel to be illegitimate, because otherwise we are. We cannot co-exist.’

Continue reading Dreaming of Mount Gerizim 

A63B6312 0D63 470D B70D AD0B3D0E7C79
As the Labour party tries to put to bed the summer long controversy it has  unwittingly found itself embroiled in, chiefly due to the actions of its leader Jeremy Corbyn. Londoners woke up to another vile display of anti-Semitic sentiment thinly veiled under the guise of anti-Zionism (I have written previously about this here). 
 
Placed at six public bus stations around the city were posters with the statement; “Israel is a racist endeavour”. They were put up without the authorisation of the  Transport for London (TfL) authority by thepro-BDS advocacy group London Palestine Action. The group identifies as “a network of people in London taking creative action against Israeli apartheid through BDS and other effective, participatory Palestine solidarity work.” 
 

The stunt was seemingly in response to the reluctant acceptance by the Labour party of the working definition of anti-Semitism put out by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) which states:

Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.