The heads of Christian churches in Jerusalem have come out against the Israel’ government’s denial of a residency permit in the city to the Anglican (Episcopalian) bishop Suheil Dawani. At the same time, they have renewed their protest against government attempts to impose new taxes on churches, something which was excluded by the UN, and in centuries of their presence had never occurred before not even at the founding of the State of Israel.
In a statement released in recent days, the church leaders (which includes patriarchs, bishops, the head of the Custody of the Holy Land) defend Bishop Dawani’s ” right to religious freedom,” to “reside with his family in the holy city.”
Bishop Dawani was born in Nablus in the West Bank and is considered a “foreigner” in East Jerusalem, a territory occupied by Israel and where the Cathedral and Anglican curia are located. He may reside there only with special permission which has been denied him by the Israeli Ministry of the Interior.
I am sorry to hear this. We need to pray for our Anglican brethren in Israel.
This seems too convenient by half to me. We have yet to see the specifics of the accusations against Bishop Dawani. Now we are presented with a potential motive to explain Israeli actions. I for one don’t believe the Israelis would fabricate charges to pressure an Anglican Bishop over taxation. He simply isn’t that significant. But I do think the Israelis would pursue action against that bishop if he used his office to subvert Israeli law. We shall have to wait until the Israelis show their hand.
carl
Let’s be honest here. The present bishop is in a lawsuit with the previous bishop over property alleged to have been converted for personal benefit. The present bishop’s ethics are also in question. The Anglican Church in that part of the world is universally and vehemently anti-Zionist. There is no effect without a cause. I don’t see why they should be exempt from the effects of the positions they desire to take.
Hmmm, okay, so we shouldn’t pray for them?
Absolutely we should pray for them. Absolutely we should reserve judgement, as I understand this to be a complicated issue.
I “loved” the following statement in the article:
They point out that such impositions mark “a radical departure from the consistent practice of every previous State to have governed any part of the Holy Land, including the Ottoman empire, the British Mandate, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the State of Israel itself”. The new aggressive policy is ” direct contradiction to the mandate of the United Nations Organization” on the founding of the State of Israel (Resolution 181 of November 29, 1947), which applies not only to Jerusalem but also to the two national states that it [The UN] authorizes to be established in the Holy Land.
Well, isn’t that special!! The Ottoman Empire, The British Mandante and Jordan. NONE OF WHICH WERE GIVEN THE LAND BY GOD!!!
I agree Recchip. As a Christian, I am part of the Israel of God (Galatians 6:15-16) so the land is mine also!
Let’s also be honest here. The PB is known for supporting all sorts of rogues, rascals, and haters of Israel, so her vociferous support automatically makes one wonder.
Sorry — I’m far far more inclined to trust the honesty of the Israeli government [irony] than the PB of TEC.
Amen to that, Sarah. And I’m not sorry to say it.