May 14, 2008
Celebrate Good Times
As flags whipped in the wind and music blared from the grandstand at impossible decibels, throngs of Israelis took to the streets to stand together on the 60th anniversary and celebrate.
Despite the scandals threatening to topple the government, plummeting temperatures and gale force winds, not much can stop an Israeli celebration. If Israelis have learned anything in 60 years as a nation it is this: how to celebrate, even in the face of adversity.
Israelis celebrate with fierce intentionality. It is a full body, mind and soul experience with no shade of gray. They don’t merely wave flags but they know from their history, and at times personally, the cost of waving that flag. You could see the determination on their faces as they danced the hora and sang along with patriotic songs from the early days of the Jewish state. Everyone seemed to know every song played. And mind you, this was midnight and there were no signs of waning.
Israelis also must party as a community. They have a national need to be in a crowd. Even after the mere 24 hours or so when the Sabbath is over, traffic jams and waits at restaurants begin the week on Saturday night, not the next day. Imagine a festival of 60 years!
I now chalk it up to a genetic instinct. There is a survivor gene in the DNA of the Jewish people and it multiplies when there is a gathering of Jews, particularly in the State of Israel. Inherent is a generational gratitude for surviving, and not merely that, but for overcoming.
This gene dates back at least to the rebuilding of the walls around Jerusalem: “The joy of the people of Jerusalem could be heard far away” (Nehemiah 12:43).
Celebrating is actually a scriptural command. The Lord set apart times to party. “You shall celebrate it as a feast unto the Lord” is an oft-repeated scripture in the Old Testament.
Many visitors came to Israel to celebrate with the Jewish state. It was a political and spiritual convergence, with leaders of nations as well as Christian leaders from around the world, all coming here for various purposes as you saw throughout this magazine.
Israel’s own 60th anniversary festivities took place according to the Jewish calendar while the international celebration was a week later in accordance with the Western calendar. Perhaps this goes to show why the world isn’t yet on the same page with Israel. Their timing is off.
Israelis are used to that, and it doesn’t dampen their own celebration. They celebrate alone but with gusto nonetheless.
May 1, 2008
The Challenges of New Beginnings
HARASHA, Samaria – Ten years ago, Yehuda Eliyahu and a couple of other young and idealistic Zionists trekked up a desolate Samarian hilltop with nary a road in order to establish a community there. Now there is a paved road, which is harrowing enough, twisting up Mount Harasha where this collection of determined Jews turned the barren plateau into a neighborhood. Directly across from the Palestinian Authority’s capital of Ramallah, Harasha now stands as a statement to the ideology and beliefs of religious Zionists in Israel.
“When we got here, except for the [military] tower here and two small trailers, there was nothing,” Eliyahu told Israel Today. “We drove in a 4x4 [through the grass] to get here.”
Many of today’s full-fledged settlements—and the State of Israel itself—started exactly like this, as camps or small clusters of trailers. In the late 1800s, Jewish pioneers in Palestine built on undeveloped land, which later developed into modern-day towns and cities.
Today about 275,000 Jews live in communities in Judea and Samaria, which is the fastest-growing sector of Israeli society. (There are 5.7 million Jews in Israel.)
From the Harasha hilltop on a clear day one can see the Mediterranean Sea and lighthouses from as far north as Hadera to as far south as Ashkelon. To the east, Ramallah is in full view just across the valley. Strategic from a security standpoint and meaningful from a biblical perspective, Harasha is the highest peak in the area at about 2,300 feet (770 meters). The Israeli army uses the hilltop as a lookout post.
And yet it is places like this that are in jeopardy in “peace” negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Should Israel give up settlements in Judea and Samaria, Palestinians will control the high ground with a full view of Israel’s heavily-populated coastal plain. Although encouraged by government backing and funding 10 years ago, Harasha is now labeled “illegal” according to a special commission. The case is still in the Supreme Court.
The roadmap peace plan demands that some 100 “illegal outposts” in Judea and Samaria be dismantled, and the US has been pushing Israel to fulfill its commitments. While the government has promised to do so, it is reluctant because past evacuations have brought violent clashes between settlers and the security forces. Polls show that more than half of Israelis (some put the number at nearly 70 percent) believe the outposts should be removed.
“The fact that the world is against us isn’t important,” Eliyahu said. “If the Jews themselves don’t consider this the Land of Israel, how can we expect George Bush to say this is the Land of Israel?”
The 220 residents of Harasha are not planning to leave. They are “settler stock,” the kind of diehard, committed Jews who take the issue of land to heart. They sought land that was unsettled to keep Palestinians off it and claim it for the Jewish state. The pioneers roughed it at first, but residents now live in small caravans (trailers) while some are building permanent housing on the edge of the hilltop. The community is replete with a synagogue, day care center and more than one kindergarten.
Rachel Shaaravi, who moved here nine years ago, said the transition was difficult but important. Another resident, Gali Malka, made a sober comparison: “It’s a better place to raise children than Sderot right now,” he said, referring to the southern Israeli town bombarded daily by Palestinian rockets with scant government protection.
Harasha lies amid a network of Jewish and Palestinian villages right next to each other. You cross a military checkpoint to get in and out, but once inside it’s a free for all. Turn left and you go to the Palestinian neighborhood of Janiya, turn right and you’re off to the Jewish settlement of Dolev.
With Palestinian snipers aiming at the shared roads, living in the territories appears more risky than Sderot. But not to the Jews who live there.
“Danger is relative. I am a victim of terror, but I’ve never been hurt here [in Harasha],” said Eliyahu who was shot in the leg by a Palestinian sniper while driving. “Is it any less dangerous here than Jerusalem? Tel Aviv? In this land, we are in a war with the Arabs—every place could be dangerous.”
The religious Zionists who live here dominate Israel’s right-wing settlement movement. They believe that the Messiah cannot return to redeem humanity until the biblical state of Israel is recreated between the Mediterranean and the river Jordan, or, as some say between the Euphrates and the Nile.
There is overwhelming international opposition to the settlements, much as there has been to the State of Israel itself over the past 60 years. But Israel has flourished despite the difficulties, due in large part to tireless pioneers and settlers.
Eliyahu, 30, is the quintessential settler. He grew up in the Gush Katif settlement bloc in Gaza and was expelled when Israel pulled out of the territory in 2005. Then, he intentionally made his way to another swath of controversial land constantly under international scrutiny. Eliyahu, who has never left the country, says his purpose is simultaneously religious and ideological.
“We are part of the redemption of Israel. The days of salvation are very difficult,” he said. “Most of Israel doesn’t even understand this, but this is part of the process and we are a part of it.”
The support of Christian Zionists is “another sign of the age of redemption,” he says. “There are goyim [Gentiles] who understand that the people of Israel need to be strong in the Land of Israel.”
“When we got here, except for the [military] tower here and two small trailers, there was nothing,” Eliyahu told Israel Today. “We drove in a 4x4 [through the grass] to get here.”
Many of today’s full-fledged settlements—and the State of Israel itself—started exactly like this, as camps or small clusters of trailers. In the late 1800s, Jewish pioneers in Palestine built on undeveloped land, which later developed into modern-day towns and cities.
Today about 275,000 Jews live in communities in Judea and Samaria, which is the fastest-growing sector of Israeli society. (There are 5.7 million Jews in Israel.)
From the Harasha hilltop on a clear day one can see the Mediterranean Sea and lighthouses from as far north as Hadera to as far south as Ashkelon. To the east, Ramallah is in full view just across the valley. Strategic from a security standpoint and meaningful from a biblical perspective, Harasha is the highest peak in the area at about 2,300 feet (770 meters). The Israeli army uses the hilltop as a lookout post.
And yet it is places like this that are in jeopardy in “peace” negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Should Israel give up settlements in Judea and Samaria, Palestinians will control the high ground with a full view of Israel’s heavily-populated coastal plain. Although encouraged by government backing and funding 10 years ago, Harasha is now labeled “illegal” according to a special commission. The case is still in the Supreme Court.
The roadmap peace plan demands that some 100 “illegal outposts” in Judea and Samaria be dismantled, and the US has been pushing Israel to fulfill its commitments. While the government has promised to do so, it is reluctant because past evacuations have brought violent clashes between settlers and the security forces. Polls show that more than half of Israelis (some put the number at nearly 70 percent) believe the outposts should be removed.
“The fact that the world is against us isn’t important,” Eliyahu said. “If the Jews themselves don’t consider this the Land of Israel, how can we expect George Bush to say this is the Land of Israel?”
The 220 residents of Harasha are not planning to leave. They are “settler stock,” the kind of diehard, committed Jews who take the issue of land to heart. They sought land that was unsettled to keep Palestinians off it and claim it for the Jewish state. The pioneers roughed it at first, but residents now live in small caravans (trailers) while some are building permanent housing on the edge of the hilltop. The community is replete with a synagogue, day care center and more than one kindergarten.
Rachel Shaaravi, who moved here nine years ago, said the transition was difficult but important. Another resident, Gali Malka, made a sober comparison: “It’s a better place to raise children than Sderot right now,” he said, referring to the southern Israeli town bombarded daily by Palestinian rockets with scant government protection.
Harasha lies amid a network of Jewish and Palestinian villages right next to each other. You cross a military checkpoint to get in and out, but once inside it’s a free for all. Turn left and you go to the Palestinian neighborhood of Janiya, turn right and you’re off to the Jewish settlement of Dolev.
With Palestinian snipers aiming at the shared roads, living in the territories appears more risky than Sderot. But not to the Jews who live there.
“Danger is relative. I am a victim of terror, but I’ve never been hurt here [in Harasha],” said Eliyahu who was shot in the leg by a Palestinian sniper while driving. “Is it any less dangerous here than Jerusalem? Tel Aviv? In this land, we are in a war with the Arabs—every place could be dangerous.”
The religious Zionists who live here dominate Israel’s right-wing settlement movement. They believe that the Messiah cannot return to redeem humanity until the biblical state of Israel is recreated between the Mediterranean and the river Jordan, or, as some say between the Euphrates and the Nile.
There is overwhelming international opposition to the settlements, much as there has been to the State of Israel itself over the past 60 years. But Israel has flourished despite the difficulties, due in large part to tireless pioneers and settlers.
Eliyahu, 30, is the quintessential settler. He grew up in the Gush Katif settlement bloc in Gaza and was expelled when Israel pulled out of the territory in 2005. Then, he intentionally made his way to another swath of controversial land constantly under international scrutiny. Eliyahu, who has never left the country, says his purpose is simultaneously religious and ideological.
“We are part of the redemption of Israel. The days of salvation are very difficult,” he said. “Most of Israel doesn’t even understand this, but this is part of the process and we are a part of it.”
The support of Christian Zionists is “another sign of the age of redemption,” he says. “There are goyim [Gentiles] who understand that the people of Israel need to be strong in the Land of Israel.”
Apr 30, 2008
Mixed Reaction in Arab Village to Seminary Shooting
JABEL MUKABER – When news broke that a terrorist entered a yeshiva and went on a shooting spree, residents of this East Jerusalem Arab village never imagined that he would have come from Jabel Mukaber. Then when his parents heard that their son was identified as the shooter, they assumed his ID card was stolen and recovered at the scene.
It couldn’t be him. Alaa Abu Dheim, 25, was, as residents of the village put it, quiet, wealthy, educated, a religious Moslem and was in the process of building a home for his future bride. He was set to be married this summer.
“He wasn’t without hope,” one resident said, noting that most terror attacks are excused as being carried out by uneducated and poor residents of towns in the Palestinian territories.
Jabel Mukaber, by contrast, is a friendly, sprawling village of 10,000 on the eastern slopes of Jerusalem. It shares a road with the Jewish neighborhood of Armon Hanatsiv. Most residents have Israeli identity cards if not Israeli passports, work among Jews and have freedom of movement within Israel. The village is famous for being non-threatening compared to other predominantly Moslem neighborhoods in East Jerusalem.
This attack, which left eight yeshiva students dead, cast the village in a new light. If these residents already enjoy freedom of movement as opposed to the typical Palestinian terrorist, what’s to stop more of them from attacking Israelis more often and with relative ease?
Residents of Jabel Mukaber know this as well. Police presence has increased, partly to protect Jabel Mukaber from Jewish protesters, but also to deter more potential terrorists. Many residents, in a culture where few secrets survive, said it is still unknown whether Dheim acted alone or was sent out by a terrorist group. Jabel Mukaber residents generally support the ostensibly “moderate” Fatah movement, led by western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, if they bother with politics at all.
One man said that few in the village condone the attack, but they won’t say that in public. “In the privacy of their own rooms they are against it,” he told Israel Today. “It’s nothing to be proud of.”
A supermarket clerk said the attack does not represent the mood in Jabel Mukaber: “This is a one-time thing. No one expected this and no one else would do something like this.”
But despite these reassurances, the veneer is beginning to wear thin. Several residents, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of both Israeli and Palestinian retribution, showed a flagging tolerance for the Jewish state and confusion regarding their status and loyalties. “In the end, we are all Palestinians,” said one man.
“We are against all attacks, but because of the trouble in Gaza there is pressure and a reaction. It’s the situation: if there is war in Gaza or the settlements, it influences us. Some people keep these pressures inside and then they explode,” said a taxi driver. “It is expensive and difficult to obtain building permits; we barely make ends meet each month. And you ask why he went crazy and killed?”
Jabel Mukaber borders Jewish neighborhoods just beyond the Hill of Evil Counsel, where the UN has its offices and Judas is believed to have negotiated the betrayal of Jesus. Residents used to say it doesn’t matter what government they are under as long as they have their land, but now some are itching to give the Palestinian Authority a shot, tired, they say, of being non-citizens in Israel and discrimination in everything from employment opportunities to receiving city permits.
“The problem with East Jerusalem is that we don’t know who is taking care of us, Israel or the Palestinian Authority,” said a computer technician. “We need some hope. I want my children to grow up in safety.”
This area of Jerusalem would likely be debated in negotiations over dividing the city. Israel would prefer Jerusalem with a strong Jewish majority, but it appears that the village will remain under Israeli control because under Palestinian rule it could pose a terror threat to nearby Jewish neighborhoods. The security barrier keeps most of the village on the Israeli side, with the exception a small enclave, Sheikh Saad.
Also, a Jewish neighborhood with 395 luxury apartments is under construction near the entrance to the village; nearly 100 have already been completed. The development, Nof Zion, is targeting wealthy, religious American Jews. Arab residents grumble about the development smack in the middle of their land.
Meanwhile, the town is abuzz with speculation over whether Israel will destroy the terrorist’s house as it used to do in the Palestinian territories. That, some say, will push residents toward a radicalism they haven’t yet displayed.
It couldn’t be him. Alaa Abu Dheim, 25, was, as residents of the village put it, quiet, wealthy, educated, a religious Moslem and was in the process of building a home for his future bride. He was set to be married this summer.
“He wasn’t without hope,” one resident said, noting that most terror attacks are excused as being carried out by uneducated and poor residents of towns in the Palestinian territories.
Jabel Mukaber, by contrast, is a friendly, sprawling village of 10,000 on the eastern slopes of Jerusalem. It shares a road with the Jewish neighborhood of Armon Hanatsiv. Most residents have Israeli identity cards if not Israeli passports, work among Jews and have freedom of movement within Israel. The village is famous for being non-threatening compared to other predominantly Moslem neighborhoods in East Jerusalem.
This attack, which left eight yeshiva students dead, cast the village in a new light. If these residents already enjoy freedom of movement as opposed to the typical Palestinian terrorist, what’s to stop more of them from attacking Israelis more often and with relative ease?
Residents of Jabel Mukaber know this as well. Police presence has increased, partly to protect Jabel Mukaber from Jewish protesters, but also to deter more potential terrorists. Many residents, in a culture where few secrets survive, said it is still unknown whether Dheim acted alone or was sent out by a terrorist group. Jabel Mukaber residents generally support the ostensibly “moderate” Fatah movement, led by western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, if they bother with politics at all.
One man said that few in the village condone the attack, but they won’t say that in public. “In the privacy of their own rooms they are against it,” he told Israel Today. “It’s nothing to be proud of.”
A supermarket clerk said the attack does not represent the mood in Jabel Mukaber: “This is a one-time thing. No one expected this and no one else would do something like this.”
But despite these reassurances, the veneer is beginning to wear thin. Several residents, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of both Israeli and Palestinian retribution, showed a flagging tolerance for the Jewish state and confusion regarding their status and loyalties. “In the end, we are all Palestinians,” said one man.
“We are against all attacks, but because of the trouble in Gaza there is pressure and a reaction. It’s the situation: if there is war in Gaza or the settlements, it influences us. Some people keep these pressures inside and then they explode,” said a taxi driver. “It is expensive and difficult to obtain building permits; we barely make ends meet each month. And you ask why he went crazy and killed?”
Jabel Mukaber borders Jewish neighborhoods just beyond the Hill of Evil Counsel, where the UN has its offices and Judas is believed to have negotiated the betrayal of Jesus. Residents used to say it doesn’t matter what government they are under as long as they have their land, but now some are itching to give the Palestinian Authority a shot, tired, they say, of being non-citizens in Israel and discrimination in everything from employment opportunities to receiving city permits.
“The problem with East Jerusalem is that we don’t know who is taking care of us, Israel or the Palestinian Authority,” said a computer technician. “We need some hope. I want my children to grow up in safety.”
This area of Jerusalem would likely be debated in negotiations over dividing the city. Israel would prefer Jerusalem with a strong Jewish majority, but it appears that the village will remain under Israeli control because under Palestinian rule it could pose a terror threat to nearby Jewish neighborhoods. The security barrier keeps most of the village on the Israeli side, with the exception a small enclave, Sheikh Saad.
Also, a Jewish neighborhood with 395 luxury apartments is under construction near the entrance to the village; nearly 100 have already been completed. The development, Nof Zion, is targeting wealthy, religious American Jews. Arab residents grumble about the development smack in the middle of their land.
Meanwhile, the town is abuzz with speculation over whether Israel will destroy the terrorist’s house as it used to do in the Palestinian territories. That, some say, will push residents toward a radicalism they haven’t yet displayed.
Mayhem at Orthodox Easter Celebrations
What was supposed to be one of the holiest days on the calendar of the Eastern Orthodox churches took a chaotic turn when some 10,000 local and Palestinian Christians, along with pilgrims from Russia, Greece and Armenia, faced off with hundreds of Israeli soldiers and police on Holy Saturday. Police set up barriers in and around Jerusalem’s Old City and at all entrances to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the traditional place of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.
Holy Saturday, or the Sabbath of Light, is a major observance of the Orthodox Easter, which took place a month later than the Western Easter this year. Beginning at sunrise, pilgrims waited at police barriers for a chance to get into the church. But many never made it to the church plaza.
The large police presence was intended for crowd control and to prevent expected brawls between the 14 denominations in the church where relations are tumultuous. A week earlier, Greeks and Armenians scuffled over rights to the tomb.
All the denominations came prepared—several laymen dressed as priests so they could have access to the church and defend their denominational territory. The Assyrian Orthodox contingent came to blows with police inside the church.
In stark contrast to the respect of Evangelical supporters of Israel who pilgrim to the Holy Land throughout the year, traditional Christians see access to the church as their right and resent Israeli interference.
“My father and mother told me that 60 years ago there were no Israelis, no Jews, no police and people came from around the world and there was no problem,” Nicola Pavlov, a Greek Orthodox resident of Jerusalem, told Israel Today. “The Jews, the Israeli police, have no right to stop us from going to our church.”
Father Joseph Marquis, who led a group from his Sacred Heart Byzantine Catholic Church in Livonia, Michigan, lambasted police for drinking water while pilgrims passed out from the heat. “We were treated like criminals,” he said.
Police privately expressed their distaste with the behavior of Christians on this day. “It’s insane,” said one policewoman. “But it’s their holiday.”
Today about 14 denominations claim some degree of rights in the Holy Sepulcher and six are allowed to hold daily services including the Armenian Orthodox, Coptic, Ethiopian, Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Syrian Orthodox. The troubled relations between the denominations have created the ironic situation in which a Moslem family holds the keys to the holiest place in Christendom.
Holy Saturday, or the Sabbath of Light, is a major observance of the Orthodox Easter, which took place a month later than the Western Easter this year. Beginning at sunrise, pilgrims waited at police barriers for a chance to get into the church. But many never made it to the church plaza.
The large police presence was intended for crowd control and to prevent expected brawls between the 14 denominations in the church where relations are tumultuous. A week earlier, Greeks and Armenians scuffled over rights to the tomb.
All the denominations came prepared—several laymen dressed as priests so they could have access to the church and defend their denominational territory. The Assyrian Orthodox contingent came to blows with police inside the church.
In stark contrast to the respect of Evangelical supporters of Israel who pilgrim to the Holy Land throughout the year, traditional Christians see access to the church as their right and resent Israeli interference.
“My father and mother told me that 60 years ago there were no Israelis, no Jews, no police and people came from around the world and there was no problem,” Nicola Pavlov, a Greek Orthodox resident of Jerusalem, told Israel Today. “The Jews, the Israeli police, have no right to stop us from going to our church.”
Father Joseph Marquis, who led a group from his Sacred Heart Byzantine Catholic Church in Livonia, Michigan, lambasted police for drinking water while pilgrims passed out from the heat. “We were treated like criminals,” he said.
Police privately expressed their distaste with the behavior of Christians on this day. “It’s insane,” said one policewoman. “But it’s their holiday.”
Today about 14 denominations claim some degree of rights in the Holy Sepulcher and six are allowed to hold daily services including the Armenian Orthodox, Coptic, Ethiopian, Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Syrian Orthodox. The troubled relations between the denominations have created the ironic situation in which a Moslem family holds the keys to the holiest place in Christendom.
Apr 1, 2008
Shekel Soars as Dollar Plunges
Israel’s economy is booming, the value of the shekel is soaring and investors are flocking to Israel for its comparatively higher interest rates. But that is not entirely good news for a small country where many companies rely on exports and the international marketplace, which account for 45 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).
The Manufacturers Association of Israel (MAI) warns that a surging shekel could cost companies billions of dollars in profits, cause thousands of job losses and slow overall growth. MAI spokesman Danny Laish told Israel Today that the government needs to intervene and make some changes or the export industry will be headed for disaster.
The shekel is one of the best performing currencies in the world so far in 2008 with a gain of 7 percent against the dollar over the first two months. The Israeli currency has managed to reach a 10-year high against the dollar, dipping below 3.5 shekels to the dollar. It is more than 16 percent higher than in July when $1 bought 4.3 shekels. And the shekel is not just showing prowess against the weakened dollar but is also strong against the euro and the British pound.
Booming Economy
Last year, Israel’s economy grew by 5.3 percent, and it is forecast to grow by more than 4 percent this year. In the second half of 2007 alone, the Israeli economy grew by 6 percent, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics.
This vigorous growth can partly be attributed to former premier Benjamin Netanyahu who, as finance minister in 2003, cut taxes, lowered welfare spending and implemented privatizations and capital market reforms.
“Israel is considered a very good economic success story, and is attracting capital from abroad,” said Leonardo Leiderman, chief economist at Bank Hapoalim and an economics professor at Tel Aviv University.
The Bank of Israel has maintained higher interest rates in order to counteract inflation. Citing the slowing global economy and its probable effect on Israel, Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer, an American immigrant, cut interest rates in March. But he also said that in light of the new challenge of a thriving shekel, exporters will have “to find ways to adapt to this new situation by cutting costs and focusing on innovation.”
Globally Traded
The shekel has made its presence known in the international market as well, becoming one of 17 currencies traded in the global currency market, joining the 15 currencies currently traded, along with the Mexican peso.
This means that Israel’s shekel will be available at all major commercial banks in about 80 developed and developing nations around the world and can be traded in global markets in exchange for any of the other convertible currencies of the developed nations.
The shekel joins the Australian dollar, Canadian dollar, Danish krone, Euro, British pound, Hong Kong dollar, Japanese yen, Korean won, New Zealand dollar, Norwegian krone, Singapore dollar, South African rand, Swedish krona, Swiss franc and the US dollar as globally traded currencies.
The head of the New York-based CLS Bank made the decision to trade the shekel after visiting Israel in 2006 to gauge the strength of its economy and currency. The decision improves Israel’s status among institutional and private investors and international credit rating agencies.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) also gave the shekel the nod, rating Israel’s economy as “developed,” rather than “emerging.” The FTSE Group, a major securities-index operator, surprised world markets last year, upgrading Israel, rather than South Korea, from an “advanced-emerging” economy to developed.
The Manufacturers Association of Israel (MAI) warns that a surging shekel could cost companies billions of dollars in profits, cause thousands of job losses and slow overall growth. MAI spokesman Danny Laish told Israel Today that the government needs to intervene and make some changes or the export industry will be headed for disaster.
The shekel is one of the best performing currencies in the world so far in 2008 with a gain of 7 percent against the dollar over the first two months. The Israeli currency has managed to reach a 10-year high against the dollar, dipping below 3.5 shekels to the dollar. It is more than 16 percent higher than in July when $1 bought 4.3 shekels. And the shekel is not just showing prowess against the weakened dollar but is also strong against the euro and the British pound.
Booming Economy
Last year, Israel’s economy grew by 5.3 percent, and it is forecast to grow by more than 4 percent this year. In the second half of 2007 alone, the Israeli economy grew by 6 percent, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics.
This vigorous growth can partly be attributed to former premier Benjamin Netanyahu who, as finance minister in 2003, cut taxes, lowered welfare spending and implemented privatizations and capital market reforms.
“Israel is considered a very good economic success story, and is attracting capital from abroad,” said Leonardo Leiderman, chief economist at Bank Hapoalim and an economics professor at Tel Aviv University.
The Bank of Israel has maintained higher interest rates in order to counteract inflation. Citing the slowing global economy and its probable effect on Israel, Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer, an American immigrant, cut interest rates in March. But he also said that in light of the new challenge of a thriving shekel, exporters will have “to find ways to adapt to this new situation by cutting costs and focusing on innovation.”
Globally Traded
The shekel has made its presence known in the international market as well, becoming one of 17 currencies traded in the global currency market, joining the 15 currencies currently traded, along with the Mexican peso.
This means that Israel’s shekel will be available at all major commercial banks in about 80 developed and developing nations around the world and can be traded in global markets in exchange for any of the other convertible currencies of the developed nations.
The shekel joins the Australian dollar, Canadian dollar, Danish krone, Euro, British pound, Hong Kong dollar, Japanese yen, Korean won, New Zealand dollar, Norwegian krone, Singapore dollar, South African rand, Swedish krona, Swiss franc and the US dollar as globally traded currencies.
The head of the New York-based CLS Bank made the decision to trade the shekel after visiting Israel in 2006 to gauge the strength of its economy and currency. The decision improves Israel’s status among institutional and private investors and international credit rating agencies.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) also gave the shekel the nod, rating Israel’s economy as “developed,” rather than “emerging.” The FTSE Group, a major securities-index operator, surprised world markets last year, upgrading Israel, rather than South Korea, from an “advanced-emerging” economy to developed.
Mar 30, 2008
Messianic Boy Wounded in Targeted Bomb Blast
Doctors are calling the continual improvement of Amiel Ortiz’ condition miraculous after the 15-year-old Messianic Jew was nearly killed in a bomb blast at his home in the settlement of Ariel.
“They’re using the word ‘miracle’ a lot,” David Ortiz, Amiel’s father, told Israel Today.
Amiel was critically wounded when he opened a basket delivered to his home during Purim. Since neighbors traditionally exchange baskets of treats on the holiday, he thought nothing of it. But when he pulled candy out of the box, a pipe bomb hidden inside exploded in his face. Officials told David Ortiz that it was most likely the work of ultra-Orthodox Jews.
“[The police] knew right away it wasn’t a Palestinian bomb,” David said. “Palestinians use [primitive] bombs, this was professional.”
Police are tight-lipped about the investigation. The blast was so powerful that it blew out all the windows in the apartment, sent shrapnel flying into the walls and through the refrigerator. The table where Amiel stood was obliterated. Authorities were shocked that Amiel’s hands weren’t blown off.
David Ortiz is a pastor of a Messianic congregation in Ariel, a Jewish town of 17,000 in Samaria (the so-called “West Bank”). Ortiz is openly evangelistic among both Jews and Palestinians. In fact, the Grand Mufti (Moslem spiritual leader) of Jerusalem issued a fatwa (death sentence) on Ortiz for his work among Moslems.
An American who immigrated to Israel with his wife Leah 23 years ago, Ortiz and all of his five older children have served in the Israeli army. Ami is the couple’s youngest son.
He has had two toes amputated and a few skin grafts. But several early assessments including loss of a lung and an eye have been rescinded as doctors note his miraculous improvement.
“The doctor said he feels Amiel will make a full recovery,” Ortiz said. “The doctor told me, ‘I feel you son is going to walk out of this place.’”
Ortiz asked believers to pray for Amiel’s emotional healing as well: “Pray that God will give him the power to forgive.”
“They’re using the word ‘miracle’ a lot,” David Ortiz, Amiel’s father, told Israel Today.
Amiel was critically wounded when he opened a basket delivered to his home during Purim. Since neighbors traditionally exchange baskets of treats on the holiday, he thought nothing of it. But when he pulled candy out of the box, a pipe bomb hidden inside exploded in his face. Officials told David Ortiz that it was most likely the work of ultra-Orthodox Jews.
“[The police] knew right away it wasn’t a Palestinian bomb,” David said. “Palestinians use [primitive] bombs, this was professional.”
Police are tight-lipped about the investigation. The blast was so powerful that it blew out all the windows in the apartment, sent shrapnel flying into the walls and through the refrigerator. The table where Amiel stood was obliterated. Authorities were shocked that Amiel’s hands weren’t blown off.
David Ortiz is a pastor of a Messianic congregation in Ariel, a Jewish town of 17,000 in Samaria (the so-called “West Bank”). Ortiz is openly evangelistic among both Jews and Palestinians. In fact, the Grand Mufti (Moslem spiritual leader) of Jerusalem issued a fatwa (death sentence) on Ortiz for his work among Moslems.
An American who immigrated to Israel with his wife Leah 23 years ago, Ortiz and all of his five older children have served in the Israeli army. Ami is the couple’s youngest son.
He has had two toes amputated and a few skin grafts. But several early assessments including loss of a lung and an eye have been rescinded as doctors note his miraculous improvement.
“The doctor said he feels Amiel will make a full recovery,” Ortiz said. “The doctor told me, ‘I feel you son is going to walk out of this place.’”
Ortiz asked believers to pray for Amiel’s emotional healing as well: “Pray that God will give him the power to forgive.”
Mar 13, 2008
The ‘Messiah’ is Coming Again, this time in Hebrew
One of the world’s most popular oratorios, Handel’s Messiah, is going to be performed in Jerusalem in the Bible’s original language—Hebrew—for the first time. It is the brainchild of Messianic Jewish believers who were born in Israel and who, like many Israelis, grew up with a deep connection to the Hebrew Bible.
“Three years ago I saw the Messiah performed by the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra,” recalled Efrat Gerlich, a sixth generation sabra (native-born Israeli). “I thought, ‘Wow, this is something we must do in Hebrew.’”
Ammikam Tavor, a translator and teacher, had been thinking the same since 1964. “When I heard this musical for the first time I was just infatuated with it,” he told Israel Today. “Some of the music demanded to be translated.”
But it wasn’t until two years ago that Irene Levy, a tireless 87-year-old Christian resident of Jerusalem, asked Tavor to officially translate the music so it could be performed in Hebrew, a lifelong vision of hers. “Most of the translation was already in my mind, but to sit down and do it systematically, I didn’t do until this year,” Tavor said.
It took him a month to hammer out his first official version—about the same amount of time it took George Frideric Handel to compose the classic. Tavor took the words from the Hebrew Bible. “I tried not to make any changes from the Hebrew Bible unless it was absolutely impossible not to [musically],” he said, although he allowed himself more leeway with the New Testament, which was translated from Greek.
Translation in hand, the visionaries needed a conductor and a choir. Arie Bar David, a classically trained musician, conductor and pioneer of Israeli Messianic music, was asked by Levy numerous times over the years to take on such a feat, but he had repeatedly refused. “As a musician it frightened me. I know how important language is to the composer,” he said. “I thought, ‘Impossible! I will have to ruin the Hebrew, or the music or the Bible!’”
But a veiled “threat” from Levy finally got Bar David moving: “She told me, ‘In three years I will be 90 years old. Before I pass to the Lord, I want to hear it in Hebrew!’”
The first translation had to be adapted to fit the music. Tavor and Bar David smoothed the Hebrew words into the English-written music, while the team suggested solutions for problem parts. The most difficult piece, they said, was the Hallelujah chorus despite the fact that “hallelujah” is a Hebrew word.
One of Bar David’s first tasks—while he was still working fulltime as a tour guide—was to transliterate the Hebrew into Latin letters so it would read from left to right with the music.
“What was amazing, as I started working with the text, is that it was so easy to adapt,” he said. “And when we sing it as a choir, all the singers say they feel as if it was originally written in Hebrew.”
Bar David, Gerlich, Levy and Tavor amassed a 45-voice choir and secured two performances in the capital.
Despite its references to Yeshua, the Messiah is extremely popular in Israel as a classical work. Gerlich hopes that its message will be even sharper in Hebrew.
“It can touch the hearts of many people in Israel especially because it is already in our Bible,” Gerlich said. ”Now when they hear the New Covenant in Hebrew, they will say, ‘Maybe we have to check this out, maybe we have to read about it.’ They will have to search.”
The performances will be during Passover, a fitting tribute, Bar David said, to Yeshua’s resurrection. “Messiah is about the life of Yeshua,” he said, “from the beginning, to His death, to His resurrection, to His reign.”
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