Israel
Supreme Court Encourages
Messianic Jews
German Evangelic News Agency idea, April 22, 2008
translated by Birgit Barandica E.

J e r u s a l e m / N a s h v i l l e (idea) – Messianic Jews in Israel feel much encouraged by a decision made by the Israeli Supreme Court. On April 16 this year, the judges ruled that Jews who believe in Jesus as the promised Messiah are to be given the same citizen's rights as to all other Jews.

They would be recognized on imigration to the country of Israel. With this, after two years and a half in a process for citizen's rights, the Israeli Supreme Court conceded the plaint of thwelve Messianic Jews. Further to information provided by American Baptist Press (Nashville, Tennessee), the plaintifs had received official letters telling them that they would not get Israeli citizenship because of their missionary activities. This would be contradictory to the concerns of the nation of Israel and its people. Calev Myers, leader of the Institute of Justice in Jerusalem, embraced this court ruling. As to him, this is a further step on the way of recognizing Messianic Jews as a legitimate branch of Judaism. The decision of the Supreme Court would also put paid to further discrimination of Messianic Jews by the Department of the Interior. Some Orthodox Jews would take advantage of their position in the Department and refuse the issue of visas to Messsianic Jews. Experts in Israel emanate that the terror attack on a Messianic family last March in Ariel close to the city of Nabuls, had influenced the judge's decision. A 15 year old youth had been seriously injured when opening a Purim present bag, which contained an explosive device. In the Holy Land there are supposed to be barely 100 Messianic churches with round about 12.000 members.