Christian-Jewish relations under fire
Determined Israeli politician gains support of top religious authorities in effort to end cooperation between Evangelical Christan world and Israel.
by Ryan Jones
 An Israeli politician who has for years sought to put an end to Christian-Jewish relations may now be making progress after gaining the ear of Israel's top religious authorities.
Jerusalem City Councilwoman Mina Fenton's past efforts have come to naught largely because Israel's religious authorities under the leadership of former chief rabbi Meir Lau were generally tolerant, and often supportive, of Christian-Jewish reconciliation and cooperation.
But Lau's replacement, Rabbi Yonah Metzger, has been described as far more political and suspicious in his outlook.
Earlier this month, Fenton and her allies in various anti-missionary Jewish groups managed to convince a top rabbinical court to ban Jewish participation in an inter-faith women's conference put on by the parliamentary Christian Allies Caucus and two Jerusalem-based Christian ministries.
Of greater concern to pro-Israel Bible believers was the fact that caucus chairman and staunch proponent of Christian-Jewish relations, Member of Knesset Benny Elon bound himself to the ruling and did not attend the conference.
Fenton told Israel Today that the evidence of missionary activity presented at the rabbinical court hearing had convinced Elon of the so-called "dangers" inherent in Christian-Jewish cooperation at the public level, and that he promised to never again organize such an event.
Mr. Elon was unavailable for comment, but the fact that he avoided the conference as a result of the ruling and in opposition to his previously stated position on Christian-Jewish relations spoke louder than any denial could have.
Mina Fenton's long-standing quest is based on her belief that there is simply no religious basis for dialogue or cooperation between the Evangelical Christian world and Israel.
"One must understand that the idea of the mixture between Jews and Christians" is all wrong, Fenton told Israel Today. "These are two different religions, two different attitudes ... the whole idea of Christians and Jews coming together, cooperating, dialoguing, working together" is just not kosher.
Fenton labeled as "a falacy" the Christian assertion that it is anchored in the Jewish faith and that Jesus and nearly all his early followers were Jews. "It's an attempt to fool Jews, to pull Jews toward Christians and make as if there is no difference between Jewish and Christian values," she said, explaining that the values in question "are Jewish values, and Christianity took them. Christianity is a distortion of the Bible."
Christians will always be motivated by their need to convert the Jews, insisted Fenton. As for working together for the sake of the State of Israel, she claims the Christians' ultimate goal is the physical conquest of the Holy Land.
"These Christians come every year and strengthen themselves in Jerusalem," said Fenton, referencing the annual Feast of Tabernacles celebration. "They want to bring Jesus to reign over Jerusalem as soon as possible. ... Their aim is to conquer Israel and Jerusalem!"
Fenton said this month's ruling and the effect it had on the women's conference marked a "historic turning point" in her efforts, and she is determined to use the precedent it set to hinder and prevent further collaboration between Christians and Jews.
Having gained favor with Israel's top religious authorities, Fenton may be poised to do some real damage, warned David Parsons, spokesman for the International Chrisitan Embassy Jerusalem, one of the organizations involved in the women's conference.
"Mina Fenton has been a problem for years, and she won't stop, and now that she has [the ear of the rabbinical] council, she could try to block anything we do with Israelis," said Parsons.
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