Navigating the Israeli Health Care System

I’m pretty familiar with the US health care system. When I worked in Congress, I oversaw the Federal Employees Health Benefit System. I also worked some on the Medicare program. Until recently, however, I rarely used the system in the US or Israel because I was rarely sick. That changed two years ago when I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis.

After the diagnosis, things have been manageable until about a month ago when I experienced a serious flare-up. Until then I was assisted by our family physician on the kibbutz, and a gastroenterologist at a hospital about forty minutes away. In the meantime I had been communicating with my cousin at the University of Chicago who is an expert in colitis and related diseases. He referred me to a doctor in Haifa. That’s where the saga began.

Israel has national health insurance. It’s administered through several private insurance companies, which, like the US, have specific relationships with certain hospitals and doctors. We originally chose a particular company because the health clinic on the kibbutz, as well as the nearby hospital, is connected to it

The problem with my cousin’s referral is that neither he nor the hospital he’s connected to is part of our health insurance network. He agreed to see me privately for a $250 consultation fee (ouch). He was great and extremely thorough – he knows my cousin well. He ordered a number of tests, including a sigmoidoscopy (a type of colonoscopy). I took his orders to our family doctor who got visibly upset. Normally, she’s a very nice person. She asked why I went to him since he’s not part of our insurance network. I explained that my cousin, who is world renowned in this field, recommended him. She didn’t seem impressed. She said our insurance company has many good gastroenterologists. I said I’m sure that’s the case, but I like this doctor and want to continue with him. She then mumbled to herself about all the tests he ordered. She said our insurance company likely will not approve going to him (as if he has the plague). My new gastroenterologist arranged for the colonoscopy at his hospital, but the insurance company rejected the location for the procedure. He then called my family doctor, who, according to her, screamed at her for an hour (normal Israeli behavior), but she wouldn’t concede. Apparently, she’s a heavy weight with our insurance company. My gastro doc pointedly said she wears two hats. She said she’d order a colonoscopy at one of their hospitals quickly. 

This past Saturday (yes, Shabbat) Stacy and I traveled to the Italian hospital in Nazareth for the sigmoidoscopy. This exemplifies how the Israeli and US systems differ. In Richmond, Virginia, a metro area of approximately one million people, there are over 10 hospitals, associated with two or three networks. Consequently, for almost all medical procedures, one goes to one local hospital. In Israel, it’s different, especially if you don’t live in a big city. Here, you’re directed to multiple hospitals in completely different cities for different procedures, some of which are very routine. By the time I’m finished with this process, I’ll have gone to at least five hospitals/clinics, located in different parts of the country.

Anyway, the sigmoidoscopy went fine, and I received the report right away – severe ulcerative colitis – I knew that much – but it had spread farther up my colon. I scanned the report, sent it to my gastro doc, who responded right away and said we need to meet immediately. But again we had the insurance issues. He told me that for these consultations, paying privately only costs around $25. I have no idea how that works. I went to the hospital in Haifa, where his offices are, found the gastro department and was told I needed to wait an hour to see the doc. Not thrilled, but what can you do. I had multiple legal appointments later in the day at my office, an hour and a half away. I sat around, twiddling my thumbs, and after an hour asked the clerk about the appointment. She then said, go down the hall and wait outside his office. When I got there, someone was already seeing him, and others were waiting to see him. I was confused as to why I was told to wait in the first place. I explained, in my rudimentary Hebrew, to the others sitting there, that my appointment was scheduled an hour earlier. After waiting another 20 minutes, I went in to see my doc. He asked where was my registration slip (at least he speaks in English). I said the clerk didn’t give me one. He said he couldn’t do anything without it, so I needed to go back and register. Why this didn’t happen in the beginning (as no one told me it was necessary) is part of the phenomenon of Israeli service or lack thereof. 

I returned to the clerk and asked for the registration. She spoke no English and didn’t seem happy with my Hebrew. Who knows, maybe I accidentally said she was ugly. Anyway, she handed me the registration and said I must pay the $25. No problem, but when I handed her the money, she said no; rather, I must go somewhere else in the massive hospital and pay it. Whatever. I went back to the doctor and now waited another half hour because he had grabbed the next guy in the interim. When I finally saw him he basically said my previous treatments were not working, and he wanted to start me on immuno-suppressant therapy. Since colitis is an auto-immune disease, it means my immune system is attacking my colon for no reason. (Sounds like colitis originated in Iran). So, I get to start these immune-suppressant treatments this week, meaning that now I will be more susceptible to infections because my immune system will be compromised. To top it off, I have the privilege of taking these meds for the rest of my life.

He ordered another barrage of tests, of course, to be administered in various hospitals around the country, including one on Mars. Also, I had to bring in poop samples (it keeps getting better and better), and who knows where they go – maybe Iran. He also requested I see him in another month, meaning I had to visit again with Nurse Ratchet to get an appointment. When I got to her station, her window was closed, but she was sitting next to another “friendly” woman, who refused to help me, and indicated Nurse Ratchet had to give me the appointment. Of course, this is all in Hebrew, which makes me worried, because I don’t want to accidentally schedule a kidney transplant.  Nurse Ratchet apparently overheard the conversation, and suddenly handed over a new order – presumably the next appointment and not the kidney transplant. I again asked about where to make the payment. She blurted out the answer in some foreign language, which I figured meant down one floor. I went down one floor, which was the lobby, and left. Never did find the place to pay. I’m not sure what will happen when I return next month, but if the guards at the entrance look Iranian, I’m outta there. 
 

Iran Unleashed

As most know the government of Israel is inexorably opposed to the US/Iran nuclear deal. Those in Israel outside of government have a more nuanced view. Some security experts are cautiously optimistic; others less so. Instead of submitting the deal to Congress to ratify as a treaty, in which case the Senate must approve by 2/3 vote (impossible today), President Obama tried to circumvent Congressional action altogether by claiming the agreement was within the sole purview of the Executive Branch. After months of negotiation, a settlement was reached to allow Congress the right to block the essence of the agreement through a veto proof majority (2/3 vote). That’s where things stand now. The Congress has recessed for its traditional August break. The vote on the agreement will take place in September, likely leading to its defeat. The President then will veto the blocked agreement, and Congress will attempt to override the veto (2/3 vote of both bodies). It will be a close vote; at this point the veto likely will not be overridden.

In my view the agreement is not a terrible one but not a good one either. The two most troublesome parts are (1) the complex delayed inspection procedures allowing Iran to temporarily block almost any inspection, and (2) the lack of any connection between sanctions relief and support of terrorism. Iran has and will continue to lie about its nuclear program. From the beginning, the Administration promised that Iran was to be subject to anywhere/anytime inspections by international experts. That suddenly changed in the final draft. Assurances by the Administration that this is a slight deviation are incredulous. It’s a given Iran will do everything conceivable to obfuscate and complicate the inspection process.

In response to concerns raised by others regarding Iran’s nefarious activities around the world, the Administration claims the agreement was focused solely on Iran’s nuclear weapons program. But according to whom? The Administration could have insisted on anything it wanted. While the Western powers concentrated on dismantling Iran’s nuclear weapons’ systems, the Middle East has been wracked with Iranian interference in every major conflict – Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen, and even attacks in other countries such as Bulgaria, France and Cyprus. In fact, without Iranian interference, ISIS probably would not even exist and Assad in Syria would be long gone. The question is why remove the effective sanctions regime when it’s a given Iran will use the tremendous infusion of funds to continue to destabilize the Middle East and the rest of the world.

The Administration argues this is the best agreement possible. But again, according to whom? The US with five other international powers were negotiating with a third rate power in the Middle East. This is nothing like the arms control deals between the US and the Soviet Union in the 1980’s. Both those countries were super powers, and negotiations were between equals. In this case, the US and allies could have insisted upon anything they wanted. If Iran wouldn’t agree, then Iran would be subject to a military response. As terrible and destructive as another war would be, if Iran genuinely believed it would be attacked by the US, it would have yielded more.

Adding insult to injury is President Obama’s public assignment of blame to Israel if the agreement is scuttled. Israel has nothing to do with the agreement.  If the President cannot get 1/3 of the Congress to support his highly invested international agreement, then it deserves defeat. Most foreign policy experts acknowledge that former President Bush’s push for the Iraq War was a major foreign policy blunder, possibly the worst in the modern era, and led to many of the difficulties in the region today. However, President Obama’s foreign policy has exacerbated the situation, made it far more volatile and now is unleashing a regime that continues to erode the world order. This agreement is a huge gamble: Iran gets everything it wants – international acceptance and sanctions relief and yields little – a nuclear weapons program, which it claims doesn’t exist. It is true that Iran’s nuclear program is significantly set back, and maybe that’s sufficient reason to support the agreement. But, in my view, it’s not a good agreement, and the Administration gave away the store.

Israel Business Forum

The third annual Israel Business Forum was held this past week. This is an event to match potential investors with Messianic Jewish and Arab Christian entrepreneurs in Israel. I have attended this event since its inception. This year our law firm was one of the sponsors. Messianic Jews have historically been discriminated against and persecuted in Israel, viewed by many as outsiders and/or missionaries. However, as the second generation of Messianic Jews grew up here and most served admirably in the military, Israeli public opinion began to change. The next step was for Messianic Jews to integrate into the Israeli workforce, open businesses and begin to thrive. This was the motivation behind the establishment of the Israel Business Forum.

The Forum event is the culmination of a several-month business training course conducted by the creators of the forum, First Fruits led by Mordechai Wiseman (grandson of Eliezer Urbach – one of the fathers of modern Messianic Judaism) and ELY Israel led by Yoel Shoshani, son of Oded Shoshani, one of the current Messianic leaders in Israel. In my view it’s one of the best Messianic Jewish efforts in the land. This year was a two-day event. About 50 foreign investors attended, mostly from the US but also from China, Europe, Australia and a few other places. In addition, certain non-Messianic hi-tech companies from Israel were invited to make presentations to the investors. This is another example of integrating the Messianic Jewish community into the mainstream of Israeli society.

I learned a lot. For example, as a percentage of gross domestic product, Israel has the highest level of civilian research and development of any country in the world. Israel is only second to the United States in its number of hi-tech startup companies. Israel is number four in activity in the world’s stock exchanges. Just in the past five years, while the average growth of developed countries was 0.6%, Israel was 4%. The unemployment rate in these same countries averaged 7.4%; Israel’s is 5.3%, even lower than the US.

Some of the Israeli inventions presented to the Forum included a brain mapping system in which brain injuries are mapped on a computer, potentially assisting up to 2 billion people with brain disorders. A system to determine how much water is needed by crops in a given field was designed, something that can save farmers up to 75% of water usage. The farmers can download the information to a mobile device. Another presenter showed how the entire password phenomenon on the web can be replaced by face-recognition software. I got to test it myself, even trying to trick the system by wearing a mask that was identical to the creator’s face – a method used by Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible to gain access to a secure facility. In this case the software recognized it was not a real face -- amazing!

In the afternoon of that first day, the Messianic community presented some of their better and established business plans. These included a medical device manufacturing company, an outgrowth of one of the oldest Messianic businesses in the country. Apparently, Israel has the highest number of medical device patents per capita in the world. This company manufacturers special medicine injectors, a machine that detects cancer cells, infusion pumps, a device that helps the body to absorb insulin more quickly, a blood warmer used in surgeries, and more. They have a state of the art facility along the Sea of Galilee. An Arab Christian from Nazareth runs a software company and shared his story of how the original owner of the Messianic business discussed above gave him his first serious job in Israel after most turned him down because he is an Arab. Today, he runs a successful company with several Arab Christian employees. Another Messianic Jew runs his own financial investment company in Israel, the only Messianic Jew to have passed Israel’s Securities and Investment exams.

The second day was devoted to highlighting Messianic Jewish business ideas in a large exhibition hall. Our law firm had a table, and we went around networking with the other businesses and the foreign investors. In the afternoon eight owners of the best business ideas presented their plans to the investors and were questioned by business management experts. Some of the ideas were extremely clever and innovative, including a company that converts used wooden pallets into furniture with plans to hire women delivered from prostitution to give them new careers, the developer and manufacturer of gluten free breads and pastries to enable those allergic to gluten to enjoy the foods they had to give up (I tasted a sampling of the bread – delicious, couldn’t tell between gluten and gluten free), and a company that hires native English speakers to teach English around the country (Israeli schools require English proficiency to even graduate). I talked to this woman about Stacy’s currently tutoring in English, and she was very excited to contact her.

After the business exhibition, some panels were held on investing in Israel and purchasing real estate in Israel. Here’s where we had a big surprise. One of the key panelists couldn’t attend because of a family emergency. The forum sponsors then approached us about Alex, one of my partners, making a presentation and answering questions about real estate investments. He was reluctant to do it because the entire forum was conducted in English, and he felt his English skills were inadequate. However, he agreed to do it, did a good job and received some potential clients for his efforts.

All in all it was a very successful event. Please pray for two outcomes: 1) that some investors will step up and invest in some of these budding companies; 2) that we will gain new clients for our efforts.

Yom HaZikkaron (Memorial Day) & Yom HaAtzmaut (Independence Day)

This was our fourth year here remembering and participating in these significant days. As I’ve shared before, these days are celebrated back to back, creating an emotional swing from sadness to joy. Yom HaZikkaron begins in the evening with a one-minute blast of sirens around the country. Everyone rises and stands in place, including cars stopping on highways and drivers alighting from them. I once again joined our kibbutz’s ceremony. It’s very moving. Since the beginning of the State, 19 members of the kibbutz lost their lives during war or conflicts, the first at the beginning of the War of Independence in 1948 and the last in 2006 during the Second Lebanese War. Each person’s photo is displayed, and someone reads a short script about them. A few songs are interspersed. Most folks sang along. I recognized the family of the latest casualty because they’re still members of the kibbutz.

Stacy was tutoring an Arab student that evening at his house in Nazareth Illit. She realized before she went that she would be there during the siren blast, and was a little concerned that it would be awkward.  She broached the subject at the beginning of her lesson, expressing her desire to honor the fallen. He said he stands for a similar siren that sounds during Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) but doesn’t stand in observance for this day. However, he was very gracious and offered to end the lesson early so she could observe the moment of silence.  Since she had arrived a little late, she decided instead to go outside shortly before the siren sounded, observe the moment of silence, then come back in and resume the lesson.  The student and his wife were perfectly gracious and respectful of her observance.  It was an interesting and moving experience for her.  

A siren also sounds the following morning for two minutes. I decided that I wanted to position myself in the Arab Triangle when the siren wailed. The Arab Triangle is a series of Arab towns that I travel through on my way to the office. It’s part of Israel proper and borders the northern side of the West Bank. I planned to stop my car and stand next to it, like most Israelis. I didn’t intend this as a provocative act but rather to observe how the Arab Israelis responded to the siren. I timed my leaving the house to put me in the center of the Arab Triangle alongside the largest city, Um Al Fach’m at the time of the siren blast. However, I got stuck in Afula because there’s a military cemetery along my route, and everyone was going there for a memorial service. It delayed me so long that I feared I wouldn’t even make the Arab Triangle in time. So, I hauled it. I tore down the highway at record speed, weaving in and out of traffic (well experienced from my Washington, DC driving). To enter the Arab Triangle, the road weaves through the Carmel mountain range. I was flying along the curves, fearing I wouldn’t make it. I needed to be in the right lane because I had to pull over to get out. I kept my eyes on the clock and had the radio on. The radio stations also sound the siren. 10 AM was D-Day. It was now 9:59, and I had just entered the Triangle. I maneuvered into the right lane, cutting off a large truck. The clock struck 10:00, and music continued on the radio. A minute or so later Stacy called me. The siren was at 11:00. Arggh; All that effort for nothing! I was in the office by 11, and so Alex, my partner, a client and I all stood for the siren. It was nice but clearly anti-climactic.

As I said above, once the sun sets, Yom HaZikkaron becomes Yom Ha-Atzmaut. Stacy and I gathered with our neighbors and the kibbutz members in the big historic courtyard of Kibbutz Merchavyah, dating from the time Golda Meir lived here. The flags were presented (last year I had the privilege of holding the Israeli flag), a poorly played bugle grunted a few sounds (tunes), a short speech was given and then the fire memorials were lit.  At that point all the kids released their helium balloons. It’s all pretty dramatic and moving. 

We decided not to stay long this year. The kids were preparing to do some dances, followed by fireworks later, and then falafels would be served, but not until 9:15 – too late for me. We headed back. I realized, and we talked about the fact that for everyone but us, these celebrations are shared experiences that the kibbutz residents grew up with. Because this is a small and relatively new country, the deaths of soldiers are very personal and affect the whole country. Independence here is not taken for granted because the potential of a war for survival can commence at any time. For us, while the days are very meaningful, they just don’t have the same emotional tug. We’re still newbies, and old ones at that.

Harry Truman Move Over

Confounding all of the pre-election polls, the exit polls and even the Netanyahu camp, Bibi Netanyahu won a resounding victory in Israeli elections. As I noted in an earlier update, Israeli polls are traditionally unreliable, and with the large undecided vote, the election could significantly swing in any direction. I must admit, like many, I was stunned by the result. I expected the undecideds to vote against Likud. Probably, the combination of a strong get out the vote effort (ironically like Obama), Netanyahu’s sudden turn around opposing the establishment of a Palestinian state, a smart campaign blitz (his video and TV ads were brilliant) and the idea of a strong leader all led to the unexpected result.

The next step is building a governing coalition. The likely coalition partners will be Likud (Netanyahu), Habayit Yehudi (Bennett), Kulanu (Kochlon), Yisrael Beitenu (Liberman), Shas and United Torah (both ultra-Orthodox). If this coalition materializes, it will be considered a far right wing government. Here are my thoughts on this government:

1) Persecution of Messianic Jews will increase. Honestly, I do not understand Evangelical Christian support for Netanyahu. Because his natural allies are the ultra-Orthodox, who hate Messianic Jews and, for that matter, any Jews who don’t subscribe to their hard line views, almost any Netanyahu government will include them, likely leading to their retaking the Ministry of Interior, which controls immigration to Israel, thereby opening the door to targeting Messianic Jews not only seeking to immigrate but those who are already citizens.

2) Again, because of the inclusion of the ultra-Orthodox, the very significant advances made by the last government in forcing the scores of thousands of young ultra-Orthodox to serve in the military will likely be undone. Also, the subsidy for large families (ultra-Orthodox), cut by the last government, will likely be increased again.

3) Settlement building will almost certainly continue unabated, leading to Israel’s further isolation from Europe and the United States.

4) Any peace agreement with the Palestinians, probably unachievable at this time under any Israeli government, is a non-starter now. At least with another government, attempts would be made to make peace, easing international pressure on Israel.

5) If Moshe Kahlon, the leader of Kulanu, becomes finance minister (he was campaigning for the position), then it’s possible the massive housing shortage in Israel will be addressed.

6) Relations with the Obama administration will remain poisoned, possibly leading to shrinking US support for Israel.

7) Netanyahu’s campaign was built on security and opposition to Iranian acquisition of nuclear weapons. While I agree with his concern about Iran, one would think that working closely with the Obama administration only would help in the effort to deny Iran any possible nuclear weapon break out capability. With both leaders at such odds, any joint effort is undercut. In addition, if Netanyahu decides that Israel must go it alone with a military attack against Iranian installations, Iran will signal for Hezbollah to rain her massive missile arsenal on Israel’s northern border. A few years ago Israel’s defense minister predicted about 1000 Israelis would be killed in such a confrontation – a huge number for a small country.

As you can probably tell, we didn’t vote for Likud. Sorry if I offended Likud supporters. I try to tell it as it is. On a lighter note, here are some pics of us voting. The first one is a poster outside the polling area describing the voting procedure, including identifying the party with the letters designating which party is which.

The second pic is the table of election monitors, who check off the name of the person voting. You must show some form of government identity. It’s very similar to the US.

The third pic is the actual voting slips. Each person is given an envelope. The person enters the voting booth (similar to what’s seen in the US) and chooses one slip of paper indicating which party the person will vote for. The slip of paper is then inserted into the envelope, sealed and then placed in the ballot box outside the booth.

The fourth and fifth pics show Stacy and me voting in our second national election since we moved here three years ago.

Despite my pessimism about the election results, Israel still is the only country in the Middle East with free elections. It’s quite a statement in a region surrounded by crackpot regimes.

First The Speech

First the Speech

I wasn’t planning on watching Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech to Congress. But Stacy and I traveled to Yad HaShmonah (Messianic Jewish moshav outside Jerusalem) for a 1 ½ day conference with Messianic Jewish leaders in the land and the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregation leaders from the US on the evening of the speech. The speech was turned on in the lobby of hotel, and so we joined 30 others (Israeli and American) in watching it. It was odd watching the Prime Minister of our new country speak to the legislative body I used to work for.

I’ve seen numerous Presidential addresses to Congress, and the feel of this one was similar. Unlike Presidential appearances where the House of Representatives’ Sargent of Arms announces the President’s arrival, the House Speaker announced the Prime Minister. However, Netanyahu entered like most US presidents, where he moved side to side down the aisle greeting the members of Congress. It’s incredible to think the only other head of state ever to address Congress three times was Winston Churchill. More amazing is the fact that Israel is a such a small country, both geographically and in population. Consider Israel’s population is approximately 8 million people, only 2/3 the size of Chad. Has Chad’s president ever spoken to Congress even once, and, if he did, would anyone show up? When God said Israel is the apple of His eye and is called to be a light to the nations, we’re seeing it played out in our day and age.

Netanyahu is a brilliant orator in English (I’ve heard he’s better in English than in Hebrew). In my estimation he ranks with the top American political speakers of all time. He didn’t disappoint. Of course, the downside is the political fallout from a serious breach of protocol by disrespecting President Obama for not checking with him prior to his acceptance of the appearance, and then publicly criticizing the Administration’s negotiating tactics with Iran. Unfortunately, that fact cast a serious pall over the proceedings, leading to numerous influential Democrats boycotting the speech and many others criticizing Netanyahu’s appearance both before and after. Support for Israel has been waning in Democratic circles for a few years. The last thing Israel needs is to be part of the continuing partisan divide in the US. Of course, polarizing a current administration is far worse and could undermine US support for Israel internationally.

What I also found interesting is that Congress’s enthusiastic response to Netanyahu including to many of his points was far greater than the support he currently has in Israel. He has been mercilessly attacked in the Israeli press both before and after the speech. Many past military and intelligence leaders criticized him for jeopardizing US/Israeli relations for what appeared to be a political ploy. The latest polls show he gained little if any additional votes for his actions. Time will tell whether it was a Churchillian moment that warned the world of impending disaster or whether his impetuousness permanently harmed US/Israel relations. In my view, while I agreed with the substance of his speech, I think it was a very bad move.

Then Come the Elections

On March 17 we will participate in our second national election since we moved here three years ago. Israeli governments are elected to four year terms, but rarely last that long due to early coalition breakups. This election is expected to be very close between the two leading parties, Likud, led by Netanyahu, and a hybrid of the Labor party called the Zionist Camp. Neither one will come close to the necessary 61 member majority. With Israel’s electoral system and multifarious parties, a coalition of parties is necessary to govern. At this moment Likud and Labor are essentially tied in the polls with each garnering around 23 seats, very small for a party to attempt to form a government. Additionally, between 15-20% of the Israeli public is undecided as to what party to vote for, a huge undecided block, which could swing the election in numerous directions.

Unlike the US, voters vote for a party, not an individual. When you enter the voting booth, you choose a party designated by initials, place it in an envelope and drop it in a ballot box. For a party to be represented in the Knesset, the party must achieve at least 3.5% of all votes, a much higher threshold than the last election. A party that meets the threshold is guaranteed a minimum of four Knesset seats. The more votes a party gains above that threshold the more seats. Votes for parties that do not cross the threshold are divvied up among the other parties, according to a complicated formula, but definitely one in which the larger parties gain more. Also, votes for a party that successfully crosses the threshold but whose extra votes do not yield an additional seat can be assigned to another party, again under very complicated election procedures. All this makes for tremendous difficulty in trying to predict an election outcome.

Following the election, the President of Israel, Reuven Rivlin (an appointed office), will ask one of the leading parties to attempt to form a coalition. The parties likely to be represented in the Knesset are the following: Likud (Netanyahu – a right wing party), Labor (Zionist Camp – a left wing party), Yesh Atid (there’s a future, led by Yair Lapid – a center party), Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home, led by Naftali Bennet – a far right wing party), a United Arab list (comprised of four separate Arab parties – it could become the 3rd largest Knesset party), Kulanu (all of us, led by Moshe Kahlon – a center right party), United Torah (an ultra-Orthodox Ashkenazic Jewish religious party – European Jews), Shas (led by Aryeh Deri (formerly imprisoned for corruption - an ultra-Orthodox Sephardic Jewish religious party – Jews from Africa and the Middle East), Yachad (unity, led by Eli Yishai – former head of Shas who was supplanted by Deri above, also an ultra-Orthodox Sephardic party),Yisrael Beitenu (Israel, our home, led by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman – a right wing, nationalist party, Russian), Meretz (energy – a far left wing party, which may not cross the threshold for representation).

Unless the Labor party surges at the end, the likely scenario is that Netanyahu will be asked to form a government, likely leading to a far right one including the ultra-Orthodox parties. In my view this will be a setback for the country, undoing some of the better reforms in the last government, further isolating Israel on the international scene and once again targeting Messianic Jews for discrimination.  Please pray that corruption will be exposed, that righteous leaders will take over and that wisdom will be given to the President who will choose which party will be asked to form a government.

A Small World

A week or so ago I was contacted by someone, whom I will call Sasha, who wanted to meet with me. When I arrived at the office, the guy looked marginally familiar. He greeted me by name, and after a brief discussion, I realized he was someone whom I had met in Odessa, Ukraine in 1997. That year I was invited to teach Jewish history at the brand new Messianic Jewish Bible Institute. I remember at the time him telling me I possibly could speak at a traditional synagogue in another Ukrainian city. I responded that I would be happy to do so as long as the synagogue knew I was a Messianic Jewish rabbi. After checking with them, the synagogue agreed.

 When I arrived there, the synagogue board wanted to meet with me. The rabbi was apparently in Israel at the time. I joined them in a board room adorned with pictures of Rabbi Schneerson, the former rebbi (leader) of the Chabad movement (a branch of ultra-Orthodoxy). I thought – uh-oh; the ultra-Orthodox are the Messianic Jews leading opponents. The board grilled me for about 45 minutes about who I was and what I was planning to say. I honestly explained everything – I was both a Messianic rabbi (I explained that) and an immigration lawyer, and I would share with the group my spiritual journey. The board agreed, but the president of the synagogue also wanted me to raise money in the US for them to build a mikvah (ritual bath) in their synagogue. I agreed. The experience was incredible. I shared with about 60 folks my life growing up in a Jewish home in the US, finding the Messiah – Yeshua and later becoming a rabbi. Afterwards, they asked a bunch of questions.  I left with the promise we would send them funds to build the mikvah.

We left our car in the synagogue parking lot, and walked to a local restaurant for lunch. When we returned to the synagogue to pick up our car, the rabbi, who had been in Israel, was suddenly at the synagogue door entrance, and he didn’t look happy. We drove back to Odessa, and I continued the course I was teaching for another week. When I returned to the US, I shared the story of the synagogue with our congregation and raised significant funds to build the Ukrainian synagogue’s mikvah. I sent the money to Sasha, my contact there and the person now in my office. He tried to give the money to the synagogue, but the rabbi refused to receive it. The president of the synagogue was mortified, but there was nothing to be done. We instead donated the money to another Ukrainian project.

I’ve always wondered about that experience, and how the people finally responded to my visit. Now, here was Sasha in my office in Petach Tikvah, Israel, 18 years to almost the day I was in that synagogue in the Ukraine. Sasha has a heart of gold and served the Jewish communities in the Ukraine for years. He and his family had adopted disabled Ukrainian Jewish children who were stuck in decrepit group homes. He had raised many of them, and most of them successfully made Aliyah (immigration) to Israel. Now, he was here to try and get status himself as the adoptive parent of two other Ukrainian children. His problem was he was a known believer in Yeshua and had been stopped. He had heard from others in Israel that I was practicing law here and came to seek assistance. Of course, I don’t handle immigration to Israel matters, but one of my partners does.

Before he related his legal problems, he said he wanted to tell me two things. He asked if I remembered the president of the synagogue. I said absolutely – he was the one who wanted money for the mikvah. Sasha told me he became a follower of Yeshua a few years later. The second thing was that another person present at my presentation also became a Messianic Jew many years later. When he did so, he said he was very frustrated that the rabbi of the synagogue had taught them that a Jew cannot remain a Jew and believe in Yeshua.

All I can say is wow. I always wonder what impact my life has had on other people. When I hear stories like this, I realize that God is faithful. As it says in the Scriptures: “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in the Messiah and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.” II Cor. 2:14

Religion and Freedom of Speech

Following the horrific events in France last week, I began to think about the issue of religion and free speech. While the tragedies in France extended beyond issues of free speech, the freedom to say what you wish certainly played a major role in the Charlie Hebdo affair, the satirical French newspaper whose offices were attacked by Muslim terrorists for “defaming” the Islamic prophet, Mohammed. Sadly, most religions do not have a good track record when it comes to dealing with dissidents. In our day Islam provides the most glaring example of restricting and punishing free speech, and it’s not only radical Islamicists. Almost all Muslim countries, most of which are not considered radical, still limit free speech, especially when it involves criticizing Islam.

Historically, Christianity’s record was also abysmal. Consider the cases of Jan Hus, a predecessor to Martin Luther, who was burned at the stake; Galileo, the father of modern science, who was tried and placed under house arrest for the rest of his life for criticizing the Pope’s view of science; or Roger Williams, a religious reformer, who was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Even Judaism historically has not been friendly to free speech. Consider the early Chassidim of the 18th century,  who were excommunicated from Jewish communities for preaching “heresy” or the Reform movement of the 19th century, which to this day is harassed and discriminated against by the Haredim (ultra-Orthodox) in Israel.

In fact, it wasn’t until the 18th century, when nation states were established based upon individual rights, that speech became a protected form of communication. Consequently, today most western nations are not religiously based, though they do provide freedom to practice one’s religion generally without state interference. Religious communities in western democracies have a great deal of latitude with respect to their practices, leadership and even finances, and religious leaders have significant influence over their members. Religious communities, by their very nature, set boundaries as to their beliefs, practices and affiliations. Such communities rightly expect their members to abide by such boundaries. But sadly the freedom to express differences within religious communal settings is typically very limited and is often perceived by religious leaders as provocative, divisive and rebellious. With little accountability this can lead to far worse abuse such as sexual abuse, financial improprieties, intolerance, cultic tendencies and spiritual abuse.

I’ve been active in religious circles for over 45 years, much of the time in significant leadership positions. I’ve become increasingly wary of authoritative spiritual leadership. The greatest sign of potentially abusive leadership is when leaders seek to restrict speech, often couched in spiritual terms. The argument is that the restrictions protect the integrity of the congregation. But more often than not, they’re simply justifications for the leaders to do what they want without question.  Two passages in I Peter speak to this issue, the first one about Yeshua:

“When they hurled insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” I Peter 2:23

“To the elders among you, I appeal to you as a fellow elder, a witness of Messiah’s sufferings and one who will also share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” I Peter 5:1-3

Religion remains a very powerful force in this world. Lately, we’ve seen some of its worst examples. But many of the greatest acts of self-sacrifice and human advancement have come from religious people and leaders. If God said to Isaiah, “Come, let us reason together,” then shouldn’t those who represent God listen to the voices of others in their midst, including those who criticize? Interestingly, the great prophets of the Bible often criticized the religious leaders of their day. In addition, there’s a reason freedom of speech is embedded in the 1st Amendment to the US Constitution alongside two other provisions regarding religion.  Freedom of speech and religious communities must go hand in hand.

Coming Elections

As many have probably heard, Israel’s governing coalition collapsed a few months ago (a common phenomenon), and new elections have been scheduled for mid-March. In many ways it’s a shame because the prior government elected and formed in 2013 came to power with great hopes of serious reform in the Israeli government. In fact, during the first year some very significant changes took place including limiting the numbers of ultra-Orthodox (haredim) who could opt out of the military draft, cutting funding to the religious schools, cutting the amount of benefits to families with multiple children and raising the threshold of votes needed for a party to be represented in the Knesset. Most of the changes limited the privileges of the haredim, who increasingly are disaffected from the larger public.  The change to Knesset representation likely will lead to a reduction in parties represented in the legislative body, a needed thing.  

As I wrote during the last election cycle, Israel’s government is significantly different than the American one. Unlike America’s federal system where legislative and executive functions are strictly separated by the Constitution, Israel is a parliamentary system where the executive and legislative functions merge. Therefore, typically a government minister, such as the foreign minister, is a Knesset member of the ruling coalition. In addition, unlike the American political system largely maintained by two political parties, Israel’s government is formed by a coalition of multiple parties since no one party has ever won a majority of votes of the electorate.  Voters don’t vote for individual candidates; rather, they vote for a party. The number of votes a party receives in the election determines the number of seats that party has in the Knesset. Following the election, the President of the State (largely a ceremonial role) normally chooses the party with the most seats to attempt to form a coalition government with other smaller parties.

One of the few positive things about Israeli elections, other than Israel being the only democratic state in the region, is that the campaigns are short. Since elections are just over two months away, party primaries are being held, new parties are forming (isn’t there a limit?), parties are joining together in early coalitions and political advertising has begun. There have been some interesting developments that will influence the composition of the final government. The two most interesting and probably consequential events was, first of all, the joint agreement reached between the Labor Party (one of Israel’s oldest) with the party of Tsipi Livni, a former foreign minister. The other development was the formation of a new party, Kulanu (all of us), by former Knesset member, Moshe Kahlon. Kahlon, originally with the Likud party, rose to fame a few years ago when as Communications Minister he pushed through a reform in Israel’s cell phone market that reduced prices by a whopping 90%. Current polls (traditionally unreliable) show Likud and Labor tied with 24 seats each. A coalition government must control 61 seats in the 120- seat Knesset. It’s likely the king maker will be Moshe Kahlon’s party.

In my view the coming election may be one of Israel’s most important. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister for the past 6 years, leads an increasingly right-wing Likud party. The previous government was considered a center/right government because it included important moderate factions and specifically excluded the haredim. If Likud gains the most votes again, it is highly likely the next government will be an extreme right-wing government including the haredim and the settler movement. The haredim will seek to undo the reforms made in the last government and will probably try and to capture the Interior Ministry, which controls immigration to Israel, a bad omen for Messianic Jews. The settlers will be further empowered to expand settlements despite universal condemnation from the rest of the world, further isolating Israel from the world community.

Here are some prayer points for the upcoming elections:

1. Those candidates and parties immersed in corruption be exposed (that’s happening now).

2. That moderate forces join together to help form a forward-looking government.

3. That the haredim votes be sufficiently split to limit their influence on a new government (also happening now).

4. That Israel become the light of the nations as foretold by the prophets.

Islamization of Israel

Admittedly, the title is a misnomer, but I’m using it to describe the new Nationality bill being considered in the Knesset. The Nationality bill is an attempt by Israel’s right wing parties to define Israel as a Jewish State. You might ask, why is this a problem since Israel is a Jewish state? Exactly. What?  Let’s examine modern Israeli history.

The land of Israel was occupied by numerous powers for 2000 years. The longest running occupation was the Ottoman Empire (1516-1917). As part of the Treaty of Paris of 1856, concluding the Crimean War, England successfully pressured the Empire to allow Jews to immigrate to their former home land, thus opening the door for the Aliyah movements (immigration to Israel). Just prior to the end of World War I, the Zionist movement lobbied for the British to declare the then Land of Palestine to be a Jewish homeland. This culminated in the issuing of the Balfour Declaration – a letter from then British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Baron Rothschild, a leader of the British Zionist movement.  The letter stated, in part, that the British government favored the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. The Treaty of Versailles, concluding World War I, granted Palestine to the British, thus making the Balfour Declaration effective and ushered in a much larger immigration of Jews to Israel.

Following World War II, the British transferred their mandate over Palestine to the newly formed United Nations. In November, 1947, the UN voted to partition Palestine into two states, a Jewish one and an Arab (Palestinian one).  On May 14, 1948, Israel was officially established when she issued her Declaration of Independence. Here are some relevant parts of the Declaration’s text:

“Accordingly, we, members of the people's council, representatives of the Jewish community of Eretz-Israel and of the Zionist movement, are here assembled on the day of the termination of the British mandate over Eretz-Israel and, by virtue of our natural and historic right and on the strength of the resolution of the United Nations general assembly, hereby declare the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz-Israel, to be known as the State of Israel.”

“The State of Israel will be open to the immigration of Jews and for the Ingathering of the Exiles from all countries of their dispersion; will promote the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; will be based on the precepts of liberty, justice and peace as invisaged by the prophets of Israel; will uphold the full social and political equality of all its citizens, without distinction of race, creed or sex; will guarantee full freedom of conscience, worship, education and culture; will safeguard the sanctity and inviolability of the shrines and Holy Places of all religions; and will dedicate itself to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.”

Since the issuing of the Declaration, Israel has always considered herself a Jewish and democratic state. Both concepts are embedded in some of Israel’s Basic Laws, a form of constitution for the nation. However, from time to time, the Jewish and democratic natures clash. Examples are: Businesses are forced to close on Shabbat. Couples who choose not to be married by the Orthodox Rabbinate can only marry outside of the country. Women seeking divorce from their husbands must seek the Rabbinate’s approval first or cannot be divorced. Generally, however, democratic principles trump Jewish religious standards. The tension between Israel’s Jewish and democratic natures is often resolved by the Supreme Court. So, what’s the problem?

Some of Israel’s right wing politicians, including the Prime Minister, believe 1) the Supreme Court has erred on the side of democracy over Jewishness, and 2) Israel needs a new Basic Law declaring she is a Jewish state in order to thwart international efforts to enhance the rights of Arabs both within the State and the territories and to force the Palestinians in negotiations with Israel to declare that Israel is a Jewish state.  There are several fundamental problems with this new proposal.

1) Some of the language in various proposals would make Jewish law a guide for Israeli law. As a body of law, Jewish law is an amazing set of laws developed over thousands of years.  However, Jewish law is developed and determined by rabbis and thus lends itself to a theocratic form of government. History is replete with failed theocratic states, e.g. Iran, Sudan, the new Caliphate of Syria/Iraq. Freedom of speech and religion would be jeopardized by such a proposal.

2) Even if the language above is stricken, a new Basic Law could lead to a reconsideration of Israeli case law, which has helped make Israel a modern and successful nation. Anytime a new law is enacted, it must be interpreted by the courts. There are numerous possible unintended consequences from such an action.

3) Why is there even a need for such a law? It’s clear from Israel’s Declaration of Independence and other Basic Laws that Israel is a Jewish State. Pushing this issue again is simply a provocative act towards the international community and Arab citizens.

4) The enactment of such an act will likely lead to the collapse of the current government and the rise of a new one, possibly full of haredim (ultra-Orthodox), to the detriment of the country generally, and to the Messianic Jewish community, particularly.

5) Enhancing religious law in Israel is a recipe for disaster. The sole arbiters of Jewish law in Israel are the haredim. They comprise a small minority of Jews both in Israel and throughout the world. Many of their rulings are overly restrictive and discriminatory. Secular Jews would flee the country, and the country would regress in numerous areas, including religious plurality and tolerance.  The result would be a type of Islamization of Israel.

Please pray for the defeat of this bill and for righteous and progressive leaders to arise in the land.

Another Intifada

Every time I travel to my office I go through an area dubbed the Arab Triangle. This is an area just north of the West Bank that is part of Israel proper but in which there are several Arab towns. From Afula our hometown, I travel to Megiddo, site of a very ancient and historical fortress. From Megiddo I head through a pass on the tail end of the Carmel Mountain range and the beginning of the Central Mountain Range (that runs through the West Bank). The various Arab cities along the route are Bavada, Musmus, Uhm Al-Fahm, Basma, Katzir, Arara and Kfar Qaria. The cities surround the main road, Rt. 65, through the area. During the last Intifada (uprising) from 2000-2003, I was told it was dangerous to travel this route due to rock throwing and demonstrations. Why is this area primarily Arab?

Prior to Israel’s independence, the United Nations partitioned then Palestine into two parts – the Jewish part and the Arab part. Each part was to be its own nation. The boundaries were determined by where there was a Jewish (blue) or Arab (orange) majority.  I’m enclosing a map of that partition plan. The northern part of the large orange section, just north of Jenin is the area known as the Arab Triangle.

The Arabs in then Palestine and the surrounding Arab nations rejected the Partition Plan and attacked Israel, which lead to Israel’s War of Independence, 1947-49. During Israel’s successful prosecution of the war, she pushed into territory originally granted to the Arabs. Many Arabs fled; some were forcibly displaced. However, the area known as the Arab Triangle remained Arab. Following the war, Jordan claimed the West Bank for herself and Egypt claimed Gaza, interestingly depriving the so-called Palestinians of their own state even at that time. Despite the large Arab populations in the Triangle, Israel claimed the area for herself for strategic reasons and traded parts of land just south of Hebron to Jordan (early land swaps).  See the map of post Independence war Israel. The light pink bordering the northern side of the West Bank is the Arab Triangle. That’s where Route 65 traverses, and that’s where I drive at least three times a week.

As Jewish/Arab relations have deteriorated and terrorism is increasing, demonstrations have begun in a number of Arab areas throughout Israel, including the towns of the Arab Triangle. I now pray and keep a watchful eye as I travel the area. But I also think about the Arabs in these towns. The vast majority are Muslim. In fact, of the 1.5 million Arabs in Israel proper, 83% are Muslim. Many are being influenced by the increasingly radicalization of Islam throughout the Middle East. It’s hard to imagine them ever accepting the idea of a Jewish state despite living in it. Some of Israel’s right wing politicians have actually suggested trading the Arab Triangle to a future Palestine with land swaps for some of the settlements in the West Bank. Interestingly, however, in the year 2000, a survey was conducted in Uhm Al-Fahm, the largest city of the Triangle, regarding this question. 83% opposed the idea of a transfer to Palestine. Something has to give.

In addition, more and more nations are openly supporting the idea of a Palestinian state. Without movement on Israel’s part, she will be isolated in an increasingly dangerous world. But more importantly, Israel is called to be a light to the nations. It’s hard to be so when you are occupying land that no other nation recognizes as legitimate, and you are occupying people that don’t want to be part of you. It’s time for a change and for the government to act boldly to help preserve Israel’s future. There’s no question the Bible promises the land of Israel to the Jewish people. In fact, there are more such promises in the Hebrew Scriptures than there are about the Messiah. Nevertheless, the right of Israel to be resident in the land is based, in part, upon her conduct, especially just conduct. Thumbing one’s noses at the rest of the world and resisting opportunities to resolve the intractable Palestinian problems lead to continuing conflict and isolation. And, for my purposes, makes travel through the Arab Triangle increasingly perilous.

High Holidays in the Promised Land

Growing up in a Jewish family in the United States, I was accustomed to the annual ritual of attending lengthy synagogue services for the holidays. Certainly, for American Jewry, services for Rosh HaShana (New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) are close to mandatory. It’s the only time all year that synagogue services are packed. Many synagogues sell tickets for seats due to the high demand. In Israel, however, the experience and expectations are completely different.

The period from Rosh Ha Shana through Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) is known as a chofesh (vacation). Schools are out for three weeks. Many families travel both overseas and around the country. It’s typical to begin the New Year with a festive meal, often with family and friends. Except for the religious community (around 20% of the population), synagogue attendance is rare. Most Messianic Jewish congregations here do not hold services. Last year we had our family stay with us for the few days. The same will be true this year. Because it’s a religious/national holiday, most stores, restaurants and public transportation are closed, thereby limiting what people can do within the country.

Yom Kippur is a unique day in Israel. Its religious meaning is that it is the day Jewish people seek and expect to receive God’s forgiveness for their sins and to be inscribed into the Book of Life for the coming year. Synagogue attendance is higher than that of Rosh Ha Shana. Fasting is a religious requirement for the holiday, and even though most Israelis do not consider themselves religious, most still fast. The most remarkable aspect of the day is that almost no one drives a car. Major highways are virtually empty. Instead, many young people flock to the roads with bicycles. Again, most Messianic Jewish congregations do not hold services, partially due to the custom of not driving.

For the past few years, Yad Ha Shmonah, a Messianic Jewish moshav (similar to a kibbutz) outside of Jerusalem, has hosted multi-congregational Yom Kippur services. Because Yad Ha Shmonah has a conference center, there is housing for many guests. Last year we had the privilege of attending the Yom Kippur service. There must have been 7-8 congregations represented. It was done very well and was very meaningful. This year, however, so many congregations are participating, that we got bumped. No room at the inn. Oh well. I’m not sure what we’ll do. We checked with friends of ours who attend our small worship group about the possibility of joining them for the day and attending their Masorti (Conservative) synagogue. But they live a 1 ½ hour walk from the congregation. The combination of fasting and the likely warm day makes that an impossibility for us. I know one of our daughters will stay in Jerusalem with friends and attend the one Messianic congregation there that does hold services. Once services are over in the evening and the morning, streets and sidewalks in the cities fill up with walkers. It’s really quite amazing.

Following Yom Kippur, it’s traditional to begin building a sukkah (a small booth immediately outside one’s home) that is central to the holiday of Sukkot. Its purpose is to remember that the Israelites wandered in the wilderness in temporary shelters for 40 years. Except in more religious communities in the United States, sukkot (plural of sukkah) are typically not erected. Rather, larger ones are built next to synagogues for community gatherings. In Israel, however, the home sukkot are very common. They are used to host family and friends for meals throughout the seven-day holiday period. Growing up, my family never erected a sukkah. Even later, when I was the rabbi of Tikvat Israel Congregation in Richmond, Virginia, I only built a sukkah a few times. (I’m not very handy, and what I did build was probably dangerous to sit under). Mostly, some of our congregants built a community one in front of our synagogue and gathered there. Last year, we bought the implements to build one. Because wood is rare and expensive here, most folks, including us, buy a metal pre-fab sukkah and then cover the sides with cloth – we used sheets. The pre-fab unit also included some bamboo poles to lay on top and then be covered by branches from trees, mostly palms.  Because of the strong winds, we had to anchor the sukkah with boulders. Otherwise, the sukkah would have been sailing along like Dorothy in her house in the Wizard of Oz.

To everyone, L’Shanah Tovah (Have a good year).

War Results

One of the things amazing about Israel is its free press. The free press is enshrined in Israel’s Basic Laws, which function as a constitution of sorts. The West takes for granted basic freedoms and individual rights, but Israel is the only country in the Middle East with such freedoms. Interestingly, from the days of the early settlements in the beginning of the 20th century, there was a robust circulation of numerous newspapers, at that time mostly propaganda issued by political parties, often attacking other political parties and their leaders. The only thing changed today is that there is an independent free press consisting of many news reporting services.

Israelis have little patience with political decorum. Everyone is subject to criticism, especially those who serve in the government. Even during wartime, political and military leaders are second-guessed constantly concerning strategy and effectiveness. This is especially true when war ceases. Following the Second Lebanese War in 2006, then Prime Minister Ehud Ohmert was castigated by the press and later by a commission for the conduct of that war. Yet, interestingly, Israel’s northern border with Lebanon and Hezbollah has remained quiet ever since. Now that the current war with Hamas seems to be over, all the Monday morning quarterbacks (or whatever comparable term is used for soccer) are having a field day. Yet, from my perspective I think Netanyahu and his defense minister expertly handled the crisis.

Israel lost soldiers because she was forced to invade Gaza with ground forces to destroy the tunnels. Was the government aware of the tunnels and could they have dealt with them earlier? Absolutely, but it would have meant a war at whatever point Israel took action.  Was the extensive destruction of Gaza necessary? Probably. Hamas finally agreed to a ceasefire proposal that was unchanged since Egypt proposed it weeks earlier. The difference makers were the destruction of the tunnels, the killing of key Hamas operatives, the depletion of Hamas rockets, the cutting off of all financing for Hamas operations and the continuing destruction of Gaza infrastructure, sadly leading to many civilian casualties.  As General William Sherman from the Civil War said, “war is hell.” There are no nice wars, and there are always civilian casualties.

 The key, however, lies in the future. Israel needs to resolve the Palestinian issue. It’s a huge distraction for the country, and it leads to universal international criticism. Whoever is to blame for the lack of progress to resolve the issue doesn’t mitigate the difficult plight of the Palestinian people. Israel is called to be a light to the nations. Now is the time to shine that light and be an example of mercy and justice.

 Law Practice

 We partners met today to discuss the future. All of us agree the future looks bright. My partners felt we should create a niche for immigration law. One partner already handles immigration to Israel, and, of course, I handle immigration to the US. They also felt we should try and branch into immigration to Canada, England, Australia and maybe some of the EU nations. The big positive is that immigration is a specialized field of law, and, certainly, in Israel there are only a few lawyers that handle immigration to the US. I explained to them the game changer was the implementation of the E-2 visa.

 As I’ve explained before, the E-2 visa is an investor visa based on treaties between the US and a foreign country. The E-2 visa program has been approved by both the US and Israeli governments and is simply awaiting the issuance of rules by the Israeli government. Once the rules are issued, the program will be open to Israeli investors to the US and US investors to Israel. My belief is that once the program begins we will be flooded with work, and our firm will need to expand to keep up, especially in the administrative area. Please pray for Israel’s Ministry of Interior to finalize the rules. A good Scripture to cite when praying is from Proverbs 21:1 “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.”

 Dishwasher Debacle

 Until I met Chayim, the so-called dishwasher repairman, I really thought Israelis had defeated the generational curse of Jews not being able to work with their hands. The story begins when my dishwasher flashed the D07 code and stopped working. I read on the internet that D07 means the overflow pan under the dishwasher is not evacuating water. Believe it or not, the only solution is to remove the dishwasher from the cabinet and tip it to a 45 degree angle to allow the water to spill out – that’s a 21st century solution for you. So, of course, I tried it. It took me over an hour to remove the dishwasher (now after doing it multiple times, I’m thinking of going into business for myself). So, I tipped the dishwasher to its side, water spilled everywhere and I re-installed it. It worked – great – for one dishwasher cycle. Then, once again D07. Now, the internet advice was call a repairman. Whoopee!

I went to a local repair shop that I had good luck with, but the repairman didn’t go to houses, and I certainly wasn’t going to schlep the dishwasher into the shop. So, he recommended Chayim, meaning life, a clear misnomer.  I called Chayim, who spoke almost no English, and explained to him about the dishwasher and the famous D07. Of course, dishwasher must be one of Hebrew’s most un-pronounceable words – mah-dee-chah-kay-leem. I couldn’t remember it if my life depended upon it. Of course, later I found out from my daughter that everyone uses the word mah-dee-ach for short. Whatever. So, he came over. He began by attempting to turn on the dishwasher, but it wouldn’t turn on. Hmmm. He asked if the electricity is working, and I said yes. He checked it. So, he started taking the thing apart. He checked the connections, and suddenly the dishwasher sprung to life, but when he closed it, it went off. So, in 21st century fashion, he began to smack the dishwasher to get it to work. I thought that’s my m.o., and I began to worry.

He then noticed the famous D07. He said he must bring the dishwasher to his shop. Okay. A day later he brought it back. It’s supposedly working. He installed the dishwasher back into the cabinets, but now it’s crooked. He left, and I reconfigured the dishwasher and the cabinet – a dangerous proposition. I finally used the dishwasher after a week of it not working, filling it with the multitude of dishes from the sink and the counter with various kinds of molds growing on them. The dishwasher completed the cycle, but at the end – the cursed D07 showed up again. I called Chayim. He was confused. He came back a day or so later. It didn’t make sense to him. He tried a few things and said he must take it back to the shop. This time he forgot the dolly to carry the dishwasher, so yours truly carried it with him into his truck. A day or so later he brought it back. After he left, I prepared to run the dishwasher when I noticed the utensil basket was missing. I looked around, and it was nowhere to be found. I called Chayim, and he said in Hebrew, of course, “ah, yes, it’s at my shop. Please come and pick it up.” By then, murder was on my mind, but I grudgingly headed to his shop because I knew it would be useless to try and say in Hebrew, “Loser, bring it here yourself.” When I got there, his shop was closed. I commiserated with a couple of delivery men who wondered where he was. I called him again – “Oh yes, I’m only 3 minutes away.” 10 minutes later he showed up; I got my utensil basket and headed home. I ran the dishwasher again. It worked fine, but after turning it off, it wouldn’t turn on again.

I called Chayim, now renamed Mavet (death), and explained it won’t turn on. This time he came over with a replacement three outlet plug, as if there’s something wrong with mine. Duh, the garbage disposal plugged into the same outlet worked fine. Of course, his brilliant maneuver didn’t change the outcome, so he took apart the dishwasher again. By now, he’s frustrated – welcome to the club. He banged the dishwasher a few more times for good measure, and concluded that the switch was faulty. He configured it so I wouldn’t have to use the switch, only the computer pad that regulates the programs and the times. He re-installed the dishwasher for probably the 6th time. He told me he would bring by a new switch in the next couple of days, and he left. Welcome to Shabbat. Later, I attempted to add some more dirty dishes to the dishwasher when I discovered it wouldn’t open. He installed it so when the door opened it hit the wood molding underneath.  Well, glory to God. I haven’t used it since. I’m nervous about his new method. I’m sure I’ll get electrocuted. If you don’t receive another email update for a while, assume that’s what happened.

War! What is it Good For?

I dedicate Edwin Starr’s 1969 hit, War, to Hamas. Maybe someone can translate the lyrics into Arabic:

“War

What is it good for?

Absolutely nothing.

War I despise

Cause it means destruction of innocent lives.

War means tears in thousands of mother’s eyes

When their sons go out to fight and lose their lives.”

How many have died now in Gaza? 2000 and counting. And for what? Hamas, originally known for and popularized by its social welfare programs, hides in tunnels beneath schools, mosques and apartment buildings while the supposed beneficiaries of Hamas’ generosity are pummeled by bombs targeting those very tunnels. But as Hamas spokesmen have said in the past, “we love death more than you (Israelis) love life.”

Hamas is just one example of the whackos in the Islamic world. Let’s add them up: Bashar Al-Assad – the butcher of Syria, Hassan Nasrallah – spiritual head of the fanatical Hezbollah of Lebanon and now Syria, ISIS – Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (said to be more fanatical than Al-Qaeda), Ali Khameni – spiritual head of Iran, Mohammed Morsi – former president of Egypt and head of the Muslim Brotherhood, who assisted in the transfer of most of the rockets into Gaza, the various Libyan factions – take a pick, and even Recep Erdogan, the president of Turkey who recently said the following about Israel, “"Just like Hitler, who sought to establish a race free of all faults, Israel is chasing after the same target.  They kill women so that they will not give birth to Palestinians; they kill babies so that they won't grow up; they kill men so they can't defend their country ... They will drown in the blood they shed."

Isn’t there something fundamentally wrong here? I’m no Islamophobe, but wow, “if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it’s probably a duck.” The Islamic world is in crisis. Sadly, there is no Islamic country anywhere in the world which models human rights. Instead, there are autocracies like Saudi Arabia and Egypt or failed states like Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. In fact, the only stable country in the region which provides freedom of religion, free speech and a free press is Israel, while most of the rest of the region are her sworn enemies. It's hard to believe the great promise from Isaiah 19:23-24: "In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria (Iraq). The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth."

In the meantime, Israel plods along. Except for the southern communities, life hasn't changed much. Tourism is significantly down, the latest estimate about 20%. In the long run, this can seriously affect Israel's economy. Also, the war itself is incredibly expensive. Estimated costs so far approximate $2.5 billion. Israel's overall annual budget is only $114 billion, and defense is allocated $15.5 billion, meaning the war has already used 16% of the defense budget with no end in sight. Taxes are already high in Israel, and even though the Finance Minister has promised no new taxes, I'm not sure if that's possible. I've already had two law clients from the south contact me about leaving Israel. As one said, it's no place to raise a family.

Yet, most of Israeli society is amazingly resilient. The war effort enjoys overwhelming support from the Israeli public. Reservists leave jobs and homes and relocate to army bases around the country to support the active soldiers, including one of my law partners. Unlike the United States, all Jewish Israelis serve in the army unless they receive religious exemptions. For most, it's a rite of passage, a secular one alongside bar mitzvah and marriage. Interestingly, many Messianic Jews serve in the military, often with great distinction. Sadly, a well known Messianic Jewish soldier was killed in action just a few weeks ago.

Nevertheless, war is a terrible thing. General William Sherman from the US Civil War said it best, "I'm tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance for desolation. War is hell." 

In conclusion, quoting another songwriter, in this case Jewish:

"Yes, how many ears must one man have

Before he can hear people cry ?

Yes, how many deaths will it take till he knows

That too many people have died ?

The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind

The answer is blowin' in the wind."

War! What is it good for?

Graduation

Graduation

Last week we schlepped to Jerusalem for Amy's graduation from Hebrew University as a Master's in Community Development. While it was great to see her accomplish another milestone, the ceremony left a lot to be desired. Bottom-line, graduation ceremonies are boring. I remember the ceremony from my law school graduation where the speaker, political satirist Art Buchwald, said the only thing you will remember from my speech is that it was funny. He was right; that's all I remember, and he was funny.

Of course, what made this event particularly grueling was that it was all in Hebrew. While that may not seem surprising, her program was an international one taught in English, so we thought the graduation ceremony would also be in English. The highlight was an especially good three person Klezmer group (Klezmer is Jewish music from Eastern Europe). The only thing we understood (somewhat) from the ceremony was when the honorary speaker showed part of the movie, Social Network, about Mark Zuckerberg and the formation of Facebook. She then showed a clip from an Israeli documentary about the execution of Adolph Eichman, one of the architects of the Nazi Final Solution and the only man ever executed in Israel. While the film was in Hebrew, there were English subtitles. Apparently, one of those interviewed was involved in Eichman's execution and described in graphic detail his death including his bulging eyes following the execution. It was pretty gross. I was completely confused about the connection between the two films. Of course, not understanding Hebrew didn’t help. But, apparently, Amy was confused too, and her friends were all wondering what Facebook and Eichman had to do with their graduation, except maybe the connection about death through boredom. Anyway, we still had fun. I ate one piece of pastry and headed back north.

Law Practice

I can't say what happened exactly, but for the past 2-3 months, the law practice is booming. Honestly, it's hard to keep up, and the lengthy drive to our office is exhausting and time consuming. Need to come up with a new plan for this. Some of the cases are quite interesting. I have an Arab client who is being blocked in Washington, DC for some reason. Believe it or not, it's been three years. I asked his wife, who speaks perfect English, if he, his family or the mosque he attends have been involved in terrorism. She said no. Who knows? I have another client who is opening a counter-terrorism center in the US. Maybe he should team up with the Arab for a dog and pony show. Anyway, in meeting with him this past week, I wore the shirt depicted in the attachment. It's from the TV show, 24. He laughed and said he was familiar with the show. In addition to a few family cases where spouses are trying to get green cards through American spouses, I have a few other business cases, including a major hair product maker, opening a distribution center in the US. When we first met, he gave me some hair products for Stacy, but none for my bald spot on the crown of my heard. Oh well. Amazingly, these are all paying clients, and they're not crazy. All of them are Israelis.

Adonai Shamah

As many know, a small group of us have been meeting for worship every other week. Our numbers have grown over the past few months. This past Saturday we had 16 people, the most we've ever had. It may not seem like many, but it's great for us. We're not trying to build a formal congregation. Rather, we simply want to worship in the way in which we're comfortable, which is a Jewish traditional service integrated with Yeshua the Messiah. Almost everyone is Jewish who attends.

Yesterday, our group plus others met for Shavuot (Pentecost in the church world) at another home. We had a great service. Gabriella, the woman from Uruguay who was in our ulpan, also attended. She said she had missed coming and wanted to come more. Also, others indicated interest in Shabbat services. Who knows what will happen next? Traditionally, products made with dairy are eaten on Shavuot. Shavuot commemorates the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai as well as the inauguration of the New Covenant in the Book of Acts. Consequently, dairy is eaten because we’re feasting on the milk of God’s word. And we certainly did feast. Amazingly, my lactose intolerance didn’t erupt – another miracle for this holiday.

Jewish/Arab Divide

As most everyone knows, there is a tremendous divide in Israel between Jews and Arabs. Many Jews don’t like to be around Arabs, and Arabs resent and balk against Jewish presence. Most of Stacy’s and my time are spent with Israeli Jews, her clients, my clients, our worship group, our neighbors. But we do have friends in Nazareth, an Arab town about 15 minutes from us, and, of course, the area where Yeshua grew up. Our friends are Christian missionaries to the Arab communities. When we visit them and meet their friends, it’s like entering a different world.

The spoken language there is Arabic, not Hebrew, though most know Hebrew. Israel’s holidays are not celebrated, both national and religious. In fact, on Israel Independence Day, many in the Arab community celebrate what’s called, “Nakba,” which means catastrophe. And, yet, these folks are Israeli citizens. Those involved in black/white relations in the US are obviously familiar with trying to bridge racial and cultural divides, but the situation here is almost unparalleled. It’s like two nations are living within one nation, and both struggle against the other. The very nature of a Jewish state relegates non-Jews to a lesser status. Yet Israel’s very existence is based upon that concept both Biblically and historically. Sadly, there’s no great answer, except to help and understand the under privileged. As I said above, I do have one Arab client, and I gave advice to another Arab couple. For now, the best I can do is to help them and honor them for who they are – a people made in the image of God.

Another Stacy project

Our house number is 116. However, the house sign attached high on the outside wall of our house says 115. It’s been corrected twice by magic marker, an attractive and permanent change.  For some time Stacy has been planning to make a mosaic with our house number and our name in Hebrew. She started it several weeks ago and went through various permutations, but the end result is quite impressive.  The plan is to attach it to this concrete structure which houses our garbage cans but is right on the street, so visitors will see our name and number right away. I’m not sure what to do with the current house number – maybe put it in a scrap book. 

Rebecca and family

 Please pray for Jonah, our daughter Rebecca’s husband. He has a serious (not life threatening) illness and is on a medical protocol. It’s been pretty disruptive to the family.

Trip to the States

 We’ll be in the States from June 25-July 29, although Stacy will stay behind until mid-September L to watch our granddaughter in California as her dad, Judah, works at a grape harvest as part of his education in wine-making. Our schedule looks the following:

June 25-30 – Texas (Houston, Dallas, San Antonio)

June 30-July 16 – Richmond, VA

July 16-20 – Chicago

July 20-29 – California, mainly Sacramento

If you’re interested in scheduling me to speak and/or Stacy to play, please let me know.

Kibbutz Experiences

Kibbutz Experiences

Prior to and subsequent to my mother’s untimely death, we’ve had some interesting kibbutz experiences. As most of you know, we live on the extension of Kibbutz Merchavia in northern Israel. It’s located next to the city of Afula in the Jezreel Valley. If you recall from the last regular update, Stacy and I participated in the Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) commemoration. Because Stacy was such a big hit, she was asked to play for Yom Ha-atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day).

The day before Yom Ha-atzmaut is Yom HaZikkaron (Memorial Day for fallen soldiers). Israel knows how to honor her fallen heroes. Every community gathers together on the evening of the day and remembers the sacrifices of the fallen. On our kibbutz everyone gathered solemnly just before dark. At 8:00 sirens sounded around the country, and everyone stood. When the sirens stopped, the ceremony began. Every former kibbutz member who perished during either war time or in a terrorist attack was remembered. There were probably about 25 of them. A photo was displayed for each person, and someone read a short history about them accompanied by thoughts from loved ones. Our kibbutz is one of the oldest kibbutzim in Israel. If I remember correctly, the earliest person killed in action was from the 1930’s during Arab riots against Jewish settlements. Others were killed during the war of Independence in 1948, the 1956 war, the 1967 war, many during the 1973 war and then several others killed in various Lebanese excursions, up to 2005. The ceremony was very moving and compelling. This year we were actually able to understand some of what was said – a huge accomplishment for language dimwit Jamie Cowen.

The following evening began Yom Ha-atzmaut. Stacy was already scheduled to play a song with another kibbutz member – they had been practicing for several days. Somewhere along the line, they asked us to present the Israeli flag, a huge honor. See the pic. Consider only 5 + years ago we were sitting in a jail cell at the Israeli airport – quite a change. As soon as we presented the colors, a spark shot down from a wire above us and lit a fire display right behind us, showing a Star of David with the number 66 in the center (66th anniversary of the founding of the state). See the pic. Then, immediately thereafter, fireworks were set off, essentially right above us. I cautiously watched the sparks floating down on top of us.

After that we were directed to sit down where the entertainment began. There were a number of children performances, and then Stacy and group were called to play. She was joined by a neighbor, Naomi, who sang, and a relative of one of Stacy’s students, who looked and acted like a pothead but did a decent job on a makeshift drum. See the pic. Unlike Yom HaShoah, this was a celebratory event, and it seemed like most of the kibbutz residents were present. Stacy is becoming a celebrity here.

The final event was the dreaded Lag B’Omer. At the beginning of Passover, according to the Scripture one is to count the omer (sheaf of a barley plant) for the next 50 days up to Shavuot (Pentecost). Essentially, one counts the days and says a prayer each day. On the 33rd day of the count, the holiday of Lag B’Omer is celebrated; lag b’omer in Hebrew means the 33rd of the omer. The day has varied significance depending upon the celebrants. For the Orthodox, the day is in memory of a 2nd century rabbi, who supposedly was the father of Jewish mysticism, in my view, an incorrect historical attribution. For the secular, the day honors Simon Bar Kochba, a 2nd century Jewish revolutionary, who unsuccessfully sought to overthrow Roman occupation. Regardless, the day is celebrated by making fires all over the land – a wonderful gesture in light of Israel being a dry country, not to mention adding to the world’s accumulating air pollution. Oh what a day!

Anyway, Naomi, the neighbor who joined Stacy for the performance at Yom Ha’atzmaut, invited us to her house for a barbecue, and again, Stacy was asked to bring her guitar and play a few tunes. When we arrived, it was basically a block party, at the end of their street where Naomi and family lives. It was actually a great opportunity to meet more neighbors, most of whom we didn’t know. A few knew English and so communicated with us in both Hebrew and English. I think I appear to the neighbors as Stacy’s arm candy, except I’m not blonde, just gray. Near the end they asked Stacy to play some songs. Most of the Hebrew songs she knows are religious ones from the synagogue, and most of the folks didn’t know them. I actually sang along with Stacy to give the songs more volume. Finally, they said, sing a song in English. Stacy sang the Herman’s Hermits hit, “End of the World.” Interestingly, most of the folks knew this song and sang heartily along, although most weren’t even born when the song was written. Strange! 

Law Practice and the Messianic Jewish Business Entrepreneur Conference

As most know, Messianic Jews in Israel have been a marginalized community. That has begun to change. Last year some young Messianic Jewish business people organized a conference for budding Messianic Jewish entrepreneurs where they could display their inventions or business ideas to a group of foreign investors. This year was the second one with much greater attendance of both entrepreneurs and investors. Our law firm rented a table and displayed our new brochures although we’re not looking for investors per se. Rather, we’re seeking clients from both the entrepreneurs who need legal assistance in establishing a business and the investors who may want to do business in Israel.

We made numerous contacts including the head of the chamber of commerce from Taiwan, who wants to direct business to Israel and an Israeli government official who is responsible for overseeing business investment in Israel. The Israeli official was a significant meeting because he will be responsible for any foreign investor in Israel under the new E-2 Treaty Investor program, which I’ve written about previously. Apparently, while there is tremendous interest in Israelis investing in the US, he was not aware of interest on the part of Americans to invest in Israel. I told him that was not the case. I already know of many who are interested, and our law firm hopefully will be handling many of these investments. He seemed quite intrigued. It was a very good contact.

In addition, my practice has picked up significantly, and I actually have some very good clients, not just the strange ones I’ve written about. I’m actually now needing assistance to handle many of these cases. So thank you to those who have been praying.

Yom HaShoah

Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day)

If there was ever a reason for the existence of the nation of Israel, other than the promises of the Bible, the Holocaust is it. The Holocaust, of course, is a source of great sorrow and memory for Jews all over the world. Yet, living in Israel gives one a unique perspective of the event. For almost 2,000 years Jewish existence and survival were subject to the mercies of the nations in which they lived. With the rise of Israel, Jews literally have a place of refuge. Therefore, the holiday is honored differently here. The official holiday in Israel is Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day. Not only are those who perished in the Holocaust remembered but also those who resisted the Nazis, such as those who participated in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. That resistance forms the basis of Israel’s existence, and influences her relationship with others, especially sworn enemies. It’s very difficult for Americans and probably others to understand this unless you live here.

Events are held all over the country, beginning with the evening before, this year, this past Sunday night. Our kibbutz, like most others, holds ceremonies. A week or so prior to the event, the kibbutz secretary, Gila, whom we knew prior to moving here, called Stacy to ask her to play and sing some songs, of course, in Hebrew, of which two of the songs Stacy had never heard. I was asked to light one of six large candles and say a prepared statement in Hebrew. The six candles represent the six million Jews who perished. Different people were to light each candle and make a statement. Gila’s phone call set Stacy and me scrambling to prepare – for me to read the Hebrew correctly since many of the words I wasn’t familiar with, and for Stacy to learn the songs, both the words and the music. Our friend and cantor, Riki, here helped us with both.

We arrived at the kibbutz theater early to meet the various participants and plan accordingly. Stacy had done a sound check earlier. She planned to play and lead the singing for two songs on guitar and one on piano. The event began. There were about 100 people present ranging in age from young children to the very elderly, including Holocaust survivors. Four candles were lit, each one followed by a short statement, including mine, about the Holocaust or the resistance. Since no one laughed or jeered, I assume my statement was understandable. See the pic of me lighting a candle. Then Stacy played her first song appropriately entitled, “Eli, Eli,” meaning my God, my God.  It’s not really like the passage from Psalm 22, which Yeshua cried at His death. However, it is a prayer that certain aspects of life never end. Regardless, as soon as she began playing and singing, it was as if God Himself was in the room. Some sang quietly along. Many just listened. Everyone was visibly touched. See the pic of Stacy playing.

Following the lighting of the sixth candle, another man shared a lengthy personal story. We only understood bits and pieces. Then Stacy played and sang the song, “Lechol Ish Yesh Shem” (everyone has a name) about one’s identity connected to his/her life’s experiences, including death. It’s a very haunting melody, appropriate for the occasion. This time more were singing. I was humming. People kept turning to me and mouthing, “amazing.” Finally, the ceremony ended. Everyone stood as Stacy led from piano this time, “Hatikvah” (The Hope), Israel’s national anthem. People were really overwhelmed, and many told Stacy how beautiful the music was. She was quickly recruited for the Yom Ha-Atzmaut (Independence Day) celebrations next week.

I think the significance of the event is that we felt that we finally broke into the community here. Up to now, we’ve gotten to know surrounding neighbors, but most of our acquaintances are outside of the kibbutz. Yet, we felt very clearly from the Lord that this was the place where we were to move. I believe this event was the open door for us in the community.

Marriage Lottery

There is a special visa program for foreigners to win a green card to come to the US, known as the visa lottery program. Every year 50,000 green cards are awarded completely based on a lottery program. Millions of people apply for the coveted US green cards. Several years ago we actually helped some Russians in the US who had participated and won a green card through this method. However, I had no idea until I got here that there is also a marriage lottery.

If you recall from a couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Unmarried, who married an American citizen, ultimately gaining US citizenship, while being married in a religious ceremony to an Israeli woman – the real wife. He now wanted to pass on his American citizenship to his son. This past week I met a few more of these folks. In fact, this time two families came to my office to discuss how they could bring their wives to the US. In both cases, the men were Israelis who had obtained US citizenship through marriage to Americans, while simultaneously living with and marrying Israeli women and fathering their children.

This situation was eery. Both families seemed very nice and loving. It’s obvious these are good people. Yet, if the US government ever discovered what they did, they could lose their American citizenship. I gave them some advice and cautioned them about possible outcomes. They’ve since divorced their American wives after obtaining US citizenship and now want their current and real wives to obtain green cards. For one family, it didn’t make much sense since they didn’t want to live in the US, and unlike citizenship, one can lose a green card if she doesn’t live in the US. The other family was more serious about it since the husband owns and runs a business in the US. I explained to him the process, again warning him that it could expose him to losing his citizenship. He may yet hire me. But I began to think I probably need some ethical advice about handling some of these cases where I know the clients have done something illegal.

Passover in the Land

Passover in the Land

Picture Labor Day or Memorial Day weekend on the east coast of the US where everyone heads towards either Atlantic City or Ocean City. That’s a description of the roads in Israel at the beginning of the Passover holiday. Schools close several days before Passover and do not reopen for a few weeks. Consequently, Israeli families vacation during this period. While there are many tourist places in Israel, there are limited numbers of places for Israeli families to vacation. Over 100,000 descended on the Sea of Galilee alone. Normally, families stay at home or join with extended families or friends for the 1st night of Passover and hold a Seder (the traditional Passover meal and service that celebrates the ancient Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt). The first day of Passover is a national holiday. Most Israelis do not drive on religious holidays. But on the 2nd day, oh Lord. Of course, not knowing this, I went to the office for a meeting, eventually straggling back home late after a painfully slow trip home.

Still being relatively new immigrants, it’s difficult to acclimate to the rhythms of life here. At least I figured out the shopping pandemonium prior to the holiday. As I’ve shared before, I try and avoid shopping on Thursdays and Fridays because everything shuts down early Friday, and then is closed until Sunday. Consequently, shopping on those days is challenging. However, when coupled with holidays, it gets very tricky. In addition, we were holding our own Seder, and then hosting services in our home yesterday. Thus, we needed to stock up on food, and then, the right food.

Celebrating Passover means restricting the types of foods one eats. The Biblical rule is to eat no leavening for the seven day holiday. The rabbis interpreted this to mean not eating anything comprised of five grains – wheat, barley, oats, rye and spelt (whatever that is). Then depending upon whose traditions you follow, it can also mean not eating rice or beans or anything else that has taste. It also means removing all the leavening products from one’s home the day prior to Passover. We were planning to burn the leavened products, known as chametz, as is traditionally done in homes, but we were running late for the Seder, so I dumped it in the compost pile outside to the joy of the stray animals and vermin who feasted on leaven while we scrupulously avoided everything that tastes good – they must be Gentile vermin.

Anyway, we had a fun time together – two of our children and their families and Riki, our friend, the cantor. Riki adds a lot to the Seder, knowing many of the songs we don’t know and easily plowing through the Hebrew since she’s a native Israeli. We asked Lily, our grand-daughter, to recite the four questions (traditionally done by the youngest at the table who asks, “why is this night different from all other nights?”) At five months old, Lily only blinked at me but did like the wine. You’re supposed to drink four cups of wine during the meal, so by the end everyone is rejoicing, making the restrictions on food far more palatable. The next day, the first full day of Passover, we joined others at our new park on our street.

News from the Law Practice

 When I was in college, I felt the Lord direct me to law school, but I didn’t know why. Shortly after I graduated from law school, I sought the Lord for what He would have me do for my life. It’s a long story, but the gist was to use the practice of law to minister to those in need. While serving as rabbi at Tikvat Israel for many years, I did use the law to assist and minister to many of the Russian immigrants to our city and felt it was part of God’s original calling on my life. Moving to Israel opened a new chapter for us. But struggling with the language and with assimilating into society clouded my perception as to how God could use me here. Even with the opening of the law practice, a monumental event, I still have felt foggy about God using me. Sure, we can practice law and make a living, but I’ve always felt there was more to life than survival and just managing life. Frankly, if we pushed our faith upon people, we’d have few, if any, clients because they would run for the hills.

But an interesting encounter this past week helped me to crystallize my thoughts about the future. I met with a client who wanted to open a business in the States. We went over the various options. He then asked if I handled immigration to the States. I thought that was a curious question because why would he have come in the first place. I said, absolutely. He then asked if I primarily handle immigration to Israel. I said, no; one of my partners does, but I can’t because I’m not licensed to practice in the Israeli legal system. He then told me he had googled my name and found the article written last summer by an anti-missionary who “outed me” for being a Messianic rabbi that surreptitiously immigrated to Israel under the guise of being a lawyer and whose firm was trying to sneak Messianic Jews into the country. I laughed and told him about my conversations with the so-called journalist, and then said that it’s true we’re Messianic Jews, but we are professionals and treat people accordingly.

It was an interesting because he approached me and will likely hire me, despite being an “infamous” Messianic Jewish leader. I reflected upon this encounter during our services yesterday and felt renewed in my vision for God’s plan for our lives. I still believe God has a significant plan for our firm, especially with the new law passing allowing any American to invest here and receive temporary residency. Our firm is perfectly positioned to handle such cases, and I believe it will give us a significant foothold in the country. Once we’re more established as a credible firm, making our faith known should not be an issue. Please pray for us as we attempt to move forward and gain more clients, and pray that we can be a good witness for Yeshua. Our firm’s website is www.lawoffice.org.il.

Peace Process?

Peace Process?

 In most of my updates I’ve tried to avoid commenting on the Israeli/Palestinian peace process because it’s the subject that most commentators write about involving Israel, as if that’s the only relevant information concerning the nation. Nevertheless, in light of the most recent balagan (Hebrew for mess) regarding this subject, I will address it. From the beginning, a successful outcome was a long shot. However, the Bible mentions peace 249 times, encourages parties to seek peace, promises peace to Israel and foretells of a day when peace will reign over all the earth (e.g., Isaiah 2, 11). Therefore, despite the odds, peace should always be sought. Yeshua, himself, said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.”

In the current peace process both sides are playing the game of chicken. Neither side believes peace is possible but doesn’t want to be the one blamed for its collapse. Israel does not believe she has a legitimate negotiating partner. Israel’s fear is that if elections were held in the West Bank today, the current Palestinian government would be thrown out and replaced with either Hamas or some other terrorist organization. Thus, any negotiated settlement would be scrapped immediately. Even if the current Palestinian government survived, the Gaza Strip, a significant piece of “future Palestine,” is still ruled by Hamas, who wouldn’t recognize the settlement anyway.

The Palestinians believe their greatest hopes reside in international recognition through the United Nations and other international organizations. The Palestinians refuse to relinquish issues that Israel will never agree to, such as the “right of return” of millions of descendants of those Arabs who fled Palestine during Israel’s war of independence, Jerusalem being the capital of a new Palestine and borders that predate the 1967 war. The Palestinian position on each of these issues has substantial support in the international arena. Thus, the Palestinians recognize a negotiated settlement between Israel and herself will undermine these claims.

Yet, both sides have much to lose by refusing to participate in some process. The latest blowup was inevitable, and if it doesn’t lead to the process’s failure, something else likely will doom any pact. In the most recent situation, Israel refused to release the last batch of Arabs who were convicted of terrorism, including murder,  part of a 4 step release of terrorists in turn for the Palestinians to agree to join and continue the peace process. Israel refused because they suspected that once the terrorists were released the Palestinians would bypass the negotiations and seek for direct international recognition. Thus, Israel would have released hundreds of terrorists and gained nothing in return. As it turns out, Israel refused to release the final batch of terrorists, and the Palestinians, as suspected, sought and gained recognition in multiple international organizations. A wild card was introduced by US Secretary of State John Kerry when he stupidly and possibly inadvertently blamed Israel for the process breakdown during a US Senate hearing.

Sadly, both sides recognize that a Palestinian state is all but inevitable, but the process is enflamed with so much emotion, uncertainty and distrust that they seemingly cannot and likely will not reach an agreement. What Israel must concern herself with other than the myriad of security issues involved in any negotiation, is the fact that she is losing support in Europe (not all that surprising) and among important constituencies in her greatest ally, the US, those being, the evangelical Christian church and young Jews.  Since the 1970’s US Evangelical churches have been among Israel’s staunchest supporters, but the younger generations now filling the pews are questioning this support. Even more surprising is the loss of interest and connection among young Jews in America towards Israel, as recently reported in a survey of the Jewish community in the US. Unless reversed these factors portend a difficult road ahead for Israel, especially if a peace settlement is not reached soon. The Bible makes it clear that we are to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Ps. 122). Everyone loses while peace is absent.

Another Interesting Client

 By the grace of God I’ve been getting more clients, challenging me to work harder (is there such a word as retirement?).  I’ll call a recent client, Unmarried, although that’s an oxymoron. Unmarried is a naturalized American citizen through marriage. He wants to transmit his citizenship to his son. If a child is born in the US, he automatically receives citizenship. However, if he is born overseas, then it gets trickier. In Unmarried’s case, he has two children, a daughter  born in the US, but a son born in Israel. So, I asked, are you married to an American citizen. He replied, yes. I said, well then, since your children are products of US citizens, then gaining citizenship for your son is no problem. But that’s when the case got more complicated. As it turns out the children are not products of this marriage. So, who is the mother? He said, a woman in Israel, who is his real wife. Huh?

I asked, aren’t you still married to the American? Yes. But then he clarified, he married the wife in Israel only through a religious marriage, through a rabbi, but never registered the marriage with the state. Otherwise, he explained he would be a bigamist. I thought by now worrying over legal technicalities seemed to be the least of the problems. I said, but what about your legal wife, the American, doesn’t she want to be free to remarry? He said, no, she doesn’t care; she’s a lesbian. Oh my Lord! Basically, the original and legal marriage was a sham, dating back to 25 years. I said, well, now in the US she can probably get married anyway, so it could be a problem for her. He chuckled. I looked distressed. The problem with the case is how US immigration law is applied to children born abroad. If a child born abroad is the product of a legal marriage, all that is necessary is to show the US citizen is the actual parent. But if a child is born out of wedlock, the tests are much stricter, and Unmarried’s son probably will not be eligible for citizenship. I told him the only way to do this is to argue that the religious marriage, confirmed by a ketubah (Jewish marriage contract), is a legal marriage despite it not being registered with the state. He said, wouldn’t that make him a bigamist? I thought maybe Man at the Well, Slum Lord and Unmarried could form a partnership as life coaches.

A New Law, A New Opportunity

There are many types of visas to the United States. A popular one for foreign businesspersons is the E-2 Treaty Investor Visa. This allows foreign nationals to invest in and own a business in the US and receive a work visa which can be renewed without limit. However, only foreign nationals who are citizens of a country that has a treaty with the US for this type of visa are eligible for one. Two years ago legislation was passed in the US adding Israel to the list of eligible countries. For the law to be implemented, Israel had to agree to reciprocity for Americans interested in investing in Israel. Just over a week ago, the Israeli government finally agreed to such a plan. What this means is that Americans who invest in and/or open an Israeli company can receive temporary residency in Israel. This is a very significant change in law, and one that opens many opportunities for our law firm.

Israelis have already contacted me for information about opening a business in the US. I actually received my first paying business client last week. Baruch Ha Shem (praise the Lord)!  But I believe our firm also can attract many Americans who normally could not qualify for a work visa to Israel. Israeli immigration law is limited to providing residency and citizenship to Jews or those of Jewish heritage. This is provided for through the Law of Return, which dates back to the early years of the modern state. The only real exception to this is immigration through the Law of Citizenship, which provides immigration to non-Jewish spouses, minor children and, in some cases, parents of Israeli citizens. Even in these cases, there are strict limits. The very tight limits on immigration are to ensure that Israel remains a predominantly Jewish nation. This is the main reason as to why Israel has been very reluctant to offer residency to thousands of African refugees currently residing in the land. While work visas have been available to certain foreign nationals, they too are very limited. 

What gives our firm an edge with potential American investors is that I’m one of the few Israelis who are familiar with the E-2 visa process. Once the regulations are published for investors to Israel, we can market ourselves as experienced practitioners, which would include establishing a business in Israel, registering it and handling the visa process to Israel. One of my partners is already an expert in visas and immigration to Israel. As an example, there are many Christian Zionists who would love to reside in Israel but who are now limited to 3 month tourist visas. The new law would permit them to reside here and work here, at least to those who could comply with whatever the investor visa requires. For a comparable US visa, there is no set amount for an investment, but generally it is understood that an investment of about $100,000 is what is needed to be eligible for such a visa. Please pray for our firm and me to attract these potential clients. Our law firm’s website is www.lawoffice.org.il.

Unveiling

As many may recall, our machatunit (mother of our son-in-law Judah), Katya Morrison, passed away last October after a 1 ½ year battle with leukemia. It was a devastating loss of a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, mentor and friend to many. On Friday Stacy and I attended a ceremony called an unveiling. This is a ceremony where the headstone is placed and unveiled. In the US the ceremony usually occurs around the 11th month following the date of death to mark the end of the Jewish mourning period. In Israel it’s traditional to perform the ceremony after 30 days (the end of the period of intense mourning). In Katya’s case it was after 5 months. The ceremony, like the funeral before it, was led by Eitan Shishkoff, the leader of Ohalei Rachamim (Tents of Mercy) Congregation near Haifa. He read a few Scriptures, did some of the traditional prayers and shared a few thoughts. A few others prayed out loud. Moshe (Katya’s husband) concluded the ceremony by reciting the Kaddish, a very old Aramaic prayer that is said in memory of the deceased.

But the most amazing part of the ceremony was the aftermath. Most of the graves around Katya’s had head stones and were completely covered by concrete blocks. In her case the grave was uncovered and dirt was on top. I thought it strange and couldn’t figure out what was going on. Also, different folks had brought plants with them and had set them near the grave. I also thought that a little strange because at most Jewish graves visitors leave stones as a means of attesting to their visit. After the ceremony the people that brought plants, including some of Katya’s grandchildren, began planting the plants onto her grave. Then, I got it – I’ve never been the most observant person in the world. Katya loved plants and was always planting something in her yard. This was a way to memorialize her and to remember that her life is still nurturing others’ lives even after death. I’ve included two pics. The Hebrew says her name, her life span and then a very apropos quotation from the Book of Proverbs, “Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ‘Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.’" Please pray for Moshe, her husband, her children and their spouses and her grandchildren. It’s been a very tough loss.

Trip to the States

We’ll be in the States from June 18-July 21, although it appears Stacy may stay behind until mid-September L to watch our granddaughter in California as her dad, Judah, works at a grape harvest as part of his education in wine-making. Our schedule looks the following:

June 18-23 – Texas (Houston, Dallas, San Antonio)

June 23-30 – California, mainly Sacramento

June 30-July 16 – Richmond, VA

July 16-20 – Chicago

If you’re interested in scheduling me to speak and/or Stacy to play, please let me know. Also, if you know of someone coming to Israel during this period and needs a place to stay, they can stay for free at our house. We need someone to watch the kitties.