August 1996: Volume 18, Number 8

Contents Bound for the Promised Land More Media Misconceptions A Believer's Tour of Jerusalem CNN Bias A Note from Zola "Bound for the Promised Land" ZOLA LEVITT In our last issue, we provided a few articles written by Israelis covering their recent elections. The picture they presented is in stark contrast to that offered by the vast majority of the American media. The effect of this poor media coverage of the Israeli elections on Americans is to greatly distort their impressions of what is really happening in that country. The average person in the U.S. seems to believe that all of Israel is a virtual war zone and that the new government is against peace, which is far from the case. We at Zola Levitt Ministries can see this view reflected in the low subscription to our Fall Tour, which started out exceptionally well but has seen a drop in the months since the elections. We can only conclude that the media misinformation is deterring many people from travelling to the Holy Land. Probably a lot of the concern has been raised by biased coverage of new Prime Minister Netanyahu and his policies (for more on that, see the CAMERA article excerpted elsewhere in this newsletter). In reality, nothing has gone wrong since the election and there have been no major acts of terrorism within Israel's borders. While terrorism can happen anywhere, anytime, there is good reason to suppose that in Israel people on all sides are waiting to see what the new government's policies will actually be. There is peace in Israel. There is the occasional terroristic threat, but that is unfortunately true in America too. Casualty for casualty, terrorism has been overwhelmingly more costly to the U.S. than to Israel. In reality, this is a very good time to visit the Land of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, for the following reasons: The government has just changed, and everyone concerned is holding off to see what might transpire. The only ones with dread of the new government seem to be journalists. They report on Israel with grave concern in their voices, but there is actually nothing bad going on there. The relative stability of the region can be seen in the recent prisoner exchange between Israel and the Hezbollah in Lebanon. That is unprecedented, has never happened before, and certainly does not demonstrate any deterioration in peace caused by the new government. No one has ever targeted tourists in Israel. Americans are targeted only in America and Arab countries. Even besides the fact that tourism provides income for all sides, America has been a good friend to both the Israelis and the Palestinians, and no one will upset that apple cart. Security for tourists is not a problem. We have taken over 50 tours to the Holy Land and have never encountered any danger from the inhabitants. We have people on the ground who keep us constantly up-to-date on conditions there. We use private tour buses, which, by the way, are new and luxurious. They are owned by their drivers, who guard them zealously and permit access only to tour members. Passengers on our tours are often amazed to see how safe and quiet Israel really is. Our upcoming pilgrimage will be celebrating the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles, which are among the holiest times for the Land of Israel. Many Christians find a special significance in experiencing these ancient festivals in the country of their origin. The weather at this time of year is excellent — sunny and warm and just right for touring. It is certainly one of the best times of the year to see Israel. We limit the size of our tours, which is a distinct advantage in group touring. There are some organizations that take hundreds, or even thousands, of tourists, which can greatly detract from the enjoyment of a pilgrimage. From our many tours, we have learned the best hotels to use and places to visit. And unlike most other tours, we use only licensed, Messianic, Israeli guides. How much more meaningful it is to have Israel revealed to you by a fellow believer! And for those people concerned about the security of travelling in Israel, I would recommend a professional tour such as ours, where our years of experience really count. I will be flying with this tour and overseeing it personally throughout. I love to share my knowledge of the Land and the Bible, and I'm very much looking forward to doing so on this trip. This is the grand finale of Jerusalem 3000, the 15-month-long celebration of the 3,000th anniversary of King David establishing his capital. It is a wonderful and exciting time to be in Jerusalem. Our extended tour this September will be very special. For the first time ever in the fall we will be journeying into the neighboring country of Jordan to visit Mount Nebo, where Moses caught his first glimpse of the Promised Land, and to see the ancient, rose-red city of Petra, famous for its buildings carved into the native rock. We will also travel to the south of Israel for a leisurely stay in the resort city of Eilat, situated on the Red Sea. This tour is truly not to be missed, and is quite economical considering its length and variety. And finally, and perhaps most important of all, this is a time that Christians need to show their support for Israel; and one of the very best ways is to go there yourself. Not only will you be supporting the people by your presence, you will see for yourself what is going on, and that can be an immeasurable help in counteracting the false information that is so prevalent in America. I cannot urge you strongly enough to visit the Land for yourself. The benefits are innumerable, both in your understanding of the Bible and in your understanding of its Messiah. We will keep registration for our Fall Festival Tour open late, but we need to hear from you soon. If you have any questions about our tour, please call us at (214) 690-1876. I would love to have you join me in what is without question the most unique and beautiful land on earth. Return to Index More Media Misconceptions The following Letters to the Editor appeared in The New York Times on July 11 and illustrate the typical misinformation that permeates the media. Even the second letter, which makes a very good point, misses the main issue. Israel Violates Rights with Gaza Strip Closure Israel's "closure" of the Palestinian community, barring Palestinians from leaving the Gaza Strip to work in Israel, is much more and worse than you describe (front page, July 9). For the closure amounts to measures that disconnect Palestinian cities and regions in the West Bank from one another, disconnect Jerusalem from the West Bank and disconnect the West Bank from the Gaza Strip. It also isolates the West Bank and Gaza from the outside world. It is a siege and strangulation of the Palestinian people, territory and economy. Having Israel allow the entrance of Palestinian workers should not be viewed as a favor granted. Israel has a moral responsibility stemming from 30 years of occupation, during which Palestinian workers were used as cheap labor. Further, the economic agreement between the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Israeli government was accepted by the Palestinian side in return for the continued ability of the Palestinian work force to work in Israel. If Israel wants to close its borders to Palestinian workers, it does not have the right to block the continuity of Palestinian territory or to isolate it from the outside world. — Nasser Al-Kidwa, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations Why Double Standard? I am disappointed by the double standard you apply to Israel, saying that closing its borders with the Gaza Strip and the West Bank "needlessly punishes and antagonizes Palestinian civilians" (editorial, July 9). What other country is required to keep such open borders? Some United States politicians are calling for a wall along the border with Mexico, to prevent its poor from competing with our poor for menial jobs and welfare benefits. You seem to think Israel owes the Palestinians employment. When Israelis established settlements in Gaza, they planted citrus groves and built resort hotels and hydroponic farms. They were profitable in short order. Why can't Palestinians build similar projects? — A.M. If I were writing to the Times on this subject, I would say the following: Neither letter gives the very crucial reason for the closing of the Palestinian territories. It was to stop the slaughter. Four terrorist bombings inside of nine days last spring caused terrible loss of life among innocent civilians. What country on the face of the earth would welcome the society who produced such bloodshed back into their country? The first requisite for living in anyone else's country is to behave like human beings. The points made in the second letter are significant. Indeed, the Palestinians have not done much with their resources in Israel. Arab people occupied the land for centuries without even building a town or any significant roads or any sound economic projects. The major exports of Jericho are oranges and olive oil, the same as they were when Abraham came. The Palestinians are crying out in destitution because they cannot work in Israel for the moment, but does Canada survive by sending its people to the U.S. for work? Does France sends its workers to Switzerland or Italy? No, if you want to make a country, you have to make an economy. And it is totally unclear to me how the Palestinians would survive if they had their own country. Total dependence on Israel would mean that they have not succeeded at nation-building. We don't notice other Arab countries taking in Palestinians. We don't find Palestinian products in any marketplace. And we are familiar with the Palestinians basically through their terrorism. Return to Index A Believer's Tour of Jerusalem By Thomas S. McCall, Th.D. [Click here for the previous article.] Thomas McCall What do you do when you go to Jerusalem? From our youth we have all heard so much about the fabled Holy City that we have a general idea about its most important features. But when you spend four or five days in Jerusalem, what do you see? Those who have been on Zola's tours say that their stay in Jerusalem was one of the most powerful spiritual experiences of their lives. The days are packed full as the bus goes from one site to another. The order in which the sites are seen may vary from one tour to another, but here are some of the significant things you will see if you have the opportunity to go to Jerusalem before the Lord returns. Jerusalem Holy Land Hotel Model. There is a hotel on the outskirts of western Jerusalem that is devoted to presenting what the city looked like in the first century. They have set aside more than an acre of land to display a scale model of the entire city, including the walls, buildings, homes, pools, palaces, and the Temple Mount. Once pilgrims see this, they have a much better idea of how the sights they see in modern Jerusalem relate to those in existence at the time of Christ and His disciples. The directors of the model have taken great care to make sure it is as accurate as possible. When a new archaeological discovery is made that clarifies something about the ancient city, teams of workers will go about correcting the model so that it reflects the new information. Empty Tomb of Christ. A trip to Jerusalem would not be complete without visiting the empty tomb of Christ, along with the nearby site of His crucifixion, Golgotha. The problem is, though, where exactly is the sepulchre? Absolute certainty about the location cannot be given because of the disruptions of the site from the time of the first coming of Christ until the Byzantine period that began some 300 years later. Queen Helena about 325 AD selected the site where the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was built as the authentic location of the empty tomb. This ancient church in the Christian Quarter of the Old City is still standing, and is full of the various religious equipment of Roman Catholicism and other Christian sects. With all of this religious decoration, it is difficult to conceive of where the tomb is, or how Golgotha is related to it. Over 100 years ago, a British army officer, General Gordon, who had a great interest in the Scriptures, felt he had discovered an alternative possibility for the site of the empty tomb. He called it the Garden Tomb. Most of us have seen pictures of this tomb, with the deep channel designed for a large stone to be rolled in front of the door. Also, the nearby hill has what appears to be the shape of a human skull. Some believe that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has more archaeological authenticity, but the Garden Tomb certainly looks more like what the Gospel accounts describe. An unforgettable experience is to visit the Lord's empty tomb and observe the Lord's Supper with other believers. Mount of Olives. Overlooking Jerusalem from the east is the hill called the Mount of Olives. This was the famous vantage point where the Lord brought His disciples to look down upon the Temple and teach them about the upcoming destruction of Jerusalem, the still-future Tribulation, and His glorious Second Coming. On our tour this past April, we took the bus to the top of the Mount of Olives, where a photographer took group photos with the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock in the background. From there we walked down past the extensive Jewish cemeteries (where Orthodox Jews are buried to be close to the site of the resurrection) to the Church of the Tear Drop. This is a Catholic Church building that is built in the shape of a tear drop, because of the account of the Messiah beholding Jerusalem and weeping. It is here that we reflected together on the message of the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24-25. Working our way on down the hill, we arrived at the Garden of Gethsemane, close to the Kidron Valley, which separates the Mount of Olives from the Temple Mount. The Church of All Nations was built there to commemorate the place where our Lord struggled in prayer shortly before His betrayal and arrest. We never think of the Mount of Olives quite the same after walking from the summit down to its base and looking upon the City of the Great King spread before us. Temple Mount. The bus then took us to the Old City, in which cars are not allowed and tourists can walk throughout. The focal point in the Old City is the Temple Mount, where the ancient Temples of Solomon and Herod stood successively and the Moslem Dome of the Rock stands today. Massive retaining walls hold up the platform of the Temple Mount, and the most famous of these contains the Western Wall (sometimes known as the Wailing Wall). It is a sobering sight to observe the hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of Jewish people who gather at the foot of the Western Wall to pray and insert written prayers in the crevices between the stones. On certain days there are also colorful Bar Mitzvah ceremonies at the Wall, as Jewish boys are initiated into Torah observance. The guides took our group around the corner of the massive retaining walls to the Southern Wall, where the original steps going up to the Huldah gates have been uncovered. The Lord Jesus and His disciples must have walked on these steps as they prepared to enter the Temple of old. From there it is a short walk up to the top of the Temple Mount, where travellers can take off their shoes and enter the Dome of the Rock. The "Rock" is the summit of the Temple Mount. One prominent view is that this rock is the base of the Holy of Holies of the Temple. Seeing all this provides a great opportunity to discuss with the pilgrims the history of the Temple and the layout of the Temple Mount. Yad Vashem. Leaving the Old City and going westward among the hills and valleys of the new part of Jerusalem, the bus took our group to the Yad Vashem Memorial, which commemorates the victims of the Nazi Holocaust. Six-million Jews were killed in death camps during World War II. Hitler was determined to destroy all the Jews he could, and he was equally committed to stopping the creation of the Jewish homeland from coming to pass. One of the saddest times of our mostly joyous visit to Israel was this vivid reminder of the suffering of Israel, not only in our century, but during all the long Diaspora. One of the themes of this museum is that we must never forget what happened during the Holocaust. Dead Sea Scroll Museum. Close to the Knesset (or Parliament) government buildings is the campus of the University of Jerusalem, where also resides the Israel Museum. One part of the museum is the Shrine of the Book, which houses numerous examples of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Our people were particularly thrilled as they viewed the central column around which is exhibited the entire scroll of Isaiah. This is one of the greatest proofs of the validity of our Old Testament manuscripts, and also of the authenticity of the great prophecy of Isaiah 53, which is clearly visible on the ancient document. One leaves the Shrine of the Book with a strong conviction that God has carefully and faithfully preserved His Word for all these centuries. Many other places were visited by our tour group while in Jerusalem, including the Arab markets in the Old City and the Promenade Restaurant with its stunning southern view of Jerusalem, as well as trips to Bethlehem, Masada and the Dead Sea. After 10 days of pilgrimage in Israel, our tour group arose early on the morning of departure, and boarded the bus for Ben Gurion Airport for the plane trip home. More than a vacation, more than an educational trip, this pilgrimage was a great spiritual adventure through the Land of the Bible: past, present and future. Return to Index CNN Bias Excerpts from CAMERA Action Alert, June 28, 1996 CNN (Cable News Network), a valuable news source with a global audience, often provides extensive, live coverage of important events. Policymakers in America's State Department and foreign offices worldwide follow breaking stories on the network. Regrettably, Israel's recent elections, the installation of a new government there and Arab responses to these developments have prompted a disturbing pattern of biased coverage on CNN. Viewers concerned about the damaging impact of distorted information are strongly encouraged to protest to CNN urging swift network action to rectify the bias. Election Day on CNN CNN's news coverage on May 29-30 by Christiane Amanpour, Brent Sadler, Walter Rodgers, Jerrold Kessel, Jim Clancy, Mary Tillotson and others was delivered with intensifying gloom as election returns pointed to a Netanyahu government. Amanpour, who anchored the story, emphasized the views of those who considered the election "a sad day and a loss, a big loss for the Middle East peace process." Walter Rodgers declared Netanyahu "hardline" and "rigid." He also misrepresented both the candidate's statements and the Oslo accords. . . . Brent Sadler called Netanyahu a swaggerer and Jim Clancy observed that people think him "ruthless." Mary Tillotson laughed at the new leader's political positions and repeatedly averred (wrongly) that American-born Israelis had thrown the election to the Likud candidate. CNN guest commentators amplified the view that Netanyahu's win was a bleak development. Israeli journalist Chemi Shalev observed bitterly that "It may turn out that the lunatics will have decided [the election]" — because in the close-fought contest every vote was crucial, including those of patients in mental institutions. Israeli journalist, David Landau, was equally dour: ". . . one has to hope that this doesn't mean the end, the burial, the deep freeze of the peace process." . . . American political figures James Baker and Lawrence Eagleburger were interviewed extensively, both deploring the election results. . . . Henry Kissinger and Congressman Benjamin Gilman, neither of whom were interviewed at length, were among the few who did not lament the election results. Hisham Milhem and Mark Perry, both highly unfriendly to Israel, were repeatedly paired in interviews. Perry said there was "no question that things look bad." Milhem, an Arab journalist, said the Oslo agreements were likely "dead." A number of Netanyahu supporters were heard from . . . but they were vastly outnumbered by critics and their comment was often greeted with skepticism. . . . The New Government With a new Israeli administration about to take office, CNN presented a disturbingly inverted view of developments. A June 4, 1996, Walter Rodgers report focused on Orient House, the East Jerusalem complex Palestinians have increasingly used in violation of the Oslo agreements as both a setting for diplomatic meetings and a location for Palestinian Authority departments. The incoming Likud government campaigned on a pledge to ban these functions which are part of an aggressive Arab campaign to undermine Israeli sovereignty in the city. Under the Oslo Accords, PA institutions are only to be located in PA-controlled areas, not in Jerusalem. Rodgers reported none of this, providing no context for Israel's concerns about Orient House. Instead, he admonished the Israelis that "any moves by the new Netanyahu government to change the status of Palestinians in this city would have serious consequences." Correspondent Don Kladstrup's report on the swearing in of the new prime minister (June 18, 1996) continued the pattern of parroting critics of Netanyahu and offering no context or counterpoint. Kladstrup says ". . . many fear [Netanyahu's proposed negotiating guidelines] are so rigid and so inflexible they could undermine the very peace process [he] says he's committed to." Here, as throughout CNN coverage, there is no mention of what Israelis "fear" or of the disastrous Arab failure to abide by their signed commitment to prevent terrorism. No mention is made of the unprecedented killings of Jews since the Oslo signings, nor of Arafat's collusion with Hamas, collusion that has enabled Hamas to import arms, train terrorists and implement terror attacks. The sham punishment of Hamas members (publicized arrests followed by prompt, off-camera releases) is similarly passed over in silence. The Arab Summit in Cairo On June 22, 1996, CNN's Christiane Aman-pour reported extensively from Cairo on the Arab summit convened to devise a unified Arab position toward the new Israeli leadership. Her interviews with Arab delegates and others were again a one-sided hammering at the "very hardline" Benjamin Netanyahu and his allegedly outrageous policy positions. Amanpour frequently challenged Arab speakers who expressed even cautious optimism about the new prime minister, reminding them of Netanyahu's supposedly intractable stance. Not once did she present the views of the Israeli government or of the majority of Israelis who elected that government. Nor did she point out to viewers that the Oslo negotiations broke down primarily over one issue — the slaughter of Israelis on the streets of their own cities by Palestinian terrorists. Amanpour never once noted that Arab failure to comply with the agreements was a cause of present circumstances. Arafat's speeches extolling suicide bombers and reminding Palestinians that he is still pursuing his phased plan for Israel's annihilation are ignored. In Amanpour's formulation the commuters, shoppers, tourists, Purim celebrants and other innocents murdered since Oslo are erased along with Arab responsibility. The CNN reporter is also joined by colleague Walter Rodgers in misrepresenting the Syrian-Israeli impasse. Instead of reminding viewers and network guests that Syria rejected extremely generous territorial proposals by Israel on the Golan, both reporters ignore recent history and place the onus on Israel. . . . The role of the journalist is to relay information to the public in as neutral a fashion as possible. Amanpour's open advocacy of Palestinian and Arab positions in her reports and the tilted coverage of other CNN reporters is a cause for serious concern. As events unfold, it will be CNN that broadcasts most intensively from the region. The network record in these early days of a new Israeli administration gives little reason to believe that reporting will be accurate, complete or balanced. To subscribe to the mailings from CAMERA (Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America), write to PO Box 428, Boston MA 02258, or call (617) 789-3672. Return to Index A Note From Zola Dear Friends, It has been a month of peculiar activities in the world at large. I want to share some thoughts and various news items that have come my way. The American media did a number on the Israeli elections, as our other articles attest. But what if the Israelis had had to choose between candidates like ours?! Netanyahu's reception by the U.S. Congress was wonderful. Everyone was surprised that he is such a warm, intelligent human being, but they had been subjected to the media treatment. Our American spin-doctors got Boris Yeltsin elected in Russia. Thank heaven they did not go to Israel. A democracy isn't really a democracy if the election is engineered. The Lebanese parliament contains eight members of Hezbollah, the Syria/Iran-supported terrorists who started the Lebanese border fighting with Israel a few months ago. It gives new meaning to the term "government-sponsored terrorism." False peace will never substitute for the real thing, as CBS-TV finally admitted: "Northern Ireland is back to square one." Peace by blackmail, as with the Palestinians threatening the Israelis with terrorism, is no better than no peace at all. As part of its routine security precautions, TWA has a list of "selectees" and "high selectees" of passengers to watch out for as possible security risks. All Arabs and Iranians are included. Article 63 of the Palestinian constitution: "Every member of the legislative council must provide a financial report on himself and his wife or wives." Evidently concubines don't count. There is a team at the Olympic games from a country that does not exist. "Palestine" was welcomed by oil-thirsty nations. On the other hand, quite a protest erupted as the orphans of the Israeli athletes shot down by the Palestinians in Munich in 1972 were turned down again when they requested a moment of memorial silence. The CIA wants to use clergymen for intelligence purposes. Isn't that an Iranian idea? Prayer has certainly been embraced by Bill Clinton and the House of Representatives and the Olympic athletes (in five faiths). It is constantly invoked in regard to TWA 800, the apparently-sabotaged flight. But it is still not allowed in our American public schools. In the meantime, stay tuned to have an armchair tour on us. Our new series is titled A Pilgrim's Journey and brings you all the highlights of a pilgrimage to Israel. You'll see the beauty and history of this ancient land as you travel with our pilgrims from the Galilee in the north to the Dead Sea in the south. These programs have already started for most of you. And as our main article emphasizes, this is a wonderful time to go to the Holy Land yourself. Israel is a jewel of a country, and our Messianic guides do a superb job of unfolding its history and biblical significance. We invite you to view the cool serenity of the Sea of Galilee, the austere heights of Masada beside the Dead Sea and, of course, the magnificent Holy City itself — Jerusalem. Both the Basic Tour and the Grand Tour that includes Jordan and Eilat will depart on September 18. The Basic will return on September 27, and the Grand on October 1. Please call Cynthia at (214) 690-1876, or our answering service at 1-800-WONDERS (966-3377) for a free brochure today! We will leave registration open as late as possible for our Fall Tour. Next month in Jerusalem! 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