How Legalism Blinds to Foundational Moral Issues

How Legalism Blinds to Foundational Moral Issues

I embraced the Good News and committed my life to Yeshua in the Spring of 1960. Some of you know my testimony. I soon became part of a Reformed Church that was very much in the Evangelical movement. My father was Jewish and my Mother a Norwegian Christian but not involved in the Church when we were growing up. I was not raised religiously because of the Jewish/Christian marriage. As I entered into teen years, I became part of fundamentalist ministries, camps, and Bible clubs. In that fundamentalism, there was much legalism. Legalism raises extra-biblical morals to a significant importance. There was a whole list of things that Christians were not to do: not going to movies, dancing, drinking wine or beer, listening to contemporary music, playing billiards, mixed swimming, and on and on. When I attended Wheaton Collage during the last of the 1960s, most of the students were reacting strongly against this legalism and fundamentalism itself (though most still wanted to be Evangelicals). Though we were young and overreacting, we never the less did believe we saw some patterns of great concern. The biggest concern was that we knew Christians who kept the legalistic additions not in the Bible but violated the explicit Biblical standards. We noted such things as gossip, lack of forgiveness, not seeking to reach the poor, weakness in devotional life, questionable financial dealings. One of the biggest was gossip and causing division in the Body.

When I entered into Jewish ministry, I realized that my knowledge of Judaism was shallow. One of the members gave me an English translation of the most important post-Biblical Jewish book on applying the Torah. This is the Talmud which was first in oral form and then the first part put in writing at the end of the second century by Rabbi Judah the Prince. This first part is the Mishnah. The commentary was next developed over the next centuries and was compiled. This second part was known as the Gemara. Together they make up the Talmud. As a young leader in my 20s, I decided to read through the Talmud, but not with intense concentration. I was amazed at the level of legalism. The Mishnah expresses a level of concern for minutiae, laws upon laws upon laws that have less and less connection to Biblical intent. Sometimes the applications of the Torah or Law is wise. There is also much of value in the broad thrust of Jewish traditions; the prayer traditions, the stories of godliness, and love that are really wonderful. The celebrations of the Sabbath and Feasts and their meanings are greatly enriching. However, this legalism is an amazing phenomenon. Recently, I decided to read through the Mishnah and again am once again amazed. I would invite my readers to borrow a copy of the Mishnah and just go through at least part of it. Then you will understand what I am saying here.

Here is my point. Though there are stellar examples of love and godliness in Jewish history, I do not think the legalism is a contribution to this attainment. Living near Jerusalem provides so many examples of Yeshua’s words, “Straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel.” His words against the legalism of the Pharisees in Matthew 23 is the most devastating critique of legalism in history. Living next to the ultra-Orthodox provides us with example after example of such legalism. They are well known to Israelis and they are not attracted to this Orthodoxy. Here is one example. In the Jerusalem Post, the Rabbi of a sect of Orthodoxy ruled that the Sabbath elevator did not solve the problem of traveling on an elevator in Shabbat. The Sabbath elevator stops runs up and down all day and stops on every floor. This constant stopping frustrates some. However, it prevents the legalistic standard against Sabbath violation by pushing the buttons and thereby turning on lights and running a machine. One couple with their children, one infant and one toddler, now had to carry them and their carriage down and up 7 flights of stairs. The Sabbath elevator is frustrating because it stops on every floor automatically. The Rabbi ruled against even that Sabbath elevator. Living in high rise buildings was now impossible. The couple complained. “What kind of Sabbath is this for us to have to climb seven flights of stairs with our children, the carriage, and our equipment?” One can see this legalism in the criticism of Yeshua for healing on the Sabbath. Yeshua’s critique of legalism was not just applicable to Jewish legalism. Indeed, the issue is that legalism tends to lead people to concern themselves with minor matters and to neglect the weightier matters of the Law.

One of the saddest examples of this loss of moral perspective in ultra-Orthodoxy is the recent health minister in Israel, Yaakov Litzman. Rabbi Litzman is accused with good evidence of protecting a pedophile. An Israeli Orthodox woman was the leader of a Jewish girls school in Australia. She is credibly accused of molesting many girls. The government of Australia seeks to have her extradited to stand trial. Yet, the Rabbi protects her as one his own. “Blood is thicker than water.“ Her ability, with support from her community leaders, to avoid extradition, has been very amazing. Yet, Rabbi Litzman is one who fights in the coalition government to enforce legalistic norms for the whole society and threatened to bring down the government over his demands.

Messianic Jews are loyal to our people. We seek to present the Gospel so that they may be delivered and enter into the fullness of Yeshua and God’s Biblical New Covenant Judaism. This includes secular Jews, ultra-Orthodox Jews, Modern Orthodox Jews, and traditional but not Orthodox Jews.

Creation Distinctions for Mutual Blessing

Very recently I posted on Dr. Michael Brown’s book, Jezebel’s War on America. In this amazing book, he presents the main thrusts of destruction against heterosexual marriage, the traditional family, and then on to aborting babies and the terrible sexual destruction from the plague of pornography. His statistics are alarming. One thing very characteristic of Dr. Brown is that he does his homework and backs up his arguments with great evidence and statistics. His conclusion is that the trends of evil are plots of the Devil who is really the one behind these destructive trends. Satan comes but to “steal and destroy.” Yeshua came that we might have abundant life. (John 10:10 b.) When people rebel against God and his standards or norms terrible blindness ensues. Theologians say that sin affects the ability to know. The name for this is the noetic effects of sin.

Behind these trends, we see the hatred of the Devil for humanity and God’s creation itself. It must be as many theologians have said that Satan’s fulfillment is in destroying God’s creation and a worthwhile human community. As such, he desires to destroy the mutual blessing between God and humanity through false cosmologies (evolutionary naturalism and atheism), false religions (all kinds of idolatries.) Mutual blessing is ordained by God between humanity and nature. We either deify nature which will lead to its destruction, or we treat nature as if it is merely to be exploited without regard to its preservation. The Devil also seeks to destroy marriage and the family. The high value of the distinction of male and female leading to lasting covenant marriage is replaced by every kind of perverted sexual identification. The list is too long to remember. LGBTQ does not encompass the variety and some raise children in amazing confusion. They do not foster their identity as rooted in the will of God expressed in their biology. Some even hate the ideas of traditional marriage and family. Pornography also destroys the amazing blessing of marital physical bliss.

Yes, we can politically and culturally push back on these trends. Then we are banned from social media for presenting the Biblical world view. To present the Bible is said to be hatred when it is the highest of redeeming love. This is why we need to do two things. First, we need to gain a grasp of the grandeur of the Biblical world view. Secondly, we need to pray and fast that a mighty revival will take place which is the only thing that can turn the tide. I have written one contribution to inspire joy in the contemplation of God’s order of creation. It is entitled, Mutual Blessing. It outlines the various aspects of God’s order of creation and shows how all is ordered by God creating distinctions for interdependence and mutual blessing. This order of distinctions for blessings must be maintained for our benefit and to the glory of God. Our destiny will be to live in such an order but vastly superior to the present one. However, God’s present creation is a foretaste of that ultimate destiny that awaits all the true followers of Yeshua. This will be forever and ever.

Israel’s Most Unusual Independence Day

In years passed, we have been amazed and greatly moved by Israel Independence celebrations. The great show in the evening in Jerusalem is full of processionals, pageantry, children’s choirs, youth presentations, speeches, poetry, and more. In the side streets and main avenues, the Israeli flags are everywhere. Cars are decked with flags. People celebrate by hitting one another on the head with the soft blow of specially made plastic hammers, which we first experienced on our tour in May 1979.

One of the strange aspects of the Israeli calendar is that Israel’s Memorial Day is only the day before the celebration. (In the United States it is separated by more than a month.) Memorial Day is a somber day of gatherings, at cemeteries and the main military burial ground at Mt. Herzl, equivalent to Arlington Cemetery across from Potomac River in Washington, D. C. This produces an almost whiplash emotional effect where grief and morning for the many who have died in Israel’s wars is for some too soon followed by the joy of celebration.

This year, the observances will be like no other. The government has ordered greater restrictions than those we are normally following due to the virus plague, even requiring staying at home. This was also done at Passover. Why? The government fears that without greater restriction there will be too many who are not self-controlled and will gather in unsafe ways. The day after on Thursday we are told we will be less restricted. More stores will be open and the 500-meter rule for exercise will be lifted. This year, there will be no gatherings for memorials and no great celebration in the stadium. Instead, we will see online presentations that will not have near the effect. It will be the most strange and somewhat sad situation whereby we are cheated out of this most important time, both our unity in national mourning and the joy of in-person celebrations on the next day. Like America, barbeques in the park are amazing here but will not take place this year.

However, let us recall the amazing events of these days. The Greatest Generation in Israel is not just the one from World War Two times or in Israel’s case the War of Independence. In a sense, the great level of greatness has to be maintained in war after war and the willing sacrifice in the years since independence has been characteristic.

There is no story in History that compares with the story of modern Israel. The beginnings are from a modest movement with settlements in the 19th Century. Then there was an endorsement of the idea that this ancient Land is the home of the Jewish. This was first in the Balfour Declaration in 1917 and then in the San Remo Conference of the League of Nations in 1920 that called for Jewish self-determination in our ancient Land. Our numbers in the Holy Land continued to grow. This continued in spite of the change of British policy from the mid-1920s to the 1940s (Pharaohs who did not know Joseph came into power). Our people in the Land were swelled by survivors from the Holocaust the terrible devastation beyond words.

The United Nations partition plan gave Israel a very small territory for the Jewish State, but Israel accepted it this partition. She had to then defend herself against five Arab Armies and somehow win the 1948 War of Independence. Israel controlled more territory by the armistice lines. This was most amazing. Holocaust survivors fought side by side with those who had been here before the Holocaust and grew up in the Land. This was our greatest generation, but not the only great one.

Then came the ‘67 War. Israel again defended herself and gained more territorial control, the Old City of Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Sinai. Then came the ‘73 War which was perilous. Again Israel won. Many lives were lost in these wars. Then many smaller wars came; Lebanon twice and then Gaza. Then came terrorist battles, the Intifada, and withstanding terror attacks. Somehow Israel thrives. The response to this amazing history is not a point of universal agreement. Here are the basic responses to this history.

For Messianic Jews, the return to the Land and Israel’s self-government is a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy and preparation for Israel coming to repentance and embracing Yeshua as King and Lord. (Ezek. 36:24 ff.) Messianic Jews are patriotic, join the Army, and fight for Israel, but know that we do not receive the fullness of the promises for Israel including her full borders and more until the Messiah comes.
For Nationalist Zionist Orthodox Jews, the return to the Land and Israel’s independence is also a fulfillment of prophecy that prepares the way for the coming of the Messiah. However, these Orthodox reject the idea of a Palestinian state on any part of the territory from the Jordan Valley through the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) and seek Israeli sovereignty for all of the territory. This battle is fought in Israel today. The Trump peace plan to give 70% of the West Bank and Gaza for a Palestinian State is rejected by these nationalists. However, Benjamin Netanyahu will accept this peace plan with the certainty that the Palestinians do not really want peace and a two-state solution and will reject it.
For the Ultra-Orthodox, some are positive toward Israel, but the majority believe that Israel’s independence is a mistake. Israel should not be self-ruled until the Messiah comes. Zionism that fosters self-determination in our own state delays the coming of the Messiah. It is a “good deed” mitzvah) to live in the Land but not to have self-determination.
Finally, for the great majority of Israelis, secular or traditional but not Orthodox, Israel is an amazing story and they are patriotic and very committed to the nation.

All of these responses are brought to the fore every Independence Day, but the great dominant thrust is one of grand celebration. This year, we forego the celebration but will stand amazed. The story of how the Americans gained their independence from Britain is a grand and amazing story. The Israel story is more amazing by far.

Jezebel’s War Against America

Jezebel’s War Against America by Dr. Michael Brown is an amazing read. I wish everyone would read it. However, there is a foundational matter that is not addressed. It is that we have lived for 130 years with Darbyite Dispensational theology. In this view, concern for the nation or the larger culture is a diversion from rescuing people and getting them into the lifeboat. In addition, one can be saved without dedicating one’s life, without repentance. This has been devastating.

Classic Protestant thought taught that Christian citizens were responsible for influencing the culture toward godly Biblical norms in justice and righteousness. Darby did not believe this. He thought that we did not want to seek to save the sinking ship but to get people into the lifeboats. The people in the lifeboats will be raptured out seven years before Jesus returns to earth. One of the keys to the lack of reformation coming from the Jesus Movement of the 60s and 70s is that they fed on Hal Lindsay and dispensational theology. The left that did not come to Jesus committed themselves to the long battle of controlling the culture formation institutions of the nation.

When I heard the seven mountains teaching, I said to myself years ago that the charismatic church was discovering a Reformed theology of culture. I did not know that Bill Bright founder of Campus Crusade and Loren Cunningham founder of YWAM each got this burden and then compared notes. They each had the same vision. So, what are the results of their vision? It is still marginal. Those who are concerned about the culture are accused of being radical dominionists. Yes, there are radical dominion people who teach that the Christians will take over the whole world and all culture formation institutions without the return of the Lord (whether this leads to 1000 years of Christian rule and then the return of the Lord or whether there is no determined time period). But most 7 mountains oriented people do not believe this. Whenever you are given to cultural influence, you are accused of being in the radical dominion camp. Believe it or no I have been accused of this in Israel.

My philosophy professor at Wheaton of dear memory, the famous Dr.Arthur Holmes, said back the late 60s, we have lost 100 years. Wheaton was dedicated to culture formation. They were pre-millennial in confession and not radical dominion oriented. Dispensationalism was not held by most faculty members. But even when one is not a dispensationalist, one is dealing with a theological weakness on the issue of our responsibility for the culture, for the nation, etc.

One more point. Then you have some large great ministries, but some of them are so confused that they do not see the place of the fear of God and do not even see the judgment and wrath passages in the N. T. except for the book of Revelation. You cannot reform culture without the fear of God and the danger of his wrath. It is as if many texts just go over their heads. How can we influence the culture when we have such weak Biblical foundations? Time for another plug for my book Social Justice?

Unity Government Forms!

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Bibi)and Benny Gantz signed an agreement just two hours ago as of this writing to form a unity government. Finally, Israel will have a functioning government. To form this government, compromises and even some unhelpful directions were taken, but at this point, I believe it is an answer to prayer and may be the best that is now possible. Bibi will be Prime Minister for the first 18 months and then Gantz for the second 18 months.

For those who think that Gantz caved, the prospects for the opposition in another election do not look good, and this might have been his best chance to bring some positive change. If the Supreme Court rules that an indicted person cannot be the Prime Minister, then there will be elections. I do not think it is likely that the Court will do this since Israel’s Basic Law does not speak on this subject. It does say that cabinet members who lead cabinet level government divisions do have to resign if indicted. The right will control the judicial appointments committee, but in my view not by so much. A former Blue and White Party member is the majority tipping vote for the right and the committee will generally seek agreement. However, there will be no legislation to lessen the power of the Supreme Court. Bibi will still have to face a trial. I have not read anything that says what will happen if he is convicted, but I would think it would mean that Likud would elect someone else to serve out his term. I don’t think there would then be the votes to dissolve the government. The trial could take a long time.

In this agreement, if the Palestinians do not come to the negotiation table, Bibi will have the opportunity to annex the towns in Judea and Samaria, to make them part of Israel. The European Union will scream and shout to no avail. The Security Council of the U. N. will seek to condemn Israel, but the United States will veto any condemnation. I see this as a primary reason why Bibi is still in power and a key reason as to why Trump is in power. These towns (some are small cities) should not be up for negotiation as if their populations can be transferred. This is why the Trump plan is a plan of realism. The Palestinians have never dealt with matters in a realistic way. Most of the world is wildly unrealistic as well.

The government will have 36 cabinet members, totally bloated and costly. It is the price of all being on board. The Ultra-Orthodox Shas Party will probably keep the Interior Department. This is the saddest part of this. However, Ultra-Orthodox in general would lose their extortion power since their threat to leave the government would not bring down the government. It is possible that that in the approval of budgets that there will be an incentive for more men to work since Israel cannot afford their demands for welfare so men can study Talmud and Rabbinic arguments all day.

This is not all I desire, but it is a step in the right direction. Gantz’s former partners say he caved, but he looked at the situation in Israel realistically. That situation included that of the percentages of the Jewish vote in the Land. Bibi and his right wing parties have 59 votes out of 120 in the Knesset, and the Jewish parties that were in opposition only included 46. The Arab Party had 15. Therefore, I think Gantz made a hard but correct choice. The opposition might still empower Gantz for key issues. The right wing Yamina, including the modern Nationalist Orthodox has lost power and may not join the government. I don’t think that will make much difference one way or another. If they are in the government, they will not have key portfolios like Defense and Justice which they recently had. What a saga. After three elections, we have a government. I wonder if the threat of Gantz to pass legislation making it illegal for a person under indictment to be the Prime Minister finally brought Bibi around. He also saw that got the best that he could under those circumstances. Praise God.

Israel Still Does Not Have a New Government but is going to Lift Corona Restrictions

Israel shares with most countries the fact that there is a limit of time to which you can shut down an economy without destroying the country. You can indeed overcome the virus and destroy the country. With the virus having peaked in terms of new hospitalizations, as the United States, Germany and other countries, Israel will now seek to exit the severe restrictions. Amazingly with both the United States and Israel, this is the week for this to be done. Some still believe that shutting down was not the right approach. The right approach would have been to isolate the vulnerable population and to have younger healthy people continue to keep the economy going, but to take more than normal precautions against catching the virus (facemasks, washing hands and not allowing any sick to be at work). Now we look to massive testing in both countries and opening up areas of the country that are less affected. In our town of 23,000, on the border of Jerusalem, there are new cases of people sick with the virus.

The progress on fighting the virus is going according to the best of mature prophetic discernment. I wrote a summary on this a few weeks ago. Things are working out very much as was noted. There are now more and more hopeful treatments short of a vaccine that are in the process of being tested.

In the midst of this, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Bibi) and Benny Gantz are still negotiating for a unity government. We don’t know if there will be a solution, but we do pray for a unity government. Right now, the big issue is that Bibi seeks relief form a possible Supreme Court decision that would say that an indicted person cannot be prime minister. However, he wants more than that. He wants a law that would say that when Gantz would become Prime Minister in a rotation in 18 months and he would be the deputy Prime Minister, that the law requiring cabinet ministers to step down if indicted would not apply to a deputy Prime Minister in this situation. Gantz is reluctant to give this guarantee. However, we have to note that almost half of the voters voted for parties that they knew would give their support to Bibi to be Prime Minister. That has to count. I do not think that the Supreme Court would decide that an indicted person cannot be Prime Minister, but the issue of a deputy is something else. I think Gantz should yield on this point in deference to those who voted for Bibi and his allied parties.

We either are very close to a new government or may be close to failure. Gantz may also have the power in the Knesset as speaker to pass legislation that says an indicted person cannot serve as Prime Minister. Then Bibi’s party, Likud, would have to pick someone else. That is Gantz’s primary leverage to force Bibi to make a real deal with real compromises. Let’s hope and pray for a unity government.

One last thing. We now know that China, by covering up the virus and letting many thousands fly from Wuhan after they sealed Wuhan off domestically is primarily responsible for the spread of the virus. All now know that they spent a week of denials which itself has cost the world several trillions of dollars. (Associated Press laid this out fully) More and more evidence is coming out that this virus originated not in a wet meat market but in a laboratory. This would be one more reason for the cover up. It is also clear that the World Health Organization leaders enabled the cover up. We will soon have a great world controversy over what to do about all this.

The Day of Resurrection and this Prophetic Season

The resurrection of Yeshua from the dead is the foundation of our faith. This is a day to rejoice in spite of all the challenges of the coronavirus. I hope all of you are taking time today to meditate on this great victory and the implications for you and the whole world.

Not long ago I wrote up a summary of my sense of the prophetic interpretation of these days. I mentioned that I did not resonate with the overly optimistic nor with the very pessimistic words of prophetic people who only had a word of judgment and repentance. Yet this is a very important time of searching our hearts and repentance. Much prayer is being offered and there is much good repentance while exercising faith and hope. There is fasting and prayer for breakthroughs. Congregations have adapted to social networking by internet calls, home groups, larger meetings, pastoral care and more. This is the case in Israel as well.

There is a growing prophetic consensus that fits my evaluation that I presented here a few weeks ago. It was that the peak of this would be Passover-Resurrection season and then there would be a continuing decline. A sense of some prophetic people with credibility, and I agree, is that this challenge will continue until Ascension Day and then will lead on to Shavuot or Pentecost. The period of 40 days from the Resurrection day until Ascension day parallels the days when Israel was in the wilderness journeying to Mt. Sinai. It also parallels the 40 days of the ministry of Yeshua to his disciples between his resurrection and Ascension. Note also the prophetic parallel with the Sinai manifestation of God at Pentecost and the Spirit being poured out at Pentecost.

I also believe that this year’s calendar is a good fit to the Biblical events. It is not always so. If so, we should as we continue in prayer and intercession. The resurrection was not publicly proclaimed until Shavuot or Pentecost (Acts 2). However, the disciples were experiencing the risen Lord, 120 were gathered in Jerusalem and then 500 in one gathering where Yeshua appeared (I Cor. 15). However, the harvest came at Shavuot. In our intercession, we should be experiencing resurrection life and hope now. We are called to prayer for outpourings of the Holy Spirit after the 49 days. I think the large challenge of this virus plague will be generally behind us by that time. This can be connected to therapies, immunities, social distancing, vaccines and all kinds of things on a human plane, but it ultimately will be by the sovereignty of God. In a very unusual way it is tracking with the great events on the Biblical Calendar, from the peak of suffering and death to the victory and harvest. May God encourage you all during this time.

Unity Government Negotiations Now

Those of you who have been following my updates on the political situation here know that we do not have a new government and this in the midst of the scourge of the virus. The negotiations came down to two issues. One is choosing the members of the Supreme Court and the other is the issue of annexing the towns and settlements in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) and the Jordan Valley. As I noted before, Benny Gantz is weaker on the issue of annexation. He wants more international support and worries about the response of Jordan and Egypt. Netanyahu sees this as a legacy issue for himself and is very committed to it. With Trump as President, he sees a window of opportunity that could close. There has been a compromise on this. Members of Parliament will be able to vote their conscience on this issue, but after the virus is overcome.

The Supreme Court issue is more complex. Israel does not have a constitution. Something called Basic Law plays that role to some degree. A law is a Basic Law if it is declared such when passed. Generally, Israel has rightly allowed basic law to be stable. The issues of the Court are as in the United States where justices to the left seem to see themselves as free to make law when it is not in the Basic Law or in laws passed. Yes, a law can be found to contradict Basic Law, but then Basic Law could be changed. The “right,” however, in its frustration with the court, seeks to make court decisions subject to Parliament majority vote and to control the judicial selection process to choose only conservative judges. Passing such a change in Basic Law would be a big problem. Constitutions and the judiciary protect minority rights. Total democracy would be tyranny. Hence the United States is a Constitutional Republic, not a democracy. It seems that with the composition of the new Knesset, this will not pass. However, the other issue remains, and that is who will pick the judges.

On Monday afternoon it looked as if there had been agreement on this issue as well. But after all seemed to be agreed on, Netanyahu’s right-wing partners in Yamina insisted that the right be able to veto judicial appointments. Netanyahu pulled back from the agreement and asked to re-open negotiations. Gantz refused and walked away. I do not know Gantz’s judicial philosophy. Both sides accuse the other as being anti-democratic. But of course, their definitions are not the same. The right means the democratic vote regimes, but Gantz’s parties mean that rights are protected by an independent court. Judges are appointed by a committee that includes past judges. The right thinks this stacks the deck for liberal judges. The left likes liberal judges. The center is concerned that without an independent judiciary the checks and balances in Israel will be destroyed and this is counter to a rightly ordered democratic society. I don’t know Gantz’s judicial philosophy, but he is not willing to give the total appointment power with veto to the “right.” We need to pray for a solution; we need a government.

Corona, Prophecy, and the Doctor’s Battle

There is a growing prophetic consensus that we are to engage in massive prayer as we enter the Passover Resurrection time. Some have spoken out that the virus will be overcome during this season if we fast, pray and unify our hearts together. However, those who are far out in their prophecies are unlikely to be confirmed. There are massive prayer events by internet taking place and some international events with hundreds of thousands. My own sense is not that the virus will be a thing of the past within the next week, but that the corner will be turned.

In this, I wonder how many of my readers have picked up on the battle between doctors. One group of doctors are part of the scientific testing bureaucracy and have high positions in the government. They don’t give much hope for medicines that can turn this around. Every time they go on television, Dr. Fauci and others, they speak, of months and years before we can approve medical treatments. There has to be double blind studies, that scientific state of the art for proof. On the other hand, there are more and more doctors who do not agree with this conservativism. For one thing, they point to real results in China, France, Spain and the United States (less so) that show by strong anecdotal evidence that, for example, hydroxychloroquine is working and sometimes in very impressive ways. These doctors are now allowed to prescribe it. The evidence is that giving it early on cuts down the progression of the disease. Only in New York state are doctors precluded from prescribing it except through hospital bureaucracy. One noted doctor called this a game-changer. People are dying and this is no time for conservative approaches in science. We can still be scientific without requiring such rigid standards. This drug and the anti-body treatment from the blood of people who have recovered are showing real promise.

Early on President Trump pointed to hydroxychloroquine as having promise, but he was vilified by the liberal press. Now not so much! Yes, he did go out on a limb. He saw some early reports and these reports were positive.

I wonder if the prayers of people worldwide in this Passover Resurrection season is connected to a real breakthrough this week through a combination of prayer, social distancing and using the drug treatments that show promise. This means overcoming the conservative scientists in government positions. My sentiment is with the doctors on the field and what they want to do! I think this is a spiritual battle.

Political Situation Now

Many of the Christian Zionists in the United States think that Benjamin Netanyahu (Bibi) is the greatest Prime Minister conceivable. However, Messianic Jews who live here have a much more nuanced view of Bibi. I have lived here now for 16 years and follow politics closely. It does have a great impact on our lives. At this present moment, there is still no unity agreement between Benny Gantz and his party and Benjamin Netanyahu and his party. The political stalemate and the haggling are going on even now. Bibi and some of his senior people are in quarantine, but they communicate as we all do now by internet connections. I compare Bibi and Gantz in three categories: one where Bibi is better, one where Gantz is better and one where I don’t see much difference.

Where Bibi is Better

Bibi is strong on international diplomacy. He has a strong charismatic personality. This has been a great gain. The weakness is that his diplomatic people, in embassies especially, are very underfunded and cannot do their work well.
Bibi is stronger in promoting Israel’s rights in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank). Though for years he would not do what he thinks he can now do with Trump being president, he wants to annex the Jewish towns to Israel and to annex the Jordan valley on the Israel side of the river. Trump is indicating that he will support this if the Palestinians do not come to the negotiating table. Others to the right of Bibi have been pushing this for years, but Bibi has not been willing to buck the United States. Gantz has said he wants to do this only with International support, which means he will not do it. I believe taking these Jewish towns off the table for negotiation is now important since there will otherwise be no peace agreement. Dismantling these towns would lead to civil war. There are 400,000. It will never happen. Gantz and Bibi are making this an issue in the negotiations.
Bibi understands money and economic growth. He is strong in this. Maybe Gantz would be strong but he is unproven.

Gantz is stronger than Bibi on most social justice issues. I am not defining social justice in a socialistic way (see my book Social Justice). Here is a list.

Adequate spending for sufficient hospital capacity.
Not vilifying Israel’s Arab citizens, but equally spending for them per capita on roads, schools, hospitals and police protection. It almost seems as if Bibi wants to alienate them, but it is really a way to use fear to keep his base motivated.
Requiring the Ultra-Orthodox to work and their schools to educate for the work place. Bibi has been hopelessly weak on this. He needs their parties in the coalition.
Gantz is stronger on providing for Russian Jews who are not considered Jewish by the Orthodox. This means lessening the power of the state Rabbinate, allowing them to marry in Israel or empowering the more moderate Orthodox conversion standards.
This will be a real surprise, but I think Gantz is stronger on military defense. Bibi, despite his reputation, has been weak. He has allowed Hezbollah to rearm after the last Lebanon War (as has the U. N.) He could have quickly re-invaded and required enforcing the U. N. arms embargo against them. Now we have 150,000 rockets against us. He has also been weak in Gaza. If he used targeted assignations of terrorist leaders, Hamas in Gaza might stop their attacks. But he has allowed Hamas to terrorize the south. Gantz has spoken strongly about this.

A Probable Tie

The cost of living and housing. Though Bibi for years was weak on this, his Finance Minister, Moshe Kachlon has really succeeded in moderating the cost of living increases. I think this would be a part of Gantz’s policy as well.
Building infrastructure: roads, bridges and public transportation. All want to do this if they can find the funds.
Having a strong military force.
Opposing the Iran regime and motivating sanctions on the regime.
Fighting the Corona Virus. I do not see any differences.
Justice for Messianic Jews. Both are embracing Shas that has said it will guarantee the rotation. This might be also enshrined in passing a law. So our hope of fairness in immigration with Shas in power does not look good.

So far, to build the unity government Netanyahu has committed to leave the Prime Minister’s office in 18 months and have Gantz serve as Prime Minister. Gantz will allow an indicted Prime Minister to serve (contrary to his last position) and will not pass legislation to bar such. However, Gantz has now been elected the Speaker of the Knesset. This is his ace if Bibi does not really share power. He can still pass legislation on not allowing an indicted Prime Minister to serve, and then Bibi is gone. But Bibi’s is in danger of rebellion on his right because the coational partners and his own party, Likud, do not want to see so many ministries controlled by Gantz. To give all his right party partners their due and to fulfill the requirements of Gantz and his party, Bibi plans to create many more ministerial positions. This would yield a cabinet of 36 people (17 or 18 is the usual figure). At times like this, we so wish there was a constitution in Israel.