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09/22/06
Danial Ayalon has been the
Israeli Ambassador to the United States from Holy Land since July 2002.
On the day before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, Faith and Action delivered
thousands of petitions to Ambassador Daniel Ayalon of Israel, asking the Jewish
state to preserve the sanctity of Jerusalem by blacking militant homosexual activists
from parading in its streets.
"It's one thing for militant homosexuals to march in New York or San Francisco,"
said Rev. Rob Schenck, president of Faith and Action, "but it's something
else for it to happen in Jerusalem, the most sacred city on earth."
Faith and Action has been working on the effort with Rev. Schenck's close friend,
Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Yehuda Levin, president of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis.
Rabbi Levin lives in both the U.S. and Israel and has led a virtual one-man campaign
against what he calls, "the homosexualization of the Holy Land."
"Rabbi Levin and I disagree on many things theologically," said Rev.
Schenck. "But on this we agree entirely. Homosexuality is a sin against God
and against His Holy City. Such a spectacle will bring reproach against the "City
of the Great King.'"
Jerusalem Open House, an Isarel-based homosexual activist organization, has
been organizing marches, rallies and gatherings in Israel for years. This was
the first year, however, that they linked hands with the so-called "WorldPride"
group that sponsors the largest such gatherings in the world. Jerusalem Open House
and WorldPride had hoped to stage the largest gathering ever of militant activists
this past August in Jerusalem, but the war in Lebanon and international outrage
over their intentions thwarted the groups' plans.
"We thought they would wait a year before trying again, "said Rev.
Schenck. "But they immediately began pressuring the Israeli parliament and
courts for permission to try again. And they wanted to do it on Rosh Hashanah,
the beginning of the most holy period on the Jewish calendar!"
A deal was eventually cut with government officials allowing a parade to take
place in Jerusalem November 10. By the time the announcement was made, Faith and
Action had already launched its "Sanctity of the Sacred City" petition
with a goal of 10,000 signatures. Nearly 9000 had signed when the appeal had to
close due to the High Holiday season.
"We had to file the petitions before the holidays began, "said Rev.
Schenck. "We regretted having to cut it off before reaching the 10,000 point,
but time was of the essence. Still, almost 9000 deeply concerned Americans voiced
their opposition to this new wave of moral liberalism in Israel, and that's a
good thing."
Rev. Schenck went on to point out that the Christian community is the largest
block of friends that Israel has in the United States. Approving a militant homosexual
event in Jerusalem is not a way to keep that friendship strong, he said.
"Christians are commanded in Scripture to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Peace in Hebrew is the word shalom. It means total well-being. A parade of thousands
of militant homosexuals in the streets of Jerusalem is certainly not in the best
interests of Jerusalem's total well-being. We need to remind them of that fact,"
Rev. Schenck said.
Faith and Action will soon organize a formal delegation of concerned Christians
to travel to Israel and meet with government and religious leaders. All signers
of the Sanctity of the Sacred City petition will be invited to join the delegation.
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