December 26, 2007

by The Editors

The news that the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews has been given a role on the board of the Jewish Agency for Israel has set off alarms among some who fear that Evangelicals will now be making political policy in the State of Israel. That is not the case.

What did happen is that the Fellowship has become a key partner and funder of the Jewish Agency — joining the United Jewish Communities and Keren Hayesod — and will donate $45 million to it over the next three years for its humanitarian efforts.

For Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, the founder and president of the Fellowship, this is the culmination of a three-decade effort to have Christian support for Israel recognized for the act of love and charity it represents.

Rabbi Eckstein used to be the Rodney Dangerfield of pro-Israel funders, donating large sums to the Jewish state through the Fellowship, only to be marginalized by leaders of the Jewish establishment in the U.S. and Israel who were uncomfortable with the source of the dollars. When Avram Burg was chairman of the Jewish Agency, he declined to be photographed with Rabbi Eckstein, though he was happy to accept the large checks to his organization, courtesy of hundreds of thousands of American Christians who believe that, as the Bible says, those who bless Israel will be blessed (Genesis 12:3).

As a result, the Fellowship has contributed more than $100 million in recent years toward Jewish immigration, resettlement and social welfare projects in Israel, as well as food, housing and social services for the poor in the former Soviet Union. Most of the funds come from small donors sending checks of under $100.

All of this has made Rabbi Eckstein, who made aliyah from the U.S. several years ago, a powerful figure in the Jewish state. He has been a member of the board of the Jewish Agency for the last five years as well as an observer on the 26-member executive committee. Now, with the new agreement, he will be a voting member of the executive.

Some critics have expressed concern that Christians will now play a role in making government policy, but in fact Rabbi Eckstein alone will represent the Fellowship, which has steered clear of political involvement and focused its efforts on humanitarian causes, as does the Jewish Agency.

Rather than bemoan this development as the harbinger of some dark Christian infiltration into Israeli affairs, we should applaud the fact that Christian supporters of Israel have been recognized as full partners in the Zionist enterprise. Lord knows, we need all the help we can get.