Israel, the War, and the Israeli Christian Community in Crisis? - Welcome Remarks & Keynote Addresses

The massive demonstrations in Israel and the seeming breakdown of national cohesion have captured headlines in Israel and around the world. What began as protests against the Judicial Reform legislation has evolved into broader confrontations between religious and secular Israeli Jews as well as a wave of attacks on minority communities. One highly publicized aspect of this crisis has been a wave of attacks on Christians, including churchmen, religious leaders, and foreign pilgrims. The government’s response to these attacks has been ineffective as the attacks continue in several Israeli cities. As this internal drama was unfolding, Hamas took the opportunity to launch a savage terrorist strike inside Israel that has led to mass casualties, both Israeli and later Palestinian. The “Israel and the Christian Community in Crisis?” conference brings together an international group of scholars, Jewish leaders, and Church officials from Israel and Hungary to discuss the twin crises. “The Crisis in Israel” panel will explore the deeper context of the conflict in Israel while the “Israeli Jewish/Christian Relations in Crisis?” panel will discuss the recent attacks on the Christian community and churches throughout Israel. The final panel, Israel at War, will consider various aspects of the war in Israel and Gaza. WELCOME REMARKS: David Martin Jones, Director of Research, Danube Institute Prof. Jeffrey Kaplan, Senior Distinguished Fellow, Danube Institute