Josh Reinstein from the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus talks about his work building relationships between Jews and Christians direct from Parliament; and the effects the BDS (Boycott Divestment and Sanctions) is having on the people of Israel.



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Josh: Yeah I think it was a great meeting in the British Parliament because you had the leaders of the Jewish community, the Christian community and political leaders all standing together for peace and freedom against anti-Semitism and the BDS movement. I think that was a really beautiful picture of maybe things to come. I hope there is more unity in the Jewish Christian communities in the UK and not less. As we see more and more anti-Semitism those communities will come together but we need bold leadership in the political spheres and we are very excited to have our chairman Mark Prichard, who is a courageous member of parliament. He is standing with the state of Israel because of his beliefs in freedom and democracy and so it's exciting to see what he has been able to put together in the British Parliament.

Paul: Are you pleased that there is a good relationship developing between the Christian communities when it comes to supporting Israel?

Josh: Absolutely. I think that faith based diplomacy is the most important weapon we have in our diplomatic arsenal today. It's the reason the Embassies moved. It's the reason we have anti BDS legislation. It's the reason we have a block in Africa of support. It's the reason we have more friends in Latin America as Christianity is more developed and continues to come together and elect their own candidates. I think we are going to see more and more pro Israel sentiment around the world and it is because of Christians who believe in the bible.

Paul: We have got a leadership challenge in the Conservative Party in the UK. Do you think there is a good support for Israel between the two candidates?

Josh: Yeah, I think that Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt are both pretty pro-Israel when it comes to the issues. I know that Boris Johnson is close to the Trump administration which is always a good sign because we have never had a more pro-Israel administration in America than the Trump administration but at the same time I know that Jeremy Hunt is also a good friend of Israel. I think that whoever wins the Conservative race will be good for Israel. At the same time we usually work bipartisan, we have great friends in the Labour Party in the UK but I have to say that whoever wins the conservative race destroys Jeremy Corbyn because he is an abashed anti-Semite and it is frightening that half of the UK population can support someone that is so anti-Semitic and so open about it and that the Labour Party has turned into this horrible left wing version of a Fascist Party of the 1930's. It is something that is very scary and keeps a lot of people awake in the UK.

Paul: What is your prayer finally for Jewish Christian relations?

Josh: My prayer is that it gets stronger and stronger as these relations are something that was foretold in the bible. It talks about the 10 Gentiles who grab the corners of that one Jew and lift him up and that God will send a hark unto the nations so that they will bring back the children in their arms and on their backs. This is something we believe is foretold. As Israel becomes stronger and the relationship becomes stronger I think the relationship between Christians and Jews will thrive and will bring real fruit as we are seeing today and so my blessing is that it continues in the right direction and that the relationship grows stronger as we continue going forward.  CR

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.