My interest in Israeli politics has greatly increased since our last trip to Israel. We arrived during the recent time when rockets were being fired daily into the area near Gaza. We called one of the young congregational leaders in the south and found that he was coming to Jerusalem later in the day, so we planned to meet for coffee.
When he arrived in Jerusalem, he called and said, “I have only an hour in which we can meet, but I am going to the Knesset to meet with some of their members. Why don’t you join me?”
Tod and I immediately left for the Knesset building. We were met by a couple of aides to members and went through the security. For the next five hours, through the acquaintances with our Russian Jewish Messianic leader, we met with various members of the Knesset.
We were given permission to eat in the Knesset dining room, where we met with various members. Some came to our table, sat with us and shared their passions for their nation. Several were Russian Jews, and when they found that I had written a book that had been translated into Russian, asked for a copy.
When we left the dining hall, we were profusely thanking our host, an aide to another of the members, when he said, “No, I’m not leaving you yet.” Then he told us to wait, proceeded down this long hallway, came out a few moments later and motioned us to follow him, insisting however that we be careful to turn all phones on silence.
With that, we entered the Knesset chamber while Prime Minister Netanyahu (Likkud party) was speaking, and stayed there during the time when he, then later Kadima opposition party leader Tzipi Livni spoke.
I immediately went back to our apartment, emailed our Kiev, Ukraine partners who published the Your People book in Russian, and asked for a case to be sent to Israel, and another case to the US for distribution among Russian speakers.
Then I began to research the 120 member Knesset, found the names of those we had met, to which of the thirteen parties they belonged, so that I would know best how to pray for these leaders, and those who are to follow.
This was an unusual day for us, but I believe it was a door opener for future relationships. I have felt for years that if I/we were to become acquainted with government leaders, it would be in a way that would never dishonor our covenantal relationship to the Jewish believers in Yeshua. This not only fit that vision, but the whole day came about through a Jewish congregational leader and his friends inside the Knesset.
Remember that in all of our love for Israel and the Jewish people, we must always hold sacred our love for Jewish believers, believing and praying toward the day when “all Israel will be saved” (Rom. 11:26), when the Jewish people of the whole world will be known as a people who recognize their own Messiah.
We yearn for the time of which Zechariah spoke, when “they will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son…” (12:10)
Blessings,
Don Finto