FORMER immigration minister Kevin Andrews instructed his department to lift the intake of Christian refugees from the Middle East in response to what he saw as a pro-Muslim bias created by corrupt local case officers.

The Weekend Australian says Mr Andrews was so concerned about the extent of corruption in Middle Eastern posts - despite the allegations being investigated and dismissed by his own department - that he wrote to then prime minister John Howard advocating a $200 million plan to replace local employees with Australian staff in 10 "sensitive" countries, including Jordan, Iran and Egypt.

Opposition immigration spokesman Chris Ellison said yesterday this remains Coalition policy.

The Australian, July 19, 2008

THE GOSPEL AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE is a statement endorsed by the World Evangelical Alliance.

"We recognize that it is good and right for those with specialized knowledge, history and skills to use these gifts to introduce individuals to the Messiah, and that includes those ministries specifically directed to the Jewish people.... We do not wish to offend our Jewish friends by the above statements; but we are compelled by our faith and commitment to the Scriptures to stand by these principles.

World Evangelical Alliance, July 2008

The nation-state of Israel will have its 60th birthday celebration on Thursday, May 8. This will be a milestone event in Middle East history. It comes at a time when Israel faces near-daily rocket attacks from northern Gaza.

While lovers of Israel from around the world will celebrate, there are others who will observe the anniversary and also maintain a deep commitment to justice for Palestinians.

Two individual Christians Ben White and Philip Rizk recently composed a "Joint Declaration by Christians on Israel's 60th Anniversary".

JustPeace60 blog, April 2008

Walid Shoebat came to public attention by becoming an ardent critic of Islam and supporter of Israel, after he became a Christian and became a popular speaker within pro-Israel Evangelical Christians. He describes himself as a former member of the Palestine Liberation Organization who took part in terrorist attacks against Israeli targets.

In this report, the Jerusalem Post says that Shoebat's claim to have bombed Bank Leumi in Bethlehem is rejected by members of his family, and Bank Leumi says it has no record of such an attack ever taking place. 

The Post reports that the Walid Shoebat Foundation's working process is less than transparent, with Shoebat's claim that it is registered as a charity in the state of Pennsylvania being denied by the Pennsylvania State Attorney's Office.

Jorg luyken , THE JERUSALEM POST, March 30, 2008

Most Dutch churchgoers no longer support the existence of a special bond between their churches and Israel, a recent survey reveals. The poll was released just before last Friday's historic debate about the support of the country's second-largest church for Israel.

The debate marks the first time that the Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PCN) - a body of over two million members - has reexamined its "inalienable bond with Israel," since the clause was incorporated 37 years ago into the charter of one of its component churches.

By Cnaan Liphshiz, Haaretz, Nov 20, 2007

The curtain rose to a hundred performers singing "Hinei Ma Tov" as the audience swayed back and forth and clapping their hands. They remained standing through "Hatikva," declarations of support for Israel, and a duet of "Jerusalem of Gold."

Saul Elbein, JERUSALEM POST Correspondent reports from San Antonio, TX

Jerusalem Post, October 17, 2007

Now we recall Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, while day by day, news of the loss of innocent lives and of assaults on the dignity, security and economic well-being of so many of those of all faiths who live in the land we call holy.

We welcome the recent increase in international efforts to support this search and shall urge that it be sustained and fully resourced.

We shall continue to encourage the faithful of our communities to show solidarity with you, our brothers and sisters, through pilgrimages, exchanges and support for your ministries

Special For Come and See, April 1, 2007

Christian leaders of American churches and Christian institutions from a range of traditions ? Orthodox, Catholic, mainstream and evangelical Protestants ? have appealed to President Bush for peace in the Holy Land. The January 23rd letter, signed by 39 church leaders, encourages President Bush to make Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking, in the context of a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace initiative, an urgent priority for his Administration. The letter states a deepening concern for the welfare and future of the Palestinian Christian community. It also calls attention to the very grave situation of Jerusalem.

Independent Catholic News, Jan 26, 2007

Bernard Lewis, a professor emeritus at Princeton, called attention to Aug. 22 in an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal earlier this month. In it, Lewis warned that, because of the date's historic significance to Muslims and because Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has referred to it within the context of nuclear development, Aug. 22 could be a time for more terrorist attacks against the West.

BY MICHAEL GARTLAND, The Post and Courier, Charleston, Aug 22, 2006

Christian Palestinian have expressed dismay at a resolution submitted to the House of Representatives by Texan congressman Michael McCaul, which claims that they are being persecuted by the Palestinian Authority.

Open Bethlehem's chief executive Leila Sansour, a Christian from Bethlehem, has sent a letter to congress expressing her community's shock at the "gross misrepresentation of the real threat facing Christians of the Holy Land" and has urged congress to "pay heed to the real threat to the oldest Christian community in the world.

Independent Catholic News, June 20, 2006