The Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (MJA) has issued a letter protesting last December’s decision by the Supreme Court of Israel that Messianic Jews are not entitled to automatic citizenship (CT, Feb. 5, 1990). The letter, which was delivered to Israeli representatives at the United Nations and at the embassy in Washington, D.C., calls upon the court to reverse its decision and “allow any Jew who so wishes to come home.”
“If the December 25th decision is not reversed, Messianic Jews will be the only blood-born Jewish people denied access to their homeland on the basis of the content of their faith,” the statement reads. It labels the court decision as “discriminatory and inconsistent,” and “diametrically opposite to the very reason for the existence of the State of Israel.” Plans have been made to translate the letter into Hebrew and send it to the Israeli Supreme Court and Knesset. The group is also planning to take out a full-page ad printing the statement in the Jerusalem Post.
Bruce Cohen, development chairman of the MJA, said he was appalled at the court decision, and especially by the judges’ statements on the identity of Messianic Jews. He said his hope is that the MJA statement will “stir the sensibilities of all Jewish people” to dangers of saying to any Jewish person, “You are not a Jew.”
