A prominent Israeli opposition politician has urged Christians in Britain to pray for peace for her country, following massive protests against plans to reform Israel's judiciary.
This week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a delay to the plans, saying he's "not ready to divide the nation in pieces".
Sharren Haskel is a member of the opposition National Unity party and chairs the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus. “It's a very challenging time right now in Israel. Many of our citizens are really heartbroken”, she told Premier Christian News.
“Because the division among the nation is one of the biggest challenges that such a diverse community like the people of Israel is facing every single day”, she said.
The government's plans give Mr Netanyahu's governing coalition the final say over all judicial appointments.
The coalition also wants laws that would grant the Knesset the authority to overturn Supreme Court decisions and limit judicial review of laws.
“We're not against it. We understand that there is the need for reform and for changes”, Sharren Haskel MK said.
“The question is how the judicial system is going to look, the day after. And while they take a far more extreme approach, we are for a far more moderate one. And so sitting around the table and talking together and getting a wide acceptance is crucial for a reform like that.”
According to Ms Haskel MK, prayers for peace are needed, as internal division is what caused Israel’s demise, as seen from Bible times:
“When we look back on Jewish history”, she told Premier, “Look at how twice the Israeli nation was almost completely destroyed. Twice our Temple, the highest most sacred place was destroyed. Not because of enemies from the outside.”
“Time after time, and if you look on the history of 75 years of Israel, it is an absolute miracle. And you can say it out loud, 'God is on our side'. The war that we won, and the strength that we receive is an absolute miracle. You cannot explain it otherwise”, she continued.
“And that goes back into history. If you look on biblical wars, you know, God was on our side, we prevail, we won many wars. But time after time, the things that got to a destruction was a tear from within our nation. And we have to be aware of that."
“To be honest, these are quite dividing times. And that's why many Israelis are absolutely heartbroken.
Sharren Haskel MK concluded that prayers are needed for what she called “the unity of the people of Israel”.
“The terror and the division in our nation is one of the greatest challenges currently”, she told Premier.
“The other prayers we need are for the security and the safety of Israel, because we are surrounded with enemies from every single border. And this is a great, life threatening challenge that we face every single day living here. “
