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December 24, 1999/15 Tevet 5760, Vol. 52, No.17
Christians well regarded, poll reveals
AVI MACHLIS
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
JERUSALEM - As Christian pilgrims begin to flood Israel for millennium celebrations, a poll released this week shows that Israelis have surprisingly positive attitudes toward Christians, although they lack a fundamental knowledge of Christianity.
The Gallup poll, commissioned by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, showed that a majority of Israeli Jews consider American Christians to be friendly toward Israel and are looking forward to economic dividends from millennial tourism. It also showed that most Israelis have a positive or very positive view of Pope John Paul II's plans to visit the Holy Land in late March.
However, the poll also showed that less than a third of Israelis know that Dec. 25 is Christmas, and most appear to have little understanding of the differences among Christian denominations and their differing attitudes toward Israel.
Conducted during the first week of December, the poll asked 479 Israeli Jews from a geographical and religious cross-section of the country 16 questions about their knowledge and experience of Christians and Christian themes.
Several Jewish religious leaders see the poll as a sign that Israelis need to become more sensitive to some Christians' religious connection to Israel. Christian tourists outnumbered Jewish visitors by almost 3-1 in 1999.
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, the founder and president of the Chicago-based International Fellowship, said the findings represent a goodwill opportunity "to forge ahead in building better relations and understanding" among religious groups.
Asked which group they believe are "the friendliest Christians insofar as Jews and Israel are concerned," most Israelis polled said "don't know" or "Eastern Orthodox." Only 7.5 percent said evangelicals, despite the fact that this Christian denomination - to which both President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore belong - strongly supports Israel both politically and financially.
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