What’s going on in Israel? A conversation with Israeli civil rights lawyer Calev Myers

Calev Myers, a prominent Israeli lawyer, discusses with Dr. Mark Turman his civil rights advocacy, efforts to support justice in Israel, and the origin and solution to the current civil unrest against the Israeli government.    Show notes:    Calev Myers begins by talking about his career and the founding story of the Jerusalem Institute for Justice, which focuses on Hamas’ abuse of Palestinians while also advocating on behalf of Israeli citizens (4:21). He discusses the relatively peaceful coexistence of Israelis and how to communicate inter-religiously (15:31). Myers elaborates by unfolding the origin of modern Israel and the specific issues he’s dealt with in their Supreme Court (19:47). He then talks about ARISE, a group that helps make business connections and grows Israel economically, which combats an insidious boycott movement called “BDS” (33:52). He shares some of ARISES’ success stories (41:55). Myers and Dr. Turman then consider the current protests and unrest, starting with Israel’s lack of a founding constitution and the imbalance of power in its government (47:44). Myers closes with how we can pray for Israel (1:04:04).    Resources and further reading:   ARISE, website Jerusalem Institute of Justice, website Crucial Alliance: African-Americans, Jews, and the Middle East Conundrum, Calev Myers "What I learned in Israel about the recent Israeli elections," Dr. Jim Denison "How to think biblically about Israel", Podcast with Dr. Jim Denison “To Follow in His Footsteps,” Dr. Jim and Ryan Denison   About the hosts    Mark Turman, DMin, is the executive director of Denison Forum. He received his DMin from Truett at Baylor and previously served as lead pastor of Crosspoint Church.    About the guest    In 2004, Myers became a partner at Yehuda Raveh & Co., a law firm. In 2004, Myers also founded the Jerusalem Institute of Justice (JIJ), a human rights group active in Israel and its adjacent territories, and has presented reports on their behalf before governmental bodies. In 2009, Myers became a founding partner of the Jerusalem City Center Branch of Yehuda Raveh and Co., which primarily serves foreign clients investing or donating in Israel. Myers’ legal practice focuses primarily on corporate and intellectual property law, as well as non-profit law, immigration law, and civil rights.  Myers is the Founder and Chairman of ARISE – Alliance to Reinforce Israel’s Security and Economy and serves as the Chairman of the Anti-BDS Commission of the Israel Association of Bi-National Chambers of Commerce.