Dr. Kendall Shows Mel Gibson’s
The Passion to Yasser Arafat

I made another trip to Israel March l7-21, partly official and partly private. The private part – though it was made public by the Palestinian press who were allowed in and took pictures - was that I was invited by President Arafat to have lunch with him and watch Mel Gibson’s film The Passion. I regard this visit as pastoral but I can reveal a few details. Dr. Saeb Erekat, the respected Palestinian statesman and Cabinet Minister, translated the subtitles. Dr. Erekat asked me afterwards if I noticed that President Arafat wept a number of times as he watched. I could hear him weeping but did not look at him except to whisper a few comments about the film as it proceeded. He watched the entire film along with about thirty members of the PLO and Cabinet. At the end of the film I asked President Arafat if I could pray with him. After all in the room left, except for Dr. Erekat whom I asked to remain, I prayed with him. He made it clear he welcomed this. My sole motive in showing the film was pastoral and evangelistic. I have stressed to Arafat again and again that Jesus DIED ON THE CROSS – was not delivered.

I felt that Mel Gibson’s film was therefore a potential vehicle of the Holy Spirit to drive this home. In my prayer (during which he took my hand and held it tight) I said, ‘Heavenly Father, I thank you for the high privilege of showing this film to President Arafat. I pray that you will apply the truth of this film by your Holy Spirit. Make both of us thankful that Jesus died on the cross for our sins’ among other things. We had lunch, he allowed me to pray for all the PLO, walked me out and kissed me good-bye. My total time in Ramallah this time was three hours and a half. Oliver Scutt, Andrew White’s aide, stayed with me (next to me in the photo) and accompanied me afterwards to join others (see paragraph below) in Hebron.

Many present, among them Hanan Ashrawl (often seen as a Palestinian spokesman on television), remarked about my friendship with Arafat and his love for me. Why? I am not sure that I know. I would appreciate your prayers for me. I realize I have been misunderstood by some of my friends as well as some political leaders. I know this much: if John Wesley is correct – that God does nothing but in answer to prayer, this meant that somebody prayed for Saul of Tarsus before he was converted; secondly, Paul used the word ‘envy’ or ‘jealousy’ twice (Romans 11: 11,14) as a motive to wake up Israel and lead to their blindness being lifted.

This is my own ‘strategy’ if I may use that word. Please pray for me. And pray for Yasser Arafat. I have reason to believe that if Christians had been praying for Arafat and Palestinians as much as they pray for Israelis and Jews over the years that things could be a lot different in the Middle East at the present time. A political and military solution is not the answer; the issue is theological.

I want to thank Canon Andrew White, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Envoy to the Middle East, for introducing me to President Yasser Arafat and allowing me continued access into the compound in Ramallah. I could not have done what I did without Andrew’s support. Andrew is one of the most remarkable men I have ever met. I pray he will one day win the Nobel Peace Prize. This brings me to the official part of my recent trip to Israel. My main reason for being in Israel this time was to be with Dr. George Carey, formerly the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Andrew White. The architect of the Alexandria Peace Process, Lord Carey, led a tour of British and American leaders (two of whom I had the privilege of choosing) to meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders during March l7-21.

Dr. Richard Land, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention and Dr. Ravi Zacharias, the well-known Christian apologist, joined Lord and Lady Carey, Alan Bell (my friend who has accompanied me twice before into Ramallah), Christopher Long, former British ambassador to Egypt and advisor to Lord Carey and the Very Rev James Diamond, dean of Christ Church Cathedral of Cincinnati, Ohio, in visiting a number of leaders. Most of these spent a few moments with President Arafat (see photograph), then called on Sheik Tal El Sider in Hebron,, a co-rounder of Hamas but who since broke with them and has renounced violence. During these days we met with the former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres in Tel Aviv, as well as both the American Ambassador to Israel, Dan Kurtzer, and the British Ambassador to Israel, Simon McDonald.

We also met with members of the Knesset when we sat in on a meeting with the Christian Allies Caucus at the Knesset. We had lunch with the Chief Rabbi of Israel and enjoyed a Shabbat meal on the Friday evening with Rabbi David Rosen and his family. We also met with various leaders of the Greek, Syrian and Coptic churches in Jerusalem including the Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem. It was a very full week. Some of us met with Baroness Elizabeth Symons of the Foreign Office in London on March 22nd. Not all the photos have been developed but will hopefully be put up soon.

It was a great honor and particular delight to spend time with Lord and Lady Carey. I felt deprived that I did not get to know them well when I was minister of Westminster Chapel in London and he was Archbishop of Canterbury. But ‘all’s well that ends well’ and I have made two delightful friends. It was great to be with Richard Land, an old friend; we did our doctorates at Oxford the same time. I felt a wonderful bonding with Ravi Zacharias and so honored to have him with us for nearly all of our meetings. The other members of this tour have become new friends and I have reason to believe we shall all be together soon, probably in the Middle East.