1. Please look at the water. It is the Jordan at its muddiest. Who in their right mind would get baptized in that muck? 2. Why would this raise international hackles? Israel is re-opening a site holy to Christianity. Would the international community prefer it remain closed? 3. Why would there be conflict among the various Christian groups? Don't all Christians baptize? Can't they learn to share the spot, along the lines of the way the keys to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Church of the Dormition rotate among various Christian sects?

he has accused likud ministers of being danger to the national camp because they voted against a bill unrelated to the land of israel now his number two in the party refuse to reopen a holy site in the land of israel due to international concerns!!!! and it is in the jordan valley which will remain in israel hands according to netanyahu netanyahu and lieberman must intervene and give the green light for the reopening but barak must stay away he is a disaster and must resign shalom and god bless israel

Shalom is right about reopening this site as a tourist attraction. Judeo-Christians around the world will support it. The Tourism Ministry should not be concerned about political repercussions. There will be no such repercussions. And it is not a sensitive subject. It will be good for Israel and the Judeo-Christian world.

Is always Misekhnikov member of "Israel beteinou?" he is not credible! or "Israel beteinou " has changed?

ask Dr. Fayyad to sponser the ceremony , and so there will be no international protests : ) good idea, right Ynet ; )

dr. fayad is too busy sponsoring boycotts on israel. i am sure he will be too busy to sponsor this ceremony. it is none of his business anyway since he is muslim. this is a christian issue and muslims do not particularly care for christians as can be seen all over the arab world.

Would some one like to spell out the problem with this more clearly.

It is a given that regardless of what we do the Muslims will attack it. They were the ones that closed it in the first place. So what - if Christians want to use it, let's open it up. It is one of their holy sites and we should do everything we can to allow them their freedom to worship. As for the Muslims - who cares what those racists think, say or do?

Who ever dreamed that the homeland of the Jews would have absolutely no problem in craeating myriads of Christian religious sites and at the same time prohibit Jews from massively moving into the most important religious and national sites of Jerusalem and Israel and let its most sacred Mt of Olives cemetery be used as a garbage dump and descrated daily for 43 years .Had many of us known who the "leaders" were most of us never would have come.To say we feel betrayed is an understatement.

Why is there no site planned to commemorate the crossing of the Children of Israel and the many happings there on the plain recored in the Torah why just a Christian site to be there not to mention the new tourist site The Inn of the Good Samaritan one of the most anti semitic stories in the New Testament another example of our "leaders" selling out the Jews for money disgusting !!

Hi Sarah, In reference to your question # 3, I am afraid they might end up trying to drown each other. Here is an example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_E4haW1upw

And here I thought that priestly celibacy and transubstantiation were the chief stumbling blocks .... Thanks for the link!

Papism is Paganism.

The story of the Good Samaritan is not antiSemitc. It is one of the most beautiful stories in the Bible about what spirituality is all about. Read the Sermon on the Mount or The Beatitudes by the Prince of Peace in Matthew Chapters 5 to 7. There nothing antiSemitic about the New Testament. In fact the more people read the message of the Prince of Peace, the more they will love the GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the Jewish Nation. Read the testimonies of former Arab Islamist-Jihadists in their books as follows: "Islam and Terrorism" [2002) by Mark A. Gabriel, PhD "Why I Left Jihad" [2005] by Walid Shoebat "Once An Arafat Man" [2008] by Tass Saada "The Blood of Lambs" [2009] by Kamal Saleem "Son of Hamas" [2010] by Mosab Hassan Yousef

owned by palestinians or jews i'd love to visit it. I think any Christian would. just as long as no one charges admission it should be public works all sides should appreciate. Also jordanians flush their toilets into the jordan so keep your mouth closed when being baptised.