Newsfrom Japan

Jerusalem, June 5 (Jiji Press)--Keinan Gilad, 51, lives in central Israel as an ultra-Orthodox Jew. Dressed in black like others of his kind, Gilad preaches the importance of the teachings of Judaism to nonreligious Jews.

But Gilad has some quality that sets him apart--he is from Japan. He believes this is his strength in communicating the teachings.

Although rockets fly into Israel from the Gaza Strip under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority as a show of resistance, Gilad says that this is "all the work of God" and that "I don't blame people in Gaza."

Gilad believes that such attacks are done because some Israelis are not loyal to Judaism. Failures to observe the rules in the Bible will result in divine punishment, he says.

"What is needed is not to fire missiles back (into Gaza)," he says.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]