By Omar Sacirbey
c. 2008 Religion News Service
(UNDATED) In recent years, conservative Christians have emerged as some of the most vocal supporters of the state of Israel — support that many Jewish groups have welcomed at a time when they feel Israel is under siege.
One of the loudest voices has been John Hagee, the San Antonio megachurch pastor who recently endorsed John McCain’s White House bid and raised the ire of Catholic groups with statements that even some Jews called vicious and inflammatory.
The Catholic flap has sparked a new round of questions among Jewish groups over the support from Christian Zionists like Hagee and the Rev. Pat Robertson. Where is the line between embracing their support and keeping their politics at arm’s length?
“On the one hand, there’s a desire to have as strong a support for Israel as possible,” said Rabbi Joel Meyers, who heads the Rabbinical Assembly, an umbrella group of Conservative rabbis. “On the other hand, there’s concern that no one wants to back any religious extremist. And some of the comments coming from some of the leaders of the evangelical movement are certainly extreme when they talk about other faiths.
“That makes a lot of people, including myself, very uneasy.”
Christian Zionism has various interpretations, but the central belief is that ancient Israel must be restored to bring about Armageddon and the Second Coming of Christ. Most Christian Zionists believe that during the Second Coming, Jews will ether convert to Christianity or perish.
That theology alone is enough to give many Jews pause.
While Israel’s birth in 1948 seemed to fulfill biblical prophecy, Christian Zionists believe an intact Israel must also include Judea and Samaria — the predominantly Palestinian West Bank captured by Israel in 1967. As such, they have resisted returning any land to the Palestinians as part of a peace deal. And a war with Iran, some say, could usher in Armageddon.
Estimates on the number of Christian Zionists in the U.S. range from 20 million to 40 million. The movement is mostly evangelical, and its most potent force is Christians United For Israel, established two years ago by Hagee, the pastor of the 18,000-member Cornerstone Church in San Antonio. The group’s executive board includes Gary Bauer, Jonathan Falwell and other evangelical leaders.
Hagee, in an interview, said he can “understand” why some Jews would “shy away from Christian support,” but blamed that reluctance on 2,000 years of anti-Semitism, not political or social differences.
“We have made a clean break with the past replacement theology and have embraced the Jewish people for whom the Bible says they are — the apple of God’s eye,” Hagee said. “And we would say to our critics you need to take a closer look at 26 years of unconditional support of the Jewish people.”
Many Jewish leaders have been turned off by some of the statements that leaders of the religious right have made about Catholics, Muslims, gays and lesbians and other minorities.
Hagee has stepped away from previous comments that called the Catholic Church “the whore of Babylon” and that seemed to blame Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans’ willingness to host a gay parade.
“I am not now, nor have I ever been, an anti-Catholic,” Hagee said, arguing the media have misconstrued his statements. “I have never called the (Catholic) church the Antichrist or a false cult system.” And Katrina, he said, was either a blessing or a curse, and “it was not a blessing, I can tell you that.”
One of the directors for Christians United for Israel, Ohio megachurch pastor Rod Parsley, has said “Islam must be destroyed” and issued a “lock and load” call against spiritual enemies. Hagee has been equally critical of Islam, but said that “my remarks about Islam are always … about radical Islam.”
Still, Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, said such bombastic rhetoric is bound to raise eyebrows — and concerns.
“I think we need to be very, very reluctant to partner with anyone who isn’t fundamentally respectful towards other religious traditions,” Yoffie said. “His comments on Islam are a legitimate and important factor here when Jewish groups consider whether they should join with him.”
Some Jews have even compared Hagee with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, whose anti-Semitic rhetoric and recent campaign endorsement has caused headaches for Sen. Barack Obama.
“Jews and other people of good will should demand that John McCain renounce and reject the endorsement of Pastor John Hagee because of his vicious and inflammatory anti-Catholicism,” Rabbi Irwin Kula, president of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, wrote in a statement last month.
Some Jewish groups have tried to draw a line between Hagee’s views on Israel and his views on practically everything else. They’ve also distinguished between his political views on Israel and an End Times theology that some say uses Jews as pawns to usher in the Second Coming.
“Will I welcome Hagee’s support? Absolutely,” said Rabbi Jerome Epstein, executive vice president of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. “Would I want his endorsement, or would I appear with him? No, because I don’t want to be associated with his positions.”
Some Jewish leaders said they welcome the support of Christian Zionists — but reserve the right to openly and publicly disagree.
“I don’t have to agree with anybody 100 percent in order to welcome their support, as long as their support is not conditioned on my agreeing with them on everything or accepting them 100 percent,” said Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League.
But Yoffie, who leads the nation’s largest Jewish movement, worries that young American Jews’ attachment to Israel has frayed because of an “increasingly right-wing and even reactionary tone” on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“The conclusion that our young people are most likely to draw from this arrangement,” Yoffie wrote last year in The Forward, a Jewish newspaper, “is that we are simply selling our souls.”
Foxman disagreed.
“The only way I would see selling my soul is accepting Christianity,” he said. “It’s nonsense. We’re not selling our souls for anything. I will fight Hagee in court on issues of church-state. I will criticize Hagee on issues that we disagree on. I haven’t sold anything.”
Copyright 2008 Religion News Service. All rights reserved. No part of this transmission may be distributed or reproduced without written permission.
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posted March 17, 2008 at 8:37 pm
The tragedy is that the combination of Jewish-based support and the Christian Zionists cause the US to be so biased toward Israel that
1) we probably can’t be of help in brokering a Middle East peace and
2) Israel has acted like a bully with a big brother to always bail it out, thus causing people there to dislike us and probably cause Israel more trouble in the long run, and
3) it was part of the reason for 9/11. It’s not PC to say that but Usamah said it and it makes sense. Concern for the plight of the Palestinians among Muslims has cost us 3,000 people in the towers and a lot of friends we’d probably otherwise have.
We really should get out of the Middle East. Israel is a strong country and can get along without our aid. We could guarantee retaliation against any country that attacked it with WMD’s unprovoked. But other than that we should just get out of the area and stop making enemies we don’t need. And we could save an immense amount of money we do need.
But this armageddon silliness will prevent that common sense solution; just watch.
posted March 17, 2008 at 8:58 pm
If I were a Jewish person, I would want nothing to do with the Christian Zionists. Why would anyone want to help “fulfill” the Christian Zionist’s belief that Israel must be restored for Armageddon & the 2nd coming of JC. With that 2nd coming, Jews will convert to Christianity or perish. Sounds like the Christian Zionists want Israel destroyed so the great big God can come and destroy the earth, except for the “Good Christians” who will get to live. What a great fairy tale.
posted March 17, 2008 at 9:38 pm
I don’t think anyone in their right mind and ego would think they could hurry or influence God’s plan, especially by doing evil to people of the region (Palestinians). I think the blow hards with their minds on war could hardly have Christ hanging out with them on their agendas, I don’t know how they can call themselves Christians. And Israel ought to be ashamed how they treat people. When one looks at Israel one hardly sees the Black Jewish population being treated fairly nor does one see the Muslim population being treated fairly.
posted March 18, 2008 at 12:39 am
It must be the green bagels and Shamrock shakes speaking, but once again, I agree with cknuck, as well as pagansister and nnmns (and that is as usual, thank goodness). Forget the Blarney Stone, this is a kiss of grace!
Any candidate who sets their course based on the advice of Hagee & Parsley deserves to run aground. It seems that religion has run its course in the electoral process and should take a time out. Once the media has nothing to report but stories from the fringe on every side, no one stands to gain.
Nothing to see here – move along.
posted March 18, 2008 at 4:49 am
While I have appreciated and drawn much needed knowledge from both Pastors Hagee and Parcley over the last 10 years or so, I have found there comments over the last 3 0r 4 years to have grown more zelous concerning portions or segments of other faiths.
While I do beleive my Lord and Savior to be the Messiah that Israel is still looking for and pray for all the world to come to faith in Jesus, I do not beleive in challenging or comming against eny other faith or beleif. Paul didn’t challenge or condem any of the Roman god’s as enemies but promoted the God of Abraham as a previously unkown God.
I blieve the message of the Gospels is Love as I believe the Kingdom of God is about Love. As a Christian I support Israel, I will pray for the Jewish people as I am told to do in the Bible, but I also must remember that God will accomplesh His plan for this world.
Whether a Muslem pray’s for or supports God’s chosen people, whether a Buddhist aggrees with the Pope, whether the President of the United States is a man of God or not, {God’s will be done } As I understand it, my responsibilities are {1} Praise my God {2} Love all His creation. That may be over simplified but its a place to start.
I also pray for this Nation since we now seem to have as many gods as Rome did in Pauls day. I can hear our founding fathers like Washington and so many others crying and asking what has taken us so far away from ther dreams, hopes and prayer’s for this country.
posted March 18, 2008 at 10:29 am
of course, there are plenty of religious christians who are allied with jews who together believe that military domination and oppression are not long term solutions to anything. but as with most issues, it’s the views to the “rightwing” which are held by the wealthy and powerful, of any religion, and which therefore prevail. so it’s not just rightwing bornagain christians and rightwing jews who hold rightwing views on israel, it’s also rightwing women and rightwing blacks and rightwing gays and rightwing cubans, etc. etc. etc. while the moderates of any subcategory, including israelis, are marginalized by not having the same access to the media and to political officholders, both of which are fueled by cash.
posted March 18, 2008 at 11:17 am
The Christian Zionists only motivation is the end of everything. They are not life affirming but rather long for/lust the the destruction of all things so their “god” can destory everything so they can live “happily ever after”. They always looking to the future rather than the here and now, where we can make a difference. From my point of view, the present is a terrifying place for them and the only escape they can believe in, is in a future where all things end. I can’t understand why their faith is so paralyzing, filled with fear. Deal with the present. Make a change for the better of all humankind because of love not fear.
posted March 18, 2008 at 6:00 pm
I believe Ron, above me, hit the nail on the head. There’s a web site called raptureready.com. “Christians” get on there and discuss how soon the end of everything is coming. It’s pretty nutso alright, but since these dominionists control the U.S. military now they have more influence than you can possibly imagine.
Be afraid, Be VERY afraid!
I’m so relieved to see that Israelis are recognizing what these “Christians” are really about!!
posted March 18, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Very well said, Ron!
posted March 19, 2008 at 10:38 am
As to those who feel they can hasten their rapture by clearing the path for the Second Coming of Christ by setting in motion the Great Armageddon by helping Israel reclaim its Temple location. There is a sign in Key West that sums up both the hope and frustration of all this. It says, “Free Beer Tomorrow”.
posted March 19, 2008 at 2:09 pm
With the Christian Zionists for friends, who needs enemies? Not Israel.
posted March 20, 2008 at 8:09 am
I’ve given this a lot of thought. If someone with a farcical belief system wants to support me and I’m in need of friends, I take the support. It is called survival.
If the Christian Zionists ever influence Israel’s decision making process, then it is time to question the relationship.
As for nnmns, if the Palestinians wanted peace, there would be peace. Israel has every right to defend herself.
posted March 22, 2008 at 8:38 pm
The assumption that Palestinians don’t want peace is a silly as assuming Israeli Jews don’t want peace. The problem is Israel wants land that belongs to the Palestinians and crazy so-called Christians want a temple built and are willing to kill to get it. And those problems run into a group of fanatical Muslims (maybe Palestinian maybe not) that will do anything to get rid of the Israelis and Americans. So you have three kinds of nuts making the gentle farmers villagers lives nightmares with their murderous ways. Sure the Palestinians could have peace; if they lay down to Israel’s agenda and rule.