ZioWatch

'Christian Zionism and Jewish Extremism'

Monday, December 06, 2004

Analysis: America's new Christian Zionists

The Jewish lobby has long been perceived as a powerful influence on US foreign policy but, as BBC Washington correspondent Stephen Sackur reveals, Israel has found new support from American Christians.
Since 11 September support among Americans for Israel has grown massively as many now see the Middle East conflict as the frontline in the US "War on Terror".
Joining well-established Jewish lobby groups in America is a new and powerful phenomenon - Christian Zionism.
There are an estimated 40 million Christian Conservatives in America and they may be in a position to wield unprecedented influence in support of Israel.

Fundraising


At the Cornerstone Church in Texas 5,000 Christian worshippers cheer in support of Israel. "Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jewish state. Not since Camp David but since King David," says their leader, Pastor John Hagee.
Many high profile Israeli politicians have addressed this congregation, among them former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
Cornerstone Church is by no means unique in America. Republican activist Gary Bauer says there is growing support for Israel from Christian Conservatives.
New allies


This new movement is forging an alliance with American Jewish organisations. They rely on grass-roots activists, encouraged by boosters like Nachum Segal.
He hosts America's biggest Jewish radio show - JM in the AM - Jewish Moments in the Morning. Mr Segal constantly urges his listeners to work in support of Israel.
The best-known pro-Israel lobby group is Aipac, the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee. It is rated as one of the top five lobbying groups in Washington.
"Aipac has a lot of influence on foreign policy," says JJ Goldberg, editor of the Jewish newspaper The Forward. "They work hard to ensure that America endorses pretty much Israel's view of the world and the Middle East."
Aipac says its main role is providing information and denies that it puts pressure on politicians to support Israel.
By contrast, pro-Palestinian lobbyists say they face an uphill battle to make their voice heard. Khalid Turaani of American Muslims for Jerusalem says the pro-Israel lobby are better funded, better organised and much better established.
Influencing American policy?
Some left of centre activists like MJ Rosenberg of the Israeli Policy Forum are worried about the new alliance between hawkish Jewish groups and Christian conservatives. They fear it may constrain President George W Bush's ability to mediate fairly between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
"It's more than damaging," he says. "It's frightening."


But Congressman Robert Wexler ridicules suggestions that Israel's supporters control American policy in the Middle East. Instead, he says, America supports Israel because they share fundamental values.
"Americans are just solid, rock-solid with the people of Israel," says Congressman Wexler. "It is a democratic nation and a freedom-loving people and a very decent people and they deserve to have a free and secure state."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/1969542.stm

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Milton Frihetsson, 5:36 PM | link | |

Christian Zionists Rally for Jewish State

Christian Zionists Rally for Jewish StateMore than 600 Christians from around the world flock to Jerusalem to show solidarity with Israel as peace process collapses.By Religion News Service posted 4/9/01From a garden lookout offering a heavenly view of Jerusalem's Old City, 150 Christians from around the world raised their hands to the skies. Speaking in their own languages, they prayed together for Israel and its inhabitants.
Their prayers were offered at the closing of a three-day Zionist Congress that drew more than 600 Christians from around the world to Jerusalem in late February in a show of solidarity with the Jewish state.
The conference, sponsored by the Jerusalem-based International Christian Embassy, an ardently pro-Israel organization, was designed to demonstrate strong Christian support for Israel after the collapse of the peace process and the violent disturbances that have accompanied the recent Palestinian uprising.
The three-day meeting coincided with the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center's Christian-Palestinian solidarity conference occurring just a mile away in Arab East Jerusalem.
"The impressive achievement of a Jewish state in Eretz Israel [the land of Israel] remains under assault from formidable adversaries both without and within," said Malcolm Hedding, executive director of the Christian Embassy. "The threat facing this people is not really a Palestinian-cum-Israeli question; it is a far deeper problem. Time and time again various Palestinian representatives, including the Hamas, have said that their goal is the total dismantling of the Jewish state. This is the threat that the Jewish people face under the guise of the peace process."
Hedding added, "The Palestinians refused to sign a generous peace offer that would have laid to rest this whole issue. We've come together to encourage Israel, to comfort Israel, to be a blessing to Israel as the Bible teaches us, and to stand with her right to exist in the ancient home of her forefathers."

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/006/18.23.html

This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Milton Frihetsson, 5:35 PM | link | |