CAFI Newsletter #160
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CAFI Newsletter Newsletter #160 Friday, November 14, 2003=20
ISRAEL'S CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS=20
By Craig Horowitz - September 29, 2003=20
Citing Scripture, Evangelical Christians have taken up the cause =
of preserving Israel with a passion=97no matter how many liberal Jews =
find their unlikely devotion unsettling.=20
Israeli cabinet minister Binyamin Elon was in New York several =
weeks ago to wrap up a hectic swing through the Southeast that included =
stops in Memphis, Atlanta, and several other cities. It was a muggy =
afternoon, and Elon, a soft-spoken bear of a man who has a full beard, =
looked a little weary as he filled a chair at the Israeli Consulate on =
Second Avenue.=20
A potent political figure back home, Elon wears two hats (in =
addition to his knitted kippa): He is Israel=92s Tourism minister and =
the head of Moledet, one of the small right-wing parties that help keep =
Ariel Sharon in power. On his visit here, he was working both portfolios =
pretty hard, often with the same people. In private meetings with =
political activists, as well as in speeches before religious groups, =
Elon pushed the importance of visiting Israel now.=20
Since the second Palestinian intifada began three years ago, the =
number of visitors to Israel has plummeted from more than 3 million a =
year to barely 1 million. In the days just before the war in Iraq, Elon =
was actually giving out gas masks to visitors. =93I was,=94 he says =
sardonically, =93probably the world=92s only minister of tourism who was =
able to personally meet each of his country=92s tourists.=94=20
Solidarity with the Holy Land is the current sales strategy. Elon =
hopes that, at least among the believers, religious faith will outweigh =
fear: =93For obvious reasons, we are not trying to compete with the =
Virgin Islands as a family-vacation spot.=94=20
When he slipped on his Moledet hat, Elon went from pitching =
tourism to practicing politics. His agenda was simple: to instigate and =
solidify opposition to the Bush road map.=20
An Orthodox rabbi who lives in the West Bank, Elon favors a =
two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But in his =
version, Israel keeps the West Bank and Gaza. The Palestinians get to =
become citizens of Jordan, which, he says, is already a de facto =
Palestinian state. He argues with alacrity that the creation of a =
Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza=97which he says would never =
be economically or geographically viable anyway=97would actually be a =
three-state solution.=20
Wherever Elon went, he was warmly received. Which may not be =
surprising, since he was clearly preaching to the choir. What is =
surprising, however, is that it was the Christian choir he was preaching =
to, not the Jewish one. During his five-day trip, Elon spent virtually =
none of his time among Jews.=20
Instead, he spoke at the Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary =
in Memphis and lunched there with a group of pastors. He met with =
Roberta Combs, president of the Christian Coalition. He spent time with =
Mike Evans, founder of the Jerusalem Prayer Team and author of Beyond =
Iraq: The Next Move, a book that depicts Islam as evil and finds =
biblical harbingers of the end of time in the current global crisis.=20
=93The Evangelicals may now be seen as even more important allies =
than American Jews.=94
He talked to former presidential candidate Gary Bauer, now head of =
American Values, a conservative Christian group. And he beamed with =
pride in snapshots taken when Ed McAteer, one of the founders of the =
Moral Majority, brought him to see a billboard in downtown Memphis that =
loudly displayed a passage from Genesis: AND THE LORD SAID TO JACOB . . =
. =93UNTO THY OFFSPRING WILL I GIVE THIS LAND.=94=20
At every stop and at every meeting, Elon was signaling the =
importance that the Jewish community, and especially Israeli politicians =
on the right, places on its relationship with America=92s swelling =
Evangelical Christian community. And while this alliance between the =
Evangelicals and the Jews is not new, it has suddenly taken on a sense =
of urgency and an intensity that haven=92t been seen before.=20
AIPAC, the powerful Israeli lobby in Washington, chose Gary Bauer =
to speak at its most recent annual dinner. The Zionist Organization of =
America honored televangelist and onetime presidential candidate Pat =
Robertson with its State of Israel Friendship Award.=20
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, who founded the International Fellowship =
of Christians and Jews twenty years ago, was named the =
third-most-important Jew in America by The Forward. The reason? He spent =
years as a kind of outcast among his peers for his efforts to foster =
better relations between Jews and Evangelicals; now the Jewish community =
has begun to see things his way.=20
And when House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, the conservative, =
born-again former exterminator from Sugar Land, Texas, addresses the =
Knesset, as he did several weeks ago, and says, =93I stand before you =
today, in solidarity, as an Israeli of the heart,=94 you know =
something=92s going on.=20
Indeed, the world=97and not just that part of it between the =
Mediterranean and the Jordan River=97is a very different place from what =
it was in 1980, when Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin outraged much =
of the Jewish community by presenting the Jabotinsky Centennial medal to =
the Reverend Jerry Falwell for his work on behalf of Israel.=20
In the two decades that followed, the relationship between =
American Jews and Evangelicals was at best lukewarm. Though the =
Evangelicals periodically offered support, their overtures to the Jewish =
community were generally met with skepticism. Many Jews believed that =
what the Christians really wanted was to convert them. Or to persuade =
all of them to move to Israel as part of some devious plan to hasten the =
coming of the end of days as laid out in the New Testament.=20
But much of that queasy reluctance has been overcome, or at least =
pushed aside, as Israel=92s situation has worsened. As the violence gets =
more horrific and more relentless, and the overall outlook more bleak, =
Israel seems to have fewer and fewer friends. Support from the =
Evangelicals, however, hasn=92t wavered. In fact, the more beleaguered =
Israel seems to be, the more passionate its Christian friends have =
become. =93I have always said,=94 Jerry Falwell told me recently, =
=93that America=92s Bible Belt is Israel=92s safety belt.=94=20
Three critical developments have deepened the alliance. One is the =
stunning rise in anti-Semitism around the world and the feelings of =
insecurity it has stirred among Jews. The second is 9/11, and the third =
is George W. Bush. The president is a born-again, Scripture-loving =
Christian who sees the world in stark, almost biblical, terms =
(=93You=92re either with us or you=92re with the terrorists=94). He is =
also surrounded by a coterie of advisers who similarly see the war on =
terrorism and the current conflict as a clash of civilizations, a battle =
between the East and the West.=20
=93Conservatives generally and Christian conservatives =
specifically see our foreign policy in moral terms,=94 says Bauer. =
=93And they see Israel as the good guy, a democracy, a nation much like =
ours. And they see Israel=92s opponents as a collection of thugs, =
dictators, and self-appointed kings.=94=20
Bauer believes Israel and America are fighting essentially the =
same battle, the battle against Islamic terrorism. =93The only solution =
is to completely defeat the enemy and then figure out what a just peace =
is.=94=20
But for the Christians, this blossoming relationship is about much =
more than politics. Evangelical Christians=92 support for a safe and =
secure Israel with borders stretching perhaps from the Mediterranean to =
the Jordan River, and their oft-expressed love for the Jewish people =
(=93the apple of God=92s eye=94), are rooted in deeply held religious =
beliefs.=20
They believe God promised Israel to the Jews. It is the Holy Land. =
The land where Jesus lived and died. The land where Jesus will return to =
save the world. =93When you add this belief that Israel is their =
spiritual homeland,=94 says Rabbi Eckstein, =93to their belief that we =
are in a global battle against terrorism, it is a powerful mix.=94=20
It is the kind of support rarely offered to Jews=97especially =
these days. =93Let=92s be honest,=94 says Rabbi A. James Rudin, who was =
director of inter-religious affairs during his more than 30 years with =
the American Jewish Committee. =93It=92s hard to ignore their support =
even, as my father used to say, if they=92re doing the right thing for =
the wrong reasons.=94=20
Further adding to their appeal as suitors, Evangelicals have =
considerable political muscle. A recent Gallup poll reported that 41 =
percent of voting-age Americans are born-again or Evangelical =
Christians. Most, of course, are active, committed Republicans, and they =
have been the catalyst for the shift in political power from the =
Northeast and Midwest to the South and Southwest.=20
=93Israelis have known for a long time that Evangelicals are about =
the strongest supporters Israel has,=94 says Dr. Richard Land, president =
of the Southern Baptist Convention=92s Ethics and Religious Liberty =
Commission. =93It=92s been a shock to Jews in America, but I think it is =
beginning to catch on now.=94=20
It is not a shock to Eckstein, who for years was the lone Jewish =
voice in the wilderness working to build bridges between the two groups. =
=93More and more Jews see the Evangelical community as a strategic ally =
for Israel,=94 he says. =93In fact, the Evangelicals may now be seen as =
even more important allies than the American Jewish community itself. =
But are Jews willing to have a beer with them? I=92m not so sure.=94=20
At first glance, this alliance looks like a very bizarre mixed =
marriage. Jews are mainly urban, educated, liberal Democrats. They also =
tend to be secular. =93We take refuge in our ethnicity rather than our =
spirituality,=94 says Rabbi Gerald Meister, an adviser to the Israeli =
Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Christian relations. Jews are extremely =
uncomfortable with God talk, even if it=92s other Jews doing the =
talking.=20
Evangelicals, on the other hand, are unabashed in expressing their =
love for Jesus and their devotion to the Gospel. They tend to be =
similarly blunt about their social agenda. On nearly every key domestic =
issue=97abortion, gay rights, school prayer, school vouchers, gun =
control, separation of church and state, affirmative action=97they hold =
a different position from that of most Jews.=20
There are, to be sure, exceptions. On the Jewish side, there=92s a =
small but growing group of Republicans that includes Paul Wolfowitz, =
Richard Perle, Bill Kristol, and the rest of the neocons. In the =
Christian camp, it=92s important to note that Bill Clinton, Al Gore, =
Richard Gephardt, and Jimmy Carter are all Southern Baptists.=20
This yawning gap on so many critical issues, however, continues to =
keep many Jews from welcoming Christian support. Rabbi David Saperstein, =
director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington, =
believes it is dangerous for Jews to compromise their beliefs. =93If the =
American Jewish community buys the support of the religious right by its =
acquiescence on domestic policies, that would damage our religious =
freedom and our tradition of pluralism and tolerance,=94 he says. =93It =
will be a disaster for America and for Jews.=94=20
Of course, this match between Evangelicals and Jews may be no less =
odd than the coming-together of leftists, human-rights activists, =
atheists, and assorted liberals with Islamic fundamentalists. Though =
they are ideologically light-years apart on virtually every issue, they =
demonstrate together because they share a hatred of George W. Bush and =
the conviction that Israel is an imperialist oppressor.=20
=93America is a nation of millions who believe like me that =
Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron, and Jericho are part of the biblical =
heartland,=94 Elon says. =93We can argue about the Messiah, when he will =
come, how he will come, but we agree about the basics. And this is more =
important than anything else.=94=20
The alliance gives Jews a lot more clout when they campaign on =
behalf of Israel. It is not Jews alone beseeching Congress and the White =
House on Middle East policy. When Evangelicals speak out, too, it =
doesn=92t look as though American foreign policy is being =
disproportionately shaped by a small minority with a powerful lobby and =
an insider=92s knowledge of the system.=20
=93It=92s not President Bush being blackmailed or pressured by the =
lobbyists of a minority,=94 Elon says. =93It=92s good for American Jews =
to understand that they have friends in the White House and on Capitol =
Hill who will honor the Bible and protect Israel because of their own =
beliefs.=94=20
American Jewish support for Israel is also affected by the reality =
on the ground in the Middle East. When Israel appears to be too =
aggressive or too forceful or to be mistreating the Palestinians, =
liberal American Jews get uncomfortable. Though few would admit it =
publicly, they are at times embarrassed about Israel among their liberal =
Christian friends who sympathize with the long-suffering Palestinians =
and see Israel as some sort of reckless Goliath. The settlements, the =
fence, the depictions of soldiers shooting at kids, Ariel Sharon=92s =
belligerence: All of it causes great angst among secular, liberal Jews.=20
=93We are not supposed to be victors,=94 says Rabbi Gerald =
Meister. =93We are not supposed to survive well.=94=20
Binyamin Elon is more brutally blunt: =93I=92m not going back to =
Auschwitz to regain anybody=92s sympathy.=94=20
The Evangelicals, however, suffer no doubts about the rightness of =
the cause. =93It would be a terrible mistake to try to create a =
Palestinian state between Israel and Jordan in the West Bank,=94 Gary =
Bauer says without a hint of self-consciousness. He believes the land =
belongs to Israel and economic incentives should be used to =
=93encourage=94 West Bank Palestinians to go somewhere else.=20
He is equally unambiguous on the subject of Palestinian suffering: =
=93The suffering of the Palestinian people is due to the actions of =
their leaders and to the behavior of the other Arab and Muslim =
states.=94=20
Dr. John Hagee is pastor and impresario of the Cornerstone Church =
in San Antonio, Texas, a sprawling, colonnaded, 5,000-seat facility that =
is so active it has to hold Sunday-morning services in two sessions. =
With as many as a dozen ministers on staff, its own television =
programming, and a robust business selling books and videotapes, =
Cornerstone is typical of the thriving mega-churches throughout the =
South and Southwest.=20
Hagee is a passionate supporter of Israel with a long history of =
involvement in the cause. He recalls sitting in the kitchen of the =
family home in Channelview, Texas, as a boy, listening to the radio one =
day in 1948 when the news broke that the U.S. had recognized the state =
of Israel. Hagee has a vivid memory of his father, a pastor and a Bible =
scholar, looking across the table at him. =93He was a man of few =
words,=94 Hagee remembers, =93and he said to me, =91This is the most =
important biblical event of the twentieth century.=92 We both cried with =
joy, and to this day I believe that to be exactly true. Every major =
prophet in the Old Testament said that the state of Israel would be =
reborn. Isaiah 66:8 says Israel will be born in a day, and it happened =
just like the prophets said it would.=94=20
Every fall, Cornerstone hosts =93A Night to Honor Israel.=94 At =
last year=92s event, the church was packed, the program was beamed =
around the world by satellite, and the keynote speaker was Tom DeLay. =
There were also video appearances by Ariel Sharon and Benjamin =
Netanyahu.=20
At one point, enormous American and Israeli flags were unfurled =
side by side from the ceiling, and the church choir (and many in the =
congregation) sang =93The Star Spangled Banner=94 and =93Hatikvah.=94 =
Hagee talked about the importance of Israel for twenty minutes, and =
before the evening was over, he presented a check for $1.5 million to =
the president of United Jewish Communities.=20
This kind of extraordinary Christian support for Israel still =
comes as something of a shock to most East and West Coast Jews (not to =
mention most East and West Coast mainline Protestants and Catholics).=20
When talking about the founding of Israel and its early days as a =
nation, Hagee sounds as awestruck and full of wonder as the World War II =
generation of American Jews once did. =93The Jewish people came from 66 =
nations of the world, speaking every conceivable language,=94 he says in =
sonorous, gravelly, preacherlike tones. =93And they started studying =
Hebrew, and miraculously the Hebrew language was reborn. And a nation =
that started out draining the swamps and fighting mosquitoes became a =
powerful, forceful nation in the Middle East. It is an enormous miracle. =
Israel is the only nation ever created by a sovereign act of God.=94=20
Though Hagee may be a little more flamboyant in his presentation =
than the average pastor, the emotional strength of his feeling about =
Israel is not unique. He is representative of Christian Evangelicals as =
a group, whose view of the world, and their place in it, is totally =
based on theology.=20
The bedrock of their beliefs is what they call the =93inerrancy of =
the Bible=94=97their unflinching certainty that everything in the Bible, =
as the word of God, is literally true. Their fervent support for Israel =
and their unexpectedly solicitous feelings for Jews flow from several =
key passages in the Bible. Foremost among them is God=92s covenant with =
Abraham, made in Chapter 12 of the Book of Genesis, which promises the =
land of Israel to the Jews forever. God, the Evangelicals will tell you, =
does not break his promises.=20
And in one simple passage in Genesis 12:3, the Evangelicals=92 =
unshakable bond with Jews is sealed: God says to Abraham as he is =
forming this new nation to be called the Jewish people:=20
=93I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who =
curse you.=94=20
=93It is God=92s foreign-policy statement,=94 says Hagee.=20
Dr. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention is more =
explicit. =93If we want God to continue to bless America, then we need =
to bless the Jews,=94 Land says. He offers the twentieth-century fates =
of Germany, Poland, and Russia as evidence that the divine promise made =
in Genesis is being kept. =93And look at what=92s happened in the Arab =
countries,=94 Land says. =93Who in America would rather live in any Arab =
country?=94=20
The most controversial, and the most often talked-about, piece of =
the Evangelicals=92 Jewish puzzle is the end-of-days scenario. For =
skeptical Jews, this is the eschatological equivalent of a gotcha, a =
piece of evidence that lifts the curtain and reveals what=92s really =
going on.=20
Though specifics are a little sketchy, there is a generally =
accepted version of events leading up to Judgment Day. First, and this =
is key, Jews will return to Israel. A wicked world leader=97the =
Antichrist=97will assume power by deceiving everyone into believing he =
will bring peace. Soon after, the final battle, the Apocalypse, =
Armageddon, will be fought.=20
At its conclusion, Jesus will descend from Heaven. He will come =
down the Mount of Olives on the east side of Jerusalem, through the =
Golden Gate, and into the city. (Just in case, Muslims bricked over the =
Golden Gate when they controlled the Old City.) There will then be a =
thousand-year reign of peace on Earth.=20
Jews who are aware of the end-of-days story line note that when =
these events are set in motion, they will theoretically result in the =
eradication of the Jewish people. Aside from untold numbers of Jews who =
will die in the final battle, those who do not convert when Christ =
returns will die anyway=97as will all nonbelievers.=20
=93Jews are at best divided on accepting the short-term benefits =
of being players=97 or victims=97in someone else=92s script.=94
Evangelicals believe in the end of days as much as they believe in =
everything else in the Bible. Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins have =
written a collection of novels called the =93Left Behind=94 series that =
use the Bible=92s apocalyptic events as their core. They have sold more =
than 40 million books.=20
The American Jewish Committee=92s James Rudin has led many =
Christian tour groups in Israel, and one of the places they always want =
to see is Har Megiddo in the Galilee. Har Megiddo is where the word =
Armageddon comes from.=20
=93It usually takes about two hours,=94 he says. =93They don=92t =
just walk the area; they pace it, marking it off and measuring it. This =
is where Gog and Magog will fight in the final cataclysm. They take this =
very seriously. It is central to their beliefs and the Second Coming of =
Christ.=94=20
Jews are at best divided on accepting the short-term benefits of =
being players=97or victims=97in someone else=92s script. Rabbi David =
Saperstein in Washington, D.C., sees potentially grave consequences: If =
Evangelicals resist strategies designed to achieve Middle East peace and =
instead, backed by Jews, promote extreme policies (like expelling all =
Palestinians from the West Bank) in order to bring about some huge =
conflagration, the results could be disastrous.=20
Every Evangelical I spoke to, however, was emphatic that their =
position on the End Days has been misrepresented. John Hagee, for =
example, told me he does believe we are coming to a point in time the =
Bible calls the last days. But he argues that there is a big difference =
between believing something is going to happen and believing you can =
somehow make it happen.=20
=93My grandfather was a pastor,=94 he says, =93and some of his =
congregants became so convinced the End Days were approaching, they =
didn=92t plant their crops and they starved to death. God has an exact =
timetable, and he is going to do what he wants to do when he wants to do =
it.=94=20
Evangelicals are no less candid on the other major problem most =
Jews have in accepting their outreach at face value: conversion. Richard =
Land says he knows how Jews feel about this issue but there is little he =
can do about it: =93We have a mandate from Jesus Christ to share the =
Gospel with all who will listen. And unlike some mainline Protestants, =
we=92re not embarrassed about it. What Jews need to understand is, we =
don=92t believe in coercion, and we=92re not treating them any =
differently than we treat our grandparents and aunts and uncles and =
friends. We believe the Gospel is for everyone.=94=20
The very concept, however, is anathema to many Jews. It resonates =
with anti-Semitism and echoes many of the worst crimes committed against =
Jews throughout history.=20
No one is more familiar with the sensitivity of the conversion =
issue than Yechiel Eckstein. He will not work with any group that =
specifically targets Jews for conversion. His organization, the =
International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, has 300,000 Christian =
donors. He gets 2,000 letters and checks a day, and last year he gave =
$20 million to Jewish charities.=20
He also donated 45,000 winter coats to Israeli grade-school kids =
who live below the poverty line. Five Orthodox towns refused the =
clothing, however, because the money came from Christians. Several =
Orthodox Israeli rabbis attacked Eckstein, who is also Orthodox, as a =
Christian missionary.=20
=93Is it possible that all this love and all this money is simply =
a way to get in the front door and then bring Jesus in through the back =
door?=94 Eckstein says. =93I suppose. But after twenty years of close =
relations with the Evangelicals, I strongly doubt it.=94=20
Eckstein offers what he believes is proof of the purity of =
Christian motives. There is a woman in Del City, Oklahoma, who donates =
10 percent of her monthly Social Security checks to help an elderly Jew =
who lives in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, buy clothes and heating oil.=20
=93That woman in Uzbekistan is not going anywhere,=94 Eckstein =
says, =93either literally or figuratively. She=92s not emigrating to =
Israel, and she=92s not converting to Christianity. The donation is a =
genuine act of love, comfort, and solidarity.=94=20
After years of refusing to recognize the validity of Eckstein=92s =
work, American Jewish leaders are now betting he is right. They =
acknowledge it=92s a risk, but one they believe, given the political =
power of the Evangelicals, is clearly worth taking.=20
And so, while the sight of Israelis welcoming Tom DeLay like an =
old friend, or Gary Bauer addressing a major American Jewish =
organization=92s annual dinner, might look like strange, desperate acts =
to some, it is actually calculated, practical politics.=20
=93American Jews may still feel more comfortable with their =
liberal Protestant and Catholic friends,=94 says Eckstein. =93But =
there=92s a growing recognition that push has come to shove, and we=92re =
now finding out who our real friends are.=94=20
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<TD vAlign=3Dtop><B><FONT color=3D#800000>Newsletter #160=20
Friday, November 14, 2003</FONT></B> =
<H1><FONT color=3D#000080 size=3D5>ISRAEL'S CHRISTIAN=20
SOLDIERS</FONT></H1></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>By Craig =
Horowitz -=20
September 29, 2003=20
<P><FONT color=3D#800000 size=3D+2>C</FONT><B>iting Scripture, =
Evangelical=20
Christians have taken up the cause of preserving Israel with a =
passion=97no=20
matter how many liberal Jews find their unlikely devotion =
unsettling. </B>
<P>Israeli cabinet minister Binyamin Elon was in New York several =
weeks=20
ago to wrap up a hectic swing through the Southeast that included =
stops in=20
Memphis, Atlanta, and several other cities. It was a muggy =
afternoon, and=20
Elon, a soft-spoken bear of a man who has a full beard, looked a =
little=20
weary as he filled a chair at the Israeli Consulate on Second =
Avenue.=20
<P>A potent political figure back home, Elon wears two hats (in =
addition=20
to his knitted kippa): He is Israel=92s Tourism minister and the =
head of=20
Moledet, one of the small right-wing parties that help keep Ariel =
Sharon=20
in power. On his visit here, he was working both portfolios pretty =
hard,=20
often with the same people. In private meetings with political =
activists,=20
as well as in speeches before religious groups, Elon pushed the =
importance=20
of visiting Israel now.=20
<P>Since the second Palestinian intifada began three years ago, =
the number=20
of visitors to Israel has plummeted from more than 3 million a =
year to=20
barely 1 million. In the days just before the war in Iraq, Elon =
was=20
actually giving out gas masks to visitors. =93I was,=94 he says =
sardonically,=20
=93probably the world=92s only minister of tourism who was able to =
personally=20
meet each of his country=92s tourists.=94=20
<P>Solidarity with the Holy Land is the current sales strategy. =
Elon hopes=20
that, at least among the believers, religious faith will outweigh =
fear:=20
=93For obvious reasons, we are not trying to compete with the =
Virgin Islands=20
as a family-vacation spot.=94=20
<P>When he slipped on his Moledet hat, Elon went from pitching =
tourism to=20
practicing politics. His agenda was simple: to instigate and =
solidify=20
opposition to the Bush road map.=20
<P>An Orthodox rabbi who lives in the West Bank, Elon favors a =
two-state=20
solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But in his version, =
Israel=20
keeps the West Bank and Gaza. The Palestinians get to become =
citizens of=20
Jordan, which, he says, is already a de facto Palestinian state. =
He argues=20
with alacrity that the creation of a Palestinian state in the West =
Bank=20
and Gaza=97which he says would never be economically or =
geographically=20
viable anyway=97would actually be a three-state solution.=20
<P>Wherever Elon went, he was warmly received. Which may not be=20
surprising, since he was clearly preaching to the choir. What is=20
surprising, however, is that it was the Christian choir he was =
preaching=20
to, not the Jewish one. During his five-day trip, Elon spent =
virtually=20
none of his time among Jews.=20
<P>Instead, he spoke at the Mid-America Baptist Theological =
Seminary in=20
Memphis and lunched there with a group of pastors. He met with =
Roberta=20
Combs, president of the Christian Coalition. He spent time with =
Mike=20
Evans, founder of the Jerusalem Prayer Team and author of Beyond =
Iraq: The=20
Next Move, a book that depicts Islam as evil and finds biblical =
harbingers=20
of the end of time in the current global crisis.=20
<H4>=93The Evangelicals may now be seen as even more important =
allies than=20
American Jews.=94</H4>He talked to former presidential candidate =
Gary Bauer,=20
now head of American Values, a conservative Christian group. And =
he beamed=20
with pride in snapshots taken when Ed McAteer, one of the founders =
of the=20
Moral Majority, brought him to see a billboard in downtown Memphis =
that=20
loudly displayed a passage from Genesis: AND THE LORD SAID TO =
JACOB . . .=20
=93UNTO THY OFFSPRING WILL I GIVE THIS LAND.=94=20
<P>At every stop and at every meeting, Elon was signaling the =
importance=20
that the Jewish community, and especially Israeli politicians on =
the=20
right, places on its relationship with America=92s swelling =
Evangelical=20
Christian community. And while this alliance between the =
Evangelicals and=20
the Jews is not new, it has suddenly taken on a sense of urgency =
and an=20
intensity that haven=92t been seen before.=20
<P>AIPAC, the powerful Israeli lobby in Washington, chose Gary =
Bauer to=20
speak at its most recent annual dinner. The Zionist Organization =
of=20
America honored televangelist and onetime presidential candidate =
Pat=20
Robertson with its State of Israel Friendship Award.=20
<P>Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, who founded the International =
Fellowship of=20
Christians and Jews twenty years ago, was named the =
third-most-important=20
Jew in America by The Forward. The reason? He spent years as a =
kind of=20
outcast among his peers for his efforts to foster better relations =
between=20
Jews and Evangelicals; now the Jewish community has begun to see =
things=20
his way.=20
<P>And when House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, the conservative, =
born-again=20
former exterminator from Sugar Land, Texas, addresses the Knesset, =
as he=20
did several weeks ago, and says, =93I stand before you today, in =
solidarity,=20
as an Israeli of the heart,=94 you know something=92s going on.=20
<P>Indeed, the world=97and not just that part of it between the=20
Mediterranean and the Jordan River=97is a very different place =
from what it=20
was in 1980, when Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin outraged =
much of=20
the Jewish community by presenting the Jabotinsky Centennial medal =
to the=20
Reverend Jerry Falwell for his work on behalf of Israel.=20
<P>In the two decades that followed, the relationship between =
American=20
Jews and Evangelicals was at best lukewarm. Though the =
Evangelicals=20
periodically offered support, their overtures to the Jewish =
community were=20
generally met with skepticism. Many Jews believed that what the =
Christians=20
really wanted was to convert them. Or to persuade all of them to =
move to=20
Israel as part of some devious plan to hasten the coming of the =
end of=20
days as laid out in the New Testament.=20
<P>But much of that queasy reluctance has been overcome, or at =
least=20
pushed aside, as Israel=92s situation has worsened. As the =
violence gets=20
more horrific and more relentless, and the overall outlook more =
bleak,=20
Israel seems to have fewer and fewer friends. Support from the=20
Evangelicals, however, hasn=92t wavered. In fact, the more =
beleaguered=20
Israel seems to be, the more passionate its Christian friends have =
become.=20
=93I have always said,=94 Jerry Falwell told me recently, =93that =
America=92s=20
Bible Belt is Israel=92s safety belt.=94=20
<P>Three critical developments have deepened the alliance. One is =
the=20
stunning rise in anti-Semitism around the world and the feelings =
of=20
insecurity it has stirred among Jews. The second is 9/11, and the =
third is=20
George W. Bush. The president is a born-again, Scripture-loving =
Christian=20
who sees the world in stark, almost biblical, terms (=93You=92re =
either with=20
us or you=92re with the terrorists=94). He is also surrounded by a =
coterie of=20
advisers who similarly see the war on terrorism and the current =
conflict=20
as a clash of civilizations, a battle between the East and the =
West.=20
<P>=93Conservatives generally and Christian conservatives =
specifically see=20
our foreign policy in moral terms,=94 says Bauer. =93And they see =
Israel as=20
the good guy, a democracy, a nation much like ours. And they see =
Israel=92s=20
opponents as a collection of thugs, dictators, and self-appointed =
kings.=94=20
<P>Bauer believes Israel and America are fighting essentially the =
same=20
battle, the battle against Islamic terrorism. =93The only solution =
is to=20
completely defeat the enemy and then figure out what a just peace =
is.=94=20
<P>But for the Christians, this blossoming relationship is about =
much more=20
than politics. Evangelical Christians=92 support for a safe and =
secure=20
Israel with borders stretching perhaps from the Mediterranean to =
the=20
Jordan River, and their oft-expressed love for the Jewish people =
(=93the=20
apple of God=92s eye=94), are rooted in deeply held religious =
beliefs.=20
<P>They believe God promised Israel to the Jews. It is the Holy =
Land. The=20
land where Jesus lived and died. The land where Jesus will return =
to save=20
the world. =93When you add this belief that Israel is their =
spiritual=20
homeland,=94 says Rabbi Eckstein, =93to their belief that we are =
in a global=20
battle against terrorism, it is a powerful mix.=94=20
<P>It is the kind of support rarely offered to Jews=97especially =
these days.=20
=93Let=92s be honest,=94 says Rabbi A. James Rudin, who was =
director of=20
inter-religious affairs during his more than 30 years with the =
American=20
Jewish Committee. =93It=92s hard to ignore their support even, as =
my father=20
used to say, if they=92re doing the right thing for the wrong =
reasons.=94=20
<P>Further adding to their appeal as suitors, Evangelicals have=20
considerable political muscle. A recent Gallup poll reported that =
41=20
percent of voting-age Americans are born-again or Evangelical =
Christians.=20
Most, of course, are active, committed Republicans, and they have =
been the=20
catalyst for the shift in political power from the Northeast and =
Midwest=20
to the South and Southwest.=20
<P>=93Israelis have known for a long time that Evangelicals are =
about the=20
strongest supporters Israel has,=94 says Dr. Richard Land, =
president of the=20
Southern Baptist Convention=92s Ethics and Religious Liberty =
Commission.=20
=93It=92s been a shock to Jews in America, but I think it is =
beginning to=20
catch on now.=94=20
<P>It is not a shock to Eckstein, who for years was the lone =
Jewish voice=20
in the wilderness working to build bridges between the two groups. =
=93More=20
and more Jews see the Evangelical community as a strategic ally =
for=20
Israel,=94 he says. =93In fact, the Evangelicals may now be seen =
as even more=20
important allies than the American Jewish community itself. But =
are Jews=20
willing to have a beer with them? I=92m not so sure.=94=20
<P>At first glance, this alliance looks like a very bizarre mixed=20
marriage. Jews are mainly urban, educated, liberal Democrats. They =
also=20
tend to be secular. =93We take refuge in our ethnicity rather than =
our=20
spirituality,=94 says Rabbi Gerald Meister, an adviser to the =
Israeli=20
Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Christian relations. Jews are =
extremely=20
uncomfortable with God talk, even if it=92s other Jews doing the =
talking.=20
<P>Evangelicals, on the other hand, are unabashed in expressing =
their love=20
for Jesus and their devotion to the Gospel. They tend to be =
similarly=20
blunt about their social agenda. On nearly every key domestic=20
issue=97abortion, gay rights, school prayer, school vouchers, gun =
control,=20
separation of church and state, affirmative action=97they hold a =
different=20
position from that of most Jews.=20
<P>There are, to be sure, exceptions. On the Jewish side, =
there=92s a small=20
but growing group of Republicans that includes Paul Wolfowitz, =
Richard=20
Perle, Bill Kristol, and the rest of the neocons. In the Christian =
camp,=20
it=92s important to note that Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Richard =
Gephardt, and=20
Jimmy Carter are all Southern Baptists.=20
<P>This yawning gap on so many critical issues, however, continues =
to keep=20
many Jews from welcoming Christian support. Rabbi David =
Saperstein,=20
director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in =
Washington,=20
believes it is dangerous for Jews to compromise their beliefs. =
=93If the=20
American Jewish community buys the support of the religious right =
by its=20
acquiescence on domestic policies, that would damage our religious =
freedom=20
and our tradition of pluralism and tolerance,=94 he says. =93It =
will be a=20
disaster for America and for Jews.=94=20
<P>Of course, this match between Evangelicals and Jews may be no =
less odd=20
than the coming-together of leftists, human-rights activists, =
atheists,=20
and assorted liberals with Islamic fundamentalists. Though they =
are=20
ideologically light-years apart on virtually every issue, they =
demonstrate=20
together because they share a hatred of George W. Bush and the =
conviction=20
that Israel is an imperialist oppressor.=20
<P>=93America is a nation of millions who believe like me that =
Jerusalem,=20
Bethlehem, Hebron, and Jericho are part of the biblical =
heartland,=94 Elon=20
says. =93We can argue about the Messiah, when he will come, how he =
will=20
come, but we agree about the basics. And this is more important =
than=20
anything else.=94=20
<P>The alliance gives Jews a lot more clout when they campaign on =
behalf=20
of Israel. It is not Jews alone beseeching Congress and the White =
House on=20
Middle East policy. When Evangelicals speak out, too, it doesn=92t =
look as=20
though American foreign policy is being disproportionately shaped =
by a=20
small minority with a powerful lobby and an insider=92s knowledge =
of the=20
system.=20
<P>=93It=92s not President Bush being blackmailed or pressured by =
the=20
lobbyists of a minority,=94 Elon says. =93It=92s good for American =
Jews to=20
understand that they have friends in the White House and on =
Capitol Hill=20
who will honor the Bible and protect Israel because of their own =
beliefs.=94=20
<P>American Jewish support for Israel is also affected by the =
reality on=20
the ground in the Middle East. When Israel appears to be too =
aggressive or=20
too forceful or to be mistreating the Palestinians, liberal =
American Jews=20
get uncomfortable. Though few would admit it publicly, they are at =
times=20
embarrassed about Israel among their liberal Christian friends who =
sympathize with the long-suffering Palestinians and see Israel as =
some=20
sort of reckless Goliath. The settlements, the fence, the =
depictions of=20
soldiers shooting at kids, Ariel Sharon=92s belligerence: All of =
it causes=20
great angst among secular, liberal Jews.=20
<P><I>=93We are not supposed to be victors,=94</I> says Rabbi =
Gerald Meister.=20
<I>=93We are not supposed to survive well.=94</I>=20
<P>Binyamin Elon is more brutally blunt: <I>=93I=92m not going =
back to=20
Auschwitz to regain anybody=92s sympathy.=94</I>=20
<P>The Evangelicals, however, suffer no doubts about the rightness =
of the=20
cause. =93It would be a terrible mistake to try to create a =
Palestinian=20
state between Israel and Jordan in the West Bank,=94 Gary Bauer =
says without=20
a hint of self-consciousness. He believes the land belongs to =
Israel and=20
economic incentives should be used to =93encourage=94 West Bank =
Palestinians=20
to go somewhere else.=20
<P>He is equally unambiguous on the subject of Palestinian =
suffering: =93The=20
suffering of the Palestinian people is due to the actions of their =
leaders=20
and to the behavior of the other Arab and Muslim states.=94=20
<P>Dr. John Hagee is pastor and impresario of the Cornerstone =
Church in=20
San Antonio, Texas, a sprawling, colonnaded, 5,000-seat facility =
that is=20
so active it has to hold Sunday-morning services in two sessions. =
With as=20
many as a dozen ministers on staff, its own television =
programming, and a=20
robust business selling books and videotapes, Cornerstone is =
typical of=20
the thriving mega-churches throughout the South and Southwest.=20
<P>Hagee is a passionate supporter of Israel with a long history =
of=20
involvement in the cause. He recalls sitting in the kitchen of the =
family=20
home in Channelview, Texas, as a boy, listening to the radio one =
day in=20
1948 when the news broke that the U.S. had recognized the state of =
Israel.=20
Hagee has a vivid memory of his father, a pastor and a Bible =
scholar,=20
looking across the table at him. =93He was a man of few words,=94 =
Hagee=20
remembers, =93and he said to me, =91This is the most important =
biblical event=20
of the twentieth century.=92 We both cried with joy, and to this =
day I=20
believe that to be exactly true. Every major prophet in the Old =
Testament=20
said that the state of Israel would be reborn. Isaiah 66:8 says =
Israel=20
will be born in a day, and it happened just like the prophets said =
it=20
would.=94=20
<P>Every fall, Cornerstone hosts =93A Night to Honor Israel.=94 At =
last year=92s=20
event, the church was packed, the program was beamed around the =
world by=20
satellite, and the keynote speaker was Tom DeLay. There were also =
video=20
appearances by Ariel Sharon and Benjamin Netanyahu.=20
<P>At one point, enormous American and Israeli flags were unfurled =
side by=20
side from the ceiling, and the church choir (and many in the =
congregation)=20
sang =93The Star Spangled Banner=94 and =93Hatikvah.=94 Hagee =
talked about the=20
importance of Israel for twenty minutes, and before the evening =
was over,=20
he presented a check for $1.5 million to the president of United =
Jewish=20
Communities.=20
<P>This kind of extraordinary Christian support for Israel still =
comes as=20
something of a shock to most East and West Coast Jews (not to =
mention most=20
East and West Coast mainline Protestants and Catholics).=20
<P>When talking about the founding of Israel and its early days as =
a=20
nation, Hagee sounds as awestruck and full of wonder as the World =
War II=20
generation of American Jews once did. =93The Jewish people came =
from 66=20
nations of the world, speaking every conceivable language,=94 he =
says in=20
sonorous, gravelly, preacherlike tones. =93And they started =
studying Hebrew,=20
and miraculously the Hebrew language was reborn. And a nation that =
started=20
out draining the swamps and fighting mosquitoes became a powerful, =
forceful nation in the Middle East. It is an enormous miracle. =
Israel is=20
the only nation ever created by a sovereign act of God.=94=20
<P>Though Hagee may be a little more flamboyant in his =
presentation than=20
the average pastor, the emotional strength of his feeling about =
Israel is=20
not unique. He is representative of Christian Evangelicals as a =
group,=20
whose view of the world, and their place in it, is totally based =
on=20
theology.=20
<P>The bedrock of their beliefs is what they call the =93inerrancy =
of the=20
Bible=94=97their unflinching certainty that everything in the =
Bible, as the=20
word of God, is literally true. Their fervent support for Israel =
and their=20
unexpectedly solicitous feelings for Jews flow from several key =
passages=20
in the Bible. Foremost among them is God=92s covenant with =
Abraham, made in=20
Chapter 12 of the Book of Genesis, which promises the land of =
Israel to=20
the Jews forever. God, the Evangelicals will tell you, does not =
break his=20
promises.=20
<P>And in one simple passage in Genesis 12:3, the Evangelicals=92 =
unshakable=20
bond with Jews is sealed: God says to Abraham as he is forming =
this new=20
nation to be called the Jewish people:=20
<BLOCKQUOTE><STRONG>=93I will bless those who bless you, and I =
will curse=20
those who curse you.=94 </STRONG></BLOCKQUOTE><I>=93It is =
God=92s foreign-policy=20
statement,=94</I> says Hagee.=20
<P>Dr. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention is more =
explicit.=20
=93If we want God to continue to bless America, then we need to =
bless the=20
Jews,=94 Land says. He offers the twentieth-century fates of =
Germany,=20
Poland, and Russia as evidence that the divine promise made in =
Genesis is=20
being kept. =93And look at what=92s happened in the Arab =
countries,=94 Land=20
says. =93Who in America would rather live in any Arab country?=94=20
<P>The most controversial, and the most often talked-about, piece =
of the=20
Evangelicals=92 Jewish puzzle is the end-of-days scenario. For =
skeptical=20
Jews, this is the eschatological equivalent of a gotcha, a piece =
of=20
evidence that lifts the curtain and reveals what=92s really going =
on.=20
<P>Though specifics are a little sketchy, there is a generally =
accepted=20
version of events leading up to Judgment Day. First, and this is =
key, Jews=20
will return to Israel. A wicked world leader=97the =
Antichrist=97will assume=20
power by deceiving everyone into believing he will bring peace. =
Soon=20
after, the final battle, the Apocalypse, Armageddon, will be =
fought.=20
<P>At its conclusion, Jesus will descend from Heaven. He will come =
down=20
the Mount of Olives on the east side of Jerusalem, through the =
Golden=20
Gate, and into the city. (Just in case, Muslims bricked over the =
Golden=20
Gate when they controlled the Old City.) There will then be a=20
thousand-year reign of peace on Earth.=20
<P>Jews who are aware of the end-of-days story line note that when =
these=20
events are set in motion, they will theoretically result in the=20
eradication of the Jewish people. Aside from untold numbers of =
Jews who=20
will die in the final battle, those who do not convert when Christ =
returns=20
will die anyway=97as will all nonbelievers.=20
<H4>=93Jews are at best divided on accepting the short-term =
benefits of=20
being players=97 or victims=97in someone else=92s =
script.=94</H4>Evangelicals=20
believe in the end of days as much as they believe in everything =
else in=20
the Bible. Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins have written a =
collection of=20
novels called the =93Left Behind=94 series that use the Bible=92s =
apocalyptic=20
events as their core. They have sold more than 40 million books.=20
<P>The American Jewish Committee=92s James Rudin has led many =
Christian tour=20
groups in Israel, and one of the places they always want to see is =
Har=20
Megiddo in the Galilee. Har Megiddo is where the word Armageddon =
comes=20
from.=20
<P>=93It usually takes about two hours,=94 he says. =93They =
don=92t just walk the=20
area; they pace it, marking it off and measuring it. This is where =
Gog and=20
Magog will fight in the final cataclysm. They take this very =
seriously. It=20
is central to their beliefs and the Second Coming of Christ.=94=20
<P>Jews are at best divided on accepting the short-term benefits =
of being=20
players=97or victims=97in someone else=92s script. Rabbi David =
Saperstein in=20
Washington, D.C., sees potentially grave consequences: If =
Evangelicals=20
resist strategies designed to achieve Middle East peace and =
instead,=20
backed by Jews, promote extreme policies (like expelling all =
Palestinians=20
from the West Bank) in order to bring about some huge =
conflagration, the=20
results could be disastrous.=20
<P>Every Evangelical I spoke to, however, was emphatic that their =
position=20
on the End Days has been misrepresented. John Hagee, for example, =
told me=20
he does believe we are coming to a point in time the Bible calls =
the last=20
days. But he argues that there is a big difference between =
believing=20
something is going to happen and believing you can somehow make it =
happen.=20
<P>=93My grandfather was a pastor,=94 he says, =93and some of his =
congregants=20
became so convinced the End Days were approaching, they didn=92t =
plant their=20
crops and they starved to death. God has an exact timetable, and =
he is=20
going to do what he wants to do when he wants to do it.=94=20
<P>Evangelicals are no less candid on the other major problem most =
Jews=20
have in accepting their outreach at face value: conversion. =
Richard Land=20
says he knows how Jews feel about this issue but there is little =
he can do=20
about it: =93We have a mandate from Jesus Christ to share the =
Gospel with=20
all who will listen. And unlike some mainline Protestants, we=92re =
not=20
embarrassed about it. What Jews need to understand is, we don=92t =
believe in=20
coercion, and we=92re not treating them any differently than we =
treat our=20
grandparents and aunts and uncles and friends. We believe the =
Gospel is=20
for everyone.=94=20
<P>The very concept, however, is anathema to many Jews. It =
resonates with=20
anti-Semitism and echoes many of the worst crimes committed =
against Jews=20
throughout history.=20
<P>No one is more familiar with the sensitivity of the conversion =
issue=20
than Yechiel Eckstein. He will not work with any group that =
specifically=20
targets Jews for conversion. His organization, the International=20
Fellowship of Christians and Jews, has 300,000 Christian donors. =
He gets=20
2,000 letters and checks a day, and last year he gave $20 million =
to=20
Jewish charities.=20
<P>He also donated 45,000 winter coats to Israeli grade-school =
kids who=20
live below the poverty line. Five Orthodox towns refused the =
clothing,=20
however, because the money came from Christians. Several Orthodox =
Israeli=20
rabbis attacked Eckstein, who is also Orthodox, as a Christian =
missionary.=20
<P>=93Is it possible that all this love and all this money is =
simply a way=20
to get in the front door and then bring Jesus in through the back =
door?=94=20
Eckstein says. =93I suppose. But after twenty years of close =
relations with=20
the Evangelicals, I strongly doubt it.=94=20
<P>Eckstein offers what he believes is proof of the purity of =
Christian=20
motives. There is a woman in Del City, Oklahoma, who donates 10 =
percent of=20
her monthly Social Security checks to help an elderly Jew who =
lives in=20
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, buy clothes and heating oil.=20
<P>=93That woman in Uzbekistan is not going anywhere,=94 Eckstein =
says,=20
=93either literally or figuratively. She=92s not emigrating to =
Israel, and=20
she=92s not converting to Christianity. The donation is a genuine =
act of=20
love, comfort, and solidarity.=94=20
<P>After years of refusing to recognize the validity of =
Eckstein=92s work,=20
American Jewish leaders are now betting he is right. They =
acknowledge it=92s=20
a risk, but one they believe, given the political power of the=20
Evangelicals, is clearly worth taking.=20
<P>And so, while the sight of Israelis welcoming Tom DeLay like an =
old=20
friend, or Gary Bauer addressing a major American Jewish =
organization=92s=20
annual dinner, might look like strange, desperate acts to some, it =
is=20
actually calculated, practical politics.=20
<P>=93American Jews may still feel more comfortable with their =
liberal=20
Protestant and Catholic friends,=94 says Eckstein. =93But =
there=92s a growing=20
recognition that push has come to shove, and we=92re now finding =
out who our=20
real friends are.=94 <BR><BR>
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