Non-Jewish Israel Supporters |
Christian Zionism Today
We have discussed Christian Zionism before but find it important to
return to that topic now, when the Obama administration has become the first
American government unwilling to support the survival of Israel.
Earlier, on July 15 of this year, Christians
United for Israel met in Washington, D.C. and heard a speech by
Representative Michelle Bachmann and others demanding that the U.S. government
accede to the demand that our government recognize that Jerusalem is the eternal
and undivided capital of that land. Although Congress passed a law making it
clear that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital, as it has been for over 3,200 years,
Obama refuses to obey this law in his anxiety to placate the Arab haters. To
counter this attitude, Christians have established The International
Christian Embassy in Jerusalem.
It has been estimated that there are
about 55 million Christian Zionists in this country. Almost all of them vote for
Republican candidates. These Christian Zionists outnumber the American Jewish
population about ten to one, although it is a mistake to assume that all Jews
are supporters of Israel.
At the July convention of Christians
United for Israel, The Rev. John Hagee
of Texas organized a college student movement to counter the Arab anti-Jewish
propaganda present in almost all American colleges and universities. Rev. Hagee
also sponsors a TV program on Sundays and other times in which he promotes the
relationship of Judaism to Christianity and counteracts the “liberals” who
claim that Israel has no right to exist.
A good number of Jews choose to
believe that evangelical Christians who support Israel have a hidden agenda
seeking to convert Jews to Christianity. Yet Hagee and other evangelical
Christians assure everyone that they have no interest in converting Jews.
Evidently, the claim that evangelicals seek to proselytize the Jewish community
is Arab propaganda seeking to undermine the relationship of Jews to Christians.
The fact is that the need of presidential candidates to gain the vote of these
55 million has led the politicians in this country to give these Israel
supporters a good deal of consideration.
It is of interest that Christian
Zionism precedes Jewish Zionism by many years, beginning with the translation of
the Hebrew Torah by William Tynsdale in 1530. That translation led to widespread
enthusiasm in England for the restoration of Israel, which was viewed as a
revival of ancient Israel, including the patriarchs, Moses, the prophets, and
other biblical characters. Foolish as these notions may have seemed, English
politicians were urged to push the Sultan of Turkey, who occupied the land,
to allow the Jews to return and create another Israel.
Nothing came of that notion until the
British drove the Turks out of the Holy Land in 1917 and invited the European
Jews to come and settle there. Few Jews came until after the Holocaust, finally
leading to the independence of Israel in 1948.
The fact is that English Zionists had
been very influential in promoting the settlement of Jews in the Holy Land,
despite the ambivalence of English politicians in face of Arab opposition.
In America, Christian Zionism was
widely supported by the public, despite President Franklin Roosevelt's
opposition to Jewish survival. This support is still common among Republicans. A
recent Gallup poll shows that 78% of Republicans but only 53% of Democrats
support Israel. Yet, the vast majority of American Jews vote Democrat, thereby
displaying an utter indifference to the survival of the Israelis.
This attitude among American Jews is
as old as the Jewish support for the bigot and Jew baiter Franklin Roosevelt,
for whom Jews voted for years, never giving a thought to the persecution and
mass murder of their European brethren.
Now Christian Zionists have
established a lobby which pressures politicians to support Israel. Because of
their size, the 55 million are more powerful politically than the Jewish
community, and can be counted on to support Israel, even when such former Jews
as J Street, Finkelstein, and Chomsky have abandoned us.
There are numerous Christian Zionist
groups in this country. We have counted forty-six such groups, including Catholic
Friends of Israel and even Abrahamic Faith, consisting of former
Muslims converted to Christianity.
It would be most helpful to our
Israeli brethren if the American Jewish community were somewhat more interested
in our evangelical friends than in promoting the cause of the so called
“liberals,” who seem to attach that label to every form of fascist ideology
from suppression of free speech to censorship of the press, attacks on freedom
of religion, and the gradual introduction of a police state in this country. Shalom u’vracha. Dr. Gerhard Falk is the author of numerous publications, including Assassination, Anarchy, & Terrorism (2012). |