Standing in support of Israel, Jews, and believers in all the nations, in the name of Jesus (Yeshua). Sharing biblical truth, encouragement, news and prophecy.
“Behold, I have given him for a witness to the peoples, a prince and commander to the peoples.” Isaiah 55:4 (The Israel Bible™)
In the final days before election, Republican Presidential candidate, Donald Trump, has deepened his connection to Israel, personally and politically, in several significant moves.
On Wednesday, Trump signed on a letter presented by two major pro-Israel Christian organizations, which calls for moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem. The letter, posted online as a petition and organized by the American Christian Leaders for Israel (ACLI) and the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ), called for the following commitments:
Implement the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 and relocate the US Embassy in Israel to its capital city of Jerusalem.
Renew and strengthen the US’s Memorandum of Understanding to fund Israel’s growing security needs.
Combat any efforts at the local, state, or federal level to boycott, divest from, or sanction Israel.
Monitor Iran’s ongoing violations of sanctions and to toughen current sanctions as well as impose new ones as necessary.
Oppose any imposed solutions to the Palestinian conflict on Israel by outside parties, including the United Nations Security Council.
Since it was posted, approximately 650 Christian leaders have signed the letter, and over 40,000 people have signed the online petition.
According to ICEJ, Clinton has yet to respond to the letter.
A 16-point plan was posted on Wednesday on the Medium publishing platform by Trump’s Israel advisers, David Friedman and Jason Dov Greenblatt. The plan states a strong commitment to the friendship between Israel and the US, and promises that, if elected, Trump will move the US Embassy to Jerusalem, fight the Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) movement on campus, oppose any imposed Palestinian-Israeli solution that are not a result of direct negotiations, oppose anti-Israel efforts in the UN, and prevent Iranian non-compliance with their nuclear agreements and their support of international terrorism.
Perhaps even more telling is his personal connection to the Holy Land and the God of Abraham. Last week, Trump sent a hand-written note via David Faiman, an adviser, who will place it in the Kotel (the Western Wall). His supplication for divine aid reportedly comes after consulting with his Jewish daughter, Ivanka. The note read:
“May you bless the United States, our armed forces and our allies. May your guiding hand protect and strengthen our great nation.”
When it comes to the anti-Israel and anti-Jewish movement's financial resources, it might seem that they have it all: expensive media campaigns to boycott Israel products; bullying of artists who announce their tours to Israel; purchasing Israeli products in supermarkets abroad in order to destroy them as well as other means of aggression.
And when it comes to pro-Israeli and pro-Jewish activism, sometimes it looks pale comparing to Israel's enemies. For the many thousands of millions in U.S. dollars, euros and British pounds invested by BDS, it seems that pro-Israel activism is still many steps behind.
But an Israeli company is changing that, radiantly.
Radiant Group, a young and thriving company based in the Galilee region, is bringing tour groups to Israel, connecting them directly to Israeli ministries and thus investing and sowing in the land of the promise. Radiant Group created also a new movement in order to fight boycotts against Israel: UBIS, which stands for Unite, Bless, Invest and Support.
"Radiant Group was founded in January 2016 in response to the pressing need for real and intimate relationships between the body of Messiah in the nations and the body here in the land of Israel," says Gilad Rosinger, founder and CEO of Radiant. "On the macro level, Radiant Group was founded to counter the growing BDS movement and the rise of anti-Semitism worldwide. Specifically to the insane statistic of NGO's spending a total of over 100 million euros per year to delegitimize the state of Israel."
Here is a question-and-answer with Rosinger about Radiant's mission and efforts:
RS: Tell us about the vision for the tour groups. How is that different from other tour companies?
GR: Radiant Tours has launched "Bless Israel Tours." This vision has come to life to help supporters of Israel connect with the Land and the people in a way that has never been offered before. Our focus is on relationships. We understand that supporters of Israel around the World are tired of the "cookie cutter" tours that operate like a factory and are somewhat mechanic in their nature. The typical tour lands at the airport and is then rushed from hotel to hotel and site to site without truly connecting with the land or the people. "Bless Israel Tours" are custom designed, focused on connecting with believers and ministries in Israel. We organize prayer meetings, worship gatherings, volunteer opportunities, meetings in the Knesset, Shabbat dinners in a believing Jewish home and many other activities that are designed to truly impact all people involved. The main goal is to establish lifelong relationships and introduce the kingdom family from the nations to Israel.
RS: Do you work only with local believers, such as tour guides, bus drivers, guest houses and hotels? Or do you work also with unbelievers you reach out to?
GR: We are open to blessing Israel in any way that the Holy Spirit leads us. Our focus, however, is the believers in Israel, and helping them grow in stability so that they can walk into their true calling. Our vision for Radiant Group is not only to bless the tourists, but to bless many ministries, believers and businesses here in the land. We work with guest houses and hotels that are run by believers and also nice hotels that are part of the economy of Israel. We specifically get to know the hearts desires of the group and then we match them up with their wishes.
RS: How does this is going to change the actual picture of tourism to Israel?
GR: This completely changes the game as far as tourism in Israel. Because of our unique connections here, and over 30 years of developing friendships and relationships, we have been blessed with some of the best connections and insight into the real needs in the promised land. We are able to make connections for tour groups that they have been longing for a very long time, but were unable to make. The reason they were unable to do so, is that the conventional tour companies don't deal with relationship connections. The response has been incredible, and we believe that this is the time for action. We live in a time where there is a pressing need to go deeper in our understanding of God's Word and the true spiritual principle of blessing Israel. Radiant Group provides just that.
RS: That is encouraging! Please tell us about UBIS.
GR: UBIS is the global movement we are launching to counter the BDS movement. BDS stands for Boycott, Divest and Sanction. UBIS stands for Unite, Bless, Invest and Support. We have a large network of ministries, businesses and organizations that are doing big things in Israel to bless the Land and the people. Through UBIS we are providing a trustworthy and transparent platform for people to bless Israel and stand with Israel in this critical time.
RS: How can pro-Israel Christians join the UBIS movement?
GR: Pro-Israel Christians and supporters of Israel can take a few actions to support the UBIS movement.
They can book a "Bless Israel Tour" through Radiant Tours.
They can use a Radiant Group business expert to handle their business needs (website development, video production, project management, marketing services and so forth). They can visit our website radiantisrael.com and click on the UBIS tab and make a donation toward the UBIS movement. This will help us create social media campaigns, bless various ministries and organizations in the land and much more.
RS: How can Israel-based ministries be a part of what Radiant Group is doing?
GR: We are here to serve. Israeli ministries can simply contact us for any other needs or ideas on how you would like to bless Israel. We can add them to our network and, depending on a group's wishes, we can make the connection between them.
RS: Here is a tough question, but it needs to be asked: Do you direct the groups toward certain ministries more than others?
GR: That's a great question. Yes we do. We take our mission seriously and want to make sure that only organizations and ministries which are trustworthy and righteous are being blessed. Currently, we have many partners and we know them personally. This is why people can count on with Radiant Group, that the seeds they sow here, will be sown in fertile soil. We are also open to working with any ministry or organization that is walking in truth and blessing people.
RS: What would you like the Israeli believers both Jews and Arabs would know about Pro Israel Christians around the world?
GR: Israel and the people of Israel are not alone! First of all, the Holy One of Israel has their back! And He is raising awareness—about the local believers and their struggles to minister in Israel—through Christians who truly and wholeheartedly love the God of Israel, His Word, His people and His Land, and they wish to be connected to them—directly. The words of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah 60:1-5 are very much a part of these pro-Israel Christians' lives:
"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For the darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; but the Lord shall rise upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you. The nations shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather themselves together; they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried at your side. Then you shall see and be radiant, and your heart shall thrill and rejoice because the abundance of the sea shall be converted to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you."
So it is time for the body of Messiah in the nations and in Israel to unite and be radiant.
Rachel Scapa studied journalism at the Open University TLV under Yedioth Aharonoth's journalist Dudi Goldman. She served as news correspondent for various radio stations abroad, including BBC 3 Counties and Voice of America, both in English and Portuguese, giving the best reports from Israel. Currently she has two radio shows--one in Portuguese, which she has had for more than 13 years, presenting News from Israel and the ME. In the other, in Hebrew, she presents Brazilian music, on an Israeli secular radio station. Rachel is also a columnist for a Christian newspaper in Brazil, distributed over the triple border between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Presently she writes for the Israeli Messianic Jewish magazine Kehila News, published in Englsih, Hebrew and Spanish.
3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Go deeper!
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“So God give thee of the dew of heaven, and of the fat places of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine.” Genesis 27:28 (The Israel Bible™)
The United States embassy in Tel Aviv accidentally sent out bottles of wine made in Judea and Samaria as part of an annual holiday gift package to a number of Israeli organizations, including leftist groups, Reuters reported on Monday.
The move was at odds with the State Department’s well-known position on Jewish communities in the West Bank, which it considers the main “obstacle to peace” between Israel and the Palestinians. The US views Jewish “settlements” as illegitimate.
The embassy quickly put out a statement denying that the Rosh Hashana gift signaled a shift in the US’s stance on the issue.
“This should in no way be interpreted as a change of our policy on settlements, which is long-standing and clear,” said an embassy official.
The gift baskets had been purchased from an independent vendor, said the embassy. Embassy officials had not checked the contents of the baskets before distributing them to their recipients.
Among those recipients was Peace Now, an extremely left-wing NGO which advocates for a two-state solution and is virulently against Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria, which it refers to as the “Occupied Territories.”
“I’m sure it was an honest mistake,” said a Peace Now member after receiving the gift.
A bottle of Shiraz Cabernet sauvignon from the Zion Winery.
Products made in the biblical heartland have caused their share of controversy. Many companies located in Judea and Samaria have been targeted by the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and last year the European Union moved to label all “settlement”-made products in what Israeli officials lambasted as a “discriminatory” policy.
The wine in the Rosh Hashana basket was produced by the Zion Winery, located in Mishor Adumim, a city east of Jerusalem in Judea. According to a recipient, it was a kosher cabernet sauvignon.
Last December, products made in Judea and Samaria were also sent as diplomatic holiday gifts, albeit very purposefully. Ron Dermer, Israel’s ambassador to Washington, distributed gift boxes packed with products from Judea, Samaria, and the Golan Heights in a pointed political statement against BDS.
In June, StandWithUs Canada alerted the local community about a store being bullied by boycott Israel (BDS) activists for carrying SodaStream products. They asked the community to show their support the following Sunday with a Buy Israeli Goods (BIG) day. What happened next was amazing! See for yourself.
In part one of this article, we covered five key points that lay out the background for understanding Donald Trump's view of Israel. Today, part two will cover the nine key points with allow us to understand Trump's stand on Israel:
1.Trump and Israel. So how does Donald Trump view Israel? (I have made it known in other writings that I was originally for Huckabee, and then when his campaign ended, supported Cruz. And I have commented here why I am supporting Trump over Hillary.)
Succinctly stated: Trump supports Israel. Yes, I am aware of his February statement about being "neutral" in negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, which is restated in this online video. Frankly, that is unrealistic. One cannot be "neutral" with two parties when one party would merely like to peacefully exist in its own tiny country and the other party has in its charter that it wants the other side dead and provides proof of that with suicide bombers sent into shopping centers. What are clues to where Trump stands on Israel.
2.Israel adviser. Who is Trump's closest adviser on Israel? His name is Jason Greenblatt, an acquaintance of mine. Who is he? He is a Jew. He has been Trump's attorney for 20 years. He is the executive vice president/chief legal officer of the Trump Organization and he is co-chairman of Mr. Trump's Israel Advisory Committee. Mr. Greenblatt's voluminous writing provides clues as to where Trump stands.
There are those who attempt to paint Trump as an anti-Semite. This charge is so absurd, I will respond only briefly. The July 8, 2016, Washington Post headline for Jason Greenblatt's op-ed column says it all, "I'm a Jew who has worked with Donald Trump for years. He's no anti-Semite."
3.Jerusalem as capital. Imagine with me if the rest of the world demanded that the U.S. keep its capital in a city of their choosing, but not Washington, D.C., as we have chosen. That is what has happened to Israel. The U.S.—and others—have demanded that Israel not be allowed to select its own capital city!
Donald Trump rightly believes that Israel should choose its own capital (CNN, published June 29, 2016). What a novel thought: A nation getting to select its own capital! By the way, the capital of Israel was resolved approximately 3,000 years ago! Clue: It's Jerusalem.
4.BDS. If you don't know what those three letters mean, you should. This is an attempt by the American "left" (I don't care for the "right vs. left" delineations since I believe this is actually a case of "right vs. wrong." However I will use "left" here as common jargon.) to strangle Israel's economy by: B (boycotting Israeli products), D (divesting of funds in Israel's growing and glowing economy) and S (sanctioning or ostracizing the nation). There is a name for BDS. It is called anti-Semitism. Trump stands against BDS anti-Semitism (Fox News, published June 9, 2016).
5.War. The people of Israel want peace, but they can't have it. Within 24 hours after they came into existence, surrounding nations attacked them! They fought their War for Independence from 1947 to 1949 and wars have continued: 1956, 1967, 1973, 1971-1983 (Palestinian aggression from Lebanon), 1982, 1987-93, 2000-2005, 2006, 2008-10, 2014.
When can Israel just be left alone? By all indications, Trump seems to understand this.
6.The T-shirt. My favorite T-shirt was purchased in Jerusalem. It states, "Civilizations, nations and empires that have tried to destroy the Jewish People." Following that are two columns: one with "nation," the other with the "status."
Working down the columns: "Ancient Egypt—Gone. Philistines—Gone. Assyrian Empire—Gone. Babylonian Empire—Gone. Persian Empire—Gone. Greek Empire—Gone. Roman Empire—Gone. Byzantine Empire—Gone. Crusaders—Gone. Spanish Empire—Gone. Nazi Germany—Gone. Soviet Union—Gone. Iran—???" The implication of the "???" is essentially saying: "Your time is coming!"
Across the bottom of the T-shirt are these words: "The Jewish People: The smallest of nations but with a Friend in the highest of places! So...BE NICE!" How true!
I repeat, God will bless those who bless Israel. Curse Israel and ... you get the picture. If for some reason you won't stand with Israel, God will! At donaldtrump.com, there is a brief video in which Trump states, "I love Israel. I am very pro-Israel. ... Israel, I love you." Are these words important? They would be to me if I were an Israeli. Given the fact that God will bless those who bless Israel, they are important to me as an American as well.
7.While in Israel. I am now preparing to leave for my 11th trip to Israel as my wife prepares for her 58th trip. Thus we are in Israel with frequency. While in Israel, I would feel considerably safer with a Trump presidency than a Hillary presidency. All our Israeli friends feel the same way.
8.Platforms matter. The GOP platform has Trump's tacit approval. The Democratic platform has Hillary's. The platforms are a "window" into the candidate. The allows us to see what the respective parties actually believe. These two platforms are different.
The Republicans rejected a "two-state solution" and refuse to call Israel an "occupier." The GOP platform states:
"We oppose any measures intended to impose an agreement or to dictate borders or other terms, and call for the immediate termination of all U.S. funding of any entity that attempts to do so. Our party is proud to stand with Israel now and always."
The Democratic Platform states:
"We will continue to work toward a two-state solution of the Israel-Palestinian conflict negotiated directly by the parties that guarantees Israel's future as a secure and democratic Jewish state with recognized borders, and provides the Palestinians with independence, sovereignty and dignity."
One problem: the Palestinian leaders don't merely want the above listed items. They want the Jews dead and Israel gone.
Reminder: The phrase "two-state solution" is a way of lopping off a big piece of Israel, thus rendering the Jewish state defenseless. How would you like it if some nation or nations demanded that we surrender a huge section of America to give it to people who want us dead or at least driven out?
Based on the party platforms, you have two clear choices this election: 1) a party that calls for Israel to become defenseless, that is, a vote for Hillary, or 2) a party that recognizes Israel's right to exist and defend itself, which is, a vote for Trump.
9."Occupier." To her credit, Hillary prevailed on her party platform not to call Israel an "occupier." However her motivation was faulty. She claimed that it might enflame the emotions in the Middle East. However, this is not about "enflaming emotions." It is about speaking truth. Just for the record: Israel does not "occupy" the land. It owns it!
Dr. Jim Garlow, author of Well Versed: Biblical Answers to Today's Tough Issues, commentator on The Garlow Perspective, a one-minute commentary on 850 radio outlets daily, pastor of Skyline Church in the San Diego area, and co-founder of The Jefferson Gathering, a weekly worship service for Members of Congress in the U.S. Capitol Building. Garlow has a Ph.D. from Drew University in historical theology and master's degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary, Asbury Theological Seminary and Southern Nazarene University.
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'Jews Have Been in Jerusalem for Thousands of Years'
CBN News 08-30-2016
+1
JERUSALEM, Israel -- Telling Jews they can't build homes in Jerusalem is like telling Americans they can't build in Washington, D.C., or the French that they can't build in Paris, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said.
The comment came in response to condemnation of Israel for Israeli construction in communities in Judea and Samaria, a.k.a. the West Bank.
UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov asked the UN Security Council, "How will advancing the construction of over 1,700 housing units bring the parties closer to negotiated peace, uphold the two-state solution, create hope for the Palestinian people or bring security to Israelis?"
The UN Security Council is scheduled to hold a meeting on the subject of Israeli settlement building on October 14.
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis live in Jewish communities in biblical Judea and Samaria, an area that Palestinians want to take over for a future state. That area also includes eastern Jerusalem, where all important biblical sites are.
"The UN envoy to the Middle East's remarks to the Security Council distort history and international law and push peace farther away," said the statement from Netanyahu's office.
"Jews have been in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria for thousands of years and their presence there is not an obstacle to peace. The obstacle to peace is the unending attempt to deny the Jewish People's connection to parts of their historic land and the obdurate refusal to recognize that they are not foreigners there," the statement continued.
"The claim that Jewish construction in Jerusalem is illegal is as absurd as the claim that American construction in Washington or French construction in Paris is illegal. The Palestinian demand that a future Palestinian state be ethnically cleansed of Jews is outrageous and the UN must condemn it instead of adopting it," it concluded.
Meanwhile, Israel won a small victory against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. Brussels Airlines said it would continue to serve Achva halva (a sweet made from sesame seeds) on its flights despite the fact that it's made in the Barkan Industrial Zone, in Samaria.
The airline said it was removing the product last week from the menu after a passenger complained because it wanted to serve food that was "amicable to all."
With a vote earlier this month, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has become the latest American church body to join the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.
In an attempt to fight against BDS, about 100 Christian leaders and Israeli Knesset members are working together. They met recently at the first joint meeting of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus and anti-delegitimization caucus.
"Serving in the IDF is not the only way of being a soldier for Israel," Joseph Sabag, with the Israel Allies Foundation, said.
"Israel's safety and well-being are the responsibility of every Jew and every Christian who loves Israel in every place at every moment of life," Sabag told those gathered for the meeting.
Sabag is spearheading the effort to push for legislation in the United States to fight the BDS movement against Israel.
"In May of 2015, South Carolina became the first state in America to adopt modern legislation regulating against the problem of commercial discrimination and boycotts against Israel," Sabag said.
Since then a dozen additional states have also taken action.
The BDS movement focuses its campaign on Israeli companies operating in the West Bank, which encompasses biblical Judea and Samaria. Ironically, this affects Palestinians greatly because when Israeli companies move, Palestinians lose good paying jobs.
Critics say the BDS movement isn't about justice or helping the Palestinians.
"The danger of BDS is that Israel will lose its—its legitimacy to defend itself and ultimately lose its legitimacy to exist as a Jewish and sovereign state," Knesset member Michael Oren told CBN News. "Our enemies understand this very well."
"What is going on with BDS is a global name for all the Israel haters. (It's) really the misinformation campaign that they're feeding to the general public and the miseducation that's happening at these campuses," Barry Shaw, author of BDS for Idiots, said.
Shaw said it's simple.
"The reason they're protesting only against the Jewish state and not the Arab states and regimes that abuse the Palestinians they profess to help is simply because Israel is the Jewish state," Shaw told CBN News. "That's no more or no less than blatant anti-Semitism."
Shaw says if these BDS supporters were honest their boycotts would include Israeli technology like their own computers, laptops and cell phones.
"But they need these to communicate their lies and their false narratives to their supporters and the general public," Shaw said.
Oren sees only one way to combat lies.
"We beat terror through a combination of steadfastness and very good intelligence, we beat terror," Oren said. "But there's only one true defense and one effective weapon against delegitimization and that is the truth."
Reprinted with permission from CBN.com. Copyright The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., All rights reserved.
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Likud parliament member Yehudah Glick speaks at the Knesset assembly hall during his swearing in as a member of the Knesset, July 25, 2016. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
MK Yehudah Glick to Christian Supporters of Israel: We Never Take Your Friendship for Granted
“Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou bear witness in a cause to turn aside after a multitude to pervert justice.”Exodus 23:2 (The Israel Bible™)
At an event on Monday coordinated by two parliamentary groups within the Israeli Knesset, the Christian Allies Caucus and the Delegitimization Caucus, Israeli lawmakers and other supporters of Israel gathered to discuss how to defeat the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. The event was also held to thank the Israeli-Christian community for its support of the Jewish state.
The two caucuses have supported “Defeat BDS,” a campaign that has helped pass anti-BDS legislation in 12 U.S. states.
“The Delegitimization Caucus is here to fight the threats that generations and generations have brought against us, but the Christian supporters are here because they realize it’s God that has defended Israel and delivered us from their hands,” said Josh Reinstein, director of the Christian Allies Caucus.
“We seem to take things for granted. Your friendship is not something to take for granted. We should never take it for granted,” Member of Knesset Yehudah Glick told Christian attendees of Monday’s Knesset event, the Jerusalem Post reported.
“Pray for the peace of Yerushalayim; may they prosper that love thee.” (Psalm 122:6)
Pastor John Hagee (Photo: Wiki Commons)
On Monday, Christians United for Israel (CUFI), led by Pastor John Hagee, held its 11th annual Washington Summit in the nation’s capitol. The two-day event drew top speakers from the pro-Israel global community, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu via satellite, and boasted an attendance of over 5,000 people.
In an exclusive email interview with Breaking Israel News on the occasion, Pastor Hagee, the founder and national Chairman of CUFI and one of the Christian community’s strongest voices for Israel, shared his hopes and beliefs for the future of the pro-Israel Christian movement and offered his strongest arguments in favor of supporting the Jewish state.
He began by explaining that the need to stand with Israel is more urgent today than ever before, pragmatically as well as spiritually. “Israel’s enemies are our enemies. Israel’s fight is our fight,” Pastor Hagee declared, pointing to the current global spread of Islamic terrorism as evidence of this truth.
Omar Mateen, the Muslim gunman who killed 49 in a gay bar in Orlando on June 12, 2016. (Facebook)
“If this wasn’t clear before, our shared enemies are making it crystal clear as they strike in Tel Aviv, Kiryat Arba, Brussels, Paris, Nice, San Bernardino and Orlando.”
Israel has long been at the forefront of the war against radical Islamic violence, he continued, making it a key ally in the war on terror.
“Radical Islam is more violent and aggressive than ever. This makes it more important than ever to support our front-line ally in the fight against radical Islam: Israel.”
Hagee admitted that the anti-Israel voices spreading through America are loud and strong. He attributed this to an appealing, oversimplified narrative which is easy to understand – unlike the actual situation in the Middle East.
“The biggest challenges [CUFI and Christian Zionists] face are the lies told by Israel’s detractors. Israel’s enemies advance simple, attractive myths. And the truth about Israel is often more difficult to convey than the myths,” he explained to Breaking Israel News.
“For example, the Jewish state’s enemies call Israel an apartheid state. Anyone who’s spent even an hour in Israel understands how outrageous this lie is. But with this one short sentence Israel is demonized.
“Explaining the reality – Israel’s diversity, Israel’s tolerance, Israel’s equal rights – takes more than one sentence.”
BDS protesters in Washington DC, August 2, 2014. (Ryan Rodrick Beiler / Shutterstock.com)
“If you value peace, equality and liberty, you should stand with Israel,” he said, describing why liberal students can and should identify with Israel. “One of the great assets Zionists have is that Israel exemplifies many of the ideals about which our young people are most passionate.
“Concerned with freedom of religion? Israel guards that freedom for every person regardless of their faith. Focused on freedom of the press? You’d be hard-pressed to find a country with a more vibrant and open media. Impressed by diversity? Israel is a celebration of ethnic and religious diversity. I could go on.”
While getting out the pro-Israel message is indeed fraught with challenges, the “vast majority” of America’s Christians stand with Israel, said Hagee, estimating that there are “tens of millions of Christian Zionists” in the US alone.
As for those Christians who support the BDS movement or other anti-Israel activities – a growing group which includes the Southern Baptist Convention and the Presbyterian Church USA – Hagee has a simple message.
“You are misguided,” he said. “Yes, our Christian values demand that we have compassion for those that suffer. But if you blame Palestinian suffering on Israel then you’re ignorant about this conflict.”
Hagee suggested that anti-Israel sentiment is an offshoot of adherence to Replacement Theology, which holds that Christians have succeeded the Jews as God’s chosen people, essentially nullifying the Hebrew Bible.
In other words, Christians who do not support Israel are defying the Bible – and embracing anti-Semitism.
“If you believe that God has replaced the Jewish people as his chosen people then you’re ignorant about God’s word,” he said. “Those who advance Replacement Theology are advancing an anti-Semitic theology.
“And make no mistake,” he added. “Anti-Semitism is sin.”
He praised the interfaith nature of his organization’s work, which he said is very different from the “cold dialogues in which people agree to disagree” that have marked most interfaith efforts until now.
CUFI emphasizes the commonalities, not the differences, explained Hagee. “What is great about CUFI is that we bring Christians and Jews together to focus on those things we passionately share: love of Israel and the Jewish people.”
A Christians United for Israel (CUFI) solidarity march in Jerusalem in 2010. In center is CUFI founder Pastor John Hagee. (Photo: CUFI)
Hagee acknowledged the initial reluctance felt by many in the Jewish community towards working with Christians. “We know that for centuries Jews were persecuted by those who carried the cross, and we know that many in the Jewish community are thus understandably wary of Christians bearing gifts,” he said.
“But we’ve shown that CUFI is a non-proselytizing organization, and that we are focused exclusively on being a friend to the Jewish people and the Jewish state.”
In the end, there is no better reason to stand with Israel than the simple fact that “God is Israel’s ultimate protector,” Hagee told Breaking Israel News in closing. “As Christians we are blessed with the opportunity to stand with His Chosen People.”
The influential pastor ended on a somber note with a hint of warning.
“Israel will survive and thrive – the only question is whether or not Christians and Americans will be on the right side of history and God’s blessings.”
