If I were a betting man, I'd have to bet that the vast majority of posts here were purchased by Iran with the $billions the US made available to her in the Iranian "deal". Why do I say that? Because were Iran to hire people to post views inimical to Israel's best interests, she could not hire a more skilled bunch than those posting here today. What a remarkable collection. Why, Iran isn't the enemy, according to these posts--Iran, the state that most detests the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capitol--is not even once mentioned. Nope: the enemy of Israel is in fact, according to these posts, the very group that made Israel's goal possible! it is logic pulled inside out and turned on its head, and the American Left swallows it all, hook, lying and stinker.
Here's a little quote from an Ayatollah's official's speech that should put some hair on your chest: "The establishment of the occupying regime of Qods [Jerusalem]was a major move by the world oppressor [ the United States] against the Islamic world.The situation has changed in this historical struggle. Sometimes the Muslims have won and moved forward and the world oppressor was forced to withdraw.
Unfortunately, the Islamic world has been withdrawing in the past 300 years." Get it? The establishment of Jerusalem by the allied powers was a "major move against the Islamic WORLD.https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/30/weekinreview/text-of-mahmoud-ahmadine...
Read that speech. It appeared in this very paper.
5
Since government funds will be used to build this embassy predicated on Jewish and Christian eschatology, is there some way a lawsuit could be brought on behalf of the first amendment?
6
Some individuals have a really tough time separating religion from politics. The US Declaration of Independence makes mention of religion--I suspect you would prefer to begin there: IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, ..."
3
Israel and Evangelicals, what a pair, they deserve one another, don't they? The ultimate irony. These two tribes have the unmitigated gall to both dare claim beyond the shadow of a doubt God is on their side, and their side alone, and joining their flock is they promise your passport to an eternal life in heaven. What chutzpah, huh?
Humans slaughtering other humans in the name of some psychotic obsession of a God which believes in such vengeance is the true horror of all this. This spiritual quest, this unholy alliance, this crusade is over nothing so trivial as a feud over a piece of land which in reality would have no significance to some divine apparition known as a Supreme Being. Would any God be so sadistic to make the creatures He created go to war over something so unimportant, so trivial, as a piece of desert land? Think about it.
The whole idea of the existence of a God is entirely a creation of a breakdown in consciousness of we homo sapiens and the evolution of the bicameral mind. God is but a figment of the imaginative capabilities of our prehistoric brains. Yet we are willing to take someone else's life from them for that lost cause. As Peggy Lee sang many moons ago: "Is That All There Is?". That's all, folks. Feeling foolish yet?
DD
Manhattan
10
I think that you’ve missed the point. To begin with, most Jews are secular....and Jews do not proselytize, so the concept of “joining their flock for a passport to eternal life” doesn’t apply.
The Jewish attachment to the land of Israel has more to do with their indigenous, 3000+ year history as a people in that land rather than some notion of God’s promise. Not to mention that their ancestral homeland serves as a sanctuary for the world’s Jews, who’ve suffered centuries of expulsions, pogroms, and genocide.
No other indigenous people have succeeded in reclaiming their ancestral homeland as have the Jewish people...building a modern technologically-advanced state from literally nothing in less than a century. A remarkable achievement by any measure....
12
When the chips are down would the right-wing Israeli leaders prefer to count on American and European Jewry _or_ on evangelicals who believe that Christ will only return after Israel/Jerusalem's rise _and_ fall?
Logic dictates that Evangelical beliefs are irrelevant to Israel's survival; Evangelical actions, on the other hand, are key. Recent actions resulted in recognition of Israel's capitol by the world's strongest nation and Israel supporter. That sends a clear message to Israel's enemies, and it should send a clear message to those who imagine they are her friends, although act as though they work for Iran.
3
It's also no secret that these radical evangelists plan to convert Jews to Christianity. It's stunning to me that Bibi is cuddling up to them. Strangest sellout that he's seeking support to this group and not the Jewish community in the Diaspora. That's says a lot in itself.
2
The Jews are in more danger from being bombed to smithereens by Iran in a few years than they are from potential conversion to Evangelicalism. I would focus my anxst elsewhere, were I you.
8
Is it not a historical and geographical fact that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel?
5
Dear Patty:
Israel itself was created by the United States. That occurred in 1948. Whatever the historical claims made by the tribes in the Mideast in the name of God (what chutzpah) is moot.
Possession is nine-tenths of the law, and with numerous tribes making claims to control Jerusalem, in the end it will be decided by violent means. Funny how humans can use God as an excuse to kill fellow humans, wot?
As with most controversies like this one, they'll wind up being decided in the most vicious way: might is right.
Whichever nation commits the most violence against the other, exacting both blood and treasure of their foes, gets the bragging rights and the land.
Like it or not, Patty, it's the way history is written. To the victor goes the spoils.
By the way, if you think the actual border that was decided upon in the Mexican War is the Rio Grande, you as are most Americans, sadly mistaken. Since you're fascinated by historical and geographical details, look that one up.
DD
Manhattan
6
What does it even matter? Israel is the nation that controls the region; she won control over it after begging Jordan in 1967 not to join the group of Arab states committing acts of war. Israel sent a note to Jordan, saying, in effect, don't join their effort and we won't invade your territory. (Jordan at the time occupied the West Bank.) Jordan ignored the note and attacked. She lost her territory, and Israel won it in a defensive war.
She claims Jerusalem as her capitol city, and Jerusalem it is, ladies and gentlemen, thanks to the Evangelical lobby in the USA. Some devil!
7
I would add that Israel was founded after a UN vote giving her permission to declare herself a state; the onlly violence that occurred was that after Israel did declare her statehood--one day after--she was attacked by 5 Arab nations. Had they not attacked, Israel would have been born in peace. That she was not is no fault of hers.
3
Interesting. Jews deny that Jesus is the Messiah and most deny that he ever existed. That is fundamental. Christians believe that Jews are going to hell unless they embrace Jesus. Yet they form an alliance based on power and greed. Both reject the fundamentals of their religion while claiming to be fundamentalists. A real liars club. Both trying to use each other. Both quite misleading. The "fundamentalist know very well that according to the Bible God removed Jews from Israel and Judah because of their constant violations of his law, with the promise to return them when they returned to his law. He would send a Messiah to gather the 12 tribes. Jews who became Christians believed that Jesus was that Messiah. Other Jews did not. The reason that "fundamentalist" Jews opposed the Zionist founding of the state of Israel is that they are still waiting for the Messiah and believed that the founding of the secular state once again was violating the will of God. What a quite unholy alliance. Non-believers uniting with false believers in their lusts for power. (On a side note Islam not only accepts Jesus while not claiming he was Messiah they believe he was most holy second only to Muhammad! Which side do the Christians side with?). Secondly their is a large Christian community among Palestinians. In fact Christianity was founded in Palestine. Go figure.
7
to MR K you are correct and they would be apostates.THIS IS the great apostasy.
2
The Holocaust drew to a close; many survivors were interned on the Island of Crete, homeless, stateless, family-less. this is what you call a "lust for power"? Russian Jews that had fled to the land earlier, due to pogroms, did not lust for power; they lusted for peaceful survival. Get a grip on history, man.
6
Only Iran, which seeks Israel's total destruction, would benefit from the denigration of Evangelicals we read in these posts. Follow the benefit for various political positions; test the air for propaganda; watch the sheep be led.
3
American Evangelicals remain a threat to the U.S. and now seemly other nations.
Their goals seem more self-serving, extremely confused and absolutely contrary to Christ's teachings.
11
Who cares what their goals are? I care what the results are for Israel--all good!
4
Ehud Barak on WNYC the other day said that Israel will take support where it finds it, including from American Evangelicals. Does Israel also understand that when it does things like this - siding with Evangelical Christianity and Mitch McConnell, as when Netanyahu spoke to Congress without meeting Pres. Obama - that they will lost support from progressive Jews in America and around the world? They will! Why should we continue to give unquestioning support to a nation that belies the Talmudic imperative that Jews welcome the stranger? If rather, they continue to denigrate, marginalize and butcher the stranger, they are violating the code we were all born into and foregoing support from Jews like me who adhere to that code. The op ed in the Times the other day written by an Israeli is cut from the same cloth. Israel must protect its borders even if there is bloodshed (ie children with their heads blown off). That's "unfortunate," he says, but won't change Israeli policy. Israel can have whatever policy it wishes, but is this any way to gain friends and allies? - apart from Trump's government, I mean. It certainly is a recipe for losing all progressive-minded people, including observant Jews such as myself.
11
My Dear, Israel has not had Progressive support since the cows came home, if ever. Netanyahu spoke to Congress upon an invitation from Congress, and Netanyahu was not invited to meet with Obama. Did you trouble yourself to hear what he had to say? I think not. The Jews have welcomed the stranger, my dear. That is all Israel has done all its existence. Thirty percent of Israel is not Jewish. That you can be so confused about which side is actually unwelcoming is telling; about which side is actually butchering, is alarming; about which side is pledged to "obliterate" the other is unforgiveable. The naivete in this post concerning 50 years of failed attempts at peace on Israel's part demonstrates that propaganda by the Palestinians is ubiquitous and effective for many Progressives like yourself.
7
Surprise! Jews defend themselves now....and in Israel, they’re armed to the teeth out of necessity. They’re not about to risk annihilation so that westerners sympathetic to Hamas can sing Kumbaya while Israel burns.
7
If “Jewish identity” means blind tribal allegiance to Israel’s government no matter what it does, then yeah, I’m not interested in that. If you want Jews to want Jewish identity, define it as something less primitive.
10
The first rule of Jewish identity is survive in a hostile world. Survival requires strength. One does not read only one side of a story, as you obviously are doing, and remain unaware of the actual goings on or the larger picture. Israeli Jews do not need attitudes that are informed by one side only--not theirs.
4
It seems to me that if I were an enemy of the USA and of Israel, I would post the posts that we see here. One cannot imagine any more anti-Israel posts than we see here. If Iranian trolls and bots had written them, they could not have been improved upon.
5
Just for the record. There are a lot of people who are disturbed not only by the actions of this current administration, but by that of the Israeli government -- and being an "Iranian troll" has nothing to do with it.
14
Just for the counter- record: You have not actually responded to my point, which I repeat: If Iran and the other states intent upon Israel's destruction, or, as Hamas puts it, "obliteration," were to have their representatives post on this article, what we primarily see here is what they would write--regardless of whether or not "a lot of people are disturbed by this administration and the Israeli government. The rest of us are disturbed by the Iranian government, Hamas, Hezbollah, et. al. But not your group, which seems always and forever to find fault only with Israel, as if everything she does is in some vacuum.In my view, if you imagine you support Israel's survival, you are in one amazing fantasyland.
1
White Evangelical Christians in America, who need Jerusalem to be controlled by Jews and for Jews to return to Israel so Armageddon/WWIII can happen and Jesus can finally come back and 2/3 of all Jews die and remaining 1/3 finally accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior and become Christians, and right-wing Jews (some religious and some just non-religious politically right-wing like Netanyahu/Bibi) in both Israel (where they are a slight majority) and America (where they are a clear minority, only about 30% of American Jewish community), who steadily but consistently are moving Israel from a vibrant democracy (at least within 1948/1967 Green Line) to a Jewish autocracy/kleptocracy (Bibi and his thieving billionaire donors, included Kushners) theocracy (Eretz Israel - Nile to Euphrates including part of Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and all of Jordan and Lebanon; rebuild Temple), apartheid state (West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem), and the Saud monarchy/crime family with their poisonous Wahhabism - spread with petrodollars to destroy moderate, modernizing Islam and ideological foundation for Al Qaeda and ISIS.
An unholy alliance of the absolute worst forms of Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
Proof of what is wrong with religion.
But also very much an alliance of billionaires like Trump, Kushner, corrupt Bibi’s billionaire donors, the debauch Saudi/Gulf State billionaires - who only worship money above everything else.
7
What a lot of words detailing nothing in particular having to do with the facts on the ground--the geopolitical effects of the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capitol and the US departure from the so-called Iran "deal". A one-two punch that explicitly states that Israel is not going to be pushed around any more. Soon will follow threats to withdraw more funds from the UN. This segment of the US Israel supporters believe that a clear hard line will bring Palestinians to to the table with workable compromises that do not lead to an eventual Islamic takeover of Israel. If that is not your goal you will get all excited about every other irrelevancy, as we see here.
2
Mr. Netanyahu has made a deal with the devil. He should recall that evangelical Christians support Israel because they believe that all Jews are to be concentrated there to be converted or killed before the Second Coming. He will be remembered as Israel's Quisling.
6
Dear Blue,
Who in their logical mind cares--at all--WHY evangelicals support Israel, unless, of course, you also believe their religous narrative is true? If in the real world down here on earth NOW, those of us who do not believe that stuff is going to be the future, can take pride in the outcome of the Evangelicals' efforts to strengthen Israel by demonstrating unwavering US support for her choice of a capitol.The actual devil in this stew is not a Christian country helping Israel, but an Islamic one that calls it the Little Satan and hopes for its total demise: Iran.
5
Bias in the NYT strikes again. The authors describe George Soros as a "Holocaust survivor." If that means he lived in Hungary during WWII after his family changed their name from "Schwartz" to "Soros" and posed as Christians, does that make him a "Holocaust survivor"? This denigrates those who truly suffered at the hands of the Nazis in concentration camps.
The following is an unbiased description of Soros' early life in Wikipedia:
"Soros was born in Budapest in the Kingdom of Hungary to a well-to-do non-observant Jewish family, who, like many upper-middle class Hungarian Jews at the time, were uncomfortable with their roots. Soros has wryly described his home as a Jewish antisemitic home. His father Tivadar was a lawyer and had been a prisoner of war during and after World War I until he escaped from Russia and rejoined his family in Budapest. Soros's family changed their name from the German-Jewish Schwartz to Soros, as protective camouflage in increasingly antisemitic Hungary.
Soros was 13 years old in March 1944 when Nazi Germany occupied Hungary (read more on Wikipedia... the NYT comment limits space here)
Soros ['s} family purchased documents to say that they were Christians, thereby allowing them to survive the war. Later that year at age 14, Soros posed as the Christian godson of an official of the collaborationist Hungarian government's Ministry of Agriculture ...
5
Selling out to the Devil? Evangicals, since at least the mid-1800s,have been courting Jews in (and to) Israel, ince the Bible says their ingathering.. becoming Christian.. foretells the Second Coming of their Messiah. Overtly in the last decade or so, a Christian group called Nefesh b'Nefesh (Soul to Soul) has actively promoted immigration of US Jews to Israel to the extent, in addition of considerbly paving their way through the difficulties of adjusting to a new culture and language, also pay them enviable amounts of cash. With full blessings of the Israeli government, no less. Look it up! Though now the evangical - Israel connection is less incidious (including Messianic Jews among us--and lately, door-to-door proselytizers,) it's just as disturbing, disheartening, disrespectful, disgusting.
5
On the contrary, Shira, the Evangelical/Israeli connection is one that will help Israel, and therefore it is neither disturbing , disheartening nor disrespectful. If you are looking for "disgusting," read the PA's Charter and Hamas's Charter of 1988 unabridged. Instead of calling for respecting Israel's designation of her capitol city as Evangelicals have done, these MuslimNGO's are sworn to her destruction. How off- track can people get when looking for the actual devil in this cauldron?
3
JEWS MAY TEND TO Misinterpret the support of the Evangelicals for the State of Israel. In fact, what they are seeking is a return of all Jews to the "Holy Land" to hasten the return of the Messiah and the Apocalypse, or the "end of days." The existence or condition of the State of Israel is of secondary concern, if any, to them.
4
Their ultimate alleged goal is of NO concern whatsoever.The existence and conditionof the State of Israel, on the other hand, is of primary concern to those of us who are glad for the great aid offered to Israel by the Evangelicals; apparently they were responsible for moving the needle enough to bring the US government to favor Israel's choice of a capitol city. Now everyone who is against Israel's having that choice has posted here, all sorts of nonsense and illogic; they have complained about Evangelicals's ultimate religious goals as if they matter one hoot to those who don't share those beliefs; they have called for Israel to meet some unrealistic, even unclear, moral code designed, in my view, to bring her down and weaken her ability to defend herself in a hostile world. War is not a game of morals--a fact of life and history that the Left either never learns, or manipulates to bring Israel down through the lack of clear thinking by Jews themselves on this subject. Pick a side, guys, and try, will ya, not to make Iran's arguments for her at every turn.
2
The extremists on both sides (American Christian Evangelists and American and Israeli Orthodox Jews) have commandeered the agenda, politics, money, They are increasing the intensity of negative energy, violence, decreasing Israel's future viability and any Palestinian positive political empowerment (though they certainly have done their own undermining). The "Biblical" prophesies on both sides are superstition and fantasy. I'm a Reformed Jew by upbringing but now parts Buddhist and spiritualist and have heard the going to hell thing many times in my life ...
4
And just from a psychological point of view, does anyone else feel that its highly inappropriate and abnormal to tell other people that if they don't follow a given belief system, that they "are going to hell" ? Its quite a projection and a boundary violation. I started encountering this in the 6th grade - who taught 6th graders to do this? (There's psychology-personality literature about adherents to religion and other types of authoritarian systems.)
5
Is that really the main point in this geopolitical/civilization changing struggle that has gone on since 1947--or , to be more precise, the 7th Century--whether Evangelicals have spoken of their faith and its teachings, while helping Israel attain a goal it has since its inception? Do you really wish they had not helped, just so you did not have to deal with their religious narrative, which would have been there just the same--or are those who take your position actually enemies of the State of Israel, hoping, through posts like this and many others, to weaken respect for and thanks to the one group that allowed America to pull this off at last? Hallelujah, we actually won!
I have lived nearly a half a century in Dallas listening to and being cajoled by such evangelicals. Their love of Israel and the Jews springs from their hyper-literal view of biblical writings. Yet deep distrust of those of the Jewish faith is unmistakable. We are, as the equal opportunity bigot that is Pastor Robert Jeffress frequently states, doomed to burn in hell along with anyone else who has not received HIS Lord as theirs. I've grown tired of being accused by their like of "Jewing down" their monetary offers, of being "too arrogant, although smart," of having a "different way" of doing business, and of being "too stiff necked" to accept The Word.
Be wary, my Jewish friends. The Evangelicals love you like the fox loves the chicken. They have grown strong under Trump. Were they to come into power, you will cease to exist except as the marginalized residue of an ancient religious group. They perhaps won't kill you, as did the Nazis, but they will surely press hard upon you and bring to the open the antipathy they hold close in secret. Jeffress stood on Jewish ground, at a Jewish site, for a uniquely Jewish event, and felt free to cast over it the spirit of "Jesus, our Lord." That Netanyhu accepts and indeed welcomes this man can only be taken as further evidence that his fear for his own short-term political standing far outweighs both his concern for Israel as a Jewish state and for how he will be judged by history.
9
All this distracts from Iranian goals vis a vis Israel, because, here on earth, Iran is the enemy, not Netanyahu, Trump, or the Evangelicals. Here is a portion of an Iranian leaders' speech to his people on why Iran supports Hezbollah and Hamas and seeks Israel's obliteration:
"...the struggle in Palestine today is the major front of the struggle of the Islamic world with the world oppressor and its fate will decide the destiny of the struggles of the past several hundred years." [The "world oppressor" is the US, AKA " the "Great Satan".]
This means they think that there is a struggle that has gone on for several hundred years. It is a struggle "of the Islamic world" with the USA. Iran thinks that what happens in this struggle in Palestine will be the end of that centuries -old struggle and it will decide who the ultimate victor is--them or us. In other words, if Israel and the West lose, Iran and Islam will be the victors in this centuries long struggle between what they see as two different civilizations and religions. Several hundred years ago, you see, in 1683, Islam lost the Battle of Vienna to the West, and this was the major turning point because they stopped expanding after it.The battle on was 9/11 and signaled to the Islamic world that it was back in the fight to defeat Western Civilization. That is their world view.]
Read the speech here: (It is an eye-opener):
https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/30/weekinreview/text-of-mahmoud-ahmadine...
3
if you've ever wondered if religion is myth, you need to look no further than this article. So, am I to believe that the reason for the slaughter of millions of individuals (the Holocaust) was God's plan to create the state of Israel? I don't know whether I should laugh or cry.
6
You are to believe that Evangelicals have used their power in America to give Israel the support she has needed since 1947 to declare her capitol and have it recognized by the world's strongest power. All the rest is anti-Israel, pro-Iranian, pro-Hamas, pro-PA propaganda.
1
So, 4000 years of Torah-Talmud-Mishnah & other wisdom which derived from wise, learned sages of Judaism are to be consigned to--what? According to Jeffress & Hagee?? There is nought that these two despicable spokesmen from evangelical Christianity can say or do which could undermine Judaism or the Jewish people. Their words echo Balak who sent Balaam into Israel to bring curses to the Israelites. Perhaps Jeffress & Hagee need to closely, carefully re-read the Angel of G-d's words in B'midbar (Numbers) 22:2-25:9. No matter how viciously Jeffress & Hagee beat the stubborn & speaking donkey, they shall never succeed in their immoral, unethical scheme to bring harm to Judaism or to her Jewish followers. Their beliefs are antithetical not only to Judaism, but also to the goodness which resides in other religions, including Christianity itself. No one religion can ever lay claim to "eternal salvation" at the injury & expense of other religions as well as to agnostics & atheists. No one religion holds a proprietary-eleemosynary claim to Heaven. Those who attempt to destroy goodness in this world through such "Hell-bound" weaponized words will only unto their very own selves consign the direct path to the Hell that they have falsely claimed is the destiny of Jews & other non-Christian religions. Such false "Christians" must know that Jesus would condemn their words. It is the fundamental province & duty of every thinking being to oppose those who bruit evil in their words & acts.
5
And lo, it has arisen a new axis of evil. This is surely the Devil’s bargain. Israel embraces its enemies to.......exterminate its neighbor. This is more about right wing repression than religious doctrine. This unholy alliance can only come to death and destruction.....just ask anyone of color.
4
Actually--newsflash, Mr. Mays--Israel just got the US to recognize Jerusalem as her capitol, not to exterminate her neighbor. Now if you are interested in actual obliteration of one's neighbor as a goal, I would commend you to the language in the Hamas 1988 Charter, which reads, and I quote: " Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it" (The Martyr, Imam Hassan al-Banna, of blessed memory)."
1
alliance...that would be interesting if on the US Evangelical side it was so...so...disgusting in its nature and origins. US Evangelicals only embrace (carefully, and not too closely, as they are still Jews) the Jews in Israel, because the Jews are just pawns in the Evangelical's God, the American Evangelical Xtian God, plan for the End of Days. (It can go by a few names.)
Where Jesus has come back, is claiming his world, gathering up his most devoted worshipers, casting the sinners into Hell, wrecking havoc in the Middle East and elsewhere, while some, hopefully all, Jews are finally "getting-it" and converting where they stand...so the Great American Evangelical Armageddon Scenario can proceed as they describe it.
These US "holy-men", mostly white, men mind you, see the Jews as mere pawns, and this move of the Embassy to Jerusalem, as providing them a front and center seat to the End of the World. Which, BTW, they wish to push along so it will take place in their own lifetimes. And if it means exacerbating the tensions in the region (like moving the Embassy) then so be it.
If this was an alliance based on real peace and towards real progress in justice in the region then okay. But its not. Rather its yet another disgusting display of Religious fervor, getting too closely involved in politics and policies.
5
Progress for justice in the region, hmmm?
Isn't that a rather tall order, Boregard? Was it justice in the region when Islamic armies conquered the region by the sword, and made Jews and Christians second class citizens? They gave those conquered three choices: convert, go into exile, or die. Justice?
Now the West has won back those lands that Islamic armies conquered. Justice?
1
The passionate conflicts exposed by these comments are a marker for the insanity of this entire situation. What on earth could make less sense than an alliance between Jews and anti-Semitic Evangelical Christians? And make no mistake about it, the belief that anyone who doesn't "accept Jesus" will burn in hell is anti-semitism. I am a cradle Episcopalian and this is a very crazy mess, inevitable if you consider the political implication, that will most likely not end well for Israel. Jesus was a Jew and remained a good Jew right to his death . He didn't found a new religion, nor did he seem interested in doing so. None of this seems to matter to these right-wing whacks on both sides. But I do say, wise up, Jews. You are being incredibly stupid in this current "marriage." Sometimes I have to agree with Gandhi who reportedly said, "I quite like your Christ. Not so much your Christians." And who on earth ever decided that Donald Trump was a man with any kind of religious belief at all?
5
What matter in the REAL WORLD, oldteacher, is not whether you or others care to label various groups anti-Semitic, but rather whether what their actions have actually accomplished has been a help to Israel. You can call those who help Israel achieve her goal "anti-semitic" all you like; I will call them allies in the fight for survival of the state against the true anti-Semites in this world: Iran, Hamas, and the PA.
2
To Israel, a nation that highly values intelligence and critical thinking, the Evangelicals, a social group that utterly despises science and knowledge, can only be useful idiots. Let's hope Israel doesn't get carried away with her intercourse with the American South - ignorance can be contagious.
2
Your post reminded me of these famous lines from Casablanca:
Major Strasser: You give him credit for too much cleverness. My impression was that he’s just another blundering American.
Captain Renault: We musn’t underestimate American blundering. I was with them when they blundered into Berlin in 1918.
1
The evangelical "pastor" blessing the embassy is on record of stating that Jews are going to hell. Thats all Jews need to know.
5
No, cbindc, that's all that Israel's enemies want people to think they need to know. What they really need to know has zero to do with that.
You need to know two things: Israel wanted this outcome, and Israel got the outcome she wanted: US recognition for Jerusalem as Israel's capitol.
That is the main point of this story, and all we need to know.
1
It says in the New Testament that if you don’t accept Jesus in your heart you won’t get to heaven but it says in the Old Testament not to believe anybody that says they know what happens to us when we die.
So if you can believe anything at all and still feel good about it why not believe in science and leave all the Elf on the Shelf stuff for the kiddies?
3
Israel has chosen to groom American - know-nothings - , lead philosohicly by Robert Jeffress and politically by DJ Trump. It would support Jeffress' proclaimation that Jews are going to Hell, in order to get tribute payments of $38 billion per year. To install DJT as president, early in the campaign, Israel offered their intelligence services through a Joel Zamel , who "was an Israeli specialist in social media manipulation". Israel is Trump's boss to a greater degree than Russia.
5
And obviously, Iran must be your boss.
2
The Zionist right wing political party (who are mostly Jews) and the right wing fanatical Christian republicans would be a more accurate description of the vulgar and shameful people involved with dirty, corrupt and immoral politics. Meanwhile...good faithed Jews and Christians around the world are...noticed?
2
American Jews on the left are OK with the Gulf States being Friendly now towards Israel and will dislike Evangelicals being friendly, that is stupidity to the maximum, Israel needs all the friends it can have.
4
What pretty window dressing from the evangelicals and what ugliness it hides! For centuries now, Christians of all denominations have been blaming Jews for everything, starting with Jesus, but not ending there, corralled them into ghettoes, restricted their lives to the point of becoming unbearable and mercilessly murdered them just because they were Jews. Scratch the surface of these pretty speeches claiming to support Israel and the agenda becomes clear: yes, we'll keep you alive, but only until if and when the Messiah decides to show up, and only if you embrace Christ as your only savior. In the meantime we'll pretend to grudgingly like you because it lines our pockets and suits our needs. It brings back memories of times past, when Jews tried to forge alliances with the Nazis, only to discover that even converting to Christianity didn't keep them out of the cattle cars and certain death. To quote Machiavelli: "the more it changes, the more it stays the same." Fall for this claptrap at your own risk. It won't save you. Any sane person knows what to do in November.
4
Window dressing is beside the main point, which is that Israel, who has sought recognition of Jerusalem as its capital since 1967, has achieved it ,through the help--the great help--of the Evangelical community in America.
Window dressing indeed.
3
Every observant Jew believes that the so called evangelicals espouse a fraudulent creed. Every evangelical believes that unless Jews accept Christ as their savior they are and should, be condemned to hell.
The veracity of these beliefs is unverifiable and endures through the exercise of "faith."
What are the "facts" that bring these apparent ideological opponents into harmony?
The the common denominator is a cynical belief that their alliance will cement their bond with the current governing power in the US: Trump and Trumpism.
The Rabbis and Televangelists are toasting each other today, but Trump is the "true" false messiah, who holds neither an ideology or sense of loyalty and whose sole faith is a belief that he can deceive anyone. Eventually, maybe later than sooner, but when it counts, the "holy men"will find their toast was burnt.
2
Can someone please explain how this is not an apocalyptic cult of world-class killers? So the 'Prince of Peace' is preparing to incinerate the planet, & to hasten the apocalypse the evangelicals must start ww3 over the address of an embassy, & anyone who doesn't buy this premise is destined to burn in hell for ever & ever... The Zionists are laughing all the way to the kibbutz.
3
Mr. Jeffress has warned that “you can’t be saved by being a Jew,” and that Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Mormonism lead followers to an eternity in hell.
You hear that Bibi? You're going to hell.
2
Maybe an individual can't be "saved" by being a Jew, but Israel sure can be saved here on earth through the help of the Evangelicals!
1
Religious leaders from Israel began coming to the American South during the Reagan administration. They would speak in little Baptist churches here and there across the states. Fliers, leaflets were given out that referred to the close association the Christians had with the Jews, i.e., the business of "Return", mostly. Up until that time, Christians, who identified themselves as Evangelicals, were very few. It started picking up speed with Jerry Falwell, George W. Bush and his group. I bring this point up because I don't think a lot of people are aware of the influence from Israel. The Jewish evangelists concentrated their efforts in the American South. When it got to Texas and Pastors like those two quacks that prayed at the new embassy, it was like a train on a fast track. The American Evangelicals and Bibi's bunch evolved. They are cut from the same cloth.
7
And what a wonderful and successful cloth it is. Only those who seek Israeli's demise at the hands of Iranian zealots would denigrate these results.
2
Most evangelicals seem to believe that jews cannot be saved...and a small group insists that the world must become both white and christian, everyone else must die. This is a dangerous mis-step as the evangelicals are egotistical enough to think that they can jumpstart the apocalypse.
Spoiler alert: the apocalypse doesn't end well for anyone. This earth IS heaven and religions are trying hard to make it he--.
3
American Jews and Israelis who accept the “help” of evangelicals and Republicans are like a kid who pays a bully not to beat him up, so he doesn’t have to stand up to the bully, and then cheers on the victimization of others he’s pushed ahead of him. Once there’s nothing left to squeeze out of the kid, the bully will go back to beating on the kid.
4
Poor analogy. You see, the bully is real, and really would beat you up, but the Evangelical narrative is not real; it is only a belief; it will never be able to beat up those who do not believe it.
2
This alliance is not new nor should it be surprising. Both the Evangelical and Zionist movements have demonstrated their intolerance for "nonbelievers" and an encouragement of racist practices over and over again.
5
Talk about turning the truth on its head. It is Islam, as you well know, that is intolerant of the Infidel (or non-Muslim); this is not conjecture; it drips from their religous books, and their leaders' speeches. They say--repeat, THEY say--that this is a war of civilizations--Islam vs the West--and that they must win it. Any American who is unaware of this should be really afraid of his own abject ignorance of a determined enemy that uses propaganda just like this post to which I respond.
2
“But Mr. Dermer insisted that Israel was hardly writing off Democrats or liberal American Jews.” Too late. Netanyahu and Trump has made it safe for Democrats to withdraw unquestioning approval. It’s time we join the rest of the world.
5
In my opinion, the opening ceremonies for the US Embassy in Jerusalem demeaned Judaism, reminding me of the kowtowing to Christian rulers that Jews found necessary during the Middle Ages. However, it may bespeak desperation on Binyamin Netanyahu's part, perhaps deriving from a feeling that Israel cannot depend on the "Jewish community" for support.
Too often, "leftist" critics of Israel seem to go beyond friendly and constructive criticism – which would be entirely appropriate – to backing proposals that could exacerbate Israel's physical endangerment. By applying words like "apartheid" and "illegal" to Israel, they undermine that which is legitimate and valuable about Israel, and seem to be dupes of those Palestinians whose actual motive is to destroy Israel.
Netanyahu may, at least in part, be reacting to the increasing power of such critics. He may feel impelled, in order to preserve the existence of a Jewish state, to make "bargains with the devil".
He is in a predicament. As the drumbeat of unfair criticism from people and institutions one should expect to be firm (although not blind) supporters of Israel crescendoes, Netanyahu may need to make alliances he otherwise would (should) not consider.
I've lost respect for Netanyahu; yet, ironically, My sympathy for him is increasing.
5
Good observations until you get to "making deals with the Devil." The latter is Iran, not the Evangelicals; it is Hamas; it is the Muslim Brotherhood; it is Hezbollah; it is Qatar; it most assuredly is not a major donor that contributes to, and lobbies for, US support for Israel.
1
American "Evangelical Christian leaders" have proven themselves maleable in the exercise of political expediency. Earlier, they had abandoned the love and grace and preference for the poor and downtrodden of Jesus in order to support Donald Trump. Now they have abandoned the love of the Prince of Peace in order to support the violence of Israel against Palestinians. They are Christian in name only, false prophets in the land. Currying favor and ignoring Jesus' core messages, they have so corrupted the faith that they once sincerely embraced that they have become like the money changers whom Jesus drove out of the Temple. A sad story indeed...
10
Jesus may have gotten himself crucified trying to debunk the magic they were exchanging currency for.
1
it is a wonder that you have only the ability to discern violence by Israel against Palestinians, but never the reverse. What an amazing ability.
3
I wonder what it is that has kept the descendants of Father Abraham at each other's throats pretty much since day one. At some point, it would seem that plain old logic would convince them that love is better than hate. Well, one of their messiahs is supposedly getting another at-bat in the near future; maybe the second time will be the charm.
3
They all project different things onto the same dead man.
1
I grow ever more weary of religious fundamentalists of all stripes.
Be they Muslim, Christian, or Jewish, these people are philosophical cousins who have more in common than they wish to admit and I see them all as deluded and dangerous.
10
What policies President Trump makes, our next President can undo.
2
Classic case of politics makes strange bedfellows. They use each other to their own ends, hence the lack of actual respect in favor of mutual exploitation.
Where is the way out of all this heartless extremism invading the zeitgeist?
3
From my point of view, there will never be peace in the Middle East until all sides want peace more than they want to annihilate each other. It make no difference whose embassy is in Jerusalem and for the evangelicals, the second coming will be in God's time, not theirs.
1
“Sanctimoniousness, proselytizing, and dishonesty” are “antithetical” to CHRISTIAN values. I am a Christian and a (cough) liberal I guess, and I’m getting tired of this general anti Christian rhetoric. Personally, I don’t know who these evangelicals are or what they are after, but I feel like a whole religion is being bashed too frequently. It’s a lot like saying Muslims are terrorists or Mexicans are criminals.
3
Me, too. I'm tired of the anti-Christian rhetoric; maybe the two of us should get together, put our heads down, and puzzle this out: now which groups in the world are seriously anti-Christian?
1
How long, do you think, before there will be a push for American (and all) Jews to emigrate to Israel? And then will come an order, where Jews are given Israeli passports and the American passports are revoked? Thus, fulfilling all the wishes of the evangelicals? Should we be taking bets on this?
5
So much for Israel as a Jewish state. I faithfully brought my dimes for Israel to Sunday School in the 50s, but I am heartbroken by the policies of Netanyahu and his government.
Jared and Ivanka are Orthodox Jews in name only, as dishonesty and exploitation are not part of Orthodox Judaism.
3
There is a very odd relationship that the US evangelicals, Russians and the NRA have begun recently. After Trump’s victory, Torshin (who is now on the US sanctions list) returned to the United States with a delegation of prominent Russians to attend the annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington in February. The Russian group is known as the “Right to Bear Arms” and has been represented even by John Bolton, who was the international NRA spokesperson.
It just seems really strange that any Christian group would want to be associated with the NRA, which has taken an official PR facade of inciting divisiveness in the US (from the appearance of recent ads)
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/10/8/1704098/-God-guns-and-Russia
https://www.npr.org/2018/03/22/595897412/john-boltons-curious-appearance...
3
I am an American and a Christian. It is strange to feel so totally in the dark on this issue. Why would evangelical Christians care if Jerusalem is the capital of Israel? Is it really true that they do? I am not an “evangelical”, but from a theological point of view, there is no reason a “Christian” should be concerned about the capital of the modern state of Israel. I simply can’t believe that a significant number of American Christians are focused on this issue for any reason connected to their faith. I don’t know anyone who is. But then maybe I’m just an out of touch New York liberal and those Bible Belt Evangelicals are big time Zionists for some reason. Seems illogical to me. But I do get angry when the term “Christian” is used to refer to all of the Christian faith, and we are branded as ultra conservative Trump supporters. We ain’t.
7
Let us not forget VP Pence, behind the scene architect and most probably the most dangerous man if he becomes President in my opinion.
6
In reality, if one is to judge by their actions, no Evangelicals or Republicans are even close to real Christianity. In my book on aberrant superstitions and cults, there is no way they can get to "salvation"!
2
Israel and Evangelicals: New U.S. Embassy Signals a Growing Alliance
They better!
With the nuclear trigger in the hands of Commander-in-Chief Bone Spur, the end could be very, very near. Really, really.
China has deployed nuclear capable bombers for the first time to their illegal bases among the Spratlys with a range to strike Guam and the so-called president is about to throw a hissy fit when Kim reneges on everything.
But wait, opening a new Scion Hotel could defuse the situation.
2
This is good news. Israel is by far the most advanced country in the Middle East, and just about the only functioning democracy.
2
I founded a synagogue in the heart of Evangelical Christendom.
I served on the board of the Greater Atlanta Jewish Federation. I wrote checks to help defend Israel when asked.
I have been to Israel, helped plan critical national infrastructure.
I have a tattoo of my son with an American and Israeli flag on my left arm, because Israel was the last place he saw before he died.
I am the person Netanyahu is snubbing by cozying up to Trump and Anti-Semitic Evangelicals who just want Jews to die to fulfill their apocalyptic fantasy.
I am the American Liberal Jew. We vote. See you in November, Bebe.
43
“Anti-semitic”? So many of your commentators know nothing at all about Christianity. Let me help. Jesus was a Jew. So were all of his apostles. Christians study an Old Testament that comprises the history of Judaism (Moses, Jacob, Isaac, Isaiah, etc.) and consider that history the holy word of our common God. To say Christians are anti-semitic is simply ignorant and intolerant. No group in the world cares more about the welfare of the Jewish people than Christians. Christ’s message was love. No matter who you are and no matter what you are. Christians believe the Jews are God’s chosen people. I implore your commentators to step back and really educate themselves on Christianity before they make such vile comments about a religion that mandates unconditional love.
2
Bravo, Jeff! I'm with you, and I am you.
2
I say the following as an American Reform Jew who does not currently practice but who is definitely Jewish and liberal by tradition. The United States of America and Israel must both survive and thrive, but both nations' current leaders, and the minority of their supporters in each country's population, are impediments to their survival. The Middle East, and by extension the world, will be safer places when neither of these men continue in positions of national leadership. Until that happens, I anticipate only more inversions of the truth, more doctrinaire illogic and much more violence. What a sad and unnecessary situation.
32
CP, what was so peaceful when neither of these men were in power since 1947?
2
Jewish folks have more to fear from the left than right wing evangelicals. We see no Jews keeping low profiles and hiding their faith as they do in France... except on some University campus in the US.
4
Just last August in Charlottesville—that would be right here in the United States—a temple had to be evacuated (along with its Torahs) when armed, Trump-supporting neo-Nazis showed up at its door.
3
This is 100% Netanyahu. He is the Trump of Israel. Charged with crimes. Manages to survive. Who does that remind you of?
5
As a naturalized US citizen from Germany of all countries, I had the mis-fortune to learn a history lesson by my oh-so-pious evangelical in-laws in South Carolina about the United States.
They insisted that according to their bible, the United States was only founded in order to protect Israel hundreds of year later.
That "history" just left me speechless.
Worst of all, on the other hand, is the utterly disgusting remark of Pastor Hagee preaching that the Holocaust only happened to make Jews go back to their original homeland.
According to his and others belief, more than 6 million Jews - a total of 1/3rd of all Jews at that time - had to lose their lives in the largest and most brutal industrialized murder machinery in history in exchange for their moving back to the Holy Land.
It seems that American Evangelicals literally love Jews to death because of their own biblical fantasies.
16
As an American Reformed Jew, I have never been this alienated from Israel. Amen.
14
Nothing explains the necessity of Netanyahu’s reliance upon evangelical and other non-Jewish supporters of what it takes to protect a Jewish State in the Middle East than the poorly-informed groupthink of armchair pontificators who phone it in, as exemplified by many of the commentators here, which often overlaps with the pool of the Times’ columnists, creating a self-satisfying loop.
2
Guatamala and one other country are also moving their embassies to Jerusalem. Why isn't the NYT reporting that?
3
Good point. But there's a big difference between Guatamala and the United States, especially when it comes to how much influence and financial aid to Israel is in question.
4
American Evangelicals and Israeli Likud are not messengers of peace with an olive branch to deliver but war mongering zealots who consider, with disdain, the plight of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who are subjected to daily reminders that they are not considered as even human beings but pawns who stand in the way of Israeli dominance.
Bibi and the Israelis who support him have no intention of helping to lift the Palestinians from their imprisonment and misery. They constantly want to blame the true victims of this debacle as being terrorists when it is the Palestinians who are being terrorized.
Israel continues to harp back to over a decade ago when Yasser Arafat betrayed his own people as their excuse for their continued immoral apartheid they practice. Palestinians do not take their marching orders from Hamas, they rebel because they are oppressed.
American Evangelicals, led by the bigoted likes of Robert Jeffress, John Hagee along with Jewish bigots such as Netanyahu, David Friedman, and Ron Dermer have made a devil's bargain. They have sold their souls and are a despicable lot.
7
“decades of American policy that Jerusalem’s status should be decided in peace talks.” Trump, playing to the MAGA Republican base of ignorance, has essentially abandoned the Palestinian two state solution. “Mr. Jeffress has warned that “you can’t be saved by being a Jew,” a reassuring comment for believing Jews! However, the most ignorant comment was by Rev. Hagee, who suggested “the Holocaust happened because God’s “top priority for the Jewish people is to get them to come back to the land of Israel,” causing me to think of the millions of innocent Jews, especially the children, in the gas chambers or being shot by deprived killers as described in “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany by William L. Shirer and elsewhere. This was the evangelical ignorance that Israel was willing to embrace for the U.S. Embassy to be in Jerusalem? Voltaire said, “Those who can make you believe in absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”
42
Re a statement within Mr. McBride's Comment: What is *the* two state solution? There is, currently no two state solution – there are only hypothetical two state solutions, of widely varying practicality.
This is not to denigrate the goal of a two state solution in which Arabs and Israels live alongside one another in a durable peace. But it's merely a goal, today. To pretend otherwise undermine the prospects for genuine Israeli-Palestinian peace.
1
This is an unholy alliance that will be very bad for Israel in the long term. Evangelicals have always believed that the establishment of the State of Israel was the fulfilling of prophecy regarding the "end times". No matter how much they plead otherwise, the prophecy, which ends in Armageddon, predicts the destruction of Israel and all Jews who do not become Christians. Some Evangelicals, like Jeffress and Hagee, are among the most rabid anti Semites, and do not wish Israel well.
9
This is a nauseating, dead end alliance that will result in reduced support for Israel.
Evangelicals only use for Jews is that we are a stepping stone to their deranged fixation on an inevitable rapture - that will leave us out.
Their sanctimoniousness, proselytizing, and dishonesty are antithetical to Jewish values.
It shows that Trump's effect on Israel is as insidious and destructive as his effect on the United States.
57
"Evangelicals only use for Jews "
Look on the ground, not in their heads. On the ground, the Embassy of the US has been moved, which means that the most powerful nation in the world has put its support behind the proposition that the nation of Israel has a right to say that its capitol is in Jerusalem, a city captured during the defensive war Israel fought, unwillingly (especially against Jordan) in 1967. Why do so many Jews only give the privilege of having Jerusalem as THEIR capitol to Israel's enemies, who also claim that city as their future capitol? Which side are you guys actually on?
2
Israel's support for the worst fascist elements in US politics including nazis and the KKK casts doubt on how much we should support it. Those this Israeli government have close ties to aim to do terrible harm to Americans by ending heath care, social security and drawing us into unnecessary wars. Why are we paying for a health care system in Israel when we don't have health care? This is not the progressive, inclusive Israel many of us remember from the 60s and 70s.
8
Israel and American Jews are growing apart. That's how my commander in the nineties put it. Israel is a warlike people.
American Jews are not, and the sweet fruit of the Sabra has soured.
Israelis are acting out some Biblical fantasy of smiting Assyrians and Babylonians and Egyptians and Tyrians and Persians.
They live a different reality than Americans where they have real enemies who wish to trample them into the dust and throw them into the sea, but with some justification because they are just as bellicose as their enemies and just as ruthless, and do violence better than the gentiles.
They are a new breed of Judaism, more authentic in some ways, yet bizarre and sublime.
What would Marlowe or Shakespeare say, let alone the great Rabbis?
5
Israel is not “a warlike people”. They are a people upon whom their neighbors have declared endless war.
4
That's the official line the settlers have hooked you on. Netanyahu is the poster boy for the new Zionism and it is very ugly. You might regret your new lifestyle. But you, Israelis and Jews on this conflict and all your arguments are just vile and lame rationalizations. You believe that just because we're Jews we're always on the side of justice and righteousness. But to the Palestinians we may as well be a Mongol horde. You can't have it both ways and keep a straight face Shenoa. Don't try to out think reality, look at what's happening under your nose
1
It seems just absurd the marriage of evangelical christians and right wing Jews making Jerusalem the capital of Israel and the home of the US embassy all because the evangelicals believe a ridculous myth. And further they believe the Jewish people can come to heaven with them only if they convert! Even more magical thinking. So Ivanka are you converting when this apocalypse comes or do you think this is all silly and you really participated in a sham?
4
Trump and Netanyahu have come to depend on "turn up the hate" rhetoric to motivate their supporters. These clueless Christian evangelicals assume all Jews will be cast into hell with the 2nd Coming. But Netanyahu being a hard boiled politician sees the use of such useful idiots. The real issue is that they both support a racist view of the world especially hating Moslems. Except rich Salafi Persian Gulf Arabs who hate Shiites generally and Iran in particular.
3
Trumpvangelicals fulfill their End Time Apocalypse Nightmares for Bibi. What a horror show.
8
A troika of mountebanks :
Trump needs the End Timer votes
Whose charlatans support Bibi
Who fulfills their Dooms Day scenario
1
Who's upset? Keep Israel strong!
4
Bibi, you have no idea what Trump, Pence and all those evangelicals are setting Israel up for. Either you wise up and ask The Almighty for guidance or you step down and let someone else take the reins. The Almighty won't forsake Israel or His people because one more Israeli leader couldn't get his act together. He'll step in when it's time, but don't expect a warm reception when He gets here. He'll remember how delusional you were and all the bad choices you made. Count on it!
2
The evangelicals in many ways consider Potentate Trump their savior and the answer to all their problems. If only they knew. He's more likely the Antichrist. Beware Israel, these evangelical hypocrites really mean to harm you. They think they are the chosen people, not you. Whatever.
5
The strangest alliance in history is that between the far Left and Islamic extemeists...joined at the confluence of antisemitism, now rebranded as “anti-Zionism”. The endless propaganda demonizing Israel day after day has one aim: to destroy that nation and restore Islamic supremacy to the indigenous Jewish homeland....as if 5 million square miles of Arab-controlled territory across the Middle East wasnt enough...
5
Amazing how little represented in these pages is this view. I'm with you.
3
Is Putin or Bibi president of America? Or do they just tag team running America?
11
As a Catholic, I must admit to relative ignorance as to the Jewish religion embracing the concept of heaven and/or hell. If it does not, than the otherwise outrageous statements by some of the cited so-called "Christian" clerics have no relevancy. I know that my religion does not believe that Jesus foreclosed entry into heaven for other-than Christians; and celebrates His being born into the Jewish faith. I also know that the vast amount of true Christians embrace good people of all faiths as our brothers and sisters who were created in the image of God and who equally share in His all embracing love. Lest we forget that some extremist "Christians" have historically worn white hooded robes and burnt crosses in the name of God.
7
Jews of the "reformed" description believe that death is eternal oblivion, but our works may live on in the collective body of human experience called "The Book of Life".
1
Thank you and God bless.
I am tempted to say "The Blind leading the Blind;" suffice to say, "Strange Bedfellows Indeed!"
6
Like the USA and Stalin in the fight against Nazi Germany? I hasten to point out it did not mean that FDR wanted the world to end up Communist, and that we succeeded, strange bedfellows that we were, in defeating Nazi Germany, preventing, among other things, further genocide.
3
It is beyond comprehension that we make policy decisions which involve literal life and death questions based upon a tired old book of myths. Multitudes of people wonderd the Sinai desert, yet did not leave a shard of pottery behind as evidence that they were there. No historical records substantiate that pharaoh was forced to let the children of Israel go. David? Maybe he existed, but if he did, he was nothing more than an exalted tribal leader. The magnificence of Solomon's Temple? Archaeologists have not found any evidence that it ever existed. Serious Scholars of the Old Testament know that it was compiled somewhere around the 5th Century b.c.e. The New Testament does not fare any better, as its main gospels were written decades after Jesus supposedly walked through Palestine. Paul in his writings never quotes Jesus, in spite of almost being a contemporary. Now we have Evangelical preachers doing what they can to hasten the destruction of the people they, in there less public moments would refer to as the Christ killers. If you follow the prophetic line of reasoning, most Jews must die in a horrific war, before Jesus returns, to rescue those few Jews who survived. This madness is fine for those who wish to voluntarily expose themselves to it, however, it should be extirpated from all government policy. Of course the evangelicals and Netanyahu are trying to out con each other, as both have opposite views on the subject, in this Biblical three card Monte scam.
18
As the great sage once said, you lie down with dogs, you wake up with fleas.
9
The last sentence flirts with the truth: "This is part of a bigger attempt to discredit President Trump. . .". There are two approaches to obtaining peace; they apply not just to Israel, but to the world: one calls for negotiation, endlessly, with little regard for the realities that each side tells its own people is their true goal; the other seeks to negotiate from a position of strength. Netanyahu and Trump favor the latter--negotiation from a position of strength, while their counterpart sees this as war-mongering. Thus does the Embassy move, supported if not effected, by US Evangelicals, play into the endless political debate between the American Left and Right when it comes to international relations. The Right in both countries believes that peace will only be reached when Palestinians give up their ultimate goal, which is the destruction of the non-Islamic state, and that they will only give this up when they realize it is not a realistic option. Moving the chess pieces of the world around--including check-mating Iran as well as moving the Embassy--are all designed to bring the Palestinians to the table and to recognized the non-Islamic state's right to not be "obliterated," as the Hamas Charter of 1988, unabridged, calls for in its second paragraph: "Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it..."
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/hamas.asp
2
" For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay [them] on men's shoulders; but they [themselves] will not move them with one of their fingers.
But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments," Matthew 23.
More than likely the evangelicals skip the parts of the Bible that describe themselves.
5
It is just hearsay, but Jesus is purported to have scoffed at all public prayer as a show put on for other people, not the imaginary idol they deify.
1
It is important to cultivate the christian right but not at the cost of the Jewish soul.
1
Why? The Christian right is so wrong.
When you sell your soul to the devil, there are no refunds.
9
Let's hope the rapture comes soon. With the evangelicals lifted to heaven, those of us left behind can enjoy an Earth with less hate.
14
Ha. That's a sentiment I often voice.
2
Evangelical on Fox News, post rapture:
Fake rapture, we're all still here.
It seems that Netanyahu is moving quickly to get his agenda in place. Just 2 months ago, Israeli police said “there was enough evidence to indict Mr Netanyahu for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in two separate cases”.
“Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said any prime minister who has been charged should not be obliged to resign.”
Sounds faintly familiar
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-43051249
8
Hollywood can remake "Bridget Loves Bernie" and rename it Shlomo Pines for Madison, Ends up Marrying Rachel Anyway." Crazy antics ensue. Sure the new titled is wordy. Having grown up in the evangelical vatican of Wheaton, IL during the 60s and 70s, I can say with almost metaphysical certitude that this hot for evangelicals fling ain't going to end well for anybody. So Israel got rid of the intellectuals already?
3
To call this "a growing reliance" is history-blind reporting. The alliance has been growing since the 1980s, and it is so significant and so tight that for the last decade or more no Jewish group who seeks to confront it can take part in the CoP, the Council of Presidents, where all major decisions for mainstream Jewish Organizations are decided. If the Times were interested in real reporting on this issue, it would track the quid pro quos. While Jews skew decidedly Democratic as a block, their money and political cache is steadily lent to right-wing Christian politicians and public figures who are not simply blind to anti-Semitism at times, but more importantly, anti-gay, racist, and misogynist. So while Jewish groups continue to make all the "right" pronouncements about democracy and tolerance, they also steadily promote the people pushing the political and legal agendas that place the rights and dignities of women, LGBTQ folk, and non-whites in jeopardy. That's the real story, not this history-blind bit of mish mash about the embassy.
3
One cannot view the massive slaughter at the Gaza fence and believe Bebe's govt. is helping his cause among thinking Americans. Where is the separation of church and state as our constitution requires? American Jews as well as Christians should not meddle in the affairs of another country or its religious beliefs. The 21st century has become the century of the religious wars and certainly does not need ministers and rabbis to further the conflicts across the globe.
4
As a secular Israeli and liberal American, nothing surprises me when it comes to Bibi. He was always a right wing ideologue and obsessive about antisemitism under every rock. He has always lied obsessively, just like his friend Trump. I find it sad that in his senior years he decided that Jews are not good enough to defend Israel and now he need the Evangelicals to support him and his ilk. In the long run, nothing good will come of this.
6
Great. Now we're conducting our foreign policy on the basis of rightwing Christian eschatology.
11
Yes, and it is not just blathering in seminars and journals; it is actual concrete steps that have real-world effects. If you want fire and brimstone badly enough, you can get it, but it comes to all of us, not just the crazies.
2
Israelis who think that evangelicals are their friends are just like the steer who says the farmer is his friend: “Look at all the delicious food he brings me!” There will come a reckoning for both.
8
Bibi has sold his and Israel's souls, and the Pharisees and moneychangers run rampant in the Temple.
3
The people from the United States who attend the embassy opening in Jerusalem are playing the classic role of the "ugly Americans". The name may have come from a book from another time and situation but fits them perfectly. I have not been more ashamed of the United States since the Vietnam war! The people of Palestine have the right to go home after being defeated in war just like all other people. If the government of Israel cannot survive a vote of all the people it is not a legitimate government and should not survive. I hope the Palestinians realize that their hope for dignity lies in democracy. Everyone who lives in the in the land where Israel exercises government control, including all of the land in the West Bank and Gaza that the is encircled and controlled by the Israelis should vote in a single state. There is no two state solution - just one country. I hope the Palestinians see their future in democracy just like the black South Africans did. The best thing that can happen is a democratic transition to country based on human beings voting rather that religion where one side subjugates the other as is happening now.
4
@Bored, you say "the people of Palestine have a right to go home after being defeated in war just like all other people". Wrong, particularly when it was your side (the Arabs) that started the war, after rejecting a compromise peace proposal that the other side (the Jews) accepted. Following your logic, I suppose you would then support the rights of the millions of Germans who are descendants of the 12 million ethnic Germans who fled or were kicked out from German territories in eastern Europe at the end of WWII, to now claim a right to get back these lands in what today is Poland or the Czech Republic.
2
The notion that the human soul is severable from the brain it lives in is the most blatant lie in a belief system that utterly and completely an enemy of truth. No idolatry in life will ever change anyone's outcome in death. "Salvation" is a big fat lie that scams people out of their natural lives.
3
Netanyahu is inviting the camel's nose into the tent. He will pay for it when the camel is inside and he will have lost the support of Washington when Trump and Pence will assuredly be removed from office. He is playing a nauseating game.
4
Strange that an article in the NYT sees the alliance between US Evangelicals and Israel strengthening.
The UK Guardian sees exactly the opposite.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/19/evangelicals-israel-usa-en...
1
Remember those parts of all the holy books where people disobey God in return for temporal “gains” and things don’t work out for the disobedient? No? Just me the semi-Athiest?
1
The Christian evangelical embrace of Israel is in parallel with Putin's embrace of Donald Trump - an appearance of friendship, with a dagger held behind the back.
2
What a problematic coupling. An accident waiting to happen to be sure. All that's left for these two is deciding who's the real God, is Jesus His Son, and oh yeah, when is Armageddon and that Second Coming coming?
DD
Manhattan
2
One thing the media never seem to do is define what they mean by terms such as “evangelical” and “Christian.” If they would bother to peruse the New Testament to see what Jesus is said to have taught, I doubt that these groups would qualify.
I doubt that Jesus would have approved of a Christian supporting a leader who lies, is an adulterer (marriage after divorce), hates “his brother,” is judgmental, seeks to use force instead of persuasion (my button is bigger...), is hypocritical in action (e,g. the Jerusalem decision in light of the upcoming elections), denigrates the poor, refuses refuge to the persecuted, etc. Worse still, where is their individual sense of morality and duty to try to emulate Jesus?
I recoil to see the term Christian used so loosely. It
4
What do Trump and Netanyahu share in common? Exploiting religious and cultural differences to maintain their political bases. They represent the worst instincts for building peace in the world.
64
Perhaps, Tacitus, it is rather Abbas, Haniya and the Ayatollah that represent "the worst instincts for building peace in the world."
Since 1948 there has been neither peace, nor any recognition by the Muslim NGO's and those Muslim states that fund them, that any non-Muslim state (like Israel) has the right to exist on lands that Muslim armies once conquered by the sword. You might take a gander at Article Eleven of the Hamas Charter of 1988, unabridged, where you will discover the basis of the Islamist ideology that prevents peace. http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/hamas.asp
Ignorance of this on the Left is unforgivable.
3
It is not disgust but rather deep sadness and shame that informs my response to the Israel described in this artical. Like many of my baby-boomer generation of American liberal Jews I grew up recognizing the historical imperative for the existence of Israel and being proud of its courageous sucess in surviving in an unrelentingly hostile environment. I cannot forget this attachment despite the destructive politics of Netanyahu and his ilk. The present Israeli government is not "my people" and, with increasing coherence, specificity and moral violence is making it clear that it has only "contempt" for "my people". At some point "shame" threatens to dissolve the long established bonds of attachment.
38
"despite the destructive politics of Netanyahu and his ilk"
What about the "destructive politics" of Hamas, the PA, Qatar and Iran, Mr. Mormond?
2
I have never identified with Hamas, Qatar, or Iran; nor will I ever take the position that their aggressive hostility simply and of necessity defines the moral horizon of Israel. Israel must in the long run be more than a response to aggression.
Sir, Israel must first survive. There is nothing destructive in the politics of survival against determined foes like those that Israel has been trying to protect against since 1947. The present government is not destructive; it is constructive; it is showing strength, and has gained support in Israel when even liberal Israelis finally realized that weakness on Israel's part only invites aggresson.Aggression, like wars (1947; 1967; 1973; aggression like Infitadas; aggression like tunnels under borders, scud missiles launched monthly for years upon years; kites carrying bombs, enemies knifing innocents in the back. Some of us are sick to death of this unrealitic higher than thou morality in the sky when a a life and death struggle for Israel's survival is under way; Iran seeks nuclear power, because her goal is to destroy Israel, and nukes will be a game-changer; the Sinai, which Israel gave up in exchange for peace, has now been weaponized, Hamas stages rushes at the border fence and calls them "protests" and that is all Israel's enemies have to do to bring out the naive moral brigade, siding, forever, with Hamas. In my view, there are many confused people who think they support Israel, but in reality they hurt her and help her enemies to make themselves feel morally superior. Its a tough world out there; choose a side and stop knifing it in the back at the bidding of its enemies' propagandists.
If there is one thing a thousand years of History has taught us it's the simple fact that getting in between the hatred between Christians and Muslims is not the place Jews want to be even if there is already plenty of hatred around between Jews Christians and Muslims.
1
And all three of them trace their origins to the citizen of Ur who took exile to the Levant rather than give his son over to a human sacrifice ritual.
The Evangelicals' superstitious beliefs surrounding the "end of times" and their passionate desire to be the witnesses to the blessed event is what's fueling their support for moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem...
5
This article is a perfect example of why we need separation of church and state yet we will never truly receive. Evangelical "Christians" are a much bigger threat then Isis and Hamas put together. These holier then thou- judgmental- evangelical bigots are blind to the true teachings of Christ and use religion solely for political gain which is despicable.
9
Undemocratic, "unAmerican" and hardly any better than the religious tyrrany common to that part of the world.
4
the fundamentalist evangelicals also upset and provide deep concern to every day american roman catholics. they do not spread the "good news" - at the least they view jews and roman catholics as heretics, at most they're pretty anti-semite and anti-roman catholic. i do know that mike pence's grandfather and other catholic ancestors are spinning in their graves
3
Mr. Jeffress: "“It’s no secret the left absolutely hates this move to recognize Jerusalem as the capital, and they are going to attack it from any angle they can,” he added. “This is part of a bigger attempt to discredit President Trump, and it is having no effect whatsoever.”
How utterly ignorant. People who grasp the Israel-Palestinian situation know that a two-state solution is the only solution for the area, which the U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem makes impossible.
6
Mehgit , you can disagree with the move of the US Embassy to Jerusalem, but it is hyperbole to say that this makes a two-state solution impossible. The location of the embassy building is in western Jerusalem (i.e. the part that was controlled by Israel prior to the 1967 war) with a bit of it in what was no-mans land between Israel and Jordan from 1949 to 1967. In any of the various peace plans for a two-state solution, this territory would be part of Israel.
2
Netanyahu is running Israel right into the ground, and the Christian Right is holding the shovels. Someone should educate Pastor Hagee that Israel is the Jewish state.
3
Throughout history, up to the present, millions have been slaughtered in the name some god or some religion. Imagine, a world without antisemitism, anti-Islamic rants, anti-Hindu beliefs or “anti” any other form of divinity. The world would be a much safer place without the existence of religion.
3
Better no religion than fighting over religion.
Did you all fall for this smoke screen. seventy years accomplished. and seventy weeks almost accomplished. all to present some one not Christ but instead of. Perhaps some one with a peace plan for Jerusalem that will not work according to the Bible!
In our part of the United States, there is now an unusually close relationship between Evangelical Christians, the NRA, and the Freedom Caucus. It has become downright scary. They form the heart of the President's base. No matter what he does or says, these people absolutely love him. Their love of Israel is on a par with how they feel about their own country. They absolutely hate the idea of universal health care in the United States, but seem to be fine with the fact that their taxes help Israel to have such care. They hate President Obama, and when they mouth the words 'make America great again", much of that is aimed at the fact we no longer have a black President.
4
An unquestioned feeling of kinship with other Americans used to come naturally to me. It is a big loss to recognize that a substantial percentage of Americans might as well come from another planet.
The lines are slowly being drawn in the sand....every religion has it’s zealots....slowly, slowly these zealots of different faiths are coming together. One day, by I don’t know which twist of faith, the Muslim zealots too will find common cause.
And then again, as has happened throughout history, we the normal, tolerant, open and essentially good people are going to have straighten everyone out!
Have and enjoy your fervent version of religion, just don’t over step your bounds!
2
The Far Right Orthodox Israelis and the Far Right Christian Americans are both using each other for their own self righteous 'entitled' - Beliefs - which are actually based in their own egos and not in the Torah or the Bible.
It is very sad to watch the demise of Israel and America unraveling before all of our very eyes.
Opening the US Embassy in Jerusalem is a complete statement of support for Israeli Far Right determination for Israel to be a One State Nation -ruling as an Apartheid state.
It is sad very sad - and deeply disappointing.
7
Mr. Hagee says, "The Holocaust was part of God’s plan to return Jews to Israel." This is simply the most outrageous statement I have ever heard. As a pure Kohane, I deplore Israel's acceptance of Mr. Hagee due to his hidden agenda of the prophecy of Armageddon. Where my people are headed is so sad to anyone with common sense. Religion, combined with politics, has gone with the wind. Unless we realize true religion is "love of others", without tribes or borders, we are headed toward a worldwide Armageddon. Money, Greed and its believers will continue to destroy our lives and our planet!
7
'Where my people are headed is so sad to anyone with common sense.' This applies to Americans as well of course.
Israel should accept support from any and all interests. If Evangelicals feel comradery and wish to defend Israel, though not a marriage made in heaven, they'll take it. The world has gone too nutty, hate-mongering is at an all-time high, blaming others is trading heavy, common sense and decency is at an all-time low. Friends of Israel are unfortunately harder to find these days. If those friends happen to be bible-thumping Evangelicals, so be it.
4
Turning Israel into a partisan issue is the best outcome. By 2020, Israel will be radioactive among the Democratic base and we can hopefully end the $38 billion handout taxpayers give Israel to fund their brutal assaults on unarmed Palestinian protesters.
3
The art of the deal.
Bibi Netanyahu had much more success in playing Trump to get the US embassy established in Jerusalem, than Trump had in trying to play Mexican President, Enrique Nieto, to get him to pay for "the wall."
3
David M. Friedman, the American ambassador to Israel who presided over the embassy dedication, said evangelical Christians “support Israel with much greater fervor and devotion than many in the Jewish community.”
The problem is, for Mr Friedman, is that some American Jews are not providing the kind of unconditional support for Israel and its policies. He was quick to label some of us on the left as “kapos” and quick to apologize and retract when his nomination was on the line.
3
BISHOP TUTU: “I am writing today to express grave concern about a wave of legislative measures in the United States aimed at punishing and intimidating those who speak their conscience and challenge the human rights violations endured by the Palestinian people.
I have witnessed the systematic violence against and humiliation of Palestinian men, women and children by members of the Israeli security forces. Their humiliation and pain is all too familiar to us South Africans.”
April 2, 2014: Bishop Tutu, Nobel Peace Laureate, his open-letter on the BDS (Boycot Divestment & Sanctions) movement. Bishop Tutu says the Israel-Lobby intimidates & punishes Americans who speak out against Israel’s oppression of the Palestinians.
4
this is one Jew who is happy about the embassy. All Trump did was keep Obama and Clinton's promises for them. Name one circumstance in any peace deal where Jerusalem won't be Israel's capital. So what is there to negotiate about this issue, unless you agree that Israel should cease to exist. And I don't follow Israel blindly. The issue of who is a Jew is a slur on Jews worldwide as Netanyahu panders to the right. You can love and support Israel without agreeing to every policy.
1
...plus ça change.
Two thoughts immediately come to mind. First, "with friends like this, you don't need enemies." And, second, "be careful what you wish for."
Netanyahu's government is making a fool's gold choice in aligning with right-wing "Christian" evangelicals. Their interests are not Israel's, but instead they want to establish a new God's Kingdom on earth -- a Christian, Jesus-centric movement that is more political than spiritual. Bibi should know (perhaps he does, but doesn't care) that at the end of the day, Christians of this ilk would abandon all sinners, including Jews, to perdition.
Just to be clear, the next step for these so-called Christians will be to urge Israel to physically remove all traces of Islam from Jerusalem itself. You see, this brand of Christian doesn't share; it takes from the poor to give to the wealthy (i.e., the saved). they will use anyone, including Jews, to get their way.
11
Thank you. Several of my relatives are 'evangelicals'. From my perspective their bizarre version of Christianity combined with absolute certainty that only they possess the truth borders on mental illness. My only absolute certainty is that people like this are a great danger to our democracy, or what remains of it.
Hard to imagine that the tough Zionist leaders who founded the state of Israel on the ashes of genocidal extermination would be foolhardy enough to welcome the sale of their creation to evangelicals praying for their destruction. Rapture indeed.
13
All of this is religious nonsense; based on some antiquated idea that surfaced before people even knew about the universe and believed that their world was the only one in existence. It's all about power, and servitude and domination of women.
A handful of men act as gods and dictate the fate of millions. The only gods are those that have been created in their own minds.
6
According to the apostle Matthew, Jesus warned: beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing. Evangelicals have long come to the world in sheep's clothing, only that clothing has by now become so threadbare as to entirely render all of the evangelicals' pious pretences once and for all forfeit. By their enthusiastic support of viciously divisive leaders like Trump and Netanyahu, evangelicals have bared their fangs for all to see. That they don't love their fellow man couldn't be any plainer or more painful to behold, and their fervid recitations of the golden rule can no longer possibly fool anyone who doesn't, for his or her own hateful reason, prefer to be taken for a fool.
15
How do these religious men get to these powerful positions? It's a corruption, a clanging cymbal that shouts unholy. I witnessed Jeffress prayer at the ceremony and was left cold. Someone so full of self importance and self righteousness, I felt like throwing up. What meddling in the affairs of this world - what not happy with God's timing you have to hurry him along? I do not think Jewish people need this, nor do they need their noses rubbed in it about their salvation according to Jeffress or the Xian right.
God has his own plan thanks very much and it's a darn sight better than theirs. Engineering circumstances based on prophesies of a time not known, and never meant to be known is foolishness. As pastors they should know that they are not power brokers and their role should stop at prayer
5
Seems to me that those who advocate U.S. policy on grounds that it must serve Israeli interests, not American interests, act as citizens of Israel, and belong as residents thereof.
9
There are still factions in the United States who believe democracy and Western values are worth supporting over terorrism and religious Stalinism and we're supposed to think that's a bad thing? Congratulations to evangelicals for holding the torch of American ideals and values. Maybe they understand what so many Eastern elite intellectuals don't...Israel is now the leading light for freedom in the world.
2
So they support Trump, who is destroying democracy and cares not a fig for any value beyond the almighty dollar? If that makes sense to you, you're part of the problem.
2
Netanyahu is a warmonger who is making a deal with the devil; or, in this case, Evangleicals to achieve his goals. He may believe he has the interests of Israel at heart, but certainly not its future nor its standing in the world.
10
Whatever happened to the "separation of Church and State"? This is nothing more than Netanyahu's influence and greed showing itself, in this huge Spiritual land-grab.
And, as the Evangelicals and Jewish folks break bread, their purpose is not the bigger picture of serving Peace on Earth. Their purpose is; "what's in it for me, BIG time, because ... God is on MY side".
THAT kind of behavior and "Faith" doesn't cut it. That's just hog-wash, circling the drain.
7
Wasn’t Israel supposed to be a beacon of something? Now it’s just one more country among many, having abandoned the ideals that were to make it special. Tell me again why such a hugely disproportionate share of US foreign aid goes there? Historical relationship? We have a deeper historical relationship with (and much greater historical debt to) Liberia. Supporting democracy? Israel is not a democracy. It is a fortress with a ruling religious class. As to the apocalyptic motivations of American evangelicals, it appears the Israelis are laughing up their sleeve at these bumpkins bearing gifts, as well they might. I just wish the gifts weren’t coming out of my pocket.
12
Crazy people. We are being led by crazy people who actually believe there will be a day when a half god/half man will come down out of the sky over Jerusalem and put an end to the world as the population of the world, since the beginning of time, will be judged on their behavior.
Sheer Lunacy. But there you are, like it or not, being led around by the nose by self-glorifying charlatans and frauds like Friedman and Hagee and Jeffress who's tentacles reach right into our own government.
I know that separation of church and state has always been a bit of a fraud in America, as people that are atheist or agnostic are looked down on by the religious fanatics who take every opportunity to force their ridiculous beliefs on the rest of us, including our State Department and foreign policies.
9
"New U.S. Embassy Signals Israeli- Evangelical Alliance"
A shame on both of their houses.
8
The Sun will enlighten all on Earth today, just as it has for all of human history, not only for those who claim it for themselves alone. Every leaf on the tree of life is illumined and nourished, for all to see.
2
Israel, in reaching out to evangelicals, is doing what it needs to do to survive in a very hostile, and increasingly hostile world, which reject Israel for being Jewish, for catering to its religious/messianic minority, for its conflict with the Palestinians/Arabs, and for - well just bring Israel.
It’s mind boggling to me sometime how much attention, indeed negative attention, is given to a small country, while scarcely any attention is given to the hundreds of thousands killed in Syria, millions killed in Africa - not to mention, the thousands killed in America by guns and drugs.
At its core, I believe that the intense focus has a lot to do with the fact that Israel is central to Muslims, Christians and Jews, and while in centuries passed, it was controlled at various times by Christians and Muslims, now it’s controlled by the Jews.
Regardless, Israel needs to do a much better job of reaching out to non-Orthodox Jews in Israel and America, and everywhere else. The current Israeli leadership (beholden to the Haredi community) is creating an unnecessary problem by alienating them. They want to be part of Israel. Let them.
2
"The opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem signifies the increasing importance of conservative Christians to Israel"
No, it doesn't. Israel has for years proclaimed that Jerusalem was its capital, and a bipartisan chorus in the US has agreed. Shame on NYT for the above assertion.
2
I find the alliance of American "evangelicals" and the current leadership of the State of Israel disheartening. It would appear to me, and many others, that it these "supporters" are urging acts that further divide the Middle East and fuel the ignition of a ruinous war in this tinderbox of a region in order to hasten their belief of "End Days" and the rapture. Considering their professed beliefs, as enunciated by Pastor Jeffress, this is another way to get rid of the Jews as people who do not believe as these "christians" do, and blaming them in the process by egging on their differences with the Palestinians. I trust them--and the preening Netanyahu, raised here in Cheltenham, Pa. (a Philadelphia suburb), the son whose older brother, the "golden boy," was the one of whom great things were expected, but who died in the raid on Entebbe--about as far as I can spit into the wind.
3
Ironic that the party so worried about the global world order proclaims America First and then invites other countries to help elect our leaders and make foreign policy decisions.
6
I understand that individuals use various myth systems to give meaning to their lives --- even if these myth systems are founded on all kinds of century old belief systems that defy any form of logic or evidence. Now having said that, it is disconcerting, to watch these various myth systems---Evangelicals, Jews, Muslims, Mormons, etc---assume center stage in national and international affairs. All efforts to bring peace to the Middle East get tangled up in whose myth system--or god---is supreme. If only we could get god out of the room, we could make some progress in that region.
3
Primitive insistence that your group is the one with the hotline to heaven (or wherever) is nuts. This insistence on one way to live a life guided by specific principles, to the point where it kills other people, in unprincipled. Religion should not be some kind of atavistic win-at-all-costs set of superstitions designed to make you feel superior to those who do not hold your beliefs. Across the ages, how many lives have been lost in the name of religion? Does it ever stop? Or are we locked forever into barbarism in the names of various gods?
6
I can't take seriously anyone who believes the Bible to be both infallible and inerrant. Personally I find the doctrine of sola scriptura to be both absurd and an insult to scripture itself. I hold scripture to be one of God's greatest gifts to humanity and by scripture I also include the Rig Veda, the Dhammapada, the Qu'ran and other inspirational writings as well.
The inclusion of these theologically challenged clerics at the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem gives Christianity a bad name. Their presence also adds further insult to the Palestinian people for whom Jerusalem is also their capital.
Shame on Netanyahu and shame on Trump for not only permitting but allowing this shameful display of religious ignorance to take place. By so doing they not only cheapen themselves but they cheapen scripture as well.
4
The Evangelicals are not truly Christin . They support the warped agenda of the GOP and support the continuing pollution from coal Trump supports. Our Pope who is a true Christin said recently ," any harm done to the environment therefore is harm done to humanity". When people are being killed over a warped policy you are so wrong.
3
This is a brilliant public relations effort by American Jews and Israel to shift the 'influence' over US policy towards Israel away from American Jews and to Evangelical Christians
If you notice in this piece, David Friedmn, Ron Dermer and others were very happy to make themselves available for this piece and to confirm that Evangelicals-- and, crucially, not American Jews -- are now the most influential when it comes to US-Israel relations.
The choice for the Evangelical pastor (who has previously made controversial remarks concerning Jews) to preside over the embassy opening was shrewd and deliberate. The message was crystal clear: Evangelicals are the real muscle of influence behind this move -- not American Jews
This strategy protects American Jews from accusations of dual loyalty at the exact time that Israel sees a real opportunity (with Trump in the White House) to push very very hard on settlement expansion, other embassies moving to Jerusalem, etc -- moves that will be far more controversial and aggressive and could therefore create a backlash against American Jews.
3
Israel and Evangelicals. Hysterical. Two groups of people that embrace the ideas of their religions, both having taken leaps of faith without any idea if a supreme being even exists with nothing but their indoctrinations as youngsters as proof of their beliefs.
I personally don't care on way or another what anyone believes, but I do know that both religions are arrogant in their insistence that either are right. In the end, no one really knows anything about a supreme being or the origin of mankind and the universe other than what science tells us.
The only thing we can conclude with any degree of certainty is that religion divides and always has. If faith makes life meaningful for you then embrace it, but don't inject it into politics. That's the last thing anyone of faith should be doing knowing that politics is corrupt enough, so adding faith into the equation is not in any way helpful. We've been killing each other since the dawn of time in the name of our "Gods" and it has never resulted is any meaningful peace or tolerance of others that are the fundamental principles of all the religions doing the killing.
If whoever embraces religion could admit a leap of faith is not the same as "knowing" some of the madness would stop. I do however believe we'd just find another excuse to kill each other. If there is a creator I doubt that's what he or she had in mind for us. This is laughable.
2
Someone, anyone, if they have the time, please explain to me our lovefest for Israel over the years? I would like to know where my tax dollars are going and why. Billions of dollars for their defense? What are we protecting and from whom are we protecting it from? It's a valid question, as I don't recall Israel being a part of American history.
2
The Israelis and the Evangelicals are cynically using each other for their own purposes. The Israelis want the money and political support of the Evangelicals. The Evangelicals want Israel for themselves. They are helping to secure the country for the Jews in anticipation of converting them to Christianity. A Christian Israel under their control is their ultimate goal.
1
While The New York Times is adamant about diversity in the newsroom and the editorial staff, I can't help to wonder if the diversity includes any evangelical Christians. Articles I read about evangelicals sound more like a report from an anthropologist visiting an isolated tribe than someone who knows and understands evangelical beliefs and thoughts.
I've been an evangelical Southern Baptist for more than 30 years. I, along with my friends, have a deep affection for the country of Israel and the Jewish people. (I'm a life member of Alpha Epsilon Pi Jewish fraternity.) Yes, we believe Jews are God's chosen people and Israel is their eternal homeland. I do not know any evangelicals who support Israel or the embassy move to hasten the return of Christ. We support the embassy move because it's the right thing to do based on the 3,000 year history of Israel.
Regarding salvation for Jews, it is the same as for gentiles, Muslims, Buddhists and others -- it comes through faith in Christ alone. We didn't invent that: it was spoken by Jesus in John 3:16-18, Paul in Galatians 2:15-16 and in other verses. It is the bedrock belief of the Christian faith -- as it has been for two thousand years.
3
So for a Jew to be saved, he has to renounce his faith. Yeah, that makes sense in the insane worldview of evangelicals.
1
Yours is a fundamentalist interpretation of the Gospels. That is not equated with "Truth" outside your circle.
2
The past 2000 years of my own family's staunchly Christian faith records not one single instance of salvation - whatever "salvation" is by any imagined to mean.
Speaking to our World, “We must discover the power of love, the redemptive power of love,” Bishop Curry said, quoting Dr. King. “And when we do that, we will make of this old world, a new world.”
This is an amazing Bishop of Peace...
As a conservative practicing Jew let's make something clear. Not only is Mr. Netanyahu and his unholy alliances making the future of Israel vulnerable, he has alienated the vast majority of not just liberal American Jews. We can no longer look away or rationalize the cruel abuses, the arrogance, the autocratic and myopic shift to the extreme right of Mr. Netanyahu in his behavior toward the Palestinian people, while at the same time bearing witness to our own wretched history as victims of murder and genocide. In the same manner of loose talk of the American President, Mr. Netanyahu quite simply is destroying the Israeli "brand". And because of it American Jews are suffering with a deep wish to support the Jewish State but the knowledge that Israel's policies assault the conscience of most sentient people who believe that any religion that does not respect the human rights of all peoples cannot claim moral rectitude. It's because we love the State of Israel that we can no longer turn a blind eye to its abysmal leadership.
2
It has always been the "Christian" Evangelicals that have determined the US foreign policy toward Israel. Not to underestimate the power of the Israeli lobby, but the Jews as a group in the US have neither the numbers nor the sentimentality toward Israel that could possibly compel US foreign policy. Israel is a single issue voter issue. That's why Trump and the Republicans pander to the Evangelicals via their policy toward Israel. They need the Evangelical vote, not the Jewish vote which I am guessing is probably in the range of 80-90? Democratic.
3
Fundamentalists and the Israeli government have a lot in common. They are obsessed with having political power and don't care how they get it. They're willing to violate ethics, human rights, and the law as long as they get what they want.
3
"The beliefs of many evangelical Christians that Israel is special to God — and, for some, a marker in apocalyptic prophecies ..."
The snowflakes read this and are confirmed in their belief that evangelicals (a broad and diverse group) ONLY support Israel because of those beliefs held by a few. Thus, the left thinks, the support of Israel is unworthy.
Most people have trouble seeing to next week, let alone to the afterlife. Evangelical ministers have written in, but this will affect the snowflake belief not in the slightest. They will not believe that evangelicals support Israel as a US ally, a bulwark against the warlike masses in the Middle East, and as a country to be admired for making the desert bloom, and for not acting like the self-destructive Gazans we saw the other day.
Instead they will continue to believe that the only reason Israel gets support is pie in the sky.
1
Hacked's protest is hollow as long as the "moral majority" leaders and congregations remain silent as his defined "tiny minority" support this chaos under the Christian banner. Also, a recent National Christian convention refusal to condemn KKK violence, raises big doubts as to how "tiny" your church members are.
If "tiny" does not represent Christians,....let's hear an uproar daily against all the daily immoral violence we see cheered by the GOP.
2
Con-men supporting con-men, supporting con-men, what a surprise. The Bakers, Swaggert, Osteen, Robertson, Graham etc. somehow trying to convince the masses to part with their money in the name of a true preacher who preached love of the poor and sick and disdained money. A sucker is born every minute and they tend to have a lot of kids. Why would anyone be surprised they wouldn’t line up behind the founder of Trump University; a “Billionaire” that won’t release his tax returns and is in need of selling steaks and bad wine? Bibi may be misguided but he is on an Island in shark infested waters. I can’t stand him for two decades (kinda like Trump), but he is no fool, unlike the Sheep that follow the wolf.
2
Get the fact out New York Times; Jerusalem has mostly an Arab Community population.
If anything, perhaps we can only assure the Arab Community that there will be other American White House Administrations who will legally fight to get their land and businesses back from Israel or the financial equivalent when we help East Jerusalem establish their own State Capital. (Let’s call it that; The ‘State’ Capital of Palestine. Not to be confused with the whatever ‘state’ Israel is in, when their government wants the U.S. to fight Iran ‘for them’; pay for it ‘for them’; and take the political and fatal risk ‘for them’. While Israel cannot ‘earn’ respect for its own country from the Arab Community let alone for Democracy in the region.)
1
It may be difficult to imagine a "growing alliance" between Israel and Evangelicals, but it's downright impossible to understand how Israelis and American Jews can overlook the fact that Donald Trump never once publicly distanced himself from Carlottesville, Va., where tiki-torch marching neo-Nazis and their anti-Semitic and racist rants were ultimately accountable for the death of an unarmed American woman who killed for protesting against them.
How anything good can come out of this is just hard to fathom.
2
Netanyahu and Trump are unindicted criminals. These men believe in profit and the innocent belief of their followers and nothing more. Ho-hum...except this feels different. The world is in great danger. We should forget our democratic tendencies and condemn these men now because facts and our gut tell us to. If these two men are patriots, they'll certainly understand our concerns and forgive us if we're wrong.
ANY religious cult that has the strong ties to our national negotiations and interests should be promptly abolished! Sometimes I have to pick myself just to make sure I am not having a nightmare. This Trump era is about as bad a nightmare as I could have ever imagined for our nation. What I am astonished with is that our system (that I always had the utmost confidence in) has seemingly been unable to either recognize this, or it has been gutted and its teeth removed from defending itself from this amateurish and EXTREMELY DANGEROUS leadership we are now saddled with. May GOD help us all.
3
An honest god is the most noble work of man.
-- Robert Green Ingersol
This report is just more evidence that religion is the problem-- always has been, always will be.
2
This Jew is THRILLED that we finally put our embassy where it always belonged. Don't care about evangelicals one bit - if it helped get it where it belongs. Thank you President Trump for actually fulfilling a campaign promise which was part of the reason I voted for you!
2
Why exactly do you care where the U.S. Embassy is?
1
First, I am proud of being a Catholic and Catholic educated.
Catholics who developed the Books of the Bible through the Septugant understand the Bibles are a religious document only, and are not scientific or factual historically correct.
Catholicism is based on the celebration of The Holy Eucharistic.
Unfortunately, and why Catholics do not rely solely on the Bibles is that their interpretation can and are abused.
Through our nation's history the Bibles were used to justify slavery and racism.
Second, what is being interpreted by Evangelicals in the Bibles now is that once Jews regain all of Palestine they will all convert to Christianity.
So is the support of Evangelicals for Israel.
Trump, Netanyahu, GOP, Evangelical Christians working together for the second coming of Christ. This is a relationship of convenience, a good example of the Machiavellian Principle in my opinion.
1
Somehow I don't think this cynical alliance represents ecumenical harmony. Not only does it represent the extremists of each religion on both sides, but from the outside at least, it appears to defy previous statements representatives that each have made in the past or most of the policies they support, which are in direct opposition.
At the end of the day and despite the allusions to religious texts, this appears to be about very subject of ownership and land, the most pedestrian and yet provocative subject throughout the ages.
11
The number of political parties in Israel is the reason the Orthodox have so much influence in Israel. In order to acquire enough seats to form a coalition government it is often necessary to bring the orthodox into the government and therefore makes it more difficult for conservative & reform Jews to establish parity from a religious perspective in regard to observance and laws. In the meantime Netanyahu has done a tremendous service to Israel and in spite of the Syrian war and the Iranian support for Hezbollah, he established a working relationship with Putin,drawn allies in Latin America, have several European and Latin countries consider moving their embassies to Jerusalem and boosted the Israeli economy.
Criticism seems to come from those loyalists to the Democratic party under Obama who has been seen to be duplicitous by many Israelis for continuing to blame Israel for not advancing the peace process when it was the Arabs who continually avoided the opportunities to discuss peace and whose stated ambition is to destroy Israel and wipe out the Jews.
6
Fundamentalism of any stripe is a danger. Those who think they have adopted a literal translation of God's word, whether Muslim, Jew or Evangelical Christian, represent a threat to Peace and Freedom. This is true everywhere but especially in the Middle East. Those who think they have permanently captured or co-opted truth are delusional. This delusion distorts their thinking and justifies injustice and cruelty in the misguided name of prophesy fulfillment.
Israel was by original intent meant to be a beacon of secular freedoms in the Mid-East. It was evinced in their original constitution. Sadly, that worthy goal has been forever lost. Netanyahu, in this latest political move has buried that ideal for once and all. This will ultimately devolve to Israel's detriment.
20
Historically Israel's strength and appeal has been in its decisions to take the moral high ground. Netanyahu's pandering to Trump and the religious right is morally reprehensible. Eventually Netanyahu (and Trump) will be cast aside by history. We will then discover how destructive Netanyahu has been to Israel.
23
The global debunking of the ludicrous projection of human nature onto all of nature cannot happen too soon.
2
One of Trump's legacies may be the destruction of Israel. With his ignorance of history and geopolitical nuance, it is easy for him to embrace the simplistic idea that because someone's ancestors may have lived somewhere 2000 years ago, it gives them the right to claim it today. If that were true, millions of us could go back and claim the lands our families inhabited in the distant past.
This all plays into the hands of Jewish and Christian extremists, who share the common idea that their particular religious myths should be treated as "fact" in how we lead our lives and shape our politics today.
22
For a demographic, because of intermarriage with gentiles, and a declining birth rate, Judaism, as a religion, is slowly dying out. Couple that, with Israel's definition of Judaism, as those who are Orthodox Jews, makes the demographic, even smaller.
As for Evangelicals, they feel they are the only "Christians", and are eyeing Israel for themselves. They continue to pray for the ultimate battle that effectively erase Islam and Judaism. The want Armageddon, as that event signals the second coming. And, for that to happen, only Christians can occupy what is Israel.
Consider two pastors, which were at the embassy dedication, condemned Judaism, in a number of their sermons. They have also made comments, as stated in the previous paragraph.
In the past, the Romans, the Crusades, Islam Empire, Ottoman Empire, the Czars, crown heads of Europe and Hitler tried to wipe out Judaism. In the end, they may just die out.
How could anyone who calls themselves "Christian" can pray for the demise of a people? And, also pray for the death of over a billion Muslims, as well?
In the US, these same "Christians" want to set up a "Christian" state, by strict interpretation of the Bible. Similar to what Iran and Saudi Arabia and the Koran. They are now at many levels of government, in the US. But, what they profess is anything that Christ would have stood for. If you are poor, sick, elderly, or imprisoned, they want you to suffer more. So much for the love of Christ.
34
"But liberal Israelis warn that the increasingly close ties between the Israeli right and the Christian right are accelerating a polarization that is turning support for Israel into a partisan question in Washington; not one Democratic lawmaker attended the embassy opening."
In other words, any thought of religious unity - blamed on President Trump - is ample rationale for Democrats to desert their traditional support for Israel. To denigrate areas of common agreement as "polarization" is flatly crazy.
This is yet another example of how the left's onerous, pernicious hatred of our President is continuing to push them more distant from winnings elections this fall, and especially by 2020, when President Trump is re-elected.
1
And your opinion is a further example of the right’s uncritical support of Trump and their willingness to forgive his assault on the Constitution and moral leadership. Hypocrisy.
After all, character counts except when it doesn’t.
2
Trump delivered on a campaign promise to Evangelicals by lending credence to a radical eschatology which poses insurmountable obstacles to a political peace settlement. "Many Israelis, especially on the right, shrug off the beliefs of their Christian allies as a theoretical matter," state the authors of this article, but there is nothing theoretical about American Evangelical material and political support for expanding Jewish settlements in Palestinian territory. Netanyahu skirted settlement expansion and other preconditions to a peace settlement during prior US Administrations with their help. The speeches from Hagee and Jeffress at the Embassy Opening were undoubtably jointly approved by Israeli and US officials and underline a de facto shift in American foreign policy toward accepting a biblically prophesied end times theology. Trump boasted to Mahmoud Abbas that the peace process was “maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years,” when Abbas visited the White House in May of 2017. Trump relies on a political novice, his son-in-law Jared Kushner to prepare the plan, with the help of Jason Greenblatt, the former chief legal officer of the Trump Organization. Leaked details of the peace process have already been rejected by the Palestinian Authority. Having ceded so much to the Likud coalition, the question now is what will this Trump plan demand in return from Netanyahu to draw the Palestinians back into negotiation? So far the answer seems to be, nothing.
5
The Palestinians will reject any plan because they refuse to recognize Israel's right to exist. If you agree with this viewpoint then nothing is the right answer.
1
When Mueller is finished we will learn that the Russians and Israelis and Saudi’s interfered in our elections and favored Trump.
As an American Jew, I can no longer support Israel - this is just too far for me and these are words I would never have said before today.
31
Deirdre, what does it mean that "I can no longer support Israel"? as an American, do you support America? After all, it was your fellow US citizens that elected Trump, it is Trump who made the decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem, and who has 90% support among Evangelicals.
If you want to say that you do not support Netanyahu or the Likud, fine, but it seems you are confusing support for a government and its policies with support for a country
1
I don't support Netanyahu, or Likud or the expansion of settlements.
I don't support any foreign government picking American political winners or losers especially a Trump presidency that is filled with grift, pay to play and those willing to sell out to the highest bidder.
I do support Israel's right to defend herself but their actions make it more difficult as there is no effort toward peace.
The end of times, the "Armageddon theology", such an age old story. Yes, just a story which instills nothing more then imagined fear, danger, pain, evil.
It's any easy sell for one to gain control of power over the many, and it' just an age old story.
So much for separation of "church and state"
17
Of course, Israel and BiBi do it only make sure the money keeps flowing - to both of them. And here's hoping he gets caught one day - red handed. But there is something pretty funny here, too: that the Evangelicals can actually have any real influence over God's plan, that they can change what the Bible says, that their plan is more concrete than God's plan.
7
Eventually the Evangelicals will link their continuing support for Israel with the demand that the temple be rebuilt. Both sides know this and both sides are playing with each other, for now. It won’t be pretty when it’s over.
17
“So the Israeli government may say that for the sake of that support we are not going to put as much emphasis on this or that statement we may find problematic.”
In that way Israeli government leaders have a common bond with their Evangelical supporters. Both groups put their political priorities above any religious convictions. They are happy to accept support from any source that will help further their agenda while willingly overlooking any actions or views that would seemingly be in conflict. After all, Evangelicals are fervent backers of that paragon of Christian moral conviction, Donald Trump.
15
The Southern Strategy still works wonders for Republicans. I thought it was dead after Obama got elected, but Trump proved me wrong. The irony is that Trump could care less about anything the Born Againers believe in. But Trump knows he is nothing without their support.
12
Religion is source of most problems in middle east. Governments should be apart from religion as religion is cause of most trouble in middle east. Who can say the American government is Christian with a sinner like President Trump in the White House?
13
So Trump by being a sinner and president is eliminating problems. Interesting point.
1
So I'm wondering how many Evangelicals quoted in this article ever said to themselves "I am 100% of the problem and Jesus is 100% of the solution"? Considering the self-importance demonstrated in this article, I can't help but wonder?
5
You assume they understand critical thinking.
1
Journalists need to start pressing these evangelical leaders about their domestic "evangelical agenda", too. Besides overturning Roe vs. Wade, how do evangelicals want to "return America to God"? Will they re institute prayers in public schools, and if so, which one(s)? Do they plan to criminalize homosexuality again? Outlaw birth control? Close stores on Sundays? Do they want their brand of Christianity made into the official U.S. religion? I'm more afraid of what these self-righteous, power-hungry hypocrites want to do to our country.
27
One can find in the Bible, both Old and New Testament, verses to support almost any attitude one wishes to take. The Sermon on the Mount contains many compassionate ideas. Unfortunately, extreme right fundamentalists seem to lean more towards the verse elsewhere that says 'no man cometh unto the father but by me,' rather than the verses that quote Christ as saying 'turn the other cheek' and 'love thy neighbor.' Whatever their motives toward Israel are, fundamentalist evangelicals also appear to want a theocracy in the USA. Historically, theocracies of any kind have usually meant a bloodbath for one scapegoated group or another.
15
I am not a Christian or a Jew. And to be honest, lost on this theoretical discussion on the First or Second Coming of a Messiah.
But I do support Israel and that too strongly.
I am always troubled by liberal American Jews who do not support Israel wholeheartedly, but cast their votes according to who is running it's government.
As a rule, I do not like Americans of any descent meddling in countries of their origin.
But Israel is a special case - a country surrounded by hostile neighbors who are bent on it's destruction.
So, I was surprised to read that not one Democrat Jew attended this embassy opening.
The embassy opening, if that's not a strong gesture of our support for a free, independent and prosperous country and a safe country for Jews - I don't know what it is.
4
But wait a minute. It's Russia that tries to influence American policy, right?
1
“Netanyahu government has made a historic and strategic shift, relying on the much larger base of evangelical Christians, even at the risk of turning off American Jews who may be troubled by some evangelicals’ denigration of their faith.“
A deal with the Devil is still a deal with the Devil no matter the outcome.
What is the going rate for a Soul these days?
13
Netanyahu curries favour with the US evangelicals, because of their support for Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and Trump’s dependence on their votes to stay in power. For this reason, Netanyahu is willing to turn a blind eye to their justifying Hitler’s Holocaust. “The televangelist, Rev. John C. Hagee, believes, “the Holocaust was part of God’s plan to return Jews to Israel.”
Netanyahu’s “vigilance against anti-Semitism” is highly selective. In February he condemned Poland for passing a controversial Holocaust bill. Yet he ingratiates himself with Hungary’s Viktor Orban, who demonises George Soros, a detractor of his policy.
Netanyahu's “bromance” with the evangelicals will backfire, because Holocaust deniers and anti-Semites can now say, Nazi-Germany did the Jews a great favour – Holocaust helped create a Jewish state
The power-hungry Netanyahu, a lackey of the far-right groups, realises that liberal Jews in the US, who are critical of his policy, don’t bring him any political gains. He panders to evangelicals because they make up a larger electorate, and Trump needs them. But the evangelicals are known to be the Christian “Taliban” and the GOP might bear the brunt of their extremist views in November.
36
Lost in this contentious discussion about Israel and the embassy is the startling and troubling rise of evangelical Christianity as a dominant Christian orthodoxy. A reactionary version of Christianity it has much in common with equally rigid versions of other major world religions. All are a rejection of modernity and pine for a romanticized past while longing for a future where all are one under their control. It is an aggressive theology of domination and conformity with the mystical triumph of themselves as the goal. That nations and humanity’s future is increasingly influenced by such reactionary theologies should trouble us all.
53
I find it interesting how the Jerusalem Embassy critics rarely, if ever, fault President Bill Clinton for not trying to veto the Jerusalem Embassy Act back in 1995.
5
He didn't veto it because it passed by an overwhelming veto proof margin.
9
He still could have made a point if he thought it wrong by vetoing it. Don't forget as candidates he and Obama supported Jerusalem as Israel's capital
the focus on salvation presents popular Christianity with a theologically exclusive dead end. the true focus of Christianity is not salvation but reconciliation
15
There is no focus for christianity. Or judaism. Or any religion. They are essentially irrational systems of thought.
YOU might want this or that system of religious thought to choose reconciliation, but irrational thought systems can be used to support any proposition. Or deny it.
3
I have believed my whole life that the greatest danger to Israel was its hostile neighbors. Today I believe that the greatest danger to Israel is Israel itself. What has happened to this once promising country? Unless there is a radical change in leadership and direction in the country, reversing the damage of Netanyahu, Israel I am afraid will not see another 70 years. And that would be a tragedy for the majority of Jews in the world who do not support Israel's current direction.
47
Likewise, the greatest danger to the USA is the USA itself.
14
Couldn't agree more!
Jeffress has become one of the most dangerous persons in this current power structure. Like the rest in this frightening drama, he is uneducated in the basics of philosophy, logic and history, especially Christian history. He was "educated" within the insulated culture of the Southern Baptist Convention, which now has all the markings of a cult. Such education is based on certain biases and presuppositions which filter out some of the brightest and best minds in Christian history. The fear of outsiders and the critical thinking they might demand is palpable. Jeffress' self-righteousness is stunning. Yet, he is the product of a system—a leader who was engineered to parrot dogma, not think independently. This system insures that those inside have little chance of knowing what they don't know. They may feign humility, but they have no intellectual humility and, therefore, are cut off from growing toward a more enlightened and thoughtful theology. These are a very pale shadow of authentic Christianity. And the fact that they are now embedded in government is not just weird, it is very dangerous. I spent several formative years in his church; I am deeply acquainted with its history and know some very fine folks whose character survived the brainwashing that goes on there. Many are much better than their beliefs. But Jeffress is not one of those.
57
In their heart of hearts, Netanyahu and the evangelicals despise each other, which ironically is why they can work together. Each is sure that when the time comes, the one will be able to control the other.
30
And again Bibi shows just how feckless and opportunistic he his, anything to hold onto power, including dealing with those who would see the very essence of Israel destroyed... what’s next, a pact with Hamas if they can promise cash and access to some other shabby deal?
10
Any pretense of neutrality that the U.S. has in the mid east is gone, despite any hypocritical words which might tumble from Trump's mouth.
Last week, were we really surprised by the media event created when the American embassy was moved to Jerusalem? Of course Trump had to make it a tone deaf, glitzy affair, his name spattered everywhere. I assume the door hardware is all gold ... plated.
Previous presidents made it clear that this move would only happen following negotiations to insure a lasting peace; a possibility literally dying on the vine.
The embassy was only the last blow. More important was the glaring insult to followers of Islam when Trump named Jared Kushner as the 'mediator' for peace talks. First, it smacks of Trump's lack of respect for expertise; to him ability is never as important as blind loyalty. Second; mediator implies impartiality. Kushner is an orthodox jew; his family is close to Netanyahu. Kushner recalled with pride Netanyahu visiting his family home when he was a teenager. There is nothing wrong with this; we are a country of private citizens free to worship and befriend people of any faith.
There is everything wrong with pretending that Kushner is impartial.
And for conservative christians, I wonder how they can continue their pretense. Sadly I am not surprised; we seem to be having an epidemic of a la carte christianity; (1 from column A, 2 from column B) What happened to 'thou shalt not kill?' or 'feed the hungry'?
29
"...What happened to 'thou shalt not kill?' or 'feed the hungry'? ".
There's your problem, CD.
Evangelical Christians are Christians the same way the NRA stands for gun safety. You're looking in the wrong place if you expect to find humanity and a concern for one's fellows.
To Evangelicals "Christian" is just a classification, like "pudding", that let's them be clear they are not Jewish or Muslim or God knows what else.
It does not mean they are followers of Christ. In fact, they expressly are not. They have expressly rejected much what Jesus reputedly said and taught. Expressly, specifically, openly rejected it except in their press releases and public shows of magisterial holiness.
To them, Christ is a convenient meme.
These are people who have returned to the mean, the vengeful, the self-aggrandizing books of the old testament.
They are Christians who realized Christ is a wuss-bunny, unable to satisfy their grungier more earthly religious and , especially, political needs.
To them "gospel' is a word like 'boogeyman', something to be feared and avoided.
2
thank you.
The Orthodox and hawkish wing of Judaism in Israel took control in conjunction with, and support of Netanyahu. The hard work and hard decisions required to solve the Palestinian problems were cast aside.
In the past decade, Netanyahu has consistently worked against a two-state solution. Meanwhile, the rabbis have worked to make it harder to be Jewish. Ivanka Trump would not be recognized. Conversions simply don't count anymore, though I'm sure she could get some special dispensation from the Orthodox panel of rabbis who set the rules.
Israel has grown more hawkish, more confrontational. Any conciliatory moves have been cast into the netherworld. Netanyahu would love to punch Iran in the nose. Mr. Trump likes such "leaders". And the cadre of Evangelicals loves the idea of such a war. It could, after all, usher in their beloved Second Coming.
Sane Jews see the insanity in all this. In America, we see as right and proper support for Israel's right to exist and give home and shelter to Jews. We have trouble accepting the idea that Netanyahu and an alliance with Evangelicals is the best way to maintain Israel's existence.
The hard line draws applause. Tensions rise. War becomes more possible.
Prayers for peace are out of vogue. Prayers, "In Jesus' name." are in.
How can those who know even a smattering of history not oppose this?
Jew's know they have often been the oppressed. How can they not stand in opposition?
18
Theocrats be they Jewish or Evangelical are still autocrats. They have no place for the other be it people of color or different faiths. There only answer to conflict resolution is war. Theocrats need to be kept from holding office in democracies through voter education. The US has an opportunity to reverse our present course in November.
18
Absolutely right. Boiled down to its essence.
1
Mr. Netanyahu should be very, very careful in how much he cultivates ties with the far right American Evangelical movement. He may think that because they share the same far right political philosophy and both want Israel to prevent the Palestinians or other Middle Eastern countries from taking control of Jerusalem and other lands important to Christians and Jews, that they can be trusted.
If so, he should think again. They care only about remaking the world in their own image.
One day, if allowed to increase their already cultivated influence too far, the world that they remake just might include Israel.
10
Israel's national interest in fact its survival necessarily depends on support from countries such as Russia and groups such as the Evangelical Christians whose views may be antithetical to Israel's western and Jewish ideals
It is also self evident that Many Jews particularly on the Left are fierce critics of Israel and at best many are look warm about its survival. Democratic support may well dissipate in the future because of growing Muslim voting and Jewish assimilation.
Netanyahu correctly as the leader of his country predominant motive is the survival and growth of his country with world wide anti-semitism rising, the evangelical support for whatever mis-guided greasing is vital. Israel stands to receive Jews from wherever they are besieged.
If Saudi Arabia becomes an ally of Israel it can only be for Israel's benefi
despite the significant theological and political differences between the two countries. "Politics make strange bedfellows."
9
Fred EHRLICH
"Democratic support may well dissipate in the future because of growing Muslim voting and Jewish assimilation."
On the other hand, democratic support for Israel will dissipate in future, has already, because Israel has ceased to be a democracy.
Under Netanyahu, Israel is just another in the tired line of middle eastern autocratic theocracies, not really worthy of the exceptional support lavished upon it by American Evangelicals who see in Israel both a model of the theocratic dictatorship they have been working to establish here at home, and the warm body their occultist profits say they are destined to step over on their way to glory.
Opportunistic birds of a feather. I just wish they would leave the rest of us out of it.
Just one more reason for me, a Jew, not to support Israel. The primary reasons are the growing power of the theocracy, the immorality of continuing to build settlements, and the treatment of Arab Israelis.
21
And therein is the reason for the alliance.
1
You are conflating your support of Israel and the Israeli government. The state of Israel deserves support. Alas, the current government does not.
All I can say is "wow."
And to Jews and non Jews:
We are certainly confused, and the irony is indescribable.
Is Bibi doing the "right" thing?
Well, humor, as Mel Brooks should try to explain is ... not necessarily ha-ha.
And yet how else other than adapting to complexities can this
reality of religion and politics be understood.
I am continually confounded/challenged, and if
you're not, then mozel tov.
Israel for Einstein himself is paradoxical and now I can almost
empathize with ... the great "relativist."
Hey, miracles and contradictions never cease.
The right-wing coalition to me is ... sadly comic.
5
Why is there no mention of Palestinian Christians? Are these Evangelical Christians aware that Bethlehem is in the West Bank and is home to a large Christian community - a community that has been there since the time of Jesus? And that the Evangelical support of Israel hurts them?
13
As usual, politics makes strange bedfellows. Furthermore there is nothing Christian about American evangelicals. They would be among the first to stone Jesus Christ were he to appear today.
31
In almost 80 years as a Jew, the only antisemitism I've personally experienced has been from Evangelicals and Irish Catholics. So pardon me if I view each with extra caution and mistrust. I've experienced a true change from the Catholics but not from the Evangelicals. If they support Israel, then I can only wonder why I should.
22
Here again we see the unsettled nature of affairs conducted when politics becomes entangled with religion.
Political situations within and without nations are messy enough without adding a dimension of belief tied to religion. Belief in a higher being, after all, is only as real as we imagine it to be.
If one is willing to kill and die for an idea, at least make sure that the idea has some basis in reality.
8
Throughout history, millions of people have risked their lives, died for, and killed for ideas that had no basis in reality or rational thought.
1
True, and a shame, really.
The fundamentalists among them - and other doomsday literalists for that matter - are going to hasten the end of the Earth into a burnt out cinder, be they unholy alliances or vengeful tribal oppositions.
If this world is lucky, another species will rise to become the inheritor of this rare phenomenon of life; if not, natural and man made disasters will render it lifeless.
8
The right-wing Christians believe that they need the Jews to gather "home" to Palestine in order for Jesus to come. The right-wing Jews believe that they need the support and resources of the right-wing Christians to strengthen modern Israel. They use each other; each has a purpose, which is not necessarily in the best interest of the other.
In a PBS special on conservative religions a number of years ago, a Rabbi said of the right-wing Christians, "They view the story (i.e., salvation) in 5 chapters and we disappear in chapter 4." The right-wing Christians do not love Jews as Jews, but rather as a means to their end. They assume that those Jews will eventually give up who they are and become Christians. Bibi et al are fine with that as long as they can use those Christians in the meantime.
56
Fundamentalists share the way of interpreting whatever book they take as holy, and what it makes sense to believe. In this sense, all fundamentalist religions are the same, and all religions that refuse to take their answers from one source or in one way are the same.
Basically, there are two religions in the world. One is a religion of peace, tolerance, and love. The other isnt, but only claims and pretends to be, laboring under a giant self-delusion and spreading separation and enmity with the other great religion and all the competing sects of its own. All religions whose belief systems include their own exclusivity are the same. If they proselytize, they fight and oppress and exterminate each other and are thus religions of war; if they dont, they still oppress their own members.
The real purpose of the exclusive belief systems is to give them something to fight about; the truth is that such belief systems are evil because their fruits are evil, and none of their claims to exclusive truth can be valid. Those who need such exclusive truths need to rearrange their heads.
45
"Israel and Evangelicals" captures, perhaps unintentionally, the core of this putrid alliance. It is a transnational scam that has emerged over time, drawing on the uneasy stance of the secular West when confronted charges of illiberal views on religion. To the extent the separation of politics and religion is accepted as a central principle in Western political thinking states find themselves at a disadvantage when faced by political movements that drape themselves in religious garb. Israelis find using Judaism as a cover for political claims provides them with a ready point to attack critics. And proclamations of "Christian evangelicals" increasingly fall apart as the movement embraces moral rot on pragmatic grounds. Evangelism, at least as it relates to linkages to Israel, has little to do with Christianity and more to do with an exclusionary social movement seeking power to impose itself on others.
In effect we have, since 1948, the creation of a cycle of new Crusades in the Middle East. As outside invaders the Israelis act as the spearhead, the boots on the ground. Initially the Western powers, at least partially out of guilt for the horrors of the Holocaust, provided logistical and political support. As that began to wane Evangelical leaders, especially in the US, saw "defend Israel" as a useful call to stir the faithful. Now the rest of us are expected to support those who pursue plunder and those seeking power over others replaced Christianity with corrupt politics
32
“Pragmatic” moral rot- you have it exactly.
Jeffress and Hagee are simple bigots using their labyrinthine End Times beliefs and promises of immortality to their followers in exchange for cash- it eliminates the actual requirements of Christianity. It’s their own religion.
2
If Israelis think that evangelicals care about them, they’re mistaken. I suspect they care more about what Israel means to their own theology than to the welfare of the country’s Jewish roots. Faustian bargain?
89
Indeed. Many Christians believe that the only way to heaven is through Christ. At the “End of Days” they will ascend while All others with different beliefs will not. That ‘any day now’ return mentality of the evangelicals is very important to them. By supporting Israel they are not concerned about the Jewish people at all, only their place (alone), in heaven.
1
Compared to who?
Netanyahu "the Churchill of our time"? Rather "the Putin of the Middle East."
72
What does that make Assad and the Ayatollah then, I wonder...
Any religion that proselytizes, considers its Way the only Way, its Truth the only Truth and that its duty to God is to impose that Way and Truth on Others can not be considered reasonable, or reasoning.
Nor can that religion's adherents.
How does evangelizing differ from proselytizing?
And, no, Judaism seeks no converts nor does it proselytize. Judaism does acknowledge and recognize the righteous of other religions.
36
Its probably too late, given the hefty intellect evident in most crowd situations, but any church that behaves has you describe has ceased to be church in any normal sense, its rabid adherents not merely faithful but but unthinking enforcers, and they need to be put down and kept down.
This church, so-called, expressly violates the commandments they loudly claim to adore; this church openly and haughtily ignores the traditions and the constitution and the law of their home nation, a nation to which they clearly have zero allegiance.
This is a danger, it is a movement already prone to self-righteous violence and threats. Evangelicals, as they have become in America today, must be defanged and controlled.
9
Evangelism IS proselytizing. That is exactly what the "mission" is.
The white evangelicals supporting pentecostal Hagee and Baptist Jeffress have been radicalized and can rationalize any behavior including Trump's flagrant flip-off of Biblical norms and requirements.
Their End Times theology is a carefully crafted buy-in scheme for selling immortality in exchange for support of radical governments elsewhere and here. It is theologically closer to other religion's fundamentalist wings than actual Christianity.
2
What are the policy implications of this political alliance? It has nothing really to do with American support for Israel which has always been strong. Netanyahu must be aiming to blunt American opposition to the continuing expansion of West Bank settlements, a one-state solution, and an aggressive stance toward Iran. He has nothing to worry about from President Trump, so he must be thinking longer term about less compliant administrations.
14
Such an alliance did exist for many years and Mr. Trump moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem did not alter it. In fact the real reason for Trump's embassy decision can be found in the other NYT article:
Trump Aides Met Gulf Envoy Who Offered to Help Campaign
By MARK MAZZETTI, RONEN.
The above article reveals that an Israeli company has been actively supporting Mr. Trump by setting up hundreds, if not thousands, of fake Facebook accounts spreading misinformation about Ms. Clinton. But it is inconceivable that an Israeli company would undertake such a sensitive mission, without knowledge and endorsement of Mr. Netanyahu and his cabinet.
Obviously Mr. Trump's "embassy move" was a quid pro quo for Mr. Netanyahu's help and support for his election. Mr. Trump strong desire to reward those who have helped his election can also be seen in the case of Mr. Prince as well as the Saudis, the Emirates, and others.
Interestingly, Israeli's role in getting Mr. Trump elected seem to support Mr. Putin's assertion on his 60-minutes interview where he stated that Russia was not involved in spreading fake news and the culprit may have been "the Jews" (in Russia that is often a reference to Russian Jews emigrated to Israel). Curiously, Mr. Putin's statement generated very little reaction from Israeli authorities who are usually very sensitive to such matters. In fact, not too long after Mr. Putin's interview was aired, Mr. Netanyahu traveled to Moscow.
45
Every president I can remember has promised to move that embassy. Only difference is that one finally did.
1
Evangelicals sing Trump's praises, despite all his prevarications and x-rated personal life.
That they support Trump because of Israel is only adding to their "sin account."
I just wish that they would drop the adjective "Christian" before evangelical; they have nothing in common with the Christianity.
I'm a professor of history in Christianity.
I'm afraid that these people will make Christianity history.
68
I call them Hypochristians.
1
This is all about political horse trading and anyone who doesn’t understand that had no idea of what politics is or how alliances are made or how countries ( especially countries in physical peril ) are governed. Bismarck said that nobody lies more than people after a hunt or during a war or before an election and this is what we have here . Institutional lying by everyone . In the rest of the world this would be called Politics As Usual . In Israels case it causes moral outrage .
15
An unholy alliance if ever there was one.
This will not end well for either of them, but Israel is likely to be much the worse off. It is simply disgusting.
27
This unholy alliance going back to Reagan-Begin and the rise of the Christian Coalition and Neo-Cons has been responsible for the deaths of millions in wars of aggression in the Muslim world as well as the inevitable retaliation in kind seen on 9/11.
These are the same people whose twisted theology led to genocide against Native Americans and slavery as well as ethnic cleansing of Hispanics and Asians. They also supported ethnic cleansing of Irish Catholics and Apartheid South Africa. The vast majority of Americans who dont share their identity or ideology must defeat them both at home and abroad.
28
I read these comments and am flabbergasted. Almost everyone forgets, in this comfortable country, that Israel is in an existential fight for its life and needs all the help it can get, whether from conservative Christians or or the crown prince of arch conservative Muslim Saudi Arabia. According to these critics, Israel should not accept support from any source that is not secular and progressive. Well, are these sources (liberal Jews, European elites) willing to do anything meaningful for Israel? In Great Britain, in particular, the leader of the Labor Party is openly pro Palestinian and pro Hamas. Israel, to survive, must accept all the help it can get.
25
Sure, if you also believe that taking out a loan from the mob is a sound strategy to solve one’s financial problems.
13
And yet they will not go as far as ending the settlements. Injustice for injustice does not foster peace.
6
First Israel must help itself by getting rid of Netanyahu and illustrate intractable hawkish government.
The alliance of the leadership in Israel with the "Evangelicals" is the most ruthless hypocrisy imaginable. They are allies even though one group thinks the other will burn in hell? Say WHAT?
36
I have a number of acquaintances here who are evangelicals and claim 'love" Israel. They "love" it so much and "hate" those who surround Israel so much that they just can't wait for Armageddon, the war which brings on the end times.
They urge me, as a Jew, to watch movies that will get me energized to seek what they are seeking. Each time violence erupts in and around the borders of Israel, they become giddy.
I, due to the simple unpleasantness of all this, have simply stopped contact with these folks. (And so there are no more Pinochle games.)
But these are the ones supporting the Israeli Government. As much as they vociferously claim otherwise, they are not true friends of Israel. They want to use Israel to achieve a bizarre religious fantasy at the expense of the lives of Jews, Muslims, and Christians in the region. They talk about the Red Heifer with reverence. For them, Israel as it exists today, marks the imminent doorway to salvation.
That US policy is now aligned with this craziness, and that the Israeli Government is now only OK but happy with this "support" leaves me beyond sad.
And to the 'Evangelical pastor' from Dallas, TX with the named "Hacked"... who said he don't know any such Christians... Sir, allow me to introduce them to you.
65
The evangelical Christian “support” of Israel is the most cynical and dishonest alliance in modern politics. Wake up, Israel! These aren’t your friends.
38
You think Israel is the "Jewish Homeland"? That was the claim in 1948, but if brand attraction is the game, the game has changed over the years. With 1/10th the population, Israel earns what Britain earns-- from foreign arms sales. It's a homeland of guns. Actually, it's the 7th largest exporter of arms in the world, while being 100th in population. One of Israel's largest customers was Turkey, which recently found that trade embarrassing. Thereafter, several banana republics discovered a new love of "the Jewish homeland," and its war products. These shining new beacons of the Torah are the ones that Netanyahu is scouting, as potential embassy-changers. US arms sales are only 10 times that of Israel's, while the US is 40 times bigger. I don't think the Donald folks are concerned about that 'trade imbalance'.
34
I check that fact out, but all I can say is WOW!
1
After the crass spectacle of two evangelical pastors who are anti-Semites sanctifying the new U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, you'd expect Jews, and I'm one, to be horrified and ask for the equivalent of an exorcism. Donald Trump is playing domestic politics with the embassy, and Israel is so eager for the attention that it hasn't really dawned on them what just happened. This is all about shoring up Mr. Trump's evangelical base prior to the mid-terms as is the pronouncement yesterday to prohibit federal funds to those who provide or even refer women abortions. But, as we've been seeing with many like Bibi Netanyahu and evangelicals themselves they are willing to make "a deal with the devil" if it fits their myopic short-term agenda. Israel was established by the 1947 U.N. mandate as a Jewish homeland, but Mr. Netanyahu by his actions in not accepting a two-state solution and now creating a new evangelical Christian presence in Jerusalem is undermining the very future of the Zionist ideal.
35
The term “evangelical” comes from the Greek word meaning “good news” and “gospel.” Evangelical Christians are therefore
those who believe in the Good News of the Gospel, which includes Christians on both ends of the political spectrum, as well as those in the middle. I believe it to be highly unfortunate that the term evangelical has become a shorthand description of Christians holding right-wing cultural and political views, which is a distortion of the word’s true theological meaning.
10
Fight the right wing Christians in your faith, sir! Only voices within Christianity can marginalize their voices.
18
Amen, Doug!
This is disgusting. What else can you say?
40
"Israel and Evangelicals"? -- Well, it may mean a miraculous closure of the gap between Judaism and Christianity: the gap created by the incompatibility of thr First Commandment with the concept of the Trinity or Quadrinity. Then we may be back to primordial and original monotheism of the Ten Commandments.
Somehow I doubt it ...
3
I am reminded of an old Twilight Zone episode called “To Serve Man”. In that episode, advanced technological beings from a distant planet visit earth. They appear friendly and anxious to help us humans. An intrepid reporter even discovers an alien manual with the encouraging title “To Serve Man”. It isn’t until it too late that human code breakers discover that it is a cookbook.
30
Can I be honest? Reading both this article and this comment section is a little bit scary.
I see so much generalization here. "Evangelicals" aren't some giant, monolithic hive of insects that think with one central brain. They are a large number of people that are made up of a cross-section of non-Catholic Christian religions. Within that group are represented a huge variation of core values and beliefs. Some variants are hard-right, pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps conservatives. Some are left-leaning social liberals, who emphasize tithing, charity work with poverty groups, and foreign aid.
In the same way, not every Israeli citizen is a hard-right, settlement-building conservative. Not every Israeli citizen is even Jewish - in a country with millions of people, there is going to be variation in the population. People think differently, because people are people.
And just like Christians, there are variations within the Jewish faith. Just like Roman Catholicism shouldn't be confused with Mormonism, Reform Judaism probably shouldn't be confused with Orthodox Judaism.
So what do people have to gain from all of this? Why try to lump millions of people into random categories, like "Jew" or "Evangelical" or "Fundamentalist"? Does it create an other to be afraid of, or does it create fear in those groups? Does it do both?
Personally, I'm still hopeful that the world can become a safe and open place for all people, no matter what they are called.
12
You said it better than I. The light has no borders.
You go on ahead being hopeful, C.
Down here in the dysfunctional States, Evangelical is the term chosen by those currently subverting government, the law, the very essence that was America for their own sake.
If there are other, better Evangelicals out there, we have yet to hear from them.
Same with Israel. There may be a peaceful, more humane Israel hidden deep inside. But the Israel we see, the Israel that functions in the world, haughtily subverted our democracy, disrespected our Presidency, encourages rogue policy making, and has become an existential threat to its neighbors.
Together Israelis and Evangelicals installed an impotent fool in the Presidency, a man so far gone he doesn't know what he believes from one moment to the next. And they made themselves the voice in his ear, guiding his bizarre and destructive choices.
Like our own Evangelicals, Israel does all this while claiming to be the ever-threatened, always put-upon little lamb of Godly righteousness.
If others want to correct this impression, go ahead. We'll be glad to help, if need be.
But for now, to sit hopefully waiting for the sun to break through looks a lot like a death sentence.
These good old Evangelical/Israeli boys see their main chance, an opportunity they worked half a century to create . They will not willingly let it slip past them.
2
And to think that back in the 60s folks were leery of JFK fearing the influence of the Catholic Church in his decisions! Please let us keep any and ALL religions out of government!
59
John Kennedy prided himself on keeping his religion a private matter, as did all of the presidents who preceded him and most who followed after.
The ultimate irony is that a president with not a single spiritual bone in his body is wholeheartedly supported by those who think themselves true Christians. This has already caused us great harm.
2
Whoa.
Well, Israel, we've found them to be an interesting cult--biblical literalists who cherish the freedom to impose their superstitions on the larger society.
You're welcome to them... (You are aware you must throw out all your books and memorize their strictures?)
Mazel tov.
22
Any church dabbling in politics violates the separation of church & state, a principle in the U.S. since the beginning. It was a break from the Church of England, as I recall, that inspired the colonists. The world has many religions. Where are they in this?
BTW, this is the very group that is barging into bedrooms and people's lives trying to dictation how ALL people should live. This is a self-righteous control freak dictatorial group! Watch out world!
34
You've got it backward. Churches have every right to assert their political views. It is the government that cannot interfere with the free practice of religion, or establish a state religion. Please re-read the Constitution
9
Not so fast. Evangelicals have no right to bribe government to adopt their theology and have it imposed on all Americans. Such executive or congressional actions, if undertaken, will be struck down by the courts.
4
Who is it who speaks for America’s Jews? Who has taken an estimate of them? Who are they? How do you measure them?
Tell me so I can identify myself! I am a Jew, or thought I was until I read your headline! Now, I wonder who, who is-or what Jew is.
Hmmmmmmmm.
9
One wonders if, in some ironic and horrible way, indeed the Evangelical book of prophecy will come to be. The Jewish community, and certainly those in Israel should be admonished that after the arrival of the Jews to Jerusalem once again, comes the obliteration of all non-Christians and of the Jewish state.
And that tragedy might very well come to be if Israel, already abandoned and abandoning any other nation of importance (Honduras and Guatemala won't save Israel) places all the eggs in its basket on Evangelical Christians --decidedly a minority even as part of the American Right. A minority that is losing prestige and long-lasting influence for every minute they remain close to the moral abomination that is Trump.
19
The three Presidents ( including Obama) that proceeded Trump said that they would move the American embassy and never did. Trump said he was going to move it and he did.
6
There was a good reason the other presidents were smart enough not to do it. But Trump? Trump is for sale, don't you know?
31
Evangelical Christians have no choice but to insist that salvation awaits only those who accept Jesus as their savior because Jesus, Himself, states that very thing several times in the gospels. To quote Jesus on this matter may not be politically correct but that is the way it is.
6
Not so fast, Aaron. The Gospels clearly state that unless you eat the body of Jesus and drink His blood, you have no life within you. See John 6 to begin with. So, if you do not accept the actual presence of Jesus in the sacrament of the bread and wine, you cannot be saved. There are several other references to this in the New Testament. So, as you say, to quote Jesus on this matter may not be politically correct but if this is the game you want to play, Catholicism is the religion that wins.
4
Aaron, the Cafeteria Evangelical.
Here's just one item you boys seem to ignore: Jesus warns explicitly against accumulating worldly power, against taking upon oneself the functions of the state.
Jesus warns explicitly that it is crucial to obey the laws and respect the government of the state.
Yet Evangelicals do not. They lust after power and lie, cheat, steal to get and amplify it. They mock and demean any part of the state with which they do not agree, and despise those who support it.
Time after time, in one area of life after another, today's Evangelicals repudiate the teachings of Jesus, for no other reason than expediency.
Evangelicals always have a choice because they obey no rule. The choice they always make is to attack and demean others as they proclaim their own holiness and seek to exercise absolute control over all those around them.
Does not sound like Jesus to me.
2
You are correct, but the literal interpretation of of the King James Version of Scripture is cherry-picking by far-right wing Christians. They harp on the Apocalypse, but they pay little attention to the Gospels of Jesus Christ. Further, for a Christian the new and eternal Jerusalem is heaven and no place on earth. For all we know the second coming could occur at a Walmart. Meanwhile, it is no secret that American evangelicals think they alone are the only Christians who will be saved. It is anathema that they respect any faith tradition, including the Jewish faith, because they think Jews could be condemned to hell. In fact, they believe Anglican, Roman, and orthodox Catholics will be headed that way too. Most reject that Abraham in the Hebrew Scriptures was the parent of Muslims, Jews, and all
Christians, or are they choose not to believe it. Evangelical Christians are the Pharisees of our time, and every Jew on this earth should be Leary of their true intentions for Israel and Zionism.
Excuse me, but...We’ve just lost 9 more innocent American youths and a teacher to a senseless massacre at a Texas high school yesterday. The issue of U.S. gun violence, murder and mayhem in our schools and streets is of far greater importance to the safety and survival of America than tawdry, tired political machinations taking place in Washington, Jerusalem and Pyongyang. Is it really possible to aspire any longer to business as usual, ignoring the utter moral corruption of our politicians, and continue to close our eyes to NRA members’ accountability for their lack of conscience in the escalating deaths of America’s children? This is today and tomorrow the only news worth reporting.
16
This is why it ticks me off whenever these evangelicals speak of "Judeo-Christian" values. They can keep their "Christian," but please leave my "Judeo-" out of it. The values, beliefs and practices of evangelical Christianity are fundamentally different and often incompatible with those of Judaism. Christianity uses Jewish scripture, but with completely different meanings and interpretations. We both agree about murder, theft and adultery being bad -- but so does virtually every religion on the planet. I refuse to have my values and my faith co-opted by power-hungry right-wing theocrats who would set the world aflame in pursuit of their ambition for this world and the next.
69
Wonder why evangelicals do not find Israel's abortion laws problematic or U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel's indirect facilitation of abortion procedures... perhaps it's a "more of us and less of them' trade-off deal.
18
It is sad that even though most Jews vote Democratic that the support from the Democrats for Israel is declining. Of all the Democrats in Congress, only the most powerful Democrat in the Senate, NY Senator and Senate Minority Leader Schumer said that Israel should have the US embassy in Israel's capital.
It is embarrassing that non-Jews are more supportive of Israel having their embassy in their capital than the 28 Jewish Democrats in Congress Senator Schumer excepting.
When Jewish Democrats don't support Israel, that leaves Israel and PM Netanyahu nowhere to turn but the evangelicals.
My suggestion is that Jewish Democrats should support Israel and the moving of the embassy *more* than evangelical Christians instead of letting Christians take the leadership in support.
The NYT should interview Jewish members of Congress, especially long-time members and ask them why they let evangelicals support Israel more than they do.
10
Maybe they think Netanyahu's hard-nosed, belligerent world view will harm Israel in the long term.
28
Well, the leading Democrat in the Senate supported the embassy move. The reality is that if the other Democratic members of Congress let Evangelical Christians take the lead in their support of Israel, then they have nobody to blame but themselves.
Again, the NYT should interview these members of Congress and make it a matter of record why they are allowing Evangelical Christians to have the leadership role.
1
You’re suggesting that Democrats should make it a race to the bottom? They could beat the Republicans in the race to support the most reactionary Israeli politics in hopes of earning the moniker “best supporters of Israel?” To what end? Surely you must be joking?
Well, if US Jews who somewhere along the way confused 4000 years of Jewish history with whatever is the latest incarnation of the Democratic Party policy platform -- translation: spit on Israel whenever they want to virtue signal to prove their liberal bona fides at the next progressive coffee clotch -- no matter how many Israelis die or are threatened by terror groups all in the name of progressive multiculturalism and "ending the occupation", what do you expect?
8
You note many evangelicals cherish Israel because they believe the apocalypse will come there followed by the resurrection.
Talk about strange bedfellows!!!!!
18
I was taught in Hebrew school that when the Messiah came all the dead would rise (of course I slept through most of it until they booted me out, happiest day of my lfie). Seems much like the same thing as evangelists believe. My dad used to joke it was going be plenty crowded if it happened.
14
As the article states, Israelis have a simple solution to the apocalypse question: When the Messiah comes, they say, we can ask him whether this visit is his first or his second. Problem solved.
Although Trump had talked about moving the embassy to Jerusalem during his campaign, as have previous presidents and candidates, was his final decision to move the embassy a treasonous quid pro quo for illegal foreign help in swinging his election? Today’s news raises that disturbing question. If the evidence does show that 3 months before the election, Trump,Jr. and Erik Prince met with George Nader, an emissary for Saudi and UAE princes, and Israeli social mediator manipulation specialist, Joel Zamel, who were all eager to help Trump get elected; had a multi-million dollar proposal for social media manipulation to help Trump; that Trump, Jr., and others like Kushner embraced this plan, which coincided with a $2 million payment going to Zamel from Nader after the election, Watergate looks like child’s play. No wonder Trump and company are working hard to discredit law enforcement and this critical investigation. We can only hope that, if this occurred, everyone, from the President on down, will go to jail for a very long time and live out their lives in utter disgrace.
23
J "from your 'mouth' to God's ears!
Let's remember to lock up Obama at the same time for interfering openly and clandestinely in Israel's last election.
Benjamin Netanyahu does not understand America. He also does not understand how Christianity especially right wing fundamentalism works in America. America is an enigma to rest of the world. We profess freedom, equality, liberty, freedom of speech and religion and also we profess tolerance as we strive to eliminate racism and bigotry. The paradox of the beliefs of the evangelicals is well known and easily understood. Israel, the land, and Jerusalem the city, are markers of the prophecies. Evangelicals believe the Jews are temporarily protecting both the land and Jerusalem from Muslim and Islamic hordes. If all of the non-Christians die in biblical catastrophe then that is the way it is so supposed to be. Therefore support of the Jews in Israel is only temporary and not sustainable. The prophecy will come true.
Jews survive in America because their ability to prosper and be part the social and government institutions that exist. The institution of law is part of that. But, evangelicals believe that will all end. Jesus will build his kingdom on Earth sans Jews and everyone else. When the final battle is being fought, when the Arab nations come to overrun Israel the evangelicals will not raise a hand to save the Jews. Obama abandoned Israel. So did George Bush and his father. Jimmy Carter also was inherently anti-Jewish and anti-Israel as was Bill Clinton. So is the world. Only the Jews of America will stand with Israel. Abandoning them is suicide. Wake up Benjamin. Wake up!
6
After reading many of the comments here, I realize that I have no idea what Evangelical Christians believe.
Evangelicals have supported many right-wing groups over the last century. I was raised Orthodox Presbyterian. That church supported the Klu Klux Klan. Women are utter inferiors.
They despise poor people, support the wealthy because that wealth is a sign of God's favor and "Choice" is God's business, not some woman's.
In the 20's and 30's Evangelicals became gung-ho anti-evolutionists.
In the rest of the world - say, Europe, England and Canada, those very same sects did NOT turn away from education and science. Their beliefs remained theologically similar. Not so in the United States. The extreme religions became withdrawn from world opinion of belief. They focused on NEW dogma. They elevated more and more obscure Biblical texts.
Evangelicals have been on their own for decades, theologically speaking. The new twists and turns they have made require the same hate, only now for different segments of society.
They will come up with something new to align themselves to the Jews (Believe me, the Bible contains at least one of everything!) for it is not just Jews/Israelis who are frantically seeking someone, anyone, to support them.
Israelis are alone - and so are their new bestest buddies.
The only thing both agree on utterly is that those women need to be slapped down.
What do either of them believe in now, today?
I haven't a clue.
They've both changed so many times...
8
As one of those liberal American Jews now being written off by the State of Israel, I find it hard to put into words my sense of anger and resentment at being abandoned and ignored in favor of a nonjewish religious sect so obviously agitating for their own apocalypse. And, to my compete horror and surprise, I find myself finally agreeing both with those ultra-orthodox Jews who say political Zionism is a heresy and those leftists who say all Religious Nationalism is inherently anti-democratic.
35
The only reason that evangelicals care about the location of the United States embassy within the State of Israel is due to the implications in regards to the scriptural Armageddon. It’s quite disgustingly simple.
49
The right aproach to the Midle East issue is the foundation the State of Israel in 1948.
Taking the land by force, expelling the residents to refugee camps or just killing them.
Where is the Justice?
Where would be the Christ?
Where would God be? An unmerciful God who despise the lives of a different culture? This people only sin in this case, is been born on that area. Shame on you!
8
Evangelicals need Jerusalem to fulfill end Time.
9
Remember the chant at Charlottesville, "we won't be replaced by Jews". That's what you're teaming up with.
58
Netenyahu's embrace of American evangelicals despite their essential belief that Jews are damned and will be consumed in the last days echoes the evangelicals embrace of Donald Trump, who they know has sought no relation with Christ, has never asked forgiveness for his sins and has lived a life devoid of any virtue, Christian or otherwise. If the New Testament had known the word, "transactional," they would have applied it to the Money Changers in the Temple and the authorities who permitted them to conduct their business there.
13
This has been "news" for the last three decades at least, which puts this article in the class of pointless hand-wringing.
Nor t that the only reason for saying so. The fundamental problem is that the Palestinians are suffering from delusions of significance. They've come to believe that all they have to do is make discordant noises about their self-caused problems and everyone will come running. Well, frankly, based on past practice they could be forgiven for believing that--take, for example the universal amnesia concerning the Palestinian rejection of the best peace offers they will ever see--but now that attitude is out of date. In fact, the Palestinians are by far the least important problem in the Middle East. Pretty much every single person in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, and, God knows, Syria and Iraq, has far more pressing issues to consider. In fact, the recognition of their own futility and impotence is what has driven them to these absurd extremes. Pray do not encourage these unhealthy tendencies.
9
This alliance is not new at all. It was active during the time Netanyahu allied with the GOP Congress to embarrass and undermine the Obama Administration.
It's unusual for a foreign country to be so meddlesome in U.S. politics. Who does it? Israel and Russia, both allied with the U.S. far right.
30
The would-be theocrats in Israel and the US are making it harder and harder for us to legitimately criticize their joint foreign policy in the region without being accused of being anti-Semitic, which we are not.
7
Mancuroc, here's how not to sound anti-Semitic (1) Please refer specifically to Israel-hardliners or the Israeli government, not generally to Israelis, Jews, or "Zionists" (now an anti-Semitic dog whistle). (2) Remember many Israelis and most American Jews disagree with the hardliners. Many folks that all Jews in the world get a vote on Israeli policy. We don't. I can't even make campaign contributions. (3) Keep perspective -- Israelis have made many offers to return land in exchange for accepting their right to exist. The British Empire and Arab nations also bear responsibility for the current mess and using Palestinians as pawns. (4) Also, focusing solely on Israel as a bad actor is an anti-Semitic trope. Let's remind ourselves that we Americans occupy a land taken from Native Americans not that many decades before Israel was founded -- and we still isolate and deprive those we robbed. People ask Israel to return land won in a defensive war, but we were invaders here and show no inclination to return anything we took. (5) Too many people do use Israel as a vehicle to express anti-Semitism. I can't tell you how many times I've had "But what about Israel?" thrown in my face when talking about oppression somewhere else. For some people, my Jewishness alone makes me blameworthy for problems I did not create and cannot fix.
7
Netanyahu doesn't get it. The evangelical supporters of Israel are not supporters of Jews nor is it recognition of the validity of Judaism. The evangelicals believe that Christ is coming again and he is coming to Jerusalem. Christ is not coming for the Jews. The evangelicals can care less about the survival of the Jews. In fact to the evangelicals Israel without Jews and with Christians only is their dream. The fools in Israel are living in a fantasy world if they believe, even for an instant that evangelicals support the Jews. Evangelicals want a Christian Israel sans Jews, Muslims and everyone else.
Netanyahu is not an American. He does not understand America or American Christian beliefs. If all the Jews of America disappeared tomorrow not one tear would be shed. In some quarters there would be great rejoicing. Fundamentalist Christians want only the conversion of the Jews as the rest are certainly going to hell.
An alliance with the evangelicals at the expense of the relationship and support of American Jews is a one way ticket to disaster. When the next crisis threatens the existence of the Jews and Israel the evangelicals will not care. Not one iota.
Figure it out fast Mr. Netenyahu. You've made a deal with the devil that wants you out. The evangelicals want Jesus Christ. He is their savior. Jesus will preserve Jerusalem. The Jews are destined to die. The evangelicals will accelerate the demise of Israel. Better think again Benjamin.
30
Evangelicals are not supporters of Jews, that is true. But they are, absolutely, supporters of Israel. And that is all Netanyahu cares about. He doesn't care if they support Jews or not. This is about nationalism and nation-building, not protecting Jews.
2
It was OK with Natenyayu when Trump wasn’t sure who David Duke was - and it was OK again when Trump declared there were fine people on both sides when one side was chanting “Jews won’t replace us” (whatever that means).
And for Netanyahu it’s all OK because there aren’t enough Jewish voters in the US to give him what he wants??? Which to me suggests motives about power not faith.
I hope American Jews recognize the tacit approval Trump (and Netanyahu) has given to anti-semites makes Jewish lives here more dangerous. And for the Sheldon Adelsons of the world I hope they remember their history: When the nazis came for the Jews they didn’t differentiate one Jew from another based on who practiced the ‘correct’ politics. They just killed them all.
Oh wait a minute... that can’t happen here. Right?
15
It is tragic that Israel has embraced the very people who have prayed for destruction of the Jews over hundreds of years and who also hope for their future destruction after the Jews survived. A true shande.
18
Israel, if you let the evangelicals in the door, you are really doomed. Most of them are the deplorables that put his holiness, Donald Trump into the White House. Be very careful. You'll regret it.
20
When one reads over the comments here, it is clear why Israel must seek support outside Liberal America, where anti-Semitism rationalized away as "anti-Zionism,"remains an acceptable prejudice.
9
Regular newspaper readers know how Netanyahu treated ex-President Obama.
We don't like it when Putin engages in scurrilous politics in the U.S. either.
10
LTJ, most American Jews ARE liberal and disagree with Netanyahu and the evangelicals. We voted against Trump by a 40% margin. It is possible to support Israel as a nation but not support the policies of Netanyahu or Likud. Just as it is possible to love this country and support it, but not support Trump and right-wing zealots who ally with him. By the way, the Israeli people are not a monolith either. They run the gamut from right to left, just like we do here.
Both the extreme right and extreme left seem to converge on anti-Semitism. And many evangelicals are pro-Israel only because they believe it puts them closer to Armageddon -- which includes the death or conversion of all Jews. With friends like that, who needs enemies? Israel is just a political tool for the End-Timers. Their goal is Christian dominion, not the best interests of actual Israelis.
6
Having hung out with evangelicals for a time, I know them to be the most corrupt people with little to no moral fibre. They promote 'us and them' thinking, 'we are going to heaven, you aren't" stuff. Talk about elitists.
52
I take my text from SEINFELD, with apologies to Reb Larry David. And this, Israel's cynical cozying up to right-wing American evangelicals, offends you as a Jew? No, it offends me as a secular American who prefers empathic and more just policies in the US and the Middle East.
28
Could there be a more grotesque representation of the dysfunction religion brings to governance than the odious Sheldon Adelson making nice with the mini trumps at the embassy dedication?
Oh yes, Netanyahu, who believes none of the religious nonsense of his right wing supporters, making war on anyone who speaks up for the most minimal rights of Palestininians.
17
If I was a Jew, I wouldn't trust a while evangelical fundamentalist from the United States as far as I could throw one. I would also hesitate to wholly equate BiBi's Zionism with Judaism. The evangelicals do have some interesting ideas about what happens to Jews when Christ returns. But they can relate that concept more accurately now that there is this "alliance".
6
I thought Jesus said “blessed are the peace makers”. If this is true then the Evangelicals are headed for the same hot spot as everyone else.
14
Israelis and Evangelicals are using each other.
In private, Israelis laugh at Evangelicals' beliefs. They take their financial and political support, and dangle a modicum of possibility to Evangelicals.
Evangelicals, having been thrown crumbs, then salivate for more.
It's the perfect symbiosis.
15
Prime Minister Netanyahu as well as his evangelical Christian supporters would do well to read "Opening the Covenant: A Jewish Theology of Christianity" by Prof. Michael S. Kogan. convergence.
Kogan calls for each tradition to receive the wisdom of the other as a means of self-understanding. Once each faith is freed to find God's purpose in the other, the way will be open to a liberating pluralism in which Jews and Christians come to see each other as Israelite siblings sharing a universal role as God's witnesses, the builders of God's Kingdom on Earth. Neither faith can do this world-redemptive work alone.
https://www.amazon.com/Opening-Covenant-Jewish-Theology-Christianity/dp/...
2
I am an evangelical Christian, and also half-Jewish. I support the move to Jerusalem of the U.S. embassy, and our general support for Israel. I am not a Premillennial Dispensationalist, I am a Postmillennialist - acknowledging that those are short-hand phrases for complex theological positions - Pastors Jeffress & Hagee and I would have spirited theological disagreements. I don't think the move of our embassy to Jerusalem signals the end times (at least not in the way that phrase is used by Dispensationalists). It is absolutely true that Evangelicals wish to see the Jewish people turn to Christ, just as we desire that all people 'come to a knowledge of the Truth.' The peace and friendship between Evangelicals and Israel is welcome and rests on a more secure footing than the shallow reporting being presented here. Although not a Dispensationalist, I note that the forerunners of Pre-Mil Dispensationalism have been asserting since the 1840s that Israel was going to be regathered. Wars end when people stop fighting, and the move of the U.S. Embassy was a step in the right direction, to promote peace based on the military and political reality which is today present in Israel and environs - an outcome which the Prince of Peace Himself would endorse.
2
And yet, dozens have died already because of that move. I'm Jewish, and I see the embassy change as poking up the embers of a fire in a forest filled with dry brush. This change will not lead to peace, but to death and more death. It was purely symbolic, but the lost lives will be all too real. Your theological musings mean nothing compared to the loss of lives. Why would a political ploy that predictably caused so much unnecessary death and pain be "endorsed" by your Prince of Peace? After all, his God -- and mine -- commands us "not to stand in our neighbor's blood."
3
President Trump's efforts and Prime Minister Netanyahu's efforts to seduce millions of Christians with the relocation of the Embassy and to win votes and support for both Republicans and Israel will undoubtedly inflame the easily inflamed Arabs and Muslims. This very short sighted short term gain act will endanger both Israel and America. Homeland Security should be at the highest vigilant state watching for terrorist attacks. Between the relocation of the Embassy and Netanyahu's actions to garner American support, the root of that which inspires Terrorists, will bring together all parties against both our nation and Israel. This move, if not deliberate to inflame opposition, certainly will, and we will have to fear a greater force than the occasional terrorists.
3
The notion that Christians and Jews are natural allies is so fundamentally at odds with history, theology, and common sense, it's almost laughable. Of the big three Abrahamic religions, Christianity is the only one with a fervent recruitment mandate and a zero tolerance policy about peacefully coexisting with other faiths. Muslims and Jews coexisted in the same society for centuries with far more success than any other combination of these religions. Historically - and not even that far back - Christians have never been able to coexist with Jews without resorting to "Christ killer" antisemitism, forcible conversion, and attempts to obliterate the Jewish faith and culture by suppressing and outlawing any expression of it.
I'm not saying it's impossible for people in the 21st century to rise above and overcome the darkness of the past. But it's shocking and disturbing to see the leader of the Jewish State casually linking arms with the most extreme and self-righteous leaders of the very religion responsible for centuries of Jewish persecution - and not even bothering to address or question the antisemitism these men have personally espoused in their own religious teachings.
This is not normal. This is not an alliance born of good will.
14
Really? Muslims good? other religions bad ? Did you miss the 9\11 and subsequent jhiad events?
4
You may want to read up on the history of Islam and how so many conquered people were given the choice of converting or being put to death.
1
The evangelicals in this country now have perceived power and they are using for every religious desire they have fought for over the years. This move; to demand a significant diplomatic change that could move the US closer to more conflicts in the Middle East will, I predict come back to haunt this nihilistic religion (end-of-days belief is by definition nihilistic).
Mr. Netanhayu's coalition has moved ever more to the right, and now has succeeded in creating this deal with the devil (evangelicals who make up a major portion of Trump's base) to succeed in achieving its long-desired goal of seeing the US move its embassy. I predict this will come back to haunt not just Netanhayu but the whole-of-Israel with its relationship with the US in the future.
I see nothing coming out of this situation that will be good for either the US. At some point in time, when the Evangelical influence in Washington fades, Israel's influence may fade as well.
Mr. Netanyahu does not to really understand that most Americans believe in the separation of church and state. When the evangelicals are no longer in the position to infringe upon that separation, I fear many Americans will see Israel as a nefarious player in the violation of our Separation Claus.
5
This doesn't sound like an alliance as much as it sounds like radicalization.
As in, both the Trump Administration and the Israeli government working to further radicalize the American religious alt-right.
The Israeli government has beaten the Palestinians into submission. Their recent response at the border - shooting foreign medics with live bullets, mass protester casualties - proves that the Palestinian uprising.... isn't. Netanyahu's government thrives on fear.
So does the Trump Administration. Who are America's enemies? North Korea? The one who just offered total de-nuclearization and peace? Iran, the one which still hasn't broken their side of the treaty? ISIS? The same ISIS which doesn't really exist anymore?
Dictators need enemies. They need an "other" to blame. But they also need someone to rile up, a base of their own, a core group of hardened supporters that will follow them through thick and thin.
Dictators need an army. So they're making one of their own.
Armed alt-right militias in the United States, many with an evangelical twist, who like to extend their focus to "prepping for the end of the world" or survivalism, whose mottos often focus on a variant of "God, guns, and glory" are a staple of pro-Trump, alt-right rallies. Give them a Grail of their own, remove their moral leaders and replace them with an ideology, and they will become a force the likes of which the world has never seen.
Radicalism was never about religion. It's all about power.
10
It is terribly disturbing to me that my tax dollars are used to prop up a country founded on one religion. I don't believe religion should have any place in our government. I absolutely oppose any & all government funds being spent domestically & internationally for any religious activity. My concerns are ignored by every level of my government.
24
I’m not sure why anyone is shocked by the alliance of the Christian Right and The Israeli Right: unless you’ve been living in a cave since the days preceding 9/11, this is precisely what has been going on, or does one see a natural alliance somewhere between Cheney and Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz and Kagan. Historically these people have hated each other, my guess is they still do; the Jews are doing it because they need the support of anyone, anywhere and can’t at this late stage of the game be choosy: as for the Cheneys and their ilk, they are in it for the money and aren’t choosy where it comes from. This is not big news.
9
Bernie Sanders actually said last week that the Gazans should reclaim their property that they left 70 years ago in Israel. That's right, just stream in over the border, occupy homes and businesses, and kick out the Jews; imagine the carnage if they had to be rounded up and removed from Southern Israel. I stopped support of Bernie Sanders early in the campaign, when he refused to support Israel, and will now remain a loyal Republican and Trump supporter. About 1/3 of American Jews supported Trump. That percentage will be going up, both among supporters of the survival of Israel and those with enough sense to worry about threats to America that can't be fought from within a cloud of liberal willful refusal to defend their own country.
7
Interesting how you tout "about 1/3 of American Jews Support Trump", as if it is some ringing endorsement.
Adults who can do math realize that means 2/3s don't support him.
It the. Again everything you state is essentially a lie.
77 of American Jews currently oppose Trump.
American Jews voted 70 percent for HRC, and only 25 percent for DJT.
But it must be nice to live in that tiny little bubble. It's probably warm and snug.
10
Take the same polls in Israel. You'll get exactly opposite results, or more so. BTW, Mary from Arizona is right on the money.
Lie down with a DOG, you WILL get fleas.
Those who countenance such cynical and craven alliances , who think they can have "a little bit of Trump", are misguided. Just because right wing zealots from opposite sides of a religious aisle may share a racist belief that unites them, doesn't discount the possibility that a second will rise to divide them. John Hagee and Avigdor Lieberman do indeed share a vile sentiment the Palestinians; give them time, though, and their mutual enmities will bubble to the surface.
There, they will deserve each other.
5
They should be reminded the evangelicals are rare on the ground outside the south and do not reflect mainstream Christianity. They should also remember many Americans associate evangelicals with Trump, an association that they may come to regret. Do they expect people to forget, many of us still remember their unholy alliance with Apartheid South Africa. We do judge nations by the friends they keep.
15
The most important universal Commandment from God is "Thou Shalt NOT Kill". The evangelical leaders support wars and clamor to profess profusely, the great battle of the Apocalypse. The Evangelical leaders have cultivated a mass following of gullible confused and desperately lonely people to believe in Jesus, in itself good, but including all the doom of Revelation. The leaders have instilled the fear of the end to scare their followers into blindly following them. Evangelical Christians are trained to follow the leader, some of which may not be sincere and motivated financially or lusting the following. You correctly pointed out that there are many more Evangelical Christians than American Jews and Netanyahu, in concert with some very politically oriented Evangelical leaders, are being quite sinister in taking advantage of their many millions of followers by telling them what they should think, which means Israel. I'll leave it to you to decide whether this cultivation of millions of doom fearing Christians is good or evil, but think about it. I believe this massive unquestioning belief in the doom of Revelation will actually make it happen as the stage is being set faster now.
6
Holy War has been proven, time and again, to be a cruel hoax. Dear Christ, please protect us from your followers.
18
Oh the controversy and apparent collusion with those right wing fundamentalist evangelicals aligning themselves with Israel must be so troubling for the liberal left.
2
Radical Islam, Evangelical Christianity & Ultra-Orthodox Judaism constitute the largest man-made threat to the civilized world.
23
Please, God, save me from religion.
21
A most unholy alliance. Religion still the poison of humanity.
8
Relocating the American Embassy is an unforced error that has now drawn us deeper into the Israeli/ Palestinian conflict.
It's only a matter of time before the Palestinians hurl their rocks at it. How will it look then when a Palestinian is killed by a Marine sniper protecting the embassy.
15
And when Trump announced the move 6 months ago, you were probably one of those saying it was going to cause a major conflagration in the Muslim world.
Did you notice it mostly passed without a wimper? Muslims don't actually care about Jerusalem. They care about the Holy Places, but not the city. That's why under Muslim rule it was mostly ignored and no attention was paid to it.
About the only exception are the Palestinians.
1
You'd think the Israelis and the Jewish community would know by now how to recognize the enemies of humankind, those whose self- righteousness and false Christianity are tools to be used against them.
19
Hannah Arendt once said that she ordinarily preferred speaking as a human being rather than as a Jew. But that there are times when speaking without identifying oneself as a Jew is wrong, stupid and shameful.
The debate on the Iran deal was one of those times. The recent rush of 40,000 Palestinians to Israel’s border was another. Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel is another.
Notwithstanding many Jews personal dislike of Netanyahu and his pursuit of alliances with Christian fundamentalists, the positions he takes on all issues pertaining to the security of Israel, if they err anywhere, routinely err on the side of safety.
All Jews who are unwilling to publicly stand up as Jews and side with the one Jewish leader who -- over the course of the past 20 years -- has consistently promoted and adopted the very safest policies on existential questions relating to future of Israel are
abandoning their responsibilities to the Jewish people and to themselves.
So despise him if you like and oppose him where you dare to do so, but support what he is doing to protect Israel, which happens to be a great deal.
11
“Protecting?”
How about protecting the civil rights of indigenous people vs. settlements taking over farms.
Netanyahu has done nothing, NOTHING, to bring anything close to peace in this volatile nightmare.
And now he has Trump and the Evangelicals. Trump, who has has previously displayed no religious convictions until politically convenient.
This is so, dare I say, sad.
7
All this just proves how phony the leaders are when it comes to religion. Evangelicals embracing Trump and Netanyahu welcoming Jeffers as if he is a friend of the Jews. Once religion becomes organized it's nothing more than a power grab. We have a governors race in Atlanta and it amusing to see the candidates try to out-Christian one another while at the same time argue who is tougher on immigration and gun rights. If there is such a thing as the pearly gates - and I don't think there is - I'd love to have a front row seat when these people try to get in.
16
It's pretty simple: the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Get it? Now get over it.
4
Mark: Anyone over the age of 6 who believes such nonsense deserves what they get.
15
This article is mixing several issues together. And that is OK. Moving the American embassy back to West Jerusalem was the correct move because our ongoing lack of recognition of Israel's capitol was a tacit approval of the de-legitimization of the state of Israel as a country. I am glad that this has been corrected.
As far as evangelicals and motivations - that is their choice and perhaps someone should actually interview them. The media comes up with creative ways to attack Israel, and obviously Trump as well, and this is just another angle of the oft-seen big picture. The attention given to Israel as a country, in addition to being far off from reporting all kinds of important things that actually go on in Israel on a daily basis, is way out of proportion to the reporting on the entire rest of the world. Strangely, it appears to be a uniquely American problem. Even Al-Jazeera doesn't devote this much space to Israel. There is an entire world to report on -- everywhere--every day. I guess there really is an advantage to having a streaming stick so I can watch world news from many country's perspectives. I hope the NYT will re-balance as the years go by. What of Tibet? What of the Kurds? And on and on.
10
"Moving the American embassy back to West Jerusalem was the correct move because our ongoing lack of recognition of Israel's capitol was a tacit approval of the de-legitimization of the state of Israel as a country."
There is no factual basis for that assertion. When Israel was recognized as a state back in 1947, It did not include all of Jerusalem.
7
Most American Jews, including myself are pro Israel even if we take issue with Netanyahu and his policies. This is getting more and more difficult.
I imagine there are many in other countries that feel the same way about America.
5
Evangelicals are willing to align with a corrupt regime here in the United States, and another in Israel. Remind us again what their values are.
72
Well, if they’re not god’s values, they’re that other guy’s. They’re not big on shades of gray.
1
This is nothing more than an alliance between political opportunists parading as Evangelicals and the master opportunist Benjamin Netanyahu. Converting Jews to Christ is least on the minds of the so-called Evangelical Leaders [sic]. Mr Netanyahu's only Orthodoxy is power (corrupt power) which bodes well with his Christian counterparts. Unfortunately, true adherents will be impressed- completely unaware they are being conned:
I doubt the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob or Jesus The Christ would be pleased with this Un-Holy Alliance.
19
Jeffress did not get the memo?
"When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for
they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the
corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men"
18
As a liberal American Jew I was brought up to love two countries: America as the best nation in the world, and Israel as the spiritual home of my people. In the space of a few years I’ve lost both of them.
The unholy alliance of right wing politicians, Orthodox Jews, and hypocritical Evangelical pastors has infiltrated two of the world’s great democracies. Perhaps Israel or the US will redeem itself one day, but for now I’m a man without a country.
302
@Charlie B
No, you are a man who has surrendered his Moderate principles to screaming polarity, the only subject seemingly of interest to our media today.
Grow up, pull on your britches, get out into the public square, and engage like an adult on the side of moderation and sense.
And be prepared for conflict. Not everyone is interested in seeing their values trashed. By allowing this war between the two poles, that is exactly what our Center is doing.
4
I too am an American Jew whose parents were democrats. They were very pro Israel and I will always be a Zionist because the corrupt NetanyHU IS MAKING SURE NOBODY EVER GETS JERUSALEM BACK. I am safe as a Jew more in American and Israel than in Europe.
@Stuart I don’t know where you got the idea that I have ceased to fight for my beliefs. That’s not inconsistent with a great sadness as I contemplate the fact that the societal norms I thought were untouchable have proved to be so fragile.
Remember when Martin Luther found out that the Jews were not going to convert. What does it say about the government of Israel that it embraces Evangelical Christians whose text portrays Jews as Christ killers while rejecting Conservative and Reform Jews. Was this really what the Zionist dream was all about?
7
I note with pride that Canada was not mentioned as a country that could be persuaded by evangelicals to move it's embassy.
44
You are forgetting the federal conservatives..harper is an evangelic of the same ilk. Before the election when he got a majority he came to Vancouver and gave a quarter million of public money to the local jewish community..hugely rich..for "security". The current federal.conservative leader is anti abortion, as is jason kenny and his ucp and saskatchewan's con.party and leader. They just try to hide it under the blankets. Do you not listen to their right wing rhetoric. If the federal cons.get in...watch out. Listen to Canadian talk radio...Corus. Trumpism is alive and well in Canada.
1
So let's see - the evangelicals can hitch their wagon to Israel or Hamas.
Only a true liberal secular American Jew would choose Hamas and I am always amazed at how many of them seem to be professors or columnists.
I am honestly curious what non-christians think would happen to Jerusalem if Hamas was in charge.
6
I live in the heart of Trumplandia, populated primarily by fundamentalist evangelicals. When Sen. Bernie Sanders ran for President, the anti-Semitic remarks and asides were frequent. Since Donald Trump came to office, the Holocaust jokes have been very hard to bear.
My experience has been that the support for Israel is all about end-times fantasies and nothing about newly found love and respect for Judaism or Jewish people. The rise of the self-proclaimed alt-right, along with Trump‘s acceptance and support, bears this out. And don’t even get me started on right-Wing radio.
Following centuries of church and state-supported denigration across Europe and elsewhere, I remain wary of claims of support by the spiritual heirs of Father Coughlin.
I think any true friends of Israel should do the same.
17
I have always thought that Israel's friendship with evangelicals was dangerous because their motives are not clean. Israel felt it needed support where it could get it, but they shouldn't take it from people whose real intent is to convert Jews to Christianity.
It is US policy to have the embassy in Jerusalem, which is where it belongs. The issue with Gaza has nothing to do with the move. Hamas has as its official policy to wipe Israel off the map. Their day of rage was just another step to that goal. Our president was worried for weeks about how to keep that caravan of Honduran women and children from invading our borders. Let him face 40,000 Gazans armed by Hamas and burning 10,000 tires to make a smokescreen for trying to cut through the border fence and I guarantee there would be a lot more deaths. We haven't been careful where we bombed in Syria or anywhere else. But of course, the US is absolved of any sins.
5
A growing alliance? Really. This readiness to abandon principles in the interest of expediency and power has been on display for a long time now. Ascendant for now, Netanyahu is doing incalculable damage to the causes he claims to defend. His embrace of nationalist and religious extremism threatens to leave Israel increasingly friendless in the near future.
492
More importantly, Netanyahu is cultivating the culture of doom and gloom centered on the prophecy of the great battle of the Apocalypse readily claimed that will happen in the Middle East. Netanyahu is endangering his nation.
46
Incalculable damage?
Is that in any way similar to the apocalypse that everyone predicted if the US moved its Embassy to Jerusalem?
3
Evangelicals who I've spoken to about their belief in "the rapture" say that only those who have accepted Jesus as their savior will go to heaven.
Sounds like they are using the Israelis.
The Democratic Party and other liberals abandoned Israel years ago as "liberalism" became captive to leftist and other "revolutionary" causes (as a result of "intersectionality"). I remember the jeering and hooting that took place at the Democratic Party convention in 2012 when the convention chairman tried to introduce a motion supportive of Israel's choice of its own capital. That show of contempt led to my final break with the Democratic Party. Any country, particularly a beleaguered one, makes common cause with its strong supporters. And there is nothing disingenuous about Evangelicals support of Israel. They sincerely believe in the Jewish people's right to a homeland in the land of Israel. As for the "apocalyptic" question, Israelis note that there is a simple solution to resolving the issue: when the Messiah comes, we can ask him whether this is his first visit or his second.
6
I'm from Texas and have close evangelical friends, and I wholeheartedly agree with this reader's take on reality as opposed to the abject paranoia and misinformation about evangelicals by other commenters. Of course, the NYTs regularly foments this paranoia by delivering the mis-education.
The evangelicals I know are enthusiastic about Israel for its archaeology and history, end of story.
Believing that the world will end on "your" watch is an exercise in self importance. Believing that your house is haunted also adds a bit of importance to your life - if living people don't give you much regard at least ghosts care. Don't grasp at straws. Live life, we probably get just one.
7
Given Pastor Jeffries remark at the opening of the embassy in Jerusalem that ‘Jews are going to hell,’ we can only assume that “good” “Christian” evangelicals believe that the most expeditious path towards that end is to form an alliance with the Netanyahu government and the Trump administration.
7
The cynicism is overwhelming...
2
Got it . Israel is now a Christian nation .
Bibi and Trump - a disastrous combo.
12
From Robert Green Ingersoll: " It is a blessed thing that in every age some one has had individuality enough and courage enough to stand by his own convictions, — some one who had the grandeur to say his say. I believe it was Magellan who said, “The church says the earth is flat; but I have seen its shadow on the moon, and I have more confidence even in a shadow than in the church.” "
We need individuals who are courageous enough to stand up to self righteous religionists. There was a column yesterday from Shmuel Rosner of the Jewish Journal that said, in so many words, 'god made us more deserving than you and it is therefore ordained permissable to kill you. We will do so without remorse.'
The axis of evil has a new alliance.
7
@vanessa hall: the column made me rather uncomfortable, too. i wanted to give credit to a number of arguments he raised but ultimately i concluded that one almost can't argue with people who claim to fulfill god's mission, by any mean[s] necessary. it's all about power in high places :-) while those on the ground are bound ... and suffer.
6
Wow, I read the same article. I don’t recollect him saying that at all.
He was just completely unapologetic about Israel’s security needs. Please don’t misquote.
1
Hey Bibi: I know you are not a Christian and neither am I, but here's a message for you:
"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Mathew 16:26
9
Israel has always had a pragmatic approach when it comes to its survival. During the establishment of the state there was the case of the ship Altalena--Jews fighting and killing Jews over strategy. Then there was the question of whether to take money from Germany for the Holocaust. Blood money many called it but the stated needed the funds to help survive and the money was taken.
Then there's the matter of not recognizing Armenian genocide. Israel hasn't done so because maintaining relations with Turkey has been, until now, considered paramount. And on and on. States make decisions that they consider best for the interest of their citizens. This Evangelical matter fits the mold. In a world where Israel faces a double standard and has limited friends, befriending them seems a reasonable if uncomfortable choice.
7
Pragmatic .?? I would call it hypocritical, and showing a lack principles.. No doubt many of those who turned in the Jews during the holocaust felt it was the ‘pragmatic’ choice.. it’s called, ‘making a deal with the devil’..
3
If I were an Israeli Jew, I would be very, very, cautious about embracing evangelical Christians who are looking forward to “the rapture”. The problem is that neither Trump or Netanyahu have any scruples about grabbing support, financial or otherwise, from any source whatsoever.
141
Let's call Hagee and Jeffress's inclusion in the ceremonies for the opening of the Israeli embassy what it really is - Trump's crass and craven act to keep the evangelical vote solidly in his base. Both these men are documented anti-Semites who had no business being given a platform in the ceremonies for an embassy in Israel.
It appears that Netanyahu has sold whatever soul he has to Trump, the ultra-orthodox Israeli extremists and the American evangelicals. He's just another politician who cares only about the next election. Maybe he should be worried about the corruption charges that are being brought against him.
Jews do not believe in an afterlife therefore they do not fear going to hell when they die. So let's get rid of that ridiculous evangelical "fact". What Conservative and Reform Jews believe is that it is the good and charitable acts that you do in your lifetime that are important. These are the acts that will live beyond your life in the memory of those you have helped.
I ask you, what is good and charitable about Trump and Netanyahu?
129
Pastor Jeffress is well-known for his mixing of nationalism into his messages, and most pastors disagree with his failure to separate church and state. But of course he is right about what Evangelical Christians believe about other religions. Christianity is seen as the fulfillment of Old Testament teaching of salvation by grace through faith, with Jesus death the only sin offering acceptable to the Bible's God. Thus the concept that Jews — or anyone of any other faith — cannot and do not get to heaven on the basis of their own good works, is one of the most basic teachings of Christianity. It is not a slander, for the way of salvation is the key question for all people to consider, regardless of ethnicity. Scripture declares all humans have sinned and no one can enter into God's presence apart from the atonement accomplished by Christ, or else they must face eternal judgment by Christ, who Christians believe is both God Himself in human form and the Jewish Messiah and Savior of any who believe. No apologies are needed from pastors who remain faithful to what Christ taught His followers to believe. Most Jews have chosen to reject Christ as their Messiah, many expecting a different one, even after God removed their temple and system of animal sacrifices that pointed to Jesus' death. Yet Islam arose hundreds of years after the completion of the New Testament, contradicting core tenets of both Judaism & Christianity, so of course it is not seen as a (biblical) way of salvation.
4
In Jewish law Islam is not seen as contradicting core tenets of Judaism. Christianity is. It's not considered apostasy to convert to Islam. It is considered apostasy to convert to Christianity, and a Jew is supposed to be willing to sacrifice his life rather than do so.
Shocking?
That's religion. Just like it shouldn't shock anyone that Christians believe those who don't accept Christ are going to hell. It's a basic Christian tenet.
1
The alienation of the American Jewish community from Israel is more than understandable. The Netanyahu government's embrace of Orthodox Jewish dogma is the flip side of its growing alliance with Christian evangelicals in the United States. As one of the founders of the Conservative Synagogue in Westport, Conn., I find it more than troubling that Israel now treats Jews who belong to the Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist movements as second class citizens.
I also find it more than troubling that Israel's current ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer, cut his teeth as a right-wing American political operative in the 1990s who worked with former House Speaker New Gingrich on "The Contract With America." An ambassador to any country should have clean hands when it comes to the host country's political activities. Dermer doesn't, and Obama should have refused to accept his credentials when Netanyahu. named him in 2015.
428
I don't know who the gentleman is and how many members of the American Jewish community he has interviewed since he is speaking for it in broad terms. Jews are not lock step nor should they be. Identity politics are becoming stifling. This is the United States and citizens no matter what ethnic identity or religious beliefs they share can express them without being viewed as dangerous outliers by members of their own community.
8
1. Alienation is a huge word. Polls continue to show significant American Jewish support for Israel. Go to the AIPAC Conference come next March and be part of an alienated mostly Jewish crowd of 18,000, or join a Birthright trip, now having sent over 600,000 folks to Israel.
2. What Orthodox ideas is Netanyahu accepting, exactly?
3. The growing number of Reform and Conservative synagogues in Israel would indicate that the notion of second class citizenship of non-Orthodox Judaism is questionable. E.g., Walk into the magnificent Hebrew Union College facility on King David Street in Jerusalem, or the Reform kibbutzim, or the Reform high school program in Israel, or the Leo Baeck School in Haifa.
7
Michael, I have not seen "alienation of the American Jewish community from Israel". What I have seen (at least among the Reform Jews I know) is an alienation of the American Jewish community from the present Israeli government. There is a difference, just as there is a difference between Americans who love America but feel alienated from its current government.
18
Everyone loves a good end-times prophecy.
Hail to the biblical fantasists steering the ship of state over a religious cliff.
Oy vay.
110
While there’s a lot to criticize when it comes to Evangelicals, Jews need all the friends they can get so I’m happy for the support.
6
Jon.....the Jewish people will be much better off without a bunch of End-Times Prophecy-mongers dragging them down into their religious fantasies.
That's how trouble starts in the first place.
20
In linking themselves so closely to Trump, evangelicals are drinking the Kool Aid.
15
Evangelicals have taken over the White House. They now control foreign and domestic policy. And, if Pence takes over they will have true believer in power. Pence believes the universe is only 6000 years old and that dinosaurs roamed the earth with humans.
43
If anybody needs any further proof for why the Israeli government and the Israeli people would reach out to Christians, the comments section of the Times, is more than answer enough.
6
Here's the message from moderate and liberal Israelis to American fundamentalist Christians: WE DO NOT TRUST YOU.
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And the reverse of course has long held true.
9
Perhaps, but you will take their money and their support.
6
"as you sow, so shall you reap"
Israel is following a dangerous path, and I fear that there will be bad repercussions for the U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem, and events that will follow!
25
Israel has become a mockery of itself. A prayer led by a man who thinks Jews are all going to hell dedicates the moving of their embassy, in a move cheered on by US Evangelicals who think that when armageddon comes they will be the ones who will be saved? It would be hilarious if millions of lives weren't at stake.
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Right on
11
For John Hagee to be present let alone give the closing benediction to the Embassy dedication was a shanda (disgrace) for both Jews and Gentiles. This is the man that preaches that Hitler was a tool of G-d and part of his plan by perpetrating the Holocaust ("a hunter o Jews") He should have been barred from entering the country. Its just an example how Trump and Netanyahu will tolerate the most blatant antisemitism if it advances their political agendas.
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And there are ultra Orthodox Jews who say the Holocaust was a punishment b/c many Jews didn't keep the Sabbath. People who believe in God and think they can speak for him are dangerous, not matter what their religion.
4
In drawing a connection between the Israeli Right and Christian Right as a potentially partisan issue and alliance foretold, the NYT is getting out ahead of an emerging topic. This is journalism at its finest.
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It's actually called propaganda.
Allying with the Evangelicals is to my way of understanding equivalent to idolatry. Israel will reap divine punishment.
Netanyahu sold Israel soul specifically Jerusalem to the devil.
12
Evangelicals once supported Apartheid White South Africa. So now that Israel has shown itself to be an Apartheid State, the evangelicals are on board with their right wing policies.
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Thirty pieces of silver was the price for which Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, according to an account in the Gospel of Matthew 26:15 in the New Testament. ~Wikipedia
8
Not sure what kind of pagan religion evangelicals are practicing, but whatever it is it's remote as it can be to Christ's teachings.
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Israelis will be sorry for the day Netanyahu established this unholy alliance with the false prophets of the American Evangelical movement. The Devil will certainly approve of this alliance.
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Beware BeBe. People who play with fire get burned. These people do not have your back and will turn on you very quickly.
22
everybody else is already against Israel, so what's the downside?
If Christ were to return, would he be a Christian or a Jew? Either way he's going to start another war so small wonder he hasn't come back.
4
Is God aware of this? I doubt it!
4
You know what? Who cares anymore about the Upper West Side Jews? They are the first to denounce Israel when it benefits their bona fides as liberals, and the first to deny any emotional attachment to the Jewish State. Having a big splashy bat mitzvah and eating bagels and lox doesn’t make you a Jew.
If the evangelicals want to be on friendly terms with Israel, then that is great.
9
Evangelicals are not so much trying to get Jesus in through the back door as trying to precipitate the apocalypse. They are praying for Armageddon.
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The opening of the new American Embassy in Jerusalem, which took place last week, is now on Trump's back burner. What with the most recent school shooting (yesterday, in Texas, by a professed Neo-Nazi and demented 17 year old high school student), with the hospitalization and surgery of our First Lady, Melania Trump, and with today's fairy-tale wedding of Prince Harry and his American wife, Meghan Markle, amid royal splendour this morning at Windsor -- the opening of the Embassy in Jerusalem has been temporarily lost in the storm of real (not fake) news.
Two former anti-Semitic American evangelical pastors were invited by Trump's Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, to open and close the ceremony in Jerusalem with their benedictions. No elected Democratic American lawmaker attended the event.
One of the evangelical Christian pastors called Netanyahu, "the Churchill of our time." Hardly. In view of what Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is doing to quash the two-state peace initiative for Israel -- not likely that the Palestinians will be rejoicing when Trump's promised peace plan is unveiled next month. We await the Trump/Kushner plan for Israel and Palestine with bated breath Meanwhile Intifada may be brewing.
8
The belief in this Bronze Age superstition, and it's promoters such as Hagee and his ilk, who feel the need to hold on to power, have, and will continue to cause death, destruction and war in the Middle East.
26
Beware of wolves, which come to you in sheep's clothing.
Evangelicals totally lost their moral compass when they hooked their wagon to Trump. (I'll give them the benefit of the doubt- that they had a moral compass at one time.)
Ron Dermer, the Israeli ambassador to Washington, "You can't fly a plane with one wing."
Mr. Dermer, you can't fly a plane without the right type of fuel either.
Note to Mr. Dermer and the Israeli contingent:
You better check your magnetic compass and fuel source. Best of luck.....you're gonna need it.
32
Israel and Evangelicals.
A dangerous combination.
39
Both Ego driven.
2
This is the epitome of a marriage of convenience, and a sickening one at that. Netanyahu gets the support of tens of millions, politically and financially, even though their ultimate prophecy is the end of Judaism. Since he (and Israelis in general) think that is a nonsensical fantasy, they take the support, feeling they have nothing to lose, cynicism aside.
The Evangelicals get to follow their sacred texts (and televangelists) , without any consideration of the rights and suffering of the Palestinians. If the Holocaust, with the slaughter of 6 million Jews, is part of God's (presumably good) plan, why would they worry about the life and death of a similar number of Muslims.
It's no wonder that many liberal Jews who see Palestinians as fellow humans are turning away from support of Israel, and why Christians who actually believe in the teachings of Christ regarding the suffering of humanity have done likewise.
47
It is sad to see that extremist evangelicals, who hated the Jews not so long ago, are now the best allies of the most conservatives and zionists of them. Both actually share their hate for Muslims and Palestinians ( Muslims and Christians too actually) are now victims of their bigotry. Peace will definitely not be provided by these people, Israelis must wake up and understand that their country will never win peace through strength. Shame on Trump, the Kushners and Netanyahu.
15
I really don't see this Alliance going well or ending well.
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History is replete with examples of religion being exploited by some to achieve their ambitions. Pay attention to what you see rather than what some would show you.
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Which of the many religions who have been exploited do you refer? Or all them?
I can't think of any that haven't.
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Mark, I was thinking more of how the ambitions of many have used religion as their basis of exploitation.
1
Mark Shyres,
Many religions have been hijacked by the the fundamentalists within them. It’s the Ambition to Control others that drives them. Orthodox religious sects used to keep unto themselves, now they are forcing their belief system on others. Look around. I offer a few obvious examples.
Christian Fundamentalists, mainly evangelicals, are attempting to turn the US into a Christian State, and under the current administration they are succeeding.
-Religious fundamentalism has infiltrated our government to the point that even bathroom use is being regulated.
-Women’s rights are being trampled in order to control us. Well I won’t be controlled by anyone but myself.
Islamic Fundamentalists are promoting terrorism around the world.
Jewish Fundamentalists are subjugating other Jews in Israel.
The rest of us want to be able to practice our religion in peace, or not practice any religion at all. That is called freedom. Government doesn’t belong in religion AND religion has no business meddling in government.
Practice whatever belief system you identify with but don’t impose it on me.
Freedom of religion, true freedom, can only occur in a secular state.
2
Abrahamic religion seems to cause an awful lot of trouble for an awful lot of people.
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Thank God there’s alway Scientology.
6
Well... they have never been responsible for a single war... much less a plurality of wars.
Hindus have persecuted Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians in India. China has persecuted Buddhists, Christians, and Muslims at various points. Japan has persecuted Christians. Buddhists in Myanmar have successfully purged hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya in the last year.
No faith has a monopoly on religious violence.
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It is a fact that Evangelicals are strong supporters of Israel. It is also a fact that the left wing of the Democratic Party is becoming hostile to Israel. Many Jews in that group have been disenchanted with Israel for a long time. Those Jews who have been strongly supportive of Israel welcome support from all groups.In the War of Independence many Irish volunteers fought with Israel. Germany has sold diesel submarines to Israel. A beleaguered nation needs support where it can get it. I for one have no problem with Evangelical support for Israel. I'm grateful for it. Six million dead is something I don't want to see twice in my lifetime.
11
Many Irish volunteers! Can you document that?
3
I read it at the time. Googling now the first thing that comes up is the story of "The Irish Rover", John Patrick Cooper, an Irishman who deserted the British army to join the Israeli forces. Ireland now is clearly favoring the Palestinian cause. At the time and over the years Israel received Mirage jets from France, fighter planes from Eastern European countries, and, of course, enormous support,military and economic, from the United States of American under both Republican and Democratic administrations. Moral clarity is hard to ascertain in this conflict, both sides have their own narrative and both sides, predominantly the Palestinians, have suffered as a result of their failure to make peace. You will favor one or the other narrative depending on where your prejudice or sympathies lie.
Actually, recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is simply intellectual honesty. Ending the silly facade, is a breath of fresh air.
9
as long as it suits ONE side fine, it's okay?
alas, the "silly facade" has been costing plenty of lives.
enter the "intellectually honest" ... and then, "let's see what happens." [the gordian knot has yet to be untied.]
1
The United States was founded largely by Anglicans (Episcopalians), Presbyterians and Unitarians. The Evangelicals are a political movement of the losing side in the Civil War (wiki Southern Baptists, for example).
When we founded the United States, we were very specific about stating that we are not a theocracy. Further, limited government meant that we would not have a POV on religious orientation.
That said, generations of Catholics, Jews, and now Muslims have had to point out that that they are also free to worship as they wish, against the KKK, neo-nazis and others.
Evangelicals are simply the Confederacy of the 19th century trying to use religion as a cover story for their humiliation in 1865.
Hagee, Jim and Tammi Faye Baker, and any number of televangelists prey daily on the old, the ignorant and the Southern whites who are feeling dispossessed by people more ambitious, better educated, and better motivated.
Red State support of ignorance and hate in the South can never be cured, it's in their DNA now.
Israel, however, should recognize when their long term interests are aligned with the Episcopalians, not the Evangelicals.
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You are uninformed. Some of the biggest evangelical movements now in the U.S are among Korean-Americans and Hispanic Americans. And there are huge numbers of "white" evangelicals in the northern Midwest. Read up on a subject before you spew your stereotypes invoking the old "Confederacy."
2
When I look at the founders of our nation, the Evangelicals are nowhere to be found. That their membership includes Korean and Hispanic Americans actually aligns with the Evangelicals as politics masquerading as a a religion. Evangelicals are anti-Semitic and anti-Catholic, just like the KKK, and Hagee et al. are simply masking their political support of Trump in pursuit of the Apocalypse. And every Evangelical I've met seems to praying for Judgement Day.
UTBG: Enlightened Americans long ago discarded the notion that a person had no place in our country unless they shared the religion and/or race of the founding fathers. Do you really want to support the retrograde notion that unless you are an Anglican or Episcopalian or Presbyterian like the founders, you do not belong in America or you are un-American? It certainly sounds like you do.
So, if we are to accept the suggestion that Palestinian resistance proved futile and therefore possibly pointless, are we to accept as well the idea that liberal American Jews protests are also futile and pointless?
If so, what does it mean to maintain one's Jewishness in America in the face of the political manifestation of Israel's racism?
Surely, just as Islam is held with suspicious because of the ideological uses to which it is put, it is high time to hold the Jewish faith with the same suspicion.
I certainly do.
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Memo to all Evangelicals/ Pentecostals —- There will be no End Times— no Second Coming...
Jesus is still throwing up from the 2016 elections.
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It is truly heartbreaking that Israelis have been forced to turn to Evangelicals for support when for the latter Jews and Israel are simply meant to serve as bait for the End of Times. But to a shameful degree many American Jews, Europeans and leftists in general have turned away from Israel and she must make do with what friends she can find in a hostile world. Christian Evangelicalism stands for everything that Judaism explicitly has never represented: intolerance, anti-intellectualism and selfishness.
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@james haynes: are israelis really "forced" to turn to friends they might be unhappy with? if my long-term friends turned away from me, i'd ask myself: "what did i do wrong to drive them away?" - instead of quickly replacing them with 2nd-, 3rd-, or umpteenth-best.
1
What does it say about Prime Minister Netanyahu when as the leader of the "Jewish State" he choses to align himself with Evangelicals and only shows distain for American Jews? And does he understand that many Evangelicals are pro-Israel because they believe that a war in the Middle East will usher in "the end of days"? Another one of Netanyahu's terrible perspectives.
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All Bibi care about is stealing land. His terrible decisions will come back to haunt the Jewish nation in ways that will make their past experiences look rosy. A word to the wise is enough.
2
This is sickening.
Netanyahu and other Likudniks claim anti-semitism justifies their every objectionable move.
Yet, they not only embrace, but give namesakes to Donald Trump, a man who courts white supremacists and who said there were very fine people in Charlottesville chanting "Jew will not replace us."
Meanwhile, apocalyptic-looking Christians encourage the world's Jews to be in Israel, to precipitate the second coming, at which time, they believe, non-Christians will be eternally castigated.
It's not hard to see where the deep hostility to Jews can be found.
It's not hard to see that moving the Embassy to Jerusalem is just another cynical political ploy from the far right in both Israel and the US. Reprehensible bedfellows.
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"It's not hard to see where the deep hostility to Jews can be found."
That hostility is coming from ignorant people who don't understand that the majority of American Jews find Netanyahu, his policies towards the Palestinians and his embrace of Trump and his evangelicals just as sickening as you do.
It's completely unfair to conflate Diaspora Jews with Netanyahu and Likud.
10
Hi Wendy,
I should have phrased that better. What I meant was that it is in groups like white supremacists and intolerant Christians that you see the individuals who are hostile to Jews.
I didn’t intend the way it came across to you, that it is understandable why the negative sentiments exist.
That must have been an offensive read, and I apologize for not stating it differently.
Thank you for bringing that to my attention.
2
Then PLEASE , as diaspora Jews, speak out loudly and clearly against Netanyahu and his policies.
If we non-Jews do so, we are accused of being anti-semitic .
2
Just like American Evangelicals who support a President that is anathema to their professed beliefs.
11
As an American Jew I am sickened by both Israel’s hard right turn towards Bibi - who by my calculation was the instigator of his country’s embrace of our dangerously embarrassing Evangelicals.
The evangelicals have nothing to do with Jesus or religion. They seek power over others, they are part of the white nationalism in the USA.
Many Israelis seemed to bite their lips over the years by embracing Bibi in the name of security. Now the USA and Israel are knee deep in government corruption, nationalism, and declining democracy.
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Cynical political creatures, like Netanyahu and Trump, will cozy up to evangelicals, those folks who somehow think they are engineering the 'second coming'. But in the real world this political cynicism provides little or no benefit for the acceptance of Judaism or a purely Jewish Israel. The vast bulk of people who live in the real world have no interest in encouraging religious extremists of any persuasion, given that these extremists have repeatedly shown that the only thing they really want to do is eliminate other religions.
15
A foreign government (Israel) is interfering in the ambassadorial decisions of another country (the United States) which it has no right to do. This is also a blatant snapping of the fingers by the Trump administration in the face of the cherished "separation of church and state" clause. Hello, Republicans?
Donald Trump moved the American embassy to Jerusalem to appease Benjamin Netanyahu (a campaign promise?) There was neither a practical nor a tactical reason for this. He was aided and abetted by the hard-right evangelical "Christian" bloc, a swamp--yes, a swamp--that needs as much draining from domestic politics as does American industry and commerce but which also lazily glut in the cesspool/swamp surrounding this White House.
What the evangelical "Christians" wish to do is Sharia-ize their ruthlessly repressive ideology so that it is irrevocably chiseled into the Constitution--not by the painstaking amendment process--but executive fiat. When America begins to choose its embassies based on the "religious" proscriptions of the host countries, then we're inviting foreign governments into our most intimate deliberative processes as a nation. To this I say "keep out," much like Trump's snarling about immigrants.
In this case, "religion" is the furthest thing from the minds of those pushing this nefarious agenda. Evangelical "Christians" are so holy; so pious; so self-righteous; so mean-spirited.
They lust for their political domination, not the good of our country.
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The American evangelicals have just as much right to try and influence policy as you do. What actually upsets you is that something you disagree with ended up being policy.
I don't agree with much of what Trump does, but he simply ended the absurd situation that had Jerusalem functioning as Israel's capital since 1949, and the US pretending it isn't.
3
Soxared, '04, '07, '13
"They lust for their political domination, not the good of our country."
You can add
They lust for their political domination, not the good of our country or theirs.
3
DH
"IsraelMay 20
The American evangelicals have just as much right to try and influence policy as you do. What actually upsets you is that something you disagree with ended up being policy. "
Genocide and Adolf Hitler were evil. Genocide is not just something that I disagree with ended up being policy.
Stealing land from Palestinians and Benjamin Netanyahu are also evil. Stealing land from Palestinians is not just something that I disagree with ended up being polity.
What does it say about Netanyahu as Prime Minister of "the Jewish" State when he cares more about ties with Evangelicals than about relations with American Jews? And does he forget that many of the Evangelicals only care about Israel because a war in the Middle East will hasten "the end of days"? Just another one of his terrible policies.
17
Ask Rabin’s widow about Netanyahu.
3
I am a Presbyterian minister, trained at Princeton Theological Seminary. For reasons that are too complicated to outline in a comment thread, I would only offer that I do not believe the arch-Christocentrism and apocalypticism of pastors such as the Rev. Jeffress hold up under scrutiny. If the reasons for their support of the nation of Israel seem simplistic and self-serving, it is because they are
334
I mean, I think anyone with a rudimentary understanding of the New Testament knows that.
7
One would hope. But experience has taught me otherwise.
African American enslavement and separate and unequal African in America were both the result of white American Christian majority mythology aka faith.
Control of Congress, the White House and the Supreme Court is not the result of reason nor 'scrutiny'.
Faith is the antithesis of logic, objectivity and science. That is not too complicated.
Galileo had American Evangelicals in mind when he said, “I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.”
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Galileo died in AD 1642, long before American evangelicals achieved world-wide notoriety. But the words you quoted are timeless.
4
I am so saddened to read such a report.
Evangelicals ,of any religion , are so dangerous because they all seem to come to different conclusions from roughly the same source material.
It's been happening for thousands of years and it's not going away - personally I think it's driven by people who feel they are too important to just die and disappear . And yet this is ,by far , the most probable outcome.
This nonsense's about King David et al (your VP) says it all!!!
16
Could we possibly push the country backwards any more rapidly than we are?
27
It seems that most American Jews excluding those few on the right are far more enthusiastic about condemning Israel and supporting the Palestinians. It therefore is no surprise that Israel welcomes support from Christians even though their basis for support is the second coming.
9
We are becoming a theocracy. So sad to see the end of this great nation of ours. SMH!
21
Israel can build its alliance with conservative Evangelical Christians and other conservative Christian groups in the United States but this is unfortunately a Faustian bargain. They will cement a political base that Israel needs in the United States, but at the same time, this further moves Israel into a position internationally that is probably not sustainable. I believe recent estimates for Europe show fifteen percent positive feelings for Israel and Zionism among Europeans. That number looks like it can only go in one direction based upon Israeli policy choices. Evangelical Christians appear to be tone deaf to the concerns of Palestinians. That would be not only West Bank and Gaza Palestinians and others in the Palestinian diaspora but "Palestinian citizens of Israel" as they are so identified in English.
This tone deafness is not viable at all for Israel. The Evangelicals support this though with their theological position that this is God's plan. It is not God's plan. It is Likud's plan.
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While I am appreciative of any support for the diplomatically beleaguered State of Israel, I view the evangelicals’ friendship as not at all altruistic. The Jewish Bible and the New Testament are full of nice stories, allegories, fables and metaphors, but since I reject the whole Jesus story in the first place, if the evangelicals are willing to support Israeli freedom until he comes back, I view that as a very long term, nay eternal, commitment indeed. Please, keep throwing your political and financial support at Israel, but the damnation remarks are despicable and disrespectful.
6
Why should American support Israel with its horrendous apartheid system, dismal human rights record, its oppression and brutality towards the indigenous Palestinian people who were forced off their homeland in 1948? A growing number of Americans have serious problems with the US giving Israel $3.8 billion a year when these funds could be better spent at home.
10
No apartheid. Rest of your post is also inaccurate. And that $3.8 billion a year actually is spent "at home". It never leaves the States and is spent on defense acquisitions in American industries.
Here we have the culmination of an alliance between an American evangelical doomsday cult and smugly cynical right-wing Israeli leaders.
We can easily expect more joyful prophesizing about the second coming from certain pulpits in America.
We should also be prepared for our erstwhile allies, Israel and Saudi Arabia, to drag us into a war with Iran. Or at least to poke and jab at Iran knowing the current US administration will provide cover for their messes and stand behind them unquestioningly.
There's also a sell-by date on Trump and Bolton, perhaps measured in months. While the clock ticks, I wonder how aggressive our 'friends' will be at our expense, and how many innocents will be sacrificed along the way.
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Speaking as a Christian, I can only think the evangelicals have lost the meaning of Christ’s words. Christ’s message was about love, turning the other cheek to those who might have offended. Holier than thou isn’t a message that Christ would have uttered, damnation isn’t a message from Christ either.
The evangelicals have adopted the twisted words of mean-spirited derivative proselytizers whose legacy has fallen to televangelists who gather in followers by hypnotizing them with the self-deluded sense that “God speaks to me,” implying superiority over others.
Televangelists would have been carnival barkers or snake oil salesmen in a different era.
The ultimate irony of these evangelical Christians spewing such hate is that they are doing so close to where Christ would have delivered his words to love their neighbor.
603
Christ talked about these folks too. They were known as the Hypocrites if memory serves.
63
So you say as a Christian.
Sadly, so say all those other Christians too.
No true Scotsman.
From my readings of your book. Your god hated and freely smote a world for transgressions he disagreed with. This is after he grants free will to his creations. Go figure. To condemn me to ever lasting fire cause I don't recognize him and or fail to worship in a correct way doesn't bring me any sense of love or neighborliness. You may believe differently. But that cudgel swung by your mates splatters you also.
Sorry to say, the brand is tarnished and with good reason, as you have pointed out.
As a fellow citizen of America, please keep your religion to yourself and out of our Gov. and public square. It may bring you solace and comfort, but for many of us it is a nightmare and abhorred.
74
I think the term Fundamentalist evangelicals is more accurate. Evangelicals are not all Trump supporters, Not all evangelicals believe in all this end of times and rapture nonsense so common among Christian Fundamentalist.
18
So sad that the future of the middle east and for that matter, possibly the world, is more and more in the hands of competing tribalistic religions pushing their faith based agendas without regard for rationality. Will World War 3 be a battle of religions? Or will religions take their proper place divorced from politics? Millennials,please get involved!
54
So right Alan. The most frightening part is that this minority religion has grown so much - 600 million! - may yet conquer the world in spite of majority Catholics and all the other religions combined, just as the alt-Christian-right minority has effectively taken over our government.
Millennials have the most to lose long term, but we need every non-evangelical to get involved to possibly have a chance against a system they have been busy rigging for decades.
5
“The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries." James Madison
Both Netanyahu and Trump care only about power and are too incurious to understand the the logical end to their madness.
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Or as Trump might respond, "James Madison? Never heard of him. Was he on TV? I had better ratings."
17
I think we read too much into the meaning of the separation of church and state. The goal was simple: to avoid establishing an official religion in the US so freedom of religion can exist. No religious persecutions, especially those sponsored by the state, like it was the case in Europe. The US was colonized in part by people fleeing religious persecution, so that was fresh in their minds. Some European countries have official religions even today. They may not persecute other religions but they do give privileges to the official religions.
Don't jump to conclusions, Scott — James Madison is the name of a famous high school in Brooklyn. Surely Trump has/had friends who were students there.
Religion has no place in government or politics. Wherever it does, it causes problems. No one can have freedom of religion unless everyone has freedom from religion. Spiritual belief is a very important - but private - thing, and ought never to be politicized. Our founding fathers had a really great idea in the separation of church and state. Too bad the likes of Netanyahu, Trump, and many evangelicals don't respect its value.
268
Oh they do. But they also know that using religion as a tool to win over the poorly informed has been very successful in the past. Look at the percentages of Evangelical s who voted for Trump and W . Both campaign s knew what these Evangelicals could deliver with the right messaging.
25
@Nancy O'Hagan
Whatever Trump is doing is certainly NOT religious.
And to say that "religion has no place in politics" is absolutely true, and those very words were clearly spoken by Jesus Christ.
However, to hold a belief, as I sense that you do, that someone must treat their faith and their religious convictions as some form of hobby that they practice in a club setting with other likeminded people is ridiculous.
Human beings have brought their religious beliefs into their decision-making and every corner of their lives since humans were able to express their belief that there are absolute truths and we are accountable to more than human consensus. That is why we endow each other with dignity, and each culture's evolution has the handprint of faith on its advancement.
If you are loathe to admit this, consider how your life would have been different in China, fearfully worshiping your ancestors, or in India where caste is destiny and people spend their lives locked in subservience based on their genetic forebears.
The Judeo-Christian model has done more to produce our common law and democracy, not to mention the elevation of women to a rightful place of respect and leadership in society. If you do not believe me, find one other cultural background that advanced women even remotely close to what we enjoy in the West: not China or Africa, not the Muslim nations, not India.
You would do well to consider the whole human being and from whence we came.
Drop the dogma.
3
The Soviet Union had freedom from religion but that would be hardly a model to follow. Religion has its role in society. And the US had not a big issue with religion until the sexual revolution of the 1960s because religion became a roadblock to certain social progress (abortion, same sex marriage, sex for fun, pre-marital sex, role of men and women, etc.). And there is no easy way to make religion change its teachings. So the solution for social progress is to eliminate religion altogether. But this approach is like throwing the baby with the bath water.
1
So does this mean there will be more photo opps with Bebe and Mike?
2
It is only a matter of time, and not much, that Christian supporters of Israel, among them the most fervent Zionists (like I am as a proud American Jew) will ask and then demand that Jews in Israel accept their deity. Then we will see a religious war like no other.
3
As Max Liebermann said in 1933 when he saw the Nazis marching through the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin: „I can‘t eat as much as I want to vomit.“
24
Let these evangelical leaders put their money where their mouths are and try proselytizing to Jews directly, starting with the prime minister of Israel. It's one thing to stand on a podium and give a speech that all the infidels must be converted, but it's something else to try to convert an infidel face to face and risk pushback when the infidel refuses to go along. It isn't nice to delegitimize someone you otherwise say you support.
38
Well said Mark. Though the money in the evangelical's mouth is never theirs - it is from all of their poor TV followers. Sad.
8
We often overestimate the importance of single constituencies or even leaders. Yes, Israel has important and growing evangelical support - even as a large contingent of American Jews, whose religious ties have been fraying more generally for a century, are becoming more distant.
Meanwhile, Israel's relations to Central America, central Africa, India and China, among many other countries, big and small, are closer than at any time in its 70-year history.
The world has many more pillars than it did many years ago.
9
Mr. Hagee said in an email interview… “in many ways [Netanyahu is] the Churchill of our time.”
Ah yes, and Churchill made an alliance with Stalin, which he called a deal with the devil.
The Israeli's better wise up. The Evangelicals don't give a hoot about them. They view Israeli hegemony as a means to an end, the end being the Apocalypse and their ridiculous myth about how they alone — and, specifically, NOT any Jews — will be lifted to heaven in the last judgment. If World War Three comes, they will do everything in their power to make sure Israel is destroyed so their prophecy can be fulfilled.
The parallels between the Evangelicals and the Nazi's are chilling, even down to the detail that the Nazi's considered themselves to be "Christian soldiers," and had crosses imprinted on the backs of their belt buckles.
That alone should give even right-wing jews pause. The ultimate destruction of Israel, not its elevation among nations, is evangelical doctrine.
And they're working feverishly, like the bunch of fanatics they are, to achieve exactly that.
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I find in the American Jewish community an innate distrust of evangelicals, worried that an eschatological theology seeks their ultimate undoing. But the work of some of these evangelicals, in particular, John Hagee's Christians United for Israel, do important advocacy work for Israel.
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It is like the late 1930s again. But with nuclear weapons.
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As an Evangelical pastor I do not know any Christians who believe the end times judgment can be hastened or that the church has any role in Armageddon or wars. This is a common misunderstanding by Jews, who are right to question motives, but not right to make up false agendas, or blame Christians for things that are not taught or believed by even a tiny minority.
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