-Caveat Lector-
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From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: July 23, 2007 6:09:24 PM PDT
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Texas Repugnicans Rally Around Zionist "End-Timer" AKA
Christian Evangelist
"Imminentize the Eschaton, NUKE IRAN NOW"
Hagee, Israel backers push get-tough-on-Iran policy
Web Posted: 07/22/2007 01:32 AM CDT
Abe Levy
Express-News
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/stories/
MYSA072207.01B.hagee.346bf8a.html
WASHINGTON — Inside a reserved Senate room, several hundred
evangelical activists who came by plane and bus Wednesday waited
for the arrival of Texas' two senators.
As their leader, Pastor John Hagee, entered the room, they erupted
in cheers, snapping photos of the face of modern Christian Zionism,
a movement that promotes Israel as a biblical mandate.
The room turned silent as Hagee greeted Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison
and John Cornyn near the stage. Hagee looked the senators in the
eye and said: "These people are from Texas — and they are voters."
That message came through loud and clear last week as Hagee and
4,500 like-minded Christians visited the Capitol to lobby for
Israel and a get-tough policy against Iran. Motivating them is
their belief that Israel's fate is tied to that of the free world.
"We didn't come to Washington to figure out what Washington
thinks," Hagee said. "We came to Washington to express our views,
and we came as people. People hold the power in America."
Pastor of the 18,000-member Cornerstone Church in San Antonio and a
world-reknowned TV evangelist, Hagee organized the lobbying blitz
(the second in two years) to try to exert political power in Middle
East policy, including consideration of a pre-emptive strike on Iran.
(Lisa Krantz/Express-News)
Surrounded by his security team (left) and San Antonio Rabbi Aryeh
Scheinberg of Rodfei Shalom Synagogue (far right), San Antonio
Pastor John Hagee (center) leaves the U. S. Capitol building after
posing for a group picture with Christians United for Israel's
Texas delegates after the delegates spent the day lobbying for
Israel at the Capitol on Wednesday.
He founded a non-profit organization, Christians United for Israel,
18 months ago, to give a louder voice to Christian Zionists, who
are among the 60 million to 100 million evangelicals in the U.S.
Many of them believe they are living in the final days described in
prophetic books of the Bible and that standing with Israel assures
them of being on God's side when it is all said and done.
Known for his fiery apocalyptic sermons and books, such as
"Jerusalem Countdown," Hagee, 67, is no stranger to conservative
Republican politics and mobilizing Christians to vote.
Last week, along with the visit to Congress, CUFI conducted a three-
day summit for 4,500 delegates that included seminars on the evils
of militant Islamic groups, lessons on effective lobbying, the
showing of pro-Israel documentaries, banquets for donors and its
signature event, Night to Honor Israel, which was broadcast on
Israeli TV.
The ceremony drew nearly 5,000 participants inside the Washington
Convention Center and 15 protesters outside.
The dissenters, part of "Project Straight Gate," based in Phoenix,
held signs that read "Hagee's apostasy kills Palestinians" and
"Blessed are the peacemakers." The group, representing six states,
started five years ago to counter the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
To them, Hagee is the next Rev. Jerry Falwell, who they say
misrepresented Christian faith through his political activities.
"The whole Christian Zionism movement is causing Christianity to be
a laughing stock all over the world," said Charles Carlson, the
group's founder and director. "It's bringing (Hagee) fame and
fortune by putting Israel on the throne right beside Christ."
Inside the convention center, high-profile Israeli and U.S.
government leaders revved up the audience with impassioned speeches
by, among others, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Former House
Majority Leader Tom DeLay also attended.
At a banquet for $1,000-plus donors the night before, Sen. Joe
Lieberman, a Connecticut independent and practicing Jew, likened
Hagee to Moses as a "leader of a multitude."
"The support of Christian Zionists is critical to Israel's security
and strength," he said, "and to America's security and strength."
The average delegate found in the seminars the material they would
need for lobbying and later grassroots activism. Panelists, both
Jewish and Christian, promoted the use of alternative fuels as a
way to wean America from Arab oil and deeper study of pro-Israel
arguments to clarify biased media reports, win converts in their
neighborhoods and vote pro-Israel candidates into office. There was
particular emphasis on one core belief that Israel must not give up
any land to Palestinians for peace, a view that comes from the
Bible and history.
They also detailed the threat of militant Islamic groups who incite
children to hate Jews and teach that being suicide bombers would
give them the glory of martyrdom.
"It is a sick philosophy that goes by many names, but I haven't
found a better name for this than islamofascism," Gary Bauer, a
former presidential candidate who served in the Reagan
administration and current CUFI board member, said during a workshop.
Pressing their points
Armed with talking points, CUFI delegates brought their message to
a Congress largely in agreement, given that Israel was created by
the United Nations in the aftermath of the Holocaust.
They reported meeting with 279 lawmakers, including 57 senators,
and according to CUFI leaders, were generally well received.
Still, the suggestion of threatening Iran with a pre-emptive strike
and the dismissal of a two-state solution in the Holy Land were not
met with support from all lawmakers.
Some were skeptical that an American public growing weary of the
U.S. presence in Iraq could stomach an attack on Iran. They would
rather try to persuade other powerful nations in Europe and Asia to
end trade with Iran and enact other economic and diplomatic sanctions.
"I've found that diplomacy sure does a lot of good," said Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, who didn't meet with CUFI
members but was asked about them while en route to the Senate
chambers. "Ronald Reagan proved that in the Cold War. He sent
emissaries to the Soviet Union. We can never take the military
option off the table as a world power, but we need to exhaust all
diplomatic ways first."
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., made time to meet briefly with 85 CUFI
members who waited for him on the Capitol steps. State directors
Mike and Jean Ann McNally stuck to four talking points as
instructed during CUFI workshops: opposition to a two-state
solution, support for sanctions on Iran, a U.N. crackdown on the
terrorist group Hezbollah and increasing the $2.4 billion in yearly
U.S. aid to Israel.
"One of their great strengths is their succinct message," Corker
said after the visit, noting he took a first-ever trip to Israel
during his election campaign last year. "The clarity of that
message has endeared them to many people."
Several CUFI members lingered after the visit, holding hands in a
circle and whispering prayers.
"We know we'll get blessed because we're blessing Israel," said
Jean Ann McNally, the co-state director for Tennessee. "We're not
here to lose."
In contrast, fundamental disagreements emerged during his meeting
with seven CUFI members, said Bill Harper, chief of staff for
Congresswoman Betty McCollum, D-St. Paul.
McCollum earlier this year was invited to attend a Night to Honor
Israel in her home state. She declined in an April 25 letter,
citing "repugnant" publicized statements by Hagee, including his
calling Hurricane Katrina God's judgment on a sinful city and
saying those who live by the Koran have a mandate to kill
Christians and Jews.
After the meeting, Harper said he couldn't agree with CUFI's
assertion that a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians
would hurt progress in the Middle East.
He pointed to Israel's freeing of 250 Palestinian prisoners Friday
and Bush's release of a multimillion-dollar aid package for the
Palestinian Authority Cabinet.
"This is really frankly a radical leadership," Harper said of CUFI.
"They are dangerous to any prospects of ending the conflict between
Israelis and Palestinians."
Texas' two Republican senators were more welcoming of CUFI's message.
"I think this is a group that gets it from the standpoint of the
threat to not only our nation but also to the Iraqis and Afghans
and to Israel," said Cornyn. "And that is the threat of Islamic
extremism that justifies the murder of innocent civilians in
pursuit of its ideological agenda."
Hutchison described CUFI as the Christian equivalent to the Jewish
lobbying group AIPAC, and credible. But she parts company with it
over, for example, her preference for a two-state solution to bring
"long-standing peace and economic development."
Challenges ahead
Hagee's meeting with Texas lawmakers was one of the few public
appearances he made during the week. Instead, during 12-hour,
tightly scheduled days, he was immersed in private CUFI strategy
meetings with pastors and lawmakers.
CUFI claims about 50,000 members from churches representing 2
million people and has directors in each state and representatives
in 10 countries.
Even with Congress' strong pro-Israel leanings, Hagee and CUFI have
to gain traction at a time when one presidency is nearing an end
and the next is a big unknown.
As CUFI met in Washington last week, President Bush, who banked on
the same evangelical base as CUFI's, announced plans to pursue a
two-state solution for the Holy Land.
Also last week, the State Department appeared headed to diplomatic
talks with Iran to discuss charges that it is arming Iraqi
militias. Such a move runs contrary to one of CUFI's strongest
convictions — that Iran's pursuit of nuclear capabilities by its
president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is part of a ploy to wipe out Israel
and establish an Islamic world order.
Hagee also has to convince an increasingly fragmented evangelical
community that Israel should be its top agenda item, despite
competing issues such as global warming, poverty, abortion and
homosexuality.
Perhaps one of Hagee's biggest hurdles will be his status as a
controversial end-time theologian who, with great certainty,
purports to understand future events based on his reading of the
Book of Revelation and Old Testament prophecies.
Israel, he says, will come under attack from Arab enemies led by
the Antichrist, pitting the forces of good and evil in the Battle
of Armageddon. The Jews in Israel will be killed, except for
144,000 who are spared and foretold to convert to the Christian
faith before Jesus' return.
Somewhat tongue-in-cheek, Jewish leaders with CUFI have said the
only difference between them and their Christian counterparts is
whether the Messiah's future arrival will be his first or second
time on Earth.
This end-time theology was intentionally left out of the CUFI trip
last week and in all other related events, Hagee said.
"We come here and make it very clear that end-time theology has
absolutely nothing to do with our support for Israel," he said.
"We're supporting Israel because Israel is threatened like no other
time in all of her history."
But for others, his end-time views cause them to question his
motives, especially since he's outspoken about his desire to affect
U.S. foreign policy.
"As a Christian, I continue to be concerned about this militant
crusader message that's categorically the opposite of the message
of Jesus as I understand it," said Don Wagner, a founder of the
Institute for the Study of Christian Zionism.
This issue deeply divides Jews, some of whom, while they praise
Hagee's work to eradicate anti-Semitism, see him as using them as
pawns to fulfill Christian prophecy, including the annihilation of
most Jews.
David Brog, CUFI's executive director and a practicing Jew, said
Christian Zionists are not motivated by end-time prophecy, despite
their belief in it. Instead, Brog said, Jews who partner with CUFI
are recognizing their shared dedication to moral lifestyles, the
same sacred texts and the same God and a common goal of peace by
combating the modern threat of global terrorism.
"If (Hagee) wanted a war, then he'd want to let Iran get the
bombs," he said. "I think (Hagee's critics) are misunderstanding
Christian theology. God has no set time for the Second Coming. And
there's nothing you or I can do about it."
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