The National Religious Broadcasters gathered in the final week of February 2020 at Gaylord Opryland in Nashville for their annual convention. It is an opportunity to address media issues and programming for the largely Christian Evangelical communicators who have had an outside influence on Trump Administration policy regarding Israel and increasingly on the rising Global Antisemitism in the West, particularly here in the US. Attending as major speakers are several figures in the Administration and of the President: Attorney General William Barr, Secretary of Education Betsey DeVos and personal attorney to the President Jay Sekulow.
Rod Reuven Dovid Bryant and Jerry Gordon interviewed Dexter Van Zile, Christian Media Analyst for CAMERA – the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis – and Rabbi John Hausman spiritual leader of Congregational Ahavath Torah who has been active in Christian Evangelical outreach – who will presenting at a Panel Discussion sponsored by Proclaiming Justice to the Nations PTJN on Thursday afternoon February 27, 2020, entitled: Strategies for Christians in Media Wars.
Van Zile will address Modern Christian Antisemitism: How are Christian Leaders Influencing Antisemitism. Rabbi Hausman will speak on The Unification of Jews & Christians: Is This Historic? Biblical? A colleague of Van Zile, Rev. Dr. Tricia Miller, CAMERA Christian Research Analysis and an Evangelical Pastor is responsible for outreach to the Evangelical Community and establishing relationships. She will be speaking on the topic of Antisemitism, Anti-Judaism and Anti-Zionism: How is the Church Influencing this Unbiblical Union Today?
We asked Dexter Van Zile and Rabb Hausman why are Evangelicals who attended the National Religious Broadcasters convention important supporters for Israel?
Rabbi Hausman, interpreting Romans Chapter 11 in the New Testament, noted a question in the text that resonates with Evangelicals. “Has God rejected his people-meaning the Jews? By no means has God rejected his people. Therefore, Christians are grafted into the same spiritual roots as the Jewish people and Israel as a state. As a result not only the Gentiles will be saved, but all the Jewish people and the State of Israel”.
Van Zile warned “that if God changes his mind about Jews. Who is to say that God might change his mind about Christians? We don’t want to worship a God who changes mind”.
Van Zile said in response to the question of how important are the Evangelicals? He admitted “he was dumbfounded when Trump moved the Embassy to Jerusalem. It had everything to do with the role that Evangelicals played in the 2016 election in getting President Trump elected. The National Religious Broadcasters convention is a very important event for the Evangelicals because they are backbone of American Support for Israel. They are the groups in America who have the best sense of purpose, who are the best supporters of Israel. People who are rooted in religious purpose and who live productive and useful lives of achievements will support Israel. People who turn their backs on the principles of natural law and rights and hold grievances will attack Israel”.
As to why major figures in The Trump Administration are at the National Religious Broadcasters convention, Van Zile noted “the Administration knows this is an important constituency. It has had the Administration’s back over major controversies during the past three years and thus is grateful for the support”. Rabbi Hausman supported this view and said,” you must look broader at other Evangelicals groups in this sphere”. He cited Vice President Pence, ” who has been a founding member of Christians United for Israel (CUFI). That Secretary of State Pompeo is an Evangelical. Thus, the Evangelicals have a presence at the very center of this Administration that is very transactionally oriented”.
Among other speakers of note are widely published author and commentator Dr. Andrew Bostom who will be speaking on Islamic Antisemitism: Understanding the Global Pandemic of Muslim Antisemitism Today & Its Doctrinal and Historical Roots. Dr. Carol Swain, media commentator, former Princeton and Vanderbilt professor of law and political science and Pulitzer Prize nominated author of The New White Nationalism in America will address Classic Antisemitism in Academia and How It is Influencing a New Generation of Violence Against Jews. Rev. Jeffrey Jemison a leading Black leader from Ohio will speak on MLK & Zionism and The Rise of Antisemitism in the Christian African American Community: How Can We Overcome?
A word about the dynamic founder of PTJN: Laurie Cardozo Moore. She is a Special Envoy at the UN for human right for 44 Million Christians. She has been most notably involved in advocacy for Antisemitism Awareness Resolution at the state house level in the US. She is a noted advocate confronting Global Antisemitism, BDS and Israelophobia. Her award-winning documentaries have reached 2 billion viewers through a network of 21 channels.