Queuing up to launch today’s destruction of Israel, the Islamist Jihadis are first and most vocal. Next, the covert partnership between the secular and religious Left who have engineered the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions ( BDS) movement while they claim to seek peace and justice for all peoples (particularly the “Palestinians”).
Last in line, but certainly not least, are Christian groups like the PC(USA), the Methodists, the Lutherans and a variety of others who are lending material support to the enemies of Israel through the mainstream press and partnership in the international Boycott/ Divestment/Sanction initiatives.
Among several ascending trends, CUFI’s Hagee and Brog have noticed a marked increase in Christian efforts to undermine Israel through organized ‘Christian’ tours to the region being run by anti-Israel factions under the guise of “Middle East Peace Tours” and so called “Solidarity tours” which are primarily intended to foster sympathy for a “Palestinian victim” narrative.
According to some commentators and scholars, the evangelical Christian community is the predominant pro-Israel group among all Christians. Gallup gives us an idea of who the evangelicals are . On the one hand, evangelicals appear more likely to support Israel than other Christian groups, there is, on the other hand, abundant evidence that only a portion of evangelical Christians are on board with the pro-Israel narrative. In fact, there are certain evangelicals who consider themselves to be in sympathy with the pro-“Palestinian” narrative like Gary Burge of Wheaton College.
Recently there has been a move afoot by so called ‘Christian’ evangelical groups like “Sabeel” whose aim is to turn evangelicals away from their support of Israel and toward a “Palestinian” narrative that actually demonizes Israel. Under the rubric of “Palestinian Liberation Theology” Naim Ateek, with his Sabeel organization, seems to be making his anti-Israel talking points produce fruit. The erosion and shifting of evangelical support away from Israel is showing up in a variety of ways. CUFI’s Hagee and Brog have expressed deep concerns about this alarming trend.
Over the years, especially since the end of World War II, respected scholars and writers have tried to unravel the underpinnings of the phenomenon known as “anti-Semitism.” Great tomes have gone forth scrutinizing the psychology, sociology, culture and theology of this nasty scourge on humanity. While understanding anti-Semitism is important, even more critical is for the pro-Israel community to stand up with organizations like CUFI while there are still opportunities to organize and mold positive change.
We remember it was only two short years between the moment Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany in 1933 to the enactment of the Nuremburg Laws in 1935 which deprived Jews of their last vestige of hope throughout Europe. We cannot permit this to happen again.
