|
Adl christian right Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.jewishsf.com/bk020531/us45.shtmlhttp://www.jewishsf.com/bk020531/us45.shtml
U.S. Jews welcoming evangelicals' support for Israel
SHARON SAMBER
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
WASHINGTON -- With Israel under fire, at least one interest group is remaining steadfast in its support for the Jewish state -- the Christian right.
The Christian right's affinity for Israel isn't new, but it has taken on fresh prominence as Jews feel isolated in the face of increased global support for the Palestinian intifada.
Jewish groups now are more likely to publicly acknowledge the evangelicals' support, showing their appreciation and, perhaps, hoping that other religious groups might follow their lead.
Just how much things have changed is illustrated by the Anti-Defamation League's relationship with the Christian right.
In 1994 the ADL published a report called "The Religious Right: The Assault on Tolerance and Pluralism in America." The report acknowledged the religious right's support for Israel, but put the ADL and the Christian right on a collision course.
Now the ADL is running an ad that includes an op-ed by Ralph Reed, the former Christian Coalition executive director, titled "We People of Faith Stand Firmly With Israel."
In his piece, Reed explains that the Christian right's support of Israel stems from a humanitarian impulse to help and protect Jews, a shared strategic interest in democracy in the Middle East and a spiritual connection to Israel.
The relationship between the Jewish and evangelical communities has changed "dramatically," said Reed, who now is chairman of Georgia's Republican Party. As little as five years ago, it would have been "unthinkable" for the ADL to use his work in an ad, he added.
For Reed, the Christian right's support for Israel could usher in a new phase in Jewish-Christian relations.
"Now is an historic opportunity to use this moment of crisis and threat to Israel for greater dialogue and understanding," he said.
It's too early to tell whether others will agree with Reed.
Many issues -- mainly church-state questions such as prayer in public schools -- continue to divide Jews and evangelicals. But the sides now seem more willing to set their differences aside in an effort to help the Jewish state.
"The differences will continue," said Abraham Foxman, national director of the ADL. "That doesn't mean we should reject their support."
On some level, the new alliance may be viewed as just another form of coalition politics. Jews have worked with evangelicals before on religious freedom issues, while disagreeing on other points.
And one group, Toward Tradition, has been focused for years on shared issues between conservative Jews and Christians. On its Web site -- www.towardtradition.org -- the group, which is headed by a rabbi, calls for American Jews to recognize "Israel's best friend"-- the conservative Christian community.
The Jewish Council for Public Affairs is pleased with the support from the Christian right, says Reva Price, the group's Washington representative.
"But is that going to change our position on school prayer? No," she said.
On the local level, there also is a careful acceptance and appreciation of the evangelical support, while debate about the Christian right's motivation is continuing.
At a San Antonio Israel solidarity rally, where half the attendees were church members, people heard from one Christian minister who said Israel shouldn't give up any of its land, and denounced Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat as a terrorist.
But the crowd also heard from another minister who said, "Eventually we will all be in Jerusalem as brides of Christ."
Christian groups dismiss the conversion issue and deny they have an underlying agenda.
"It doesn't really figure into this," said Michael Brown, national church liaison for the Christian Coalition of America. "We have an appreciation for the Jew and a love of Jewish heritage."
But some Jews see conversion as a major issue for evangelical Christians. There are some who feel that what the evangelicals really want is to meet three preconditions in the Bible and Christian theology for the coming of the Messiah: The state of Israel must be restored, Jerusalem must be in Jewish hands and the Temple must be rebuilt.
Reed believes that evangelical support for Israel has little to do with eschatology, and describes the fear about conversion as a "caricature and bogeyman" to scare Jews from cooperating with his community.
"The only thing that divides Jews and Christians from working together is fear and suspicion," Reed said.
Evangelical groups and churches have been donating money to Jewish federations for years, though the umbrella United Jewish Communities has no hard figures available. For example, an evangelical church in Pensacola, Fla., plans to donate $100,000 to the UJC's Israel Emergency Campaign this week, UJC officials said.
Embracing the Christian right has been smoother for Israeli officials. At a recent event in New York where evangelical leaders gathered for Jerusalem Day, Israel's consul general described the special relationship between the evangelical community and Israel.
"It is a relationship that has not been twisted or dictated by politics or interests," Alon Pinkas said, but is based on "a very pure and moral bond. We are very thankful for the commitment of the evangelical Christian community, especially in this time of crisis."
With evangelicals enjoying something of a political comeback after several lean years, the mixing of politics and religion by some congressional leaders sometimes unnerves the Jewish community.
In a recent speech at a Baptist church, the House of Representatives' majority whip, Tom DeLay (R-Texas), who has been outspoken in support of Israel, said, "Only Christianity offers a comprehensive worldview that covers all areas of life and thought.
"Only Christianity offers a way to live in response to the realities that we find in this world -- only Christianity," DeLay said, according to The Washington Post.
The National Jewish Democratic Council charged that the speech denigrated minority religious beliefs.
"His exclusionist, fundamentalist Christian worldview that he gave voice to in his speech is indicative of why the American Jewish community will always be uncomfortable with Christian conservative leaders, regardless of their strong support for Israel," said David Harris, NJDC's deputy executive director.
Others within the Jewish community feel that the Jews should have been quicker to welcome Christian support, instead of questioning its motives.
"Jews are now coming to the table, but the Christian right has always been there," said Jeff Balabon, founder of Romesh: The Center for Jewish Values, a center-right political activist group.
Reed, for one, sees the current situation as a harbinger of continued cooperation between Jews and the Christian right. He is working now with Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, on "Stand With Israel," a project that includes asking churches to set aside the Sunday that falls on Rosh Hashanah this year as a day of prayer for Israel.
Foxman, on the other hand, is more cautious about the future. While thankful for the evangelicals' support of Israel, he notes the differences in social agenda, and doesn't consider their cooperation with the Jews as any kind of alliance.
"Our tradition teaches us to say thank you," Foxman said. "We don't need to do more."
For more JTA stories, go to http://www.jta.org
|
|
