Guno צְבִי
Am Yisrael Chai
American Jews should be wary about engaging with extreme right-wing Christian supporters of Israel. As a congregational rabbi, serving in San Antonio — home of the leader of Christians United for Israel, the Rev. John Hagee — I am most wary of these efforts. No, I am not worried that Hagee will try to convert us in the process. The entire American Jewish community may trust the reliable testimony of my Orthodox colleague in San Antonio, Rabbi Aryeh Scheinberg, who insists that Hagee doesn’t utilize his pro-Israel activities to proselytize Jews. Hagee has earned the enmity of some colleagues in the process.
When we embrace Hagee and the like, we may be seen as joining or at least tolerating their repugnant extremism. When we work with these folks, we legitimize them as political players, strengthening their impact on agendas we find anathema, from their opposition to the First Amendment’s guarantees of religious freedom to their callous opposition to programs most critically needed by the poorest among us. Unlike the Catholic Church, for example, with which we disagree on the important concerns of sexual and reproductive freedom, the only issue on which we agree with the extremist fundamentalists in Hagee’s group is our shared support for Israel. They work hard to oppose our priorities and American Jewish interests every day.
www.jta.org
When we embrace Hagee and the like, we may be seen as joining or at least tolerating their repugnant extremism. When we work with these folks, we legitimize them as political players, strengthening their impact on agendas we find anathema, from their opposition to the First Amendment’s guarantees of religious freedom to their callous opposition to programs most critically needed by the poorest among us. Unlike the Catholic Church, for example, with which we disagree on the important concerns of sexual and reproductive freedom, the only issue on which we agree with the extremist fundamentalists in Hagee’s group is our shared support for Israel. They work hard to oppose our priorities and American Jewish interests every day.
When Friends Aren't Really Friends: Be Wary of Evangelical Support for Israel - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
American Jews should be wary about engaging with extreme right-wing Christian supporters of Israel. As a congregational rabbi, serving in San Antonio — home of the leader of Christians United for Israel, the Rev. John Hagee — I am most wary of these efforts. No, I am not worried that Hagee will...
www.jta.org