Rev. Donald Wildmon threatens Jews who criticize the religious right

[Thom Little]

According to one prominent Christian evangelical, support for Israel may go on the chopping block if Jewish leaders persist in publicly criticizing the religious right.

Don Wildmon, president of the evangelical American Family Association, had sharp words for the national director of the Anti-Defamation League, Abraham Foxman, during the December 5 broadcast of his daily radio program: "The more (Foxman) says that 'you people are destroying this country,' (the more) some people are going to begin to get fed up with this and say, 'Well, all right then. If that's the way you feel, then we just won't support Israel anymore.' "

Wildmon's comment is the latest thrust in an ongoing duel between liberal Jewish leaders and the religious right after Foxman condemned what he called a campaign "to Christianize America" in a November 3 speech at the ADL's national commission meeting. Foxman specifically mentioned reports of alleged religious coercion at the U.S. Air Force Academy and continued pressure for federal funding of faith-based initiatives as sources of concern.



http://www.forward.com/articles/7059

[acmavm]

1. Well, isn't Mr. Wildmon the brazen little devil. And I mean that both

literally AND figuratively. Guy sure seems to love 'power', doesn't he?

[xchrom]

2. well, nothing like letting the cat out of the bag.

[Behind the Aegis]

3. The Pawn

Israel is used by the "right" as a pawn to garner support from Jews. However, the 'right' only cares about one thing...the end.

Israel is used by the "left" as a pawn as a litmus test to see how "progressive" someone is. However, the 'left' only cares about one thing...the scapegoat.

So where does that leave those who are truly American (or whatever nationality) but also support Israel (not necessarily all of her policies)? It leaves us in the shitter, especially if you are Jewish, to boot! An American Jew supporting Israel can't possibly be liberal or progressive. No, we are really just 'freepers,' or 'racists' in disguise. No, we are accused of being "more Israeli than Israelis." :eyes: We just have to sit and watch Jewish politicians scrutinized for any contact with Israel. TRAITOR!

So, to my fellow supporters of Israel (even not in favor of the Occupation, which most are not), I say, in the immortal words of Stealers Wheel Lyrics..."Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right, here I am, Stuck in the middle with you."

[Wordie]

7. Hardly a pawn: Israel has benefitted financially from the relationship

and willingly participated in this "strange bedfellows" arrangement as a partner, not a pawn. I'm glad that the relationship is being questioned now, but let's not pretend that Israel was helpless and unaware of who it was giving the money and why.

$60 MILLION IN DONATIONS

Eckstein, who as head of the Jerusalem Friendship Fund for the past eight years claims to have collected some $60 million in donations from the evangelical community to assist Jewish immigration, has joined forces with former Christian Coalition head Ralph Reed, now a leading GOP consultant, as part of the effort. Their plans include an Internet site for supporters of Israel to write their congressional representatives.

Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza have been among the most significant beneficiaries of the Christian support.

'ADOPT-A-SETTLEMENT'

"We've seen financial support . . . to the settlements double during the past 21 months," said Sondra Oster Baras, an Orthodox Jew and director of the Israel office of the Colorado-based Christian Friends of Israeli Communities, which runs an "Adopt-a-Settlement Program."

While declining to elaborate, other than to say the amount was in the low "hundreds of thousands of dollars," Baras estimated that one-third of the 145 Israeli settlements receive funds from Christians.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2002/07/10/MN17001.DTL

And keep in mind, that $60 million was from just ONE evangelical organization!

[Coastie for Truth]

11. The Chron article says even more of interest

Forgotten amid all the excitement was the fact that many of the 371 newcomers had been bankrolled by grants from U.S. evangelical Christians, who regard the return of Jews to the Holy Land as part of an apocalyptic prophecy foretold in the Bible.
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"What's next? I'm looking for the church to be raptured, Jesus returning for the church . . . and the Jews would receive him as their Messiah."
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Doctrinally, they regard the ingathering of Jewish exiles as the fulfillment of biblical prophecy that will precede the Second Coming and end of days. Such a belief has tended to fill many Jews with suspicion and made for mutually tense relations.
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Such a belief has tended to fill many Jews with suspicion and made for mutually tense relations.Right. That's still an overwhelming majority opinion.

While pro-Israel advocates once looked to liberal Democrats for their main support, they are increasingly warming to conservative Republicans, whose pet causes such as school prayer have long been anathema to many Jews.
---

A vast over statement and over simplification. See, just as an example

Other Jews are less sure, fearing that fundamentalist Christians are religious wolves in sheep's clothing, extending the hand of friendship in the present while believing in an eventual endgame of conversion or death for Jews upon Jesus' return.

In February, Dov Lior, the chief rabbi of the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba, said he had blocked settlements in Gaza from accepting bulletproof vests from evangelicals. And the governments been reluctant to allow METV, an evangelical Christian television station that had operated from southern Lebanon until Israel withdrew, to erect a transmitter in Ariel.


---

I agree - wolves in sheeps clothing.

[Wordie]

9. You were aware of this, weren't you, bta?

I could find other articles about just how extensive is the financial support of evangelicals for Israel. The group cited in the earlier article I posted is only one among very many who send financial support to Israel. All with an eye toward armaggedon, of course. It bothers me that Israel has encouraged this, which ultimately could bring about the destruction of all of us (sooner or later, someone will decide to make it happen, I suspect).

And yet your post implies that it is the evangelicals using Israel? Please explain. And you think those of us on the left who are disgusted by this are "blaming Israel" again, perhaps?

[TlalocW]

4. Yeah, I believe that

Israel has to be around for the right wing kooks because according to them, Jesus is going to return there and make the Jews sorry for rejecting him before the good Christians all jump into the sky.

TlalocW

[Coastie for Truth]

5. Real agenda of the evangelicals

"Ingathering of the Exiles as a pre-condition to the Second Coming and the End of Days." - period, nothing else.

They have no love for individual Israelis or individual Jews.

You want to see the real PNAC agenda - read PNAC's own (not the blogs or editorials - but the real document) - or better yet, go see Syriana. Whores like Wildmon.

[greiner3]

6. Sorry to see it, but I say;

Let em fight it out. The outcome would only help our caause. IMHO

[Ian David]

8. What would "our" cause be and who says you are one of "us" anyway? n/t

[Violet_Crumble]

10. Try looking at their profile..

They're obviously talking about the US, the same place as shows up in yr profile....

Violet.....