This surprised me..in a good way.
John McCain may have thrown Pastor John Hagee aside, but a number of his Jewish allies, who know the type of man he is have not. Here's just a small sampling:
Recently, Senator Joe Lieberman conformed that he was to speak during the annual meeting of Hagee’s organization, Christians United for Israel. He'll be joined by. among others, Israel's Ambassador Sallai Meridor. And I know that Senator Lieberman was put under considerable pressure to bow out.
Gary Bauer, a former presidential candidate and a prominent conservative,(who also has endorsed John McCain) is a member of the Christian United for Israel board and is schedule to speak during the four-day summit.So is Rick Santorum, the former senator from Pennsylvania.
Morton Klein of the Zionist Organization of America also stepped forward to defend Pastor Hagee.
So did Rabbi Aryeh Scheinberg, a well respected leader among Orthodox Jews who knows Hagee personally also cam to Pastor Hagee's defense “It is ironic and absurd that when Pastor was lecturing on one of the Jewish perspectives of the Holocaust that his words were twisted and used to attack him for being anti Semitic,” he wrote on the Christians United for Israel Web site. “Viewing Hitler as acting completely outside of God’s plan is to suggest that God was powerless to stop the Holocaust, a position quite unacceptable to any religious Jew or Christian.”
Scheinberg also called Hagee “a world leader in his support of Israel.”
Rabbi Rabbi Leonard Oberstein of Baltimore,in a letter to the Baltimore Sun wrote "Thank God for Christians like the Rev. John Hagee who teach love of the Jewish people and love for the state of Israel."
Another Jewish leader supporting Hagee is Doris Wise Montrose, President of the Children Of Jewish Holocaust Survivors of Los Angeles (CJHSLA) who issued a statement saying:
Pastor Hagee is hardly the first person to posit an interactive relationship between the hand of the Creator and the fate of the Jewish people. His opinion in this matter may be uncommon in the mainstream, but it is hardly singular, remarkable or exceptional among Holocaust survivors.
Founder and president of CJHSLA, Doris Wise Montrose, said "My entire life I never heard a discussion about the Holocaust that did not bring up G-d. Many survivors, including my father, believed that G-d had a hand in the Holocaust, either by causing it or by allowing it to happen."
CJHSLA urges the public, especially the Jewish community, to recognize and appreciate Pastor Hagee's stalwart leadership in American Zionism, as well as his overt, compassionate and substantial support for Israel . Hagee's organization, Christians United for Israel , has raised over $30 million for charities in Israel , and for this he deserves our gratitude.
"What I know for certain," said Montrose, "is that 6 million Jews were brutally and systematically murdered over a period of twelve years - from 1933 to 1945 - because human beings here on earth did nothing to stop it. Pastor Hagee understands that better than most, and has made it his business not only to seek atonement for the sins of those who stood idly by, but also to ensure that history is not allowed to repeat itself."
"At CJHSLA, we stand with John Hagee," Montrose concluded. "He should be honored, not scorned."
And of course my friend Yaakov from Dry Bones has the last word on the subject.
I could hardly have said it better myself.
Dear Joshua:
ReplyDeleteAs a longtime Gary Bauer fan; I was very reassured to read your comments; of which I am in agreement. I attended CUFI last summer & was very impressed w/Pastor Hagee. I was raised a Reform Jew & Eric Joffie is a poor excuse for person and a rabbi.
For hime to suck up to Arab-Americans & Muslims, of whom he knows little, offering them the palm of friendship; while spitting at our friend Pastor Hagee. Not just spitting at Hagee, but his other congregants as well. Good and decent people who are working their hearts off for Israel and other Jewish causes.
I too, was glad to see Lieberman stand up for the right cause. I will respect him more in my thoughts. I think more Jews have got to learn the truth about Hagee and his people. We need their help and commitment if Israel is to survive. David can't fight alone anymore. There is no reason to reject these good people, just because some of their beliefs appear old school, perhaps & don't jive w/PC.
Regards,
Susanne
O.k., as much as I (a Christian Zionist myself) don't like Hagee for other reasons, I, too, stand with Hagee as far as agreeing that he is definitely not antisemitic, anti-Israel, anti-Jewish, nor does he want to bring on Armageddon -- these are all typical charges spread by the people that actually do hate Jews who rightly or wrongly see McCain as more pro-Israel and so schemed for ways to discredit him. It's pretty cool that the Jewish community can see through this smear.
ReplyDeleteRabbi Oberstein is a pretty liberal Democrat. That makes his support for Hagee all the more meaningful.
ReplyDeleteHi Susanne And welcome to Joshua's Army. I've known Gary Bauer for quite a while, ever since his presidential campaign. It was his endorsement of John McCain, along with Ollie North's that carried serious weight with me, and I may very well get involved in McCain's campaign here locally. I also met Hagee here at a pro-Israel conference, and to say the least, I was impressed. He is a good and decent man...to say the least.
ReplyDeleteHi Orde! How are you? Your analysis is spot on, except that there are unfortunately quite a few leftist Jews still drinking the Kool-Ade. But then,that's nothing new.
Hi Soccer Dad Thanks for dropping by..and congrats on getting your article picked up on the front page of
Real Clear Politics.
I remain convinced that one can be a liberal, in the classic sense, and even a Democrat and still be a decent and patriotic person.
It's all about knowing right from wrong, I think.
All Best,
ff
Excellent Joshua
ReplyDeleteI had done a long post defending Pastor Hagee the other day
Here it is
John Hagee: He Got The Word. In His Mouth. And For That ....He Must Pay.
http://babbazeesbrain.blogspot.com/2008/05/john-hagee-he-got-word-in-his-mouth-and.html
I am going to link to this story in a new post
Thanks again and to Dry Bones too for posting on this.