Sharon meets 'Jews for Jesus' follower
The Jerusalem Post
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, interested in shoring up his standing in the influential US Evangelical Christian community, met eight leading Evangelical figures Tuesday, including Jay Sekulow, a high profile Messianic Jew.
Sekulow, who runs a conservative civil liberties group called the American Center for Law & Justice that was set up by evangelist Pat Robertson, is considered close to US President George W. Bush and was one of three strategists charged by the White House with the task of getting Bush's controversial court nominees through the Senate.
An official in the Prime Minister's Office said Sharon was unaware of Sekulow's Jewish background.
"These are hard-core Republicans very supportive of Israel," the official said. "When they come here, we don't ask what their religion is. The man is willing to do a lot for the state of Israel."
Sekulow is also the host of a daily radio show aired on some 550 stations.
Among the others in the delegation were Paul Crouch, the founder and President of the world's largest Christian television network, the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), Michael Little, the President and Chief Operating Officer of The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) and Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals.
The meeting was very friendly, the officials said, with the delegation coming to "show solidarity for Sharon."
"We want you to know that we stand behind you in efforts to bring peace," an official in Sharon's office quoted Haggard as telling Sharon.
Haggard told Sharon that the official policy of the organization he represents is "to support the state of Israel come hell or high water. We are staunch supporters. We believe that you were chosen by God to lead the people of Israel in this difficult period. We fully support you, because we believe it is God's will."
He said that Bush used those exact words – support for Israel 'come hell or high water' – during a meeting the President had with Evangelical leaders prior to November's elections.
The main purpose of the delegation's visit, according to officials in the Prime Minister's Office, was to help market Israel to the enormous Evangelical community abroad. These officials noted Evangelical tourists continued to visit Israel through the recent violence, just as they did even when scud missiles wee falling during the first Gulf war.
Sharon, according to a spokesman, told the delegation to "keep praying, it seems to help."
Comment (from Signs of the Times): So how does one reconcile standing behind a known war criminal like Sharon in his efforts to bring peace (supposedly with the Palestinians) with supporting said war criminal "come hell or high water" and the belief that the war criminal was appointed by God? Clearly, these all-too-powerful American Christian fundies are desirous of only one thing: the return of "Jesus", which, according to their insane beliefs in a text (the bible) that is of wholly human origin, can only come about after the wars of "Armageddon" that will, we are told, take place in the Middle East when the forces of "the Lord" (Christian fundies) will defeat the forces of "darkness" (Muslims).
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, interested in shoring up his standing in the influential US Evangelical Christian community, met eight leading Evangelical figures Tuesday, including Jay Sekulow, a high profile Messianic Jew.
Sekulow, who runs a conservative civil liberties group called the American Center for Law & Justice that was set up by evangelist Pat Robertson, is considered close to US President George W. Bush and was one of three strategists charged by the White House with the task of getting Bush's controversial court nominees through the Senate.
An official in the Prime Minister's Office said Sharon was unaware of Sekulow's Jewish background.
"These are hard-core Republicans very supportive of Israel," the official said. "When they come here, we don't ask what their religion is. The man is willing to do a lot for the state of Israel."
Sekulow is also the host of a daily radio show aired on some 550 stations.
Among the others in the delegation were Paul Crouch, the founder and President of the world's largest Christian television network, the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), Michael Little, the President and Chief Operating Officer of The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) and Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals.
The meeting was very friendly, the officials said, with the delegation coming to "show solidarity for Sharon."
"We want you to know that we stand behind you in efforts to bring peace," an official in Sharon's office quoted Haggard as telling Sharon.
Haggard told Sharon that the official policy of the organization he represents is "to support the state of Israel come hell or high water. We are staunch supporters. We believe that you were chosen by God to lead the people of Israel in this difficult period. We fully support you, because we believe it is God's will."
He said that Bush used those exact words – support for Israel 'come hell or high water' – during a meeting the President had with Evangelical leaders prior to November's elections.
The main purpose of the delegation's visit, according to officials in the Prime Minister's Office, was to help market Israel to the enormous Evangelical community abroad. These officials noted Evangelical tourists continued to visit Israel through the recent violence, just as they did even when scud missiles wee falling during the first Gulf war.
Sharon, according to a spokesman, told the delegation to "keep praying, it seems to help."
Comment (from Signs of the Times): So how does one reconcile standing behind a known war criminal like Sharon in his efforts to bring peace (supposedly with the Palestinians) with supporting said war criminal "come hell or high water" and the belief that the war criminal was appointed by God? Clearly, these all-too-powerful American Christian fundies are desirous of only one thing: the return of "Jesus", which, according to their insane beliefs in a text (the bible) that is of wholly human origin, can only come about after the wars of "Armageddon" that will, we are told, take place in the Middle East when the forces of "the Lord" (Christian fundies) will defeat the forces of "darkness" (Muslims).
posted by Traveller at
9:25 a.m.
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