Pastor John Hagee hailed as hero of Israel Print

Written by the Jewish Tribune staff

Monday, 28 July 2008

WASHINGTON, DC – Dennis Prager gave a riveting speech of endorsement for Pastor John Hagee last week at a Christians United for Israel (CUFI) conference here that drew thousands from Canada and the United States, citing him as one of the great heroes in the defence of the state of Israel. In his opening remarks, Prager spoke of the great loss of secular and leftist Jews. Universities which have become temples for secular Jews are now filled with antisemitism and these Jews are full of despair. Prager added that Fundamentalist Christians appear to be the Jewish community’s best friends and allies in the fight for Israel, a nightmare scenario for secular and leftist Jews alike.

Experts such as Daniel Pipes advised the audience about Islamist terrorism and the threat to western civilization and, on the closing night, the choir danced a Hora, the fiddler played a hoedown, and US Senator Joe Lieberman cited scripture and praised Hagee for his determination and commitment to the welfare of the Jewish people and the Jewish state.

Hagee publicly proclaimed that his enemies would never draw him away from Israel. Members of CUFI, the movement that John Hagee founded, travelled this past week from across the United States and nine countries, including Canada, to pack the cavernous Washington Convention Centre in a defiant show of strength.

The movement, which started in the United States, is now taking on an international scope as Christians worldwide seek to align themselves with the message that Hagee is preaching.

Hagee’s unwavering support for Israel and the policies of establishing Jewish communities throughout biblical Israel has been troublesome to some of the left-wing Jewish organizations and leaders. However, Hagee has raised $30 million since the early 1980s, which has been used for a myriad of projects in Israel.

In 2006, he went nationwide by founding CUFI with an array of other popular evangelical preachers. Hagee clearly deflected what he said were the erroneous charges levelled against him by those who sought to undermine his popularity and growing support within the evangelical movement.

At the closing banquet, with an estimated 5,000 people attending, Hagee expressed his skepticism for land-for-peace formulas but clearly stated that it is up to the Israelis to decide and they have the right to make the decision. This was obviously a reference to Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, who earlier this year unsuccessfully urged Jewish groups to cut off John Hagee in part because of his strident advocacy of community building in Judea and Samaria and because of concerns that Hagee would seek to undermine the Israeli peace movement by opposing the division of Jerusalem.

Most interesting was the participation at the evening’s event by Roman Catholic lay leaders who had publicly reconciled their differences with the evangelical leaders. They noted that the media had failed to divide the Christian groups and had actually acted as a catalyst to bring them together.

Israeli and American flags were waved throughout the evening as Hagee’s choir and orchestra performed traditional Jewish melodies with a Country Western bent. Most impressive was Hagee’s long-time friend from San Antonio, Rabbi Aryeh Scheinberg, who blessed the evening’s events and who was singled out by Hagee for giving him a chance to prove his friendship for the Jews 26 years ago when the first Night to Honour Israel was inaugurated.

Impressive were the words of Dan Gillerman, the outgoing Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, who told the assembled audience that their love for Israel sustained him throughout his six years in the post.

“I pray that God will continue to bless you with success,” Gillerman said.

Lieberman, former US vice presidential candidate, spoke of the efforts of left-wing Jewish organizations to dissuade him from attending the event.

He made it a point to indicate his respect and admiration for Pastor Hagee, and under no circumstances would he acquiesce to the demands of the Jewish left wingers who sought to isolate Pastor Hagee. Lieberman indicated that the presence and the lobbying efforts of CUFI were critical in the capital and that congressmen and senators would take note of the impressive delegation and strength of the group.

Presentations were also made by the following: Charles Jacobs, founder and president of the David Project Center for Jewish Leadership; Roz Rothstein, international director of StandWithUs; Nitsana Darshan-Leiter, director of Shurat HaDin (Israel Law Center); Brad Gordon, co-director of policy and government Affairs at AIPAC, and Frank Gaffney, president, Center for Security Policy.

The Canadian contingent was led by Dr. Charles McVety, president of Canada Christian College, who also acted as a moderator for the special session of the overseas delegations.

It was also most interesting that an Orthodox minyan was held at the Convention, indicating the representation from various Jewish organizations, including Rabbi Pesach Lerner, executive vice president of the Young Israel Movement, as well as other rabbinical figures and leaders from Israel.

Kosher food was available throughout the event, enabling the participation of observant Jews.

– with files from JTA