ZGram - 10/15/2004 - "Christian Zionists betraying their own countries: One of the saddest sights on earth"

[zgrams at zgrams.zundelsite.org]

ZGrams - Where Truth is Destiny:  Now more than ever!

October 15, 2004

Good Morning from the Zundelsite:

Without comment:

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Christian Zionists

BEHIND THE HEADLINES Evangelical Christians rally en masse for the Jewish state

By Dina Kraft JERUSALEM, Oct. 5 (JTA) -

"I Stand by Israel" reads Christel Diekmann's T-shirt as Star of 
David earrings dangle above her shoulders.

On her 34th pilgrimage to Israel, she is one of more than 4,000 
evangelical Christians from across the globe who have gathered here 
to pledge their unconditional support for the Jewish state.

"If I believe in the Bible I have to help Israel," said Diekmann, 51, 
who runs a Jewish-Christian outreach organization in Oberursel, 
Germany.

Dismissing any skepticism about the unflinching support for Israel 
offered by the evangelists, American television evangelist Pat 
Robertson, the highest profile of the pilgrims, who has spoken out 
vehemently against Palestinian statehood and militant Islam, said, 
"I'm one of the best friends you've ever had."

As other Christian groups consider divestment campaigns against 
Israel and anti-Israel sentiment across the world grows, many here 
welcomed the visiting Christians.

Israel's minister of Diaspora affairs, Natan Sharanksy, who spoke to 
and was honored by the visiting pilgrims, told JTA that the 
evangelical Christians are good for the Jewish people.

"First of all, they are friends and secondly they are very important 
allies," he said in a phone interview, adding that the evangelicals 
have "moral clarity" about the Israeli-Arab conflict.

Sharansky noted that the evangelicals' theology about the Messiah is 
different from that of the Jews, but said that it did not matter for 
now, noting it could be a long time till the Messiah comes.

The Christians have gathered in Israel this week to celebrate the 
Sukkot holiday in what they call their annual Feast of the 
Tabernacles, a festival they say was traditionally a time for 
non-Jews to celebrate along with Jews during the period of the 
ancient Temples.

The festival is organized by the International Christian Embassy, 
whose officials dub the event the largest solidarity mission to 
Israel this year.

"We found that Israel has not run out of adversaries and she needs 
friends," said David Parsons, spokesman for the International 
Christian Embassy in Jerusalem.

"When we read our Bibles, we see it has wonderful things to say about 
Judaism and Israel," he said.

"It's a biblical basis of support and we find that from many 
different backgrounds" the thing the pilgrims have in common "is the 
Bible and a God-given love for Israel."

The Christian Embassy was founded 25 years ago, Parsons said, "to 
minister comfort to the Jewish people" and to show Jews that there 
are those who were dismayed by the history of Christian anti-Semitism 
and wanted to stand with Israel and its right to exist.

According to Parsons, with its representatives in 80 countries, the 
International Christian Embassy is probably the world's largest 
Christian Zionist organization.

The organization said it did not believe in the End of Days scenario 
that Jews are to be gathered back to Israel for their eventual 
destruction after Armageddon.

"We don't think they are being gathered back to be annihilated. We 
believe God will protect this nation no matter what comes," Parsons 
said.

At a news conference, Robertson evaded the question of whether in the 
long run, Jews and Christians were at odds theologically.

"I don't know," he told reporters, "It's in God's hands."

Part of God's plan, he said, is for the ingathering of Jews back to 
Israel. He and other evangelists see God's hand in the creation of 
Israel. And he said he sees Arabs' attempts to foil the state part of 
"Satan's plan."

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein is probably the Jewish figure most intensely 
linked with Christian evangelists. As the founder of the 
International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, he has been working 
with them for almost 30 years.

He said in that time he has seen more Christian support for Israel 
and increasingly positive Jewish attitudes toward such Christians.

"I've seen a change in Jewish attitudes, people are much more 
positive and open and saying, 'Thank you.'

"They are aware that these people are our friends," he said, adding 
that having Christian friends is a critical asset for Israel and the 
fight against world anti-Semitism.

Eckstein said it is especially important for Jews now to link up with 
Christian supporters when there are so many born-again Christians at 
the top levels of the American government, including President Bush, 
Attorney General John Ashcroft and the majority leader of the House 
of Representatives, Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas).

Eckstein's organization raises some $20 million a year from 
Christians abroad for causes in Israel such as soup kitchens and 
immigrant absorption.

He said his organization encourages churches not only to pray for 
Israel but to contribute financially and lobby for Israel.

Some Orthodox Jews in Israel are especially wary of Christian 
evangelists because of potential proselytizing.

Orthodox Jews here worry about missionary activity "of which there is 
no small amount in Israel," said Jonathan Rosenblum, director of 
Jewish Media Resources, an Orthodox media resource organization.

Singing "We Love Israel," waving Israeli flags and blowing shofars, 
thousands of pilgrims from the 80 countries represented at the Sukkot 
gathering took to Jerusalem's streets Monday to express their support 
for Israel.

They passed out their country's flags as well as candy to the large 
crowds of Jerusalemites who gathered to watch their parade wind 
through downtown.

People are here "because we believe in God and God is the God of 
Israel, so we love the people of the land," said Ruben Pavia, 43, a 
bank clerk from Belem, Brazil, wearing Brazil's national colors of 
green and yellow and waving his country's flag along with dozens of 
his fellow Brazilians.

Dancing with a group representing the Ivory Coast, 34-year-old Jean 
Paul Dogo, who works as a translator for his West African country's 
first lady, praised Israel.

"We love Israel, our hearts are with Israel without conditions. They 
are our brothers," he said.

In the crowd of onlookers there were smiles and hands grasped in 
greeting with the marchers. Many waved and shouted "Shalom" in return 
to the greetings of the pilgrims.

"You see I am crying. I am very moved because we are so alone and 
this gives us feeling that someone cares," said Miriam Bennet, 57, a 
homemaker from Bnei Brak.

She said she did not mind that the marchers were devout Christians. 
"We can't all be Jewish," she mused. "It's just nice to see we are 
not alone."

<http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?strwebhead=Evangelicals+rally+for+Israel&intcategoryid=1>http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?strwebhead=Evangelicals+rally+for+Israel&intcategoryid=1

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