The Hagel opposition in the Senate is strongest on the right, of course, and no one should ignore the role of the Pastor John Hagee's rapture-ready Christian Zionist advocacy organization Christians United for Israel (CUFI), which hosted an "emergency summit" days before the now infamous Senate confirmation hearing on Hagel.
While the leading Israel lobby group AIPAC has maintained that it is neutral on Hagel's nomination to be secretary of Defense, 400 of CUFI's Christian leaders and some rabbis, too, from 46 states descended on Capitol Hill, "swarming Senate offices" in fierce opposition to Hagel. (Read Ron Kampeas's report here.)
How does the Israel lobby work? Check out the above video of Hagee bragging on his methods of congressional persuasion, back in 2008. What follows is a transcript of the conversation with Daystar television host Marcus Lamb, beginning with Hagee talking about his visit to AIPAC, the lead Israel lobby group:
Hagee: They stood up and gave a thunderous applause of the things that was said. The Jewish leaders from all over America wrote me and said it was a historic day because you brought God's presence to AIPAC and they said it was the turning of the tide for the Jewish community in America realized it was a new day where Christians truly were standing up for the Jewish people without a hidden agenda, without trying to get something for it. And it is a new day as people go to these 70 'Nights to honor Israel' that we've had all over the nation. As pastors across the nation join Christians United for Israel and if you are a pastor watching this telecast and you want to become a part of Christians United for Israel I want you to go on line to CUFI.org or call me tomorrow and tell me who you are. I want to know your name because we have now 80,000 spiritual leaders in this nation and some of those spiritual leaders have a million and a million and a half names on their mailing list and email and we are talking to twenty eight to thirty eight, twenty eight to thirty million people every Monday morning in the intelligence report that I send out all over the nation. And when we go to Washington July 21, 22, 23 we are going before the government, just like Esther went before the government.
Lamb: Yeah
Hagee: It's a practical effort to fulfill Isaiah 62; for Zion's sake I will not be silent and I will not be quiet. Israel needs a strong voice in government other than themselves.
Lamb: Right, that's right
Hagee: When a senator sees Mr. Goldberg coming he knows he is for the Jewish people but when he sees, when we took our Texas delegation of 850 people and our Senators saw them they thought 'this is the whole national organization,' I said 'No, these are Texans that vote for you or against you based on your position of Israel.' I said, 'those two television cameras up there are recording what you are about to say and you live or die based on your support of Israel; you're on.'
Lamb: Wow
Hagee: Whoa he walked up, I wanna tell you he was enthusiastic about it. But that's what Israel needs in Washington is a voice. Washington doesn't care if we go up there and sing Amazing Grace, they could care less. When you go in their office and say 'I live in your district and I am here as a Christian to stand up for the nation of Israel.' We give them talking points about what to say so every senator, every congressman hears the same message. But it's very important that a Christian voice is practically doing something.
Marcus Lamb: That's right, to benefit the Jewish State.
You live or die based on your support of Israel. How simple is that? None of this nightflower routine. And the talking points are streamlined-- "I live in your district and I am here as a Christian to stand up for the nation of Israel"-- so there's no mistaking, no wishy-washy stuff when the senators appear before the cameras.
Because I know how thrilling it is following CUFI, don't miss this other blast from the past video (2007). Hagee introduces former and future Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who addresses the crowd (@ 6 minutes): "The greatest threat we've faced in 100 years" is, you guessed it, Iranian missles.
No better friends than...CUFI.....this common bond between us now stands as the pivotal axis
(Did he mean axis or access?) And don't forget David Brog, executive director of CUFI. Other parts of the Israel lobby have remained neutral, or seemingly neutral for Hagel. Not Brog, as the Weekly Standard reminds us:
“CUFI opposes the nomination of Sen. Chuck Hagel as Defense Secretary. While we admire his past service to our country, his record concerning Iran and Hezbollah indicates an unacceptable blindness to the greatest security threat of our day.”
According to a CUFI bio in '07, The Forward listed Brog in its "Forward 50" most influential Jews in America. He also happens to be Ehud Barak's cousin. Talk about access!
For more understanding of why Christian Zionists oppose Hagel’s nomination check out Jay Sekulow "one of the 25 most influential Evangelical Americans," and Chief Counsel for Pat Robertson's American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ). Or this Jerusalem Post article on how modern Christian Zionism was birthed, and why.
Oh what a tangled web!
(Hat tip Niko)
Hagee is so American. He could never have been spawned in Europe.
Nobody buys that brand of Christian fundamentalism in the old country.
Seafoid – “He could never have been spawned in Europe.”
You defined the main problem for the whole world.
All the major European Churches care about centuries-old Christian traditions, even the churches that are “sola scriptura” (“Bible only”).
Oxymoronic “Christian Zionism” is a more recent invention.
“I said, ‘those two television cameras up there are recording what you are about to say and you live or die based on your support of Israel; …” Hagee
Well heck, looks like we have to have another Civil war.
I wouldn’t pay Hagee too much attention Annie. Most consider him a heretic. He’s got a big church and a big mouth but he doesn’t represent the majority of CZ’s.
just because he doesn’t represent the majority of CZ’s or regardless of what most people consider him, would you consider his influence nominal? and if it was nominal why do you think key people like netanyahu (or open the last link) pay him any mind? when hagee said ‘those two television cameras up there are recording what you are about to say …..you’re on.’ i did imagine he was actually there prepping a senator before he went on film, and i thought of those senate hearings where they mentioned israel 147 times on camera. i think the lobby works thru hagee, and i think the executive director of CUFI (“Forward 50″ most influential Jews in America) as well as ACJL’s Sekulow (“one of the 25 most influential Evangelical Americans,”), both jewish, both very connected to the lobby, can attest to that. so i’m not sure how one can dismiss the influence of hagee if he’s acting as an arm of aipac, which he clearly is.
Annie – – I agree with you that the Rev. John Hagee and his virtually insane notions are very dangerous. Wanting Jews to expel all Christians from “the Land of Israel”!
How very Christian of him. And Jesus wants you to be rich .
Hi Annie,
Sorry, I was a couple of glasses of wine in and made a quick post last night. What I mean is this. Hagee is basically a nutjob. AIPAC, Netanyahu and every Zionist knows this, but are grateful for his support. This is a good thing as it points that Zionism is utterly bereft of morals when it comes to supporting their cause. The fact that CZ theology demands that Jews convert or die is bad enough, but Hagee’s brand goes a step further and claims that Jews don’t need Christ in order for salvation.
Here’s where it all goes wrong. As soon as good Christians and more importantly good Christian GOP politicians like McCain realise that Hagee is a heretic, the better. He’s doing enough damage by himself.
FreddV – - The Rev. John Hagee is much more dangerous that you appear to comprehand.
Canning – “…much more dangerous… ” He knows. He is Hagee’s lawyer.
Annie – - In effect, of course, the Rev. John Hagee is an Aipac stooge. Even if Hagee claims to want Jews to suffer eternal damnation.
David Brog apparently fails to comprehend that Hezbollah would much prefer to concentrate its energies on improving the social and other conditions of the Shia community in Lebanon.
Or, if he does grasp this fact, he conceals it from the grossly ignorant members of CUFI.
RE: “You live or die based on your support of Israel. How simple is that?“ ~ Annie Robbins
MY COMMENT: Simple enough for even a dimwitted ‘nut job’ like Michele Bachmann to understand.
SEE: “Bachmann: America ‘cursed’ by God ‘if we reject Israel’”, By Andy Birkey, The Minnesota Independent, 02/08/10
P.S. A PETITION AT “THE NATION” (MAGAZINE)
Tell Boehner: Remove Michele Bachmann from the Intelligence Committee
● TO SIGN THE PETITION - link to thenation.com
RE: “For more understanding of why Christian Zionists oppose Hagel’s nomination check out . . . this Jerusalem Post article on how modern Christian Zionism was birthed, and why. Oh what a tangled web!” ~ Annie Robbins
REGARDING “HOW MODERN CHRISTIAN ZIONIST DOCTRINE WAS BIRTHED”, ALSO SEE: “Grace Halsell: De-bunker of Christian Zionist Doctrine”, by Stuart Littlewood, Palestine Chronicle, 8/11/12
ENTIRE ARTICLE – link to palestinechronicle.com
P.S. ALSO SEE THIS COMMENT BY ANNIE ON THE HISTORY OF DISPENSATIONALISM - link to mondoweiss.net
Christian Zionism is more oxymoronic than Liberal Zionism.
Question for fellow commenters: When politicians like Lindsey Graham (ie from states with no Jews but where CZs can swing an election) kiss up to Israel to no end, think they are more concerned about getting noticed by Jewish Zionist donors or Christian Zionist voters?
JZdonors for sure. read the JTA kampeas link
they don’t tow the line there’s an onslaught against them.
I’d propose to spread the voice that Hagee is just a restyling of Hadji. The guy is just a camouflaged Moslem terrast. Spread the word!
Hey, anything can happen with these crazies.
These Christian tools of which i once was, have been cultivated, as the Queen Esther quoting Christians are apt to say ” for such a time as this”.
from the Forward feb 2, 2007
Malcolm Hoenlein being quoted.
“In the beginning of the Iraq war they talked about the neocons‚ as a code word,” Hoenlein said. “Now we see that code words are no longer necessary.” He warned that the United States is nearing a situation similar to that of Britain, where delegitimization of Israel is widespread.
“This is a cancer that starts from the top and works its way down,” he said. “It poisons the opinions among elites which trickle down into society.”
According to Hoenlein, such critics tend not only to delegitimize Israel but also to “intimidate American Jews not to speak out.” He called on American Jews to take action against this phenomenon, saying that Christian Zionists seemed at times more willing than Jews to fight back.
The tenets of CUFI appear to manifest elements of a familiar fatalistic Christian heresy arising from efforts to overcome the dichotomy between freewill on the one hand and the accomplishment of the purposes of an all-powerful God on the other. It’s roots lie in Calvinism and it was successively condemned by the Vatican in the 17th and 18th centuries. How strange to see it back again in 21st century America.
hey folks — here’s a quick report from the rural South. In my work, I travel around backroads in the rural South. Over the years, I have often listened to Christian radio (as a devout and very Left Christian, I love the gospel music, even as the theology grieves me).
I’m here to report that there seems to be a considerable increase in the air play of bizarre Christian Zionist radio programs on ordinary religious stations. Just an impression, but would be interesting to investigate. Some of it seems unusually sophisticated in its production values, music, etc. There’s more Hebrew & Jewish cultural content — e.g., music, little radio dramas. One program stood out from Sid Roth http://www.sidroth.org but in addition, there were others with cultish & elaborate “End Times” speculation on current events — e.g., showing that tornadoes, sudden disasters that smite anyone who criticizes Jewish people — within days, or at most a week. Pervasive dreadful racist views of Muslims & others in Middle East.
WWJD (what would Jesus do) to respond to this hatefilled speech? It’s particularly disturbing that this kind of propaganda preys on people who are being hit hard by current US economy, in marginalized rural economies, where school & other public goods are hit by austerity. It’s pretty glossy stuff being purveyed to people who aren’t in a position to critically interrogate what they’re hearing.