{"id":11,"date":"2008-03-11T10:18:07","date_gmt":"2008-03-11T10:18:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/stevenwaldman\/2008\/03\/hagee-the-jews.html"},"modified":"2008-03-11T10:18:07","modified_gmt":"2008-03-11T10:18:07","slug":"hagee-the-jews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/stevenwaldman\/2008\/03\/hagee-the-jews.html","title":{"rendered":"Hagee & the Jews"},"content":{"rendered":"

By the way, John Hagee has been controversial in the Jewish community, for reasons you might not expect. Though he’s been anti-Catholic and anti-Muslim, Hagee has been a defender of Jews and foe of anti-Semiticism. His group Christians United For Israel has raised money and lobbied for Israel, to the point that Hagee is now an invited guest speaker at prestigious Jewish functions.
\nHe’s controversial, though, because the reason he supports Israel is that he believes it will play a crucial role in an End Times apocalypse. He believes that for the Rapture and Christ\u2019s return to occur, there will need to be a catastrophic war in the Middle East. He opposes a two-state solution in the Mideast and is hankering for war with Iran. In other words, he has a theological desire for tensions to be worse not better in the Mideast.
\nBut because he supports Israel, he has earned tremendous support from American Jews., As the Forward<\/a> put it;<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd like orphans parched for love, we run to drink Hagee\u2019s Kool-Aid. So he is invited to the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and is greeted there with rapturous applause. He is given the \u201cHumanitarian of the Year\u201d award by the San Antonio B\u2019nai B\u2019rith Council. He is honored with the Zionist Organization of America\u2019s \u201cIsrael Award.\u201d In the two years since its birth, CUFI [Christian United For Israel] has sponsored 75 times, in cities all across America, a \u201cNight to Honor Israel,\u201d most if not all including participation by local rabbis and Jewish federation executives.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Perhaps McCain saw a Hagee endorsement as a two-fer, winning over both Christians and Jews. Now he\u2019s facing charges that he\u2019s soft on anti-Catholic bigotry. Religious pandering is complicated, isn\u2019t?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By the way, John Hagee has been controversial in the Jewish community, for reasons you might not expect. Though he’s been anti-Catholic and anti-Muslim, Hagee has been a defender of Jews and foe of anti-Semiticism. 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