Max Blumenthal’s recent article, “ Birth Pangs of a New Christian Zionism,” contains a number of inaccuracies and misrepresentations of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), Pastor John Hagee and my role with the organization.
Mr. Blumenthal’s portrayal notwithstanding, it doesn’t take an extremist Jew to stand with Christian allies, and it doesn’t take extremist Christians to stand with Israel. Christian Zionists are the theological progeny of the religious righteous gentiles who saved Jews from the Holocaust, and true to their creed, they are seeking to stand with the Jews against current threats to their existence. For a Jew to work with such Christians is a natural expression of brotherhood and gratitude.
CUFI was created to be a positive, supportive voice from the Christian community for the Jewish people and the State of Israel. We believe that all Americans–Republican or Democrat, Jew or Gentile–should speak out with one voice against those who are bent on the destruction of our allies.
The reasons CUFI stands so strongly in defense of Israel are twofold: First, the enemies of Israel are the enemies of America. We, as a nation, have a duty to support and defend our allies around the world. Second, we, as people of faith, believe that we have a biblical responsibility to speak out against those who seek to destroy Israel.
Tensions in the Middle East are escalating every day, and the threats to Israel are real and immediate. Whether it is Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s declaring that Israel “should be wiped off the map” or Hezbollah’s violence along the border with Lebanon, there is active and growing aggression against Israel and the Jewish people.
Pastor John Hagee has been a proud and reliable friend to the Jewish people for more than 25 years, and we at CUFI are proud to stand with the majority of Americans in support of Israel. As threats against Israel continue to grow, the Jewish people can count on the continued, honest and genuine support of millions of Christians in the United States and worldwide.
