Soul Wrestling Among ‘Good Friends’

To a Jewish soul, is it not inherently unsettling and confounding that a sizable number of Zionist leaders believe that the sovereign State of Israel’s pursuit of sovereignty hinges on the directives and impulses of an American president, backed by an evangelizing Christian base?    

At one time, Israeli leaders and activists were independent and pioneering spirits who could roll with the punches and come up on top, regardless of who sat in the Oval Office. And despite our ḥutzpah and bold initiatives, we always enjoyed the staunch support of more than a few good gentile friends from across the congressional political spectrum. 

Today our Jewish leaders have lost their voice and sense of self-determination, relinquishing it to an ambitious US Commander in Chief and his exceedingly faithful minions- who purport to know “God’s plans for the Jews.”

President Donald Trump and pro-Israel evangelicals enjoy near savior-like status among a good number of Israelis living in the “biblical heartland” of Judea and Samaria. The Jewish people have been basking in the glory of a “new dawn” in faith-based relations and diplomacy.

Indeed, this US administration, backed by bible-believing Christians, has been open-handed in their unprecedented outpouring of good-will gestures towards the Jewish state. And while it would be expected that we express gratitude to our devout allies in a mature, intelligent and cautious manner, Israel has instead been riding a reckless wave of “unconditional love” and coasting downhill towards utter dependency. It’s been a joyride marked by a tremendous lack of foresight.

What I heard from a Jewish Federation director, just over a decade ago, is now commonly inferred by Jewish and Evangelical leaders alike: “Without the support of Evangelical Christians, Israel would cease to exist.”

Today we sit on an uncomfortable and very telling cusp. Last week CUFI (Christians United for Israel), an organization boasting 8.5 million members, had their annual pro-Israel Summit curbed by Covid-19 and relegated to video-conferencing. Israel-Evangelical sails were further deflated when, in that same week, Israeli regulatory authorities “pulled the plug” on the world’s largest Christian broadcasting network for their Hebrew language messianic Christian programming which was hyper-focused on patent proselytizing to the Jews. 

In a Press Release, Israel’s GODTV/Shelanu spokesperson, Ron Cantor, appeared to make Israel’s Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Council a brazen offer they couldn’t refuse. He urged approval of the revised licensing request in order to avoid “a severe diplomatic incident with hundreds of millions of pro-Israel evangelical Christians worldwide…” The bullying tactic failed when Israel’s Hot Cable opted out of reapplying for a broadcasting license for Shelanu. 

It’s worth noting that in the three months of this highly publicized row, very few high-profile Christian friends of Israel went out on a limb for the Jewish people by offering a resounding and clearly stated “no” to proselytizing. In fact, as of this morning, “Messianic” Christian Apologist Dr. Michael Brown’s editorial piece is featured in Haaretz under the heading, “How Israel Discriminates Against Evangelical Christians.”

There’s a terrible irony and connection between these happenings. In 2006, during a live broadcast on Daystar Christian Television Network, everybody’s favorite “non-proselytizing” pastor, CUFI’s John Hagee, ceremoniously and ecstatically gave the first check towards reaching every Israeli home with the preaching of the gospel 24/7 via HOT Cable. However, having already placed their eggs in the evangelical collection basket, Jewish leadership is loath to hear that inconvenient piece of history, lest they be confused with the facts. 

Aside from a pandemic, proselytizing, pro-Israel conferences (and those distracting progressive protests in America), it seems Trump’s “Deal of the Century” and all of its trappings, has further clouded the once clear thinking and determined mission of Zionist leaders. Choose your term, but “annexation”, “sovereignty” or “applying Israeli law to Israel’s heartland” is both on and off the minds of evangelical leaders. They are preoccupied with challenges on their own home front and are also perplexed by the many reports, plans, and maps that are on and off the table in Israel. But Israel’s media, and Jewish leaders in particular are looking to the pews for a sign of conformity, for it seems they know not what to say unless they hear it from the mouth of a preacher man. 

And so far, the polls look like this (but are apt to change and waiver). Pastor John Hagee “YES”, Pastor Robert Jeffries “NO”, Mike Huckabee “YES”, Joel Rosenberg “NO”, Pastor Dr. Mike Evans “YES”   

So, listen well. While there is no evangelical consensus on Trump’s or Netanyahu’s plans, there does seem to be one when it comes to spreading the Christian gospel throughout the Holy Land. One would be hard-pressed to find a “Christian Zionist” leader today who has not either initiated, endorsed or engaged in aggressive missionary activity directed towards the Jewish people – the majority of those listed above included.

These, oh Israel, are your spokespersons.  How this came about is surely worthy of reflection and lamentation.

Some Jewish leaders have decided to assume a consensus on sovereignty issues among Israelis, perhaps in order to goad evangelicals in the right direction.

Dr. Yeḥiel Leiter, a prominent activist and leader in Samaria, penned a “Letter to an American Christian friend”, published in Yisrael Hayom last month, in which he puts the matter to rest: “You have probably heard opposition to the plan from the hard right and hard left and you might be confused as to the degree of support that such a move would have. Let me assure you that a solid majority of Israelis are in favor…”

Citing mayhem in America and mixing it with biblical references and the stuff of America’s founding fathers, Leiter’s letter concludes with a little extra incentive – a spiritual bonus of sorts: “helping to secure Israel’s future in Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley may actually be the key to a rebirth of American confidence and domestic tranquility …”.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu (Likud) opted to share our birthright in his recent video-conferenced address to CUFI: “These places… are an integral part of the historic Jewish homeland… but these areas also an integral part of Christian identity. They are part of your heritage. They are part of our common civilization and under Israel sovereignty our common heritage will be forever protected.”

There are those Jewish leaders among us who are determined to harness the political power of hundreds of millions of evangelical Christians, regardless of the costs. They are locked in a desperate embrace with those who actively aspire to change our very essence and destroy the very foundations of our faith. 

But in a bizarre twist of fate, Israel has just been separated from the nations. The tourism and mega-conferences have come to a halt. Yaakov indeed remains alone. Alone and in solitude to reboot and reflect, and to remember who he is and where he is standing.  You want true sovereignty? Let us use the opportunity to take the theology, eschatology and American-style liberties out of our relationship with devout evangelicals. Bring it down to earth and inject it with morality, integrity and with the ethical imperative that is found in our Torah.