[wvns] Christians to train in Israel advocacy
Christians to train in Israel advocacy
MICHAL LANDO, Jerusalem Post correspondent
THE JERUSALEM POST
May. 14, 2007
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1178708600704&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/Printer
As the American Jewish community debates the pros and cons of a
growing relationship between Jews and Christian supporters of Israel,
the courtship is quietly growing more intimate.
On college campuses across the United States, Christian students are
asking to join efforts to "make the case for Israel" alongside their
Jewish counterparts, and this week their requests will begin to
materialize.
A group of Christian Zionist students at a California university, will
be trained this week in how to defend Israel in the face of campus
attacks.
The training at California State University, Bakersfield is the first
step toward establishing a college chapter of Christians United for
Israel, a year-old organization based in San Antonio, Texas started by
Evangelical Pastor John Hagee to rally Christians around support for
Israel. The chapter will be the first of its kind. The hope is to
establish similar "CUFI on Campus" chapters on college campuses across
the United States.
Over the last few years, Hagee, author of several books about biblical
prophecy and an opponent of territorial concessions to the
Palestinians on biblical grounds, has a the face of the Christian
Zionist movement, building close ties with several key Jewish
organizations such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Still trying to build itself nationally, Christians United for Israel
leaders did not intend to work with colleges so soon. But an influx of
calls from students at several campuses wanting to establish chapters
to combat anti-Israel sentiment convinced them to speed up the process.
"The last thing we want to do is turn away students," said CUFI
executive director David Brog. "We want to build the next generation."
Christians United for Israel will be partnering with organizations
such as the David Project, a Boston-based pro-Israel group that works
extensively with students at colleges and beyond, to help with their
campus outreach.
This week Andrew Summey, Christian Outreach Manager for the David
Project, is coming prepared to tackle even the most radical rhetoric
used against Israel. The curriculum was developed by the David
Project, producers of Columbia Unbecoming, a controversial movie about
Jewish students on the Columbia University campus.
He will teach the group how to respond to accusations about Israel as
"colonizer" or Israel as an "apartheid state" that have become
commonplace at US colleges.
Defending Israel comes naturally to Summey, who remembers his mom
"taking time from out of breakfast to pray for Israel" in 1982, during
the First Lebanon War.
"I grew up a Christian Zionist, thinking Israel has the right to exist
as a Jewish state and that Jews have the right to decide how to run
it," said Summey.
Judging by March's AIPAC conference in Washington, where Hagee was met
with enthusiastic applause, many Jews are supportive of a growing
alliance with Christian Zionists. Hagee drew standing ovations as he
told the 6,000 delegates, "It is 1938, Iran is Germany and Ahmadiejad
is the new Hitler."
But at the same time, a growing number of critical voices are coming
to the forefront. An article in New York's The Jewish Week prior to
the AIPAC conference included several Jewish voices skeptical of
growing ties between pro-Israel forces and the Christian Zionist
movement.
But many Israeli leaders continue to view Evangelicals as important
partners. "The State of Israel finds the Christian community an
important base of support, and we cooperate with them on many
projects," said David Saranga, Israel's consul for media and public
affairs in New York.
The consulate has an ongoing partnership with Evangelical
organizations such as Eagles' Wings to send Christian students to
Israel. "Friends can be friends and have different opinions. When it
comes to support for Israel, we have a lot of things in common," said
Saranga.
The course, "Understanding the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict" will be
offered twice over the coming week to students on the Bakersfield campus.
Though unwilling to reveal specifics about the course, part of the
hour-long program includes a video clip of Palestinian children being
taught to fight Israel. But Summey said the David Project does not
mean to suggest that the video is reflective of all Palestinians. "The
class does not take a political stance on the conflict," said Summey.
The David Project curriculum, which teaches history and politics, will
be new territory for many Christian Zionist students who are used to
justifying Israel's existence via the bible.
"We will teach them how to respond so that they can say more than just
God gave Israel the land," said Charles Jacobs, director of the David
Project. "We will teach them how to understand the conflict, not as a
border war, but as a regional conflict between Arabs and Jews, as the
centerpiece of a global war."
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