Evangelical Christians and Israel: readers' reactions

Our guest last week, Zev Chafets, answered questions on the strange and fascinating relations between Evangelical Christians, Israel and the American Jewish community. This dialog attracted a lot of readers' reactions, some of whom sent a note to the talkback machine, and others who wrote both to ask and to comment.

The dialog is still available, and you can all read it (but don't send more questions, Chafets has done his part). A couple of months ago I had a similar dialog with David Brog, author of Standing with Israel: Why Christians Support the Jewish State. "American Jews are uncomfortable joining evangelicals in support of Israel," he wrote, "because they believe that evangelicals are too conservative when it comes to American social policy, Israeli foreign policy, or both. I think that this discomfort is largely misplaced."

Here are some highlights from Chafets, and a couple of paragraphs from some of the reactions I got in my mail box. As you might have guessed, and as is evident from most of the reactions, the work both Brog and Chafets have cast for themselves - that is, convincing the liberal, suspicious, Democrat, American Jews that Evangelicals can be "true allies" - is not an easy one.

First, Chafets:

"Conservative Christians are great allies. Like Jews, they love Israel. Unlike Jews, they are not vulnerable to charges of 'neo-con' dual loyalty, they don't give a damn about sophisticated European opinion and they are not afflicted with the need to seem balanced."

"Probably a majority of conservative evangelicals support the Israeli right-wing and its settlement policies? But most conservative Evangelicals support whatever Israeli government is in power - left and right."

"The Jewish community needs to change the way it disparages Evangelicals. You can disagree politically or culturally without ridiculing your opponents as bumpkins, bigots, anti-Semites or dunces. Jews don't want to be defamed, and they need to be a little more careful about defaming others. Especially people who want to be their friends."

And now, to the readers' reactions:

Zev Chafets' claim that "common interests" such as AIDS and Darfur are reasons for closer interaction between Jews and Evangelicals is at the very best laughable. As a Jew, an Australian and a law student, I am utterly ashamed to have any connection with those such as Zev Chafets. Such Neo-Conservative ramblings belong only with those who fill their lives with hate, judgment and self-supremacy-qualities that to the best of my knowledge do not make a "Good Jew" or, for that matter, a "Good Christian." Many of us long ago accepted that the Religous Right would have a disproportionate influence over Israeli society... please spare the rest of the modern world your hate-based, uninspiring agenda.

Luke Huggard

We can't cooperate with people who have no compassion toward gays, liberals, seculars and, yes, Palestinians. If you work with them on Darfur you give them the legitimacy they do not deserve.

Sara Bental

This is the best dialog you ever had, Mr. Rosner. A breeze of fresh air. The statements made by Mr. Chafets, especially those concerning the bigotry - yes, bigotry - of the Jewish community show him to be a man of courage. It's time for us all to respect and show some appreciation to our friends. The Evangelicals are good friends, but I will also add President Bush. He deserves better from the Jewish community.

Joe L.

You're jumping on the wrong train. The Evangelicals are getting weaker politically, and Israel would be better advised to keep some distance from them.

Leslie Bell

They are not "great allies" but rather the allies that have only two things in mind (and don't you believe Chafets' propaganda). They want Jews to convert to Christianity, and they want Israel to disappear in flames so the messiah can come again. Better for Jews and Israelis to stick to their real friends - those who want Israel to pull out of the occupied territories and live securely and peacefully.

David Gurevitz

You ask all of us to be tolerant toward those who have never shown any tolerance to others. I can understand why Israel might need to suck up to these people, but the interest of Israel is not necessarily the interest of American Jews. Even if we love Israel (as I do) we can't compromise our core principals in the name of "helping Israel". Mr. Rosner, as someone who writes both for Israelis and Americans you should keep in mind that we have our shared values and interests, but we also have more specific needs that aren't the same.

Dianne Berkowitz

To be continued...