For years now, a group of hardcore activists within the mainline Protestant churches have been targeting Israel by promoting the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign. And while they have made a lot of noise, they have always met with resistance from other church leaders who see no reason to single out Israel for punishment. But now, there are worrying reports about a new anti-Zionist movement gaining steam within Evangelical circles. Now most Evangelical Christians have traditionally been very supportive of Israel based on biblical grounds and shared democratic values. But there has always been a small number of anti-Israel activists in the Evangelical ranks, especially among those involved in missions in Arab and Muslim countries. Yet there is concern that young Evangelicals in particular are not accepting the pro-Israel positions of their parents and are siding with the Palestinians in the name of “social justice.” So is there really a growing wave of anti-Israel sentiments among Evangelical Christians? How is it being manifested? Is it just among Christians in Western countries? And what’s the latest on the anti-Zionist efforts in the mainline Protestant churches? Are Evangelicals Turning on Israel? That’s our focus this week here on Front Page Jerusalem! We’ll look at the recent reports that some Evangelical Christians are abandoning the movement’s traditional stand with Israel and siding with the Palestinians. Our special guest will be Dexter van Zile, who serves as Christian media analyst for the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America. Plus, our weeklyWord From Zion segment will look deeper into this issue, and how those of us Christians who are defending Israel can be better advocates in making her case.
On today’s program we’re looking at recent reports that growing numbers of Evangelicals are turning against Israel and siding with the Palestinians. Are these reports just alarmist or is this a matter of serious concern? To find out more, Front Page senior producer David Parsons spoke this week with Dexter van Zile, who serves as Christian media analyst for the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America. Dexter has been monitoring anti-Israel activism in mainline Protestant churches for the past decade but recently began turning his attention to anti-Zionist elements operating within the Evangelical ranks.
Word From Zion
In today’s Word From Zion segment, we continue our look at whether Evangelicals who have traditionally supported Israel are now turning on the Jewish state and siding with the Palestinians.Front Page senior producer David Parsons, who is an ordained minister with the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, has more…
Join hosts Earl Cox, Ben Kinchlow and David Parsons for this week’s Front Page Jerusalem, on a radio station near you or visit our website to download the MP3 and to subscribe to program podcasts
For the past eight months, the US administration has managed to keep Israel and the Palestinians engaged in peace talks. But a deadline is fast approaching in late April for Washington to finally show some results. President Barack Obama recently hosted both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to try to push the peace process along. But there are few signs that any real progress is being made. Now with the talks at such a sensitive stage, US Secretary of State John Kerry stunned Jerusalem last week by telling members of Congress that the Netanyahu government made a mistake by insisting the Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state. Kerry added that it was also unnecessary, since Yasser Arafat already recognized Israel as a Jewish state way back in 1988. This has been a key Israeli demand for the past decade, and the current Palestinian leadership has repeatedly refused to do so. So Kerry’s claims have raised a lot of questions among Israeli leaders. Questions like, why would Kerry pick this time to undermine one of Israel’s most important positions in the peace talks? Was Kerry just misinformed or is he deliberately trying to take the pressure off the Palestinians on a core issue for Israel? What does that say about his status as an honest peace broker? And will this diplomatic gaffe spell the end of the latest US bid to resolve this long-standing conflict? Kerry’s Clumsy Push for Peace! That’s our focus next week here on Front Page Jerusalem! We’ll look at the latest US efforts to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal and why they seem to be going nowhere. Our special guest will be Amb. Alan Baker, the former chief legal advisor to Israel’s Foreign Ministry.
For years now, a group of hardcore activists within the mainline Protestant churches have been targeting Israel by promoting the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign. And while they have made a lot of noise, they have always met with resistance from other church leaders who see no reason to single out Israel for punishment. But now, there are worrying reports about a new anti-Zionist movement gaining steam within Evangelical circles. Now most Evangelical Christians have traditionally been very supportive of Israel based on biblical grounds and shared democratic values. But there has always been a small number of anti-Israel activists in the Evangelical ranks, especially among those involved in missions in Arab and Muslim countries. Yet there is concern that young Evangelicals in particular are not accepting the pro-Israel positions of their parents and are siding with the Palestinians in the name of “social justice.” So is there really a growing wave of anti-Israel sentiments among Evangelical Christians? How is it being manifested? Is it just among Christians in Western countries? And what’s the latest on the anti-Zionist efforts in the mainline Protestant churches? Are Evangelicals Turning on Israel? That’s our focus this week here on Front Page Jerusalem! We’ll look at the recent reports that some Evangelical Christians are abandoning the movement’s traditional stand with Israel and siding with the Palestinians. Our special guest will be Dexter van Zile, who serves as Christian media analyst for the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America. Plus, our weeklyWord From Zion segment will look deeper into this issue, and how those of us Christians who are defending Israel can be better advocates in making her case.
On today’s program we’re looking at recent reports that growing numbers of Evangelicals are turning against Israel and siding with the Palestinians. Are these reports just alarmist or is this a matter of serious concern? To find out more, Front Page senior producer David Parsons spoke this week with Dexter van Zile, who serves as Christian media analyst for the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America. Dexter has been monitoring anti-Israel activism in mainline Protestant churches for the past decade but recently began turning his attention to anti-Zionist elements operating within the Evangelical ranks.
For the past eight months, the US administration has managed to keep Israel and the Palestinians engaged in peace talks. But a deadline is fast approaching in late April for Washington to finally show some results. President Barack Obama recently hosted both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to try to push the peace process along. But there are few signs that any real progress is being made. Now with the talks at such a sensitive stage, US Secretary of State John Kerry stunned Jerusalem last week by telling members of Congress that the Netanyahu government made a mistake by insisting the Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state. Kerry added that it was also unnecessary, since Yasser Arafat already recognized Israel as a Jewish state way back in 1988. This has been a key Israeli demand for the past decade, and the current Palestinian leadership has repeatedly refused to do so. So Kerry’s claims have raised a lot of questions among Israeli leaders. Questions like, why would Kerry pick this time to undermine one of Israel’s most important positions in the peace talks? Was Kerry just misinformed or is he deliberately trying to take the pressure off the Palestinians on a core issue for Israel? What does that say about his status as an honest peace broker? And will this diplomatic gaffe spell the end of the latest US bid to resolve this long-standing conflict? Kerry’s Clumsy Push for Peace! That’s our focus next week here on Front Page Jerusalem! We’ll look at the latest US efforts to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal and why they seem to be going nowhere. Our special guest will be Amb. Alan Baker, the former chief legal advisor to Israel’s Foreign Ministry.
