'Allying with Christian Zionists is bad for Israel'

[Phx_Dem]

NEW YORK - "No, we cannot." We cannot cooperate with the Christian Zionists, Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, President of the Union for Reform Judaism, told the annual conference of the movement's rabbis Wednesday night in Cincinnati, Ohio, according to copies of the speech distributed ahead of time to the press.

Not an easy thing to say, considering their powerful numbers and the depth of the Evangelicals' support for Israel. But Yoffie thinks it is important - not because of their stance on abortion, their policies against homosexuals or the fact they do not respect members of other religions.

These elements certainly add to the argument, particularly the last factor, but they are not the main reasons. "What they mean by support of Israel and what we mean by support of Israel are two very different things," Yoffie says, highlighting the real reason. No one familiar with Yoffie's record and his positions on Israel would question his commitment to the state. He is one of the main proponents within the URJ for tightening the movement's bond with Israel, a bond that has not always been self-evident. This gives Yoffie's declaration special importance.

This isn't the first time the issue has come up among American Jews, but in the past most of the focus was on domestic issues. To put it simply, the question was: What's more important - fighting the Evangelicals over the image of America, or allying ourselves with them for Israel's sake? Two and a half years ago, Yoffie himself slammed the Evangelicals' attitudes to homosexuality.

More at:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/971196.html

[Behind the Aegis]

1. I would agree.

Their reasons and our reasons are not even remotely close, only the "outcome" (support for Israel) is the same. In my opinion, it is no different than "progressives" who ally themselves with anti-Semites.

[Phx_Dem]

2. agreed

Unfortunately Conservative Judaism is a little conflicted about Hagee's support:

'On the one hand, there's a desire to have as strong a support for Israel as possible,' said Rabbi Joel Meyers, who heads the Rabbinical Assembly, an umbrella group of Conservative rabbis. 'On the other hand, there's concern that no one wants to back any religious extremist. And some of the comments coming from some of the leaders of the evangelical movement are certainly extreme when they talk about other faiths.

'That makes a lot of people, including myself, very uneasy.'


'Will I welcome Hagee's support? Absolutely,' said Rabbi Jerome Epstein, executive vice president of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. 'Would I want his endorsement, or would I appear with him? No, because I don't want to be associated with his positions.'


http://www.theledger.com/article/20080322/NEWS/68685691/1021/LIFE

[Meshuga]

3. Rabbi Yoffie rarely disappoints

And I admire his courage for taking this position. Allying with Christian Zionists is bad for Israel. :-)