The Tea Party and Israel
The Jerusalem Post is running a piece today on the "Christian ties" of the Tea Party. The Public Religion Research Institute recently conducted a phone survey that focused on domestic issues (e.g., abortion, immigration, gay rights), and attempts are now being made to divine from the results what Tea Partiers are likely to believe regarding the American relationship with Israel. (I hope another survey that addresses this and other international questions directly will be conducted soon, and that Tea Party candidates will be asked these questions.) The central issue of the Post's piece is whether Republicans who identify as "conservative Christians," as do the majority of surveyed Tea Partiers, will be more isolationist.
Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne, who moderated a discussion at Brookings on the survey, said: “My hunch is you’re going to see a debate inside the Republican party over the next couple of years where the non-interventionists... will probably have more voice now than they’ve had for the last 10 years.” Rabbi David Saperstein, who runs the D.C. office of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, concurs. He believes the very lack of data on Tea Party views on international issues demonstrates an isolationist streak that's bound to increase. "It shows at best that they’re just not concerned about foreign policy issues and, at worst, [that] they’re isolationists and would like to see America focus more on domestic issues,” he said. He goes on to say that the identification of Tea Partiers with Christian conservatism will alienate Jewish voters. "The traditional antipathy that the Jewish community has had toward the religious Right will add to its distrust of the Tea Party movement,” he claims.
Hmmm. Matt Brooks, executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, has said in the past that members of the Tea Party are perceived as “strongly pro-Israel and strong on defense.” Certainly my personal experience of religious Christians has been deeply encouraging. I've consistently found observant Christians to be among Israel's most steadfast friends and staunchest defenders. It hadn't occurred to me to feel threatened by the Tea Party, because I'd been assuming -- perhaps wrongly -- that a group of people that identifies as Christian is more, not less, likely to be supportive of Israel and America's relationship with her.
But does protecting America's borders mean backing away from the Middle Eastern tinderbox? Talk to me, Ricocheters. You're on the ground over there. When it comes to Israel, where -- if anywhere -- do Tea Partiers generally stand?
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Jun '10
Re: The Tea Party and Israel
Take a look at this, and see what you think:
http://www.cufi.org/site/PageNavigator/Israel_101
(from: Christians United For Israel)
May '10
Re: The Tea Party and Israel
The isolationist tendency among Republicans pretty much petered out after 9/11.
The Tea Partiers I know best, my previously apolitical, socially liberal sister and her college-aged daughter, are in no way describable as evagelical. They're Methodists, for Pete's sake. My sister has been a philo-semite since being roommates with a extremely Jewish girl in college. This was enhanced by a year living in New York.
I fail to see the inconsistency in being an internationalist, insisting that the government control the border, and refusing to be bamboozled by amnesty. Those are pretty much my sister's opinions, as they are mine. We share a mother who is a legal immigrant and a rabid dittohead.
Re: The Tea Party and Israel
Etoile, I had no idea that organization existed. Bless them. Thank you for sending the link.
Jun '10
Re: The Tea Party and Israel
I think what you meant to say was, extremely OBSERVANT Jewish girl.... :)
May '10
Re: The Tea Party and Israel
etoiledunord
I think what you meant to say was, extremely OBSERVANT Jewish girl.... :) · Oct 7 at 1:10pm
Of course not. J----- was not observant at all, as far as I remember. But she was very, very Jewish, as were her mother and sister. The whole clan was a source of endless fascination and admiration for my sister.
Aug '10
Re: The Tea Party and Israel
My somewhat educated guess is that the vast majority of Tea Party sympathizers who are also conservative Christians are likely to be Protestant Evangelicals in the mold of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. Think Christian Coalition/Christian Right. If these suppositions are true then they are almost certainly pro-Israel and the reason for this, whether they understand it or not, is because theologically they are premilennial dispensationalists who read Biblical prophecy within a framework whereby Israel has a future role in the second return of Christ and thus it is imperative to "protect" Israel.
Personally, although I am a conservative, protestant, Evangelical, I believe modern-day dispensationalism to be bad theology that is outside the understanding of historical, orthodox Christianity, both Catholic and Protestant. The magisterial Reformers (Luther, Calvin, Knox, etc) were amilennialists or postmilennialists.
This is good example of theology having a profound impact on current politics.
Sorry for putting you to sleep. Feel free to wake up now...
Re: The Tea Party and Israel
Matthew, I actually find all that fascinating. Thanks.
Sep '10
Re: The Tea Party and Israel
I think E.J.Dionne and those of his ilk are praying that the Tea Party can be characterized as their sterotypical red neck, bigotted trogolodytes and they've been proved wrong at every turn so far. I expect that to continue. What few evangelical Christians I know are more likely to be more pro Israel than less.
Jun '10
Re: The Tea Party and Israel
ML, I beg to differ. I'd contend that in 90% of cases, "fulfilling end time prophesy" is the last thing on anybody's mind. The more you study Jesus, the more you notice that he was not turning his back on Judaism--he was celebrating his Judaism, celebrating the Exodus from Egypt, while preparing the way for the New Exodus--Man's escape from the slavery of sin. To honor Israel is to honor Mary, descendant of David. To turn your back on Israel is to turn your back on your own extended family.
May '10
Re: The Tea Party and Israel
I think these panelists are coming to ill-informed, premature and (considering it's a Brookings shindig) entirely predictable conclusions. Yes, the Tea Party is focused on domestic policy but I see no justification for concluding that Tea Party enthusiasts will mimic the Obama administration's bungling of relationships with a key ally like Israel. If the Tea Party were nothing but Ron and Rand Paul, maybe the panel would have a point, but it's not.
That brings me to another point - I find it very interesting that this panel finds social conservatives and the Tea Party to be one and the same at the same time Dick Morris and Eileen McGann are writing at NRO that the Tea Party represents a shift in conservative grassroots control from social conservatives to fiscal and economic conservatives. Maybe I'm the one who's being predictable, but I think Morris and McGann have it right.
Re: The Tea Party and Israel
E.J. Dionne is really wonderfully reliable. He's always exactly wrong.
Aug '10
Re: The Tea Party and Israel
Etoile, I'd agree with you it is not on their mind but rather is a part of the background that goes into the decision making process.
I see little biblically to support your assertions. Christ's death & resurrection fulfilled the Abrahamic covenant and the Mosaic covenant, not to "celebrate his Judaism."
As a Christian, I am to cherish all people all of whom are created in the image of God and bear the imago Dei.
May '10
Re: The Tea Party and Israel
Like others, I haven't witnessed any change among conservative Christians regarding Israel. We're still more fervent and reliable allies of Israel than just about any other group, including American Jews. Isolationism does seem to be gaining popularity, but not among social conservatives.
Catholics make up a growing portion of the American population. Certainly, we are not all of one mind, but the Church teaches that God's special relationship with Jews did not end with Jesus; that Jews remain God's chosen people. As a conservative Catholic, I always felt I had more in common with Jews than with most Protestants. Evangelical Protestant faiths are gaining followers as the more liberal denominations are declining. There's reason to believe Israel will not be without friends in America for a long, long time.
That said, it doesn't mean enemies of Israel, like Obama, can't get elected and determine our foreign policy in spite of overall public sentiment.
Jun '10
Re: The Tea Party and Israel
Matthew Lawrence: Etoile, I'd agree with you it is not on their mind but rather is a part of the background that goes into the decision making process.
I see little biblically to support your assertions. Christ's death & resurrection fulfilled the Abrahamic covenant and the Mosaic covenant, not to "celebrate his Judaism."
As a Christian, I am to cherish all people all of whom are created in the image of God and bear the imago Dei. · Oct 7 at 1:53pm
I'm no expert, but Jesus attended Temple feasts, observed Passover, quoted Old Testament prophets, etc. I'd say that equates to celebrating his Judaism. He certainly never discouraged anybody from it. He just added--considerably--to what was already there.
Aug '10
Re: The Tea Party and Israel
"...I would
Love you ten years before the flood,
And you should, if you please, refuse
Till the conversion of the Jews...." - Andrew Marvell - To His Coy Mistress
Aaron and etoile, Catholic and Protestant teaching has historically been that before the second coming, many Jews will converted to Christianity. Modern Dispensationalism (think the Left Behind series of books) teaches that God will accept Jews as Jews. This is contrary to historic orthodox teaching.
(By the way, I am not shouting. I don't know why all this is bold. Sorry.)
Finally, the Vatican said this:
Decree of the Holy Office dated July 21, 1944:
"In recent times on several occasions, this Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office has been asked what must be thought of the system of mitigated Millenarianism, which teaches, for example, that Christ the Lord before the final judgment, whether or not preceded by the resurrection of the many just, will come visibly to rule over this world.
"The answer is: The system of mitigated Millenarianism cannot be taught safely."
Mitigated Millenarianism is another way of saying modern dispensational eschatology.
Aug '10
Re: The Tea Party and Israel
Sorry again for the bold above. It got turned on somehow and I couldn't turn it off.
Jul '10
Re: The Tea Party and Israel
If the Peter Principle has any validity at all E.J. Dionne is being groomed for editor of the Washington Post.
May '10
Re: The Tea Party and Israel
I'm not about to wade into the substance of Matthew's prior post, but I do want to call out this portion of the cited Decree of the Holy Office (emphasis is mine): "In recent times on several occasions, this Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office has been asked what must be thought of the system of mitigated Millenarianism."
Maybe I read too much into this but, with apologies to our Catholic friends here, the use of "what must be thought..." strikes me as creepy and reminds me why I'm most at home in a free church faith tradition like Baptism. (Besides, it's not like Baptists would ever tell anyone what they have to think, right?)
May '10
Re: The Tea Party and Israel
I'm an Evangelical, a social and fiscal conservative. And while I haven't, yet, been to a Tea Party event, I would consider myself a T-Partier. I'm an advocate of Israel.
ML, while I was taught millennial dispensationalism, I came to my advocacy of Israel on 2 fronts - 1) Israel was and still is God's chosen nation. I believe the promise God made to Abram is still in force today. So, when God told Abram that those who curse you will be cursed and those who bless you will be blessed, I'm not stupid. I'd rather be blessed than cursed. 2) Israel is the only system of government in the Middle East closest to democracy. Their form of government shows more respect for humanity more than any of their neighbors, no matter what the lefty media tries to make me believe.
May '10
Re: The Tea Party and Israel
I, too, am from an conservative evangelical background and have understood Christian support of Israel the country in particular and Jews in general as stemming from their status as God's chosen people. A byproduct of this support is blessing from God to those who help His people.