Christians United for Israel - Revision history

David at 09:58, 27 February 2024

2024-02-27T09:58:20Z

Matthew Pringle: fixed ref errors on page

2020-01-17T08:15:50Z

fixed ref errors on page

David at 09:44, 5 March 2019

2019-03-05T09:44:29Z

Melissa Jones: /* Funding and Finances */

2015-11-19T01:05:06Z

Funding and Finances

Alex Doherty at 16:37, 13 October 2015

2015-10-13T16:37:24Z

Alex Doherty: /* Influence */

2015-10-13T15:15:02Z

Influence

Alex Doherty: /* Funding and Finances */

2015-10-13T15:05:54Z

Funding and Finances

Alex Doherty: /* Influence */

2015-10-13T15:03:29Z

Influence

Alex Doherty at 14:25, 13 October 2015

2015-10-13T14:25:11Z

Alex Doherty at 15:12, 27 May 2015

2015-05-27T15:12:33Z

@@ Line 104: / Line 104: @@
 [[Category:Christian Zionists]]
 [[Category:Target Iran]]
-[[Category:Zionist movement USA]]
+[[Category:Zionist movement US]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 <youtube size="tiny" align="right" caption="The Christians United for Israel Tour">mjMRgT5o-Ig</youtube>
-Established in 2006 with the "active assistance" of the Christian evangelical fundamentalist, Jerry Falwell,<ref>David Brog, [http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_david_br_070531_all_roads_lead_to_je.htm All Roads Lead to Jerusalem: The True Legacy of Dr. Jerry Falwell], OpEdNews, 1 June 2007</ref>,''' Christians United for Israel''' (CUFI) is a US-based Christian-Zionist lobbying organization founded by [[John Hagee]]. The CUFI lobbies US congress to support Israel for biblical reasons.<ref name=MB>[http://www.thenation.com/article/birth-pangs-new-christian-zionism?page=full "Birth Pangs of a New Christian Zionism"], ''The Nation,'' 8 August 2006</ref> CUFI has focused the majority of its lobbying efforts on garnering support for Israeli settlement expansion<ref>Daniel Luban, [http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=47776 "Pro-Israel Groups Push Back Against Settlements Policy"], IPS, 24 July 2009</ref> and military action on Iran.<ref>Media Matters, [http://mediamatters.org/research/200608170002 "On Fox's Your World, apocalyptic pastor John Hagee claimed Iran will nuke Israel and the U.S"], Media Matters for America, 17 August 2006</ref> Christian Zionists are known to be more conservative than many Jews on Israeli domestic policy issues such as West Bank settlement expansion which many supported and Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip which they opposed.<ref>David Krusch, [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Zionism/christianzionism.html "Christian Zionism"], Jewish Virtual Library, accessed on 10 September 2010</ref> Hagee has stated that he would like to see CUFI become "the Christian version of AIPAC."<ref name=MB>Max Blumenthal, [http://www.thenation.com/article/birth-pangs-new-christian-zionism?page=full "Birth Pangs of a New Christian Zionism"], ''The Nation,'' 8 August 2006</ref>
+Established in 2006 with the "active assistance" of the Christian evangelical fundamentalist, Jerry Falwell,<ref>David Brog, [http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_david_br_070531_all_roads_lead_to_je.htm All Roads Lead to Jerusalem: The True Legacy of Dr. Jerry Falwell], OpEdNews, 1 June 2007</ref>,''' Christians United for Israel''' (CUFI) is a US-based Christian-Zionist lobbying organization founded by [[John Hagee]]. The CUFI lobbies US congress to support Israel for biblical reasons.<ref name="MB">[http://www.thenation.com/article/birth-pangs-new-christian-zionism?page=full "Birth Pangs of a New Christian Zionism"], ''The Nation,'' 8 August 2006</ref> CUFI has focused the majority of its lobbying efforts on garnering support for Israeli settlement expansion<ref>Daniel Luban, [http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=47776 "Pro-Israel Groups Push Back Against Settlements Policy"], IPS, 24 July 2009</ref> and military action on Iran.<ref>Media Matters, [http://mediamatters.org/research/200608170002 "On Fox's Your World, apocalyptic pastor John Hagee claimed Iran will nuke Israel and the U.S"], Media Matters for America, 17 August 2006</ref> Christian Zionists are known to be more conservative than many Jews on Israeli domestic policy issues such as West Bank settlement expansion which many supported and Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip which they opposed.<ref>David Krusch, [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Zionism/christianzionism.html "Christian Zionism"], Jewish Virtual Library, accessed on 10 September 2010</ref> Hagee has stated that he would like to see CUFI become "the Christian version of AIPAC."<ref name="MB"/>Max Blumenthal, [http://www.thenation.com/article/birth-pangs-new-christian-zionism?page=full "Birth Pangs of a New Christian Zionism"], ''The Nation,'' 8 August 2006</ref>
 ==Organizations Aims==
-Founded just months before Israel invaded Lebanon in 2006 (during CUFI's banquet launch Hagee protested against calls for Israel to show restraint)<ref name=MB>Max Blumenthal, [http://www.thenation.com/article/birth-pangs-new-christian-zionism?page=full "Birth Pangs of a New Christian Zionism"], ''The Nation,'' 8 August 2006</ref>, CUFI lobbies for US support of Israel because the Bible requires Christians to give unconditional support to Jews who are the "chosen people."<ref>PBS, [http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/10052007/transcript5.html "Transcript"], Bill Moyers Journal, 5 October 2007</ref> While Hagee once boasted about a message of support CUFI received from the Bush Administration during an event, CUFI's "action alerts" are now focused on pressuring the Obama administration to pursue better relations with Israel:
+Founded just months before Israel invaded Lebanon in 2006 (during CUFI's banquet launch Hagee protested against calls for Israel to show restraint)<ref name="MB"/>, CUFI lobbies for US support of Israel because the Bible requires Christians to give unconditional support to Jews who are the "chosen people."<ref>PBS, [http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/10052007/transcript5.html "Transcript"], Bill Moyers Journal, 5 October 2007</ref> While Hagee once boasted about a message of support CUFI received from the Bush Administration during an event, CUFI's "action alerts" are now focused on pressuring the Obama administration to pursue better relations with Israel:
 :We need to act now to remind President Obama that what we share with Israel is deep and profound. We need to stand with the only democracy in the Middle East. We need to speak up for our vital ally in the struggle with militant Islam. We need to provide some perspective to an administration that seems to lack it.<ref>CUFI Action Alert, [https://secure2.convio.net/cufi/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=SplashPage&id=187 Urge President Obama to end Crisis with Israel], CUFI Website, accessed on 9 September 2010</ref>
@@ Line 37: / Line 37: @@
 While CUFI claims to be the "largest pro-Israel organization in the United States"<ref name=goals>Christians United for Israel, [http://www.cufi.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_AboutCUFI "About"], CUFI Website, accessed on 9 September 2010</ref>, some analysts argue that they are a distraction from the real pushers of a pro-Israel agenda in the US. According to former [[AIPAC]] staffer turned foreign policy analyst M.J. Rosenberg, CUFI is nothing compared to the "Jewish pro-Israel lobby" because the
-:right-wing Christians are Republicans. Israel tends to not even be their main issue; they have abortion and gay marriage higher on their radar. What makes the Jewish pro-Israel lobby more influential is that their people give their donations to anyone who is effective on the issue, Democrat or Republican. These people [Christian Zionists] are locked into Republicans.<ref name=MB>Max Blumenthal, [http://www.thenation.com/article/birth-pangs-new-christian-zionism?page=full "Birth Pangs of a New Christian Zionism"], ''The Nation,'' 8 August 2006</ref>
+:right-wing Christians are Republicans. Israel tends to not even be their main issue; they have abortion and gay marriage higher on their radar. What makes the Jewish pro-Israel lobby more influential is that their people give their donations to anyone who is effective on the issue, Democrat or Republican. These people [Christian Zionists] are locked into Republicans.<ref name="MB"/>
 In January 2015, CUFI announced that its membership had reached the two million mark, although ‘membership’ merely requires submitting an e-mail address.<ref name=TwoMillion>Ari Morgenstern, [http://www.cufi.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=13107&security=1601&news_iv_ctrl=-1 'Christians United for Israel Reaches Two Million Members'], Christians United for Israel,  8 January 2015, accessed 13 October 2015.</ref>

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:44, 5 March 2019
Line 104:		Line 104:
	[[Category:Christian Zionists]]		[[Category:Christian Zionists]]
	[[Category:Target Iran]]		[[Category:Target Iran]]
		+	[[Category:Zionist movement USA]]

@@ Line 82: / Line 82: @@
 CUFI has received funding from the following organisations:
-[[Adelson Family Foundation]] | [[God’s Hand Extended]] | [[IDT Charitable Foundation]] | [[Marcus Foundation]] | [[Milstein Family Foundation]] | [[MZ Foundation]] | [[Newton and Rochelle Becker Foundation]] | [[The Stanford and Joan Alexander Foundation]]
+[[Adelson Family Foundation]] | [[God’s Hand Extended]] | [[IDT Charitable Foundation]] | [[Marcus Foundation]] | [[Milstein Family Foundation]] | [[MZ Foundation]] | [[Newton and Rochelle Becker Foundation]] | The [[Stanford and Joan Alexander Foundation]]
 ==Affiliations==

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:37, 13 October 2015
Line 58:		Line 58:

	According to Max Blumenthal, CUFI's call for military confrontation with Iran has helped in its coalition-building with other right-wing Republicans in Washington.<ref name=rapture>Max Blumenthal, [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-blumenthal/rapture-ready-the-unautho_b_57826.html "Rapture Ready: The Unauthorized Christians United for Israel Tour"], Huffington Post, 26 July 2007</ref>		According to Max Blumenthal, CUFI's call for military confrontation with Iran has helped in its coalition-building with other right-wing Republicans in Washington.<ref name=rapture>Max Blumenthal, [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-blumenthal/rapture-ready-the-unautho_b_57826.html "Rapture Ready: The Unauthorized Christians United for Israel Tour"], Huffington Post, 26 July 2007</ref>
		+
		+	===Support for Im Tirtzu===
		+
		+	CUFI has funded [[Im Tirtzu]], a controversial fundamentalist Zionist organisation in Israel known for its campaigns against liberal Zionist NGOs in Israel.<ref name ="Jstreet">J Street website [http://www.jstreetu.org/wp-content/uploads/J-Street-Message-of-the-Week-Christians-United-For-Israel.pdf J Street on Christians United for Israel]. Accessed 13 October 2015.</ref> However, in response to criticism from within the American Jewish community, CUFI has since tried to distance itself from the Israeli right, stating in 2010 that only five per cent of its budget was allocated to the settlements and that it had stopped working with Im Tirtzu.<ref name ="biggest">Nathan Guttman, [http://forward.com/news/133792/the-biggest-pro-israel-group-in-america-that-s/ The Biggest Pro-Israel Group in America? That’s Us, Says Christians United], Forward, 8 December 2010, accessed 13 October 2015</ref>

	==Key Members==		==Key Members==

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:15, 13 October 2015
Line 44:		Line 44:

	In April 2015, CUFI, alongside others, convinced the Tennessee General Assembly to become ‘the first state legislature in the US to formally condemn the [Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions] BDS movement through the passage of Senate Joint Resolution 170’.<ref name=SS>Sean Savage, [http://thejewishchronicle.net/view/full_story/26609009/article-Pro-Israel-effort-to-combat-BDS-on-U-S--state-level-gains-steam?instance=lead_story_right_column 'Pro-Israel effort to combat BDS on U.S. state level gains steam'], ''The Jewish Chronicle,'' 1 May 2015</ref>		In April 2015, CUFI, alongside others, convinced the Tennessee General Assembly to become ‘the first state legislature in the US to formally condemn the [Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions] BDS movement through the passage of Senate Joint Resolution 170’.<ref name=SS>Sean Savage, [http://thejewishchronicle.net/view/full_story/26609009/article-Pro-Israel-effort-to-combat-BDS-on-U-S--state-level-gains-steam?instance=lead_story_right_column 'Pro-Israel effort to combat BDS on U.S. state level gains steam'], ''The Jewish Chronicle,'' 1 May 2015</ref>
		+
		+	CUFI enjoys considerable support in Israel, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu often addressing CUFI conferences. He reportedly said at the 2012 summit that: ‘You refuse to accept one of the greatest lies of modern times: that the Jewish people are foreign occupiers in Judea and Samaria.’<ref name ="netanyahu"> Casey Cheap, [http://redalertpolitics.com/2012/07/18/israeli-prime-minister-netanyahu-addresses-cufi-d-c-summit-reaffirms-u-s-israel-relationship/ Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Addresses CUFI D.C. Summit, Reaffirms U.S.-Israel Relationship], Red Alert Politics, 18 July 2012, accessed 13 October 2015 </ref>
		+
		+	Netanyahu was also invited to speak at CUFI's annual meeting on 13-14 July 2015.<ref name ="summit">Christian's United for Israel website [http://www.cufi.org/site/PageServer?pagename=2015Summit_Welcome Christian Friends of Israel]. Accessed 13 October 2015.</ref>

	==Activities==		==Activities==

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:05, 13 October 2015
Line 71:		Line 71:

	''The Weekly Standard'' reports that CUFI had raised $43 million between 2006-2010.<ref name ="onward">Jennifer Rubin, [http://www.jidaily.com/cGwn/e Onward, Christian Zionists], The Weekly Standard, 2 August 2010, accessed 13 October 2015</ref> CUFI’s spokesperson Ari Morgenstern told ''Forward'' magazine in 2010 that grassroots supporters generally fund the movement, with donations averaging $18, adding that in total it had a budget in the millions.<ref name ="biggest">Nathan Guttman, [http://forward.com/news/133792/the-biggest-pro-israel-group-in-america-that-s/ The Biggest Pro-Israel Group in America? That’s Us, Says Christians United], Forward, 8 December 2010, accessed 13 October 2015</ref>		''The Weekly Standard'' reports that CUFI had raised $43 million between 2006-2010.<ref name ="onward">Jennifer Rubin, [http://www.jidaily.com/cGwn/e Onward, Christian Zionists], The Weekly Standard, 2 August 2010, accessed 13 October 2015</ref> CUFI’s spokesperson Ari Morgenstern told ''Forward'' magazine in 2010 that grassroots supporters generally fund the movement, with donations averaging $18, adding that in total it had a budget in the millions.<ref name ="biggest">Nathan Guttman, [http://forward.com/news/133792/the-biggest-pro-israel-group-in-america-that-s/ The Biggest Pro-Israel Group in America? That’s Us, Says Christians United], Forward, 8 December 2010, accessed 13 October 2015</ref>
		+
		+	CUFI has received funding from the following organisations:
		+
		+	[[Adelson Family Foundation]] \| [[God’s Hand Extended]] \| [[IDT Charitable Foundation]] \| [[Marcus Foundation]] \| [[Milstein Family Foundation]] \| [[MZ Foundation]] \| [[Newton and Rochelle Becker Foundation]] \| [[The Stanford and Joan Alexander Foundation]]

	==Affiliations==		==Affiliations==

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:03, 13 October 2015
Line 38:		Line 38:

	:right-wing Christians are Republicans. Israel tends to not even be their main issue; they have abortion and gay marriage higher on their radar. What makes the Jewish pro-Israel lobby more influential is that their people give their donations to anyone who is effective on the issue, Democrat or Republican. These people [Christian Zionists] are locked into Republicans.<ref name=MB>Max Blumenthal, [http://www.thenation.com/article/birth-pangs-new-christian-zionism?page=full "Birth Pangs of a New Christian Zionism"], ''The Nation,'' 8 August 2006</ref>		:right-wing Christians are Republicans. Israel tends to not even be their main issue; they have abortion and gay marriage higher on their radar. What makes the Jewish pro-Israel lobby more influential is that their people give their donations to anyone who is effective on the issue, Democrat or Republican. These people [Christian Zionists] are locked into Republicans.<ref name=MB>Max Blumenthal, [http://www.thenation.com/article/birth-pangs-new-christian-zionism?page=full "Birth Pangs of a New Christian Zionism"], ''The Nation,'' 8 August 2006</ref>
		+
		+	In January 2015, CUFI announced that its membership had reached the two million mark, although ‘membership’ merely requires submitting an e-mail address.<ref name=TwoMillion>Ari Morgenstern, [http://www.cufi.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=13107&security=1601&news_iv_ctrl=-1 'Christians United for Israel Reaches Two Million Members'], Christians United for Israel, 8 January 2015, accessed 13 October 2015.</ref>
		+
		+	Still, CUFI enjoys strong political support in the United States. At its 2014 annual summit in Washington, Senators [[Ted Cruz]] (R-TX), [[John Cornyn]] (R-TX) and [[Jim Inhofe]] (R-OK) addressed a crowd of about 5,000 people.<ref name=PM>Paul Miller, [http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/01/15/jewish-state-has-2-million-friends-in-christians-united-for-israel/ 'Jewish State Has 2 Million Friends in Christians United for Israel'], ''Breitbart,'' 15 January 2015</ref>
		+
		+	In April 2015, CUFI, alongside others, convinced the Tennessee General Assembly to become ‘the first state legislature in the US to formally condemn the [Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions] BDS movement through the passage of Senate Joint Resolution 170’.<ref name=SS>Sean Savage, [http://thejewishchronicle.net/view/full_story/26609009/article-Pro-Israel-effort-to-combat-BDS-on-U-S--state-level-gains-steam?instance=lead_story_right_column 'Pro-Israel effort to combat BDS on U.S. state level gains steam'], ''The Jewish Chronicle,'' 1 May 2015</ref>

	==Activities==		==Activities==

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:25, 13 October 2015
Line 61:		Line 61:

	According to the CUFI on Campus website, the CUFI "actively develops politically-minded student leaders and equips them to become effective advocates for Israel on their college campus."<ref>CUFI on Campus, [http://www.cufi.org/site/PageServer?pagename=campus_about About], CUFI on Campus Website, accessed on 30 August 2010</ref>		According to the CUFI on Campus website, the CUFI "actively develops politically-minded student leaders and equips them to become effective advocates for Israel on their college campus."<ref>CUFI on Campus, [http://www.cufi.org/site/PageServer?pagename=campus_about About], CUFI on Campus Website, accessed on 30 August 2010</ref>
		+
		+	==Funding and Finances==
		+
		+	''The Weekly Standard'' reports that CUFI had raised $43 million between 2006-2010.<ref name ="onward">Jennifer Rubin, [http://www.jidaily.com/cGwn/e Onward, Christian Zionists], The Weekly Standard, 2 August 2010, accessed 13 October 2015</ref> CUFI’s spokesperson Ari Morgenstern told ''Forward'' magazine in 2010 that grassroots supporters generally fund the movement, with donations averaging $18, adding that in total it had a budget in the millions.<ref name ="biggest">Nathan Guttman, [http://forward.com/news/133792/the-biggest-pro-israel-group-in-america-that-s/ The Biggest Pro-Israel Group in America? That’s Us, Says Christians United], Forward, 8 December 2010, accessed 13 October 2015</ref>

	==Affiliations==		==Affiliations==