Christians United for Israel

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<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,[1], Christians United for Israel (CUFI) is an US-based Christian-Zionist lobbying organization founded by John Hagee. The CUFI lobbies US congress to support Israel for biblical reasons.[2] CUFI has focused the majority of its lobbying efforts on garnering support for Israeli settlement expansion[3] and military action on Iran.[4] 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.[5] Hagee has stated that he would like to see CUFI become "the Christian version of AIPAC."[2]

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)[2], CUFI lobbies for US support of Israel because the Bible requires Christians to give unconditional support to Jews who are the "chosen people."[6] 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.[7]

Officially, CUFI states 2 goals on its website:

  • "To educate Christians about the Biblical and moral imperatives about supporting Israel."[8]
  • "To Communicate Pro-Israel Perspectives to our Neighbors, Newspapers and Elected Officials."[8]

Influence

While CUFI claims to be the "largest pro-Israel organization in the United States"[8], 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.[2]

Activities

Lobbying Congress Towards Confrontation with Iran

CUFI focuses much of its lobbying efforts on pressuring congress to stop Iran's nuclear power programme, which it claims is a threat to Israel.[9] However, many analysts argue that based on founder Hagee's actual arguments in his books and sermons, he and other Christian Zionists hope for a military confrontation with Iran:

While Hagee has long prophesized about the end times, he ratcheted up his rhetoric this year with the publication of his book, "Jerusalem Countdown," in which he argues that a confrontation with Iran is a necessary precondition for Armageddon and the Second Coming of Christ. In the best-selling book, Hagee insists that the United States must join Israel in a preemptive military strike against Iran to fulfill God's plan for both Israel and the West.[10]

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[11].

Key Members

CUFI on Campus

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."[14]

Website

http://www.cufi.org/site/PageServer

Links and Resources

References

  1. ↑ David Brog, All Roads Lead to Jerusalem: The True Legacy of Dr. Jerry Falwell, OpEdNews, 1 June 2007
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Birth Pangs of a New Christian Zionism", The Nation, 8 August 2006 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "MB" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "MB" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "MB" defined multiple times with different content
  3. ↑ Daniel Luban, "Pro-Israel Groups Push Back Against Settlements Policy", IPS, 24 July 2009
  4. ↑ Media Matters, "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
  5. ↑ David Krusch, "Christian Zionism", Jewish Virtual Library, accessed on 10 September 2010
  6. ↑ PBS, "Transcript", Bill Moyers Journal, 5 October 2007
  7. ↑ CUFI Action Alert, Urge President Obama to end Crisis with Israel, CUFI Website, accessed on 9 September 2010
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Christians United for Israel, "About", CUFI Website, accessed on 9 September 2010
  9. ↑ Christians United for Israel, "Urgent -- Contact Congress Today to Stop Iran", CUFI website, accessed on 10 September 2010
  10. ↑ Sarah Posner, "Lobbying for Armageddon", Alternet, 3 August 2006
  11. ↑ Max Blumenthal, "Rapture Ready: The Unauthorized Christians United for Israel Tour", Huffington Post, 26 July 2007
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Christians United for Israel, "CUFI Executive Board", CUFI Website, accessed on 8 September 2010
  13. ↑ Christians United for Israel, "CUFI Directors", CUFI Website, accessed on 8 September 2010
  14. ↑ CUFI on Campus, About, CUFI on Campus Website, accessed on 30 August 2010
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