CNN Alert:
Theopolitcal Climate Change
August 30, 2007
Ellen W. Horowitz

She literally embraced Jimmy Carter while baring her claws at Jerry Falwell. Her body language revealed her agenda - even when cloaked behind the veil. With all of its inaccuracies and inconsistences, Christiane Amanpour¹s six-hour presentation of
G-d's Warriors was as slick and effective as it was slanted - and it did the damage. Pro-Israel bloggers and media watchdogs can whine, and activists can kvetch to the very heavens; but until we can go on the offensive with effective presentations and magnetic personalities of our own, Christiane rules the day.

Amanpour doesn't play devil's advocate, she is the devil's advocate. And according to my religion, that makes her one of G-d's most dangerous warriors (as everything comes from G-d and is under His direction - including CNN and the devil himself). Those of us with any fight left should thank Amanpour for giving us yet another golden opportunity to rise to the challenge, and use our own intellect, talent and resources to present a dynamic and corrective response (because that's what G-d expects from us). But many would prefer to let Pastor Hagee handle things for us, because he's got the numbers - both demographically and financially - as well as the charisma, devotion and passion.

Amanpour missed her own golden opportunity to corner former President Jimmy Carter - the one man who, more than any other politician to date, bears responsibility for unleashing the fanatics who have engulfed the world in global Jihad. That Southern Baptist Carter campaigned as a Born Again Christian, and was hailed as America's first Evangelical president, gave Amanpour every reason to pursue her theme by focusing on whether or not demonstrative religious fervor in combination with ardent political ambition plays a role in the wretched handling of foreign policy.

In 1979 it was the Carter administration that initiated an estimated $40 billion covert program of training and aiding Islamic fundamentalists in Pakistan and Afghanistan. In a 1998 interview, former National Security Advisor to President Carter, Zbigniew Brzezinski, was asked if he regrets having supported Islamic fundamentalism and giving arms and advice to terrorists. His response: "What is most important to the history of the world? The Taliban or the collapse of the Soviet empire? Some stirred up Muslims or the liberation of Central Europe and the end of the Cold War?"

President Carter's shortsighted and faltering policies empowered an 1978 Islamic revolution in Iran by his weakening the Shah, propping up of then exiled Ayatollah Khomeini, and mishandling of the Iranian hostage crisis.

Carter's lauded but faulty Camp David Peace Accords of 1978 brought Israel a cold peace and a hot Egyptian border with Gaza. The new lines drawn in the sand enabled massive arms smuggling and support of the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza. Egypt is now well-positioned to fight Israel via its proxy Palestinian army.

During Carter's presidency his brother worked as a foreign agent of the Libyan government and received a $220,000 "loan". His dealings led to a 1980 Senate investigation dubbed "Billygate". Billy's defense:
"The only thing I can say is there is a hell of a lot more Arabians than there is Jews." He also argued that the "Jewish media [tore] up the Arab countries full-time," and defended Libya against charges of state-sponsored terrorism by saying that a "heap of governments support terrorists and [Libya] at least admitted it."
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carter/peopleevents/p_bcarter.html

And it was Jimmy Carter who inadvertently exposed the shortcomings and dangers of ramming American-style democracy and liberty into a region which is aching for the rule of law and authority. It was he, who as an election observer, praised the 2006 Hamas victory over Fatah as being "completely honest, completely fair, completely safe and without violence." The very antithesis of today¹s reality.

It was Oslo facilitator Bill Clinton who, as a presidential candidate in 1992, managed to garner a staggering percentage of the Jewish Republican vote by evoking his dying pastor's warning, "If you abandon Israel, God will never forgive you." Those words reassured Jews who were disgruntled with the Israel-hostile administration of President George H.W. Bush.

A recent article in The Economist claims that former President Clinton evoked the name of Jesus in public remarks more often than present President Bush (who counts this stuff?)

U.S. Elections are fast approaching and the very pious and dynamic duo of Carter and Clinton have joined forces in order to redeem G-d from His Christian Right captors.
Meanwhile, the gospel according to the very scholarly team of Walt and Mearsheimer has deemed Israel a liability.

A multi-cultural, pluralistic America is ideologically floundering and can offer no dynamic and determined alternative with which to counter and temper Evangelical zeal and influence. When coupled with the purported strength of the American Jewish lobby at a time when America just happens to be mired in a Mideast war, the Jewish-Christian alliance becomes downright threatening. So an unholy trinity of Judeo-Evangelaphobic media, political and academic personalities have picked up the gauntlet and they promise to make this election year hell for those Jewish Americans who still have a spot in their hearts for Israel. Christians united for Israel are also on the line, as they will have to run the gauntlet over their dual devotion to Israel and America.

Not all Americans are ready and willing to join hands with Israel and go to the brink over global terror and the Iranian nuclear threat. But attributing the source of concern and hesitation to liberal politics, anti-Semitism, a media smear campaign, or denial, is not totally fair. It could simply be that some citizens are not "rapture-ready".

The Christian Right may have overplayed the televangelist End-of-Days card. Hosts of preachers have made their deepest darkest armagedonish thoughts available via cable, satellite, and radio channels; on DVD at Walmart ; in print publication through Amazon;and in Cyberspace through blogs and YouTube. Rapture has been lampooned by the Simpsons
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7goqLxPbEQ
and harpooned by Max Blumenthal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjMRgT5o-Ig ,
while being seriously discussed in White House prayer meetings and consultations.

I believe most Americans just want to make sure that, if faced with an awesome decision, those designated the job of picking up red phones and pushing red buttons will be able to come down from their heavenly fog, close the book of Daniel, and use their G-d given earthly sense to make a wise choice for the good of mankind.

The pastors are not immune to public opinion or election fever, so it's image-makeover time. Because as one evangelical academic recently expressed,
"Many evangelicals are tired of being painted as ignorant huckleberries who follow the dictums of preachers with bad hair."

Suddenly progressive voices in the evangelical movement are stepping forward and putting poverty and environmental concerns at the top of their agenda. They are meeting with Arab ambassadors, distancing themselves from Israel¹s national camp, and promoting a two-state solution.

The ever-shifting theopolitical winds are kicking-up again, and that Israel's storm -tossed dinghy is floating amongst a lot of sharks is all the more reason for our being reluctant to hop abroad any lifeboat christened the S. S. Jesus. Israelis, Diaspora Jews and pro-Israel advocates best keep their options open in case changing political fortunes require that they abandon that "uncondtional" vessel.

Temperance for America means that it's reckonin' time for Israel, A change of strategies is called for. We should focus efforts on strengthening an independent Israel, rather than tying her to America - because in the long run we may have to go it alone.

With America in transition, our rock solid Biblical claim should be presented in a way which enables a broad spectrum of individuals to take a moral/heartfelt stand with the Jewish State. Whether the driving inspiration comes through theological scripture, personal experience, philosophical/intellectual exercise, heartfelt meditation, or by reading superhero comic books, is not important. It need not be shared with CNN, as it has to do with one's personal truth and intimate relationship with G-d.

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The writer lives in the Golan Heights, is a painter and the author of The Oslo Years: a Mother's Journal (available through Gefen Publishing)