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May 28, 2008 | 3:19 pm

Leading Jewish organizations decline to condemn Hagee’s ‘Hitler’ sermon

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

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Justin Elliott of the MoJo Blog was miffed yesterday when Rabbi Gary Greenebaum, the American Jewish Committee’s director of interreligious affairs, declined to condemn the sermon in which the Rev. John Hagee called Hitler a “hunter” whose task was to drive Jews to Palestine. Elliott’s query began last week when he set out to see whether leading Jewish organizations would speak against Hagee, whose organization Christians United for Israel has a lot of political pull.

The short answer is no. I submitted requests for comment about Hagee and his sermon to three organizations: the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The first two groups closely monitor anti-Semitism and regularly issue statements decrying insensitivity to Jews by prominent figures like Hagee. As for AIPAC, Hagee had a prominent speaking role at its annual policy conference last year. And David Brog, executive director of Christians United for Israel, the organization of which Hagee is founder and national chairman, is slated to speak at AIPAC’s 2008 policy conference next month.

Hagee’s various anti-Semitic statements have actually been known for several years, as Max Blumenthal has reported. But given that the pastor’s “Hitler was a hunter” tour de force is making national headlines and drawing criticism from a presumptive presidential nominee (and even some leaders in the Reform community), this seems like a perfect time for the ADL, AJC, and AIPAC to denounce Hagee, or, at the very least, his comments. The ADL and AIPAC, to my knowledge, have not commented on Hagee’s sermon and they didn’t respond to my requests.

Some Jewish organizations, in fact, have rushed to Hagee’s side. But he’s caused alarm before, and the entire community has not been quiet this time around. I received this open letter to Hagee last week from Rabbi David Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism.

The Holocaust was the work of a deranged, bigoted, and anti-Semitic figure supported by a racist government.  To suggest otherwise is surely an affront to the 11 million individuals, 6 million of whom were Jews, who lost their lives in the ashes of what is unquestionably the greatest tragedy of the 20th century.  To blame the victims for the Holocaust and to suggest that they brought it on themselves is a desecration of their name and their memory, and an insult to the survivors and their descendents who thankfully remain in our midst today.

I am aware of the work that you have done on behalf of the State of Israel, and for that reason I find your remarks especially troubling.  Please help me explain to the members of my movement the statements attributed to you.  Are these sentiments representative of your current feelings and perceptions of the Jewish people and the people of Israel?  Were they at one time representative?  Have you in some way been grossly misquoted?  Are these views which you have now repudiated?

Clearly Hagee has not since “repudiated” these views. They are confirmed by his theological understanding of evil in this world, which his right hand discussed last week with Shmuel Rosner of Haaretz. Yoffie belies a Christo-ignorance by not recognizing that Hagee is not blaming Jews but is, in an act I am uncomfortable with, actually thanking God for setting in motion the End Times.

Why, you ask, have most Jewish organizations chosen to silence voices that are often quite loud when the situation warrants it? Why did Abe Foxman, who may have an anti-anti-Semite problem, tell The Forward the ADL was fine with Hagee’s endorsement of John McCain? This article from the BBC sheds a bit of light, as does the reportage of Max Blumenthal and this two-year-old piece titled “Pastor Strangelove.”

It’s about politics, and the calculation is that Hagee is too important and influential an ally of the pro-Israel community to risk his friendship over unrelated transgressions.

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I have studied, read, and watched John Hagee for five years as part of my research on Christian Zionism.  These were not isolated comments by Hagee. Hagee’s video, Vanished, features images similar to Kristillnacht with Jews and Catholics as the villains while churches and New Testaments are burned. He gets away with this by placing it in the context of the rule of the Antichrist in a prophetic future. Many of Hagee’s books and other apocalyptic literature describe a future New World Order that reads much like anti-Jewish conspiracy theory similar to the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. See a further list of quotes at Talk2Action.org

Comment by Ruth on 5/28/08 at 5:33 pm

The reason Hagee’s Hitler comments have not been condemned by many Jewish groups is because his comments are very close to what many Jews themselves believe.  Yes, its about politics - now McCain has a pastor problem too - and I say this as a Democrat and a strong Obama supporter.

Comment by jay kahn on 5/28/08 at 6:30 pm

Maybe Hagee simply misspoke or was misinterpreted. I find what he said a poor choice of words to convey his idea. But it is not far-fetched to say that God delivered the Jews from Nazis just like He delivered the Jews from Egypt. Hagee issued an apology and I see no reason to crucify Hagee based on one misstatement.

On the other hand, I find your apparent desire for Hagee’s head on a pike somewhat disturbing, as is your accusation that Jewish groups put politics and influence above honor.

Comment by Steven on 5/28/08 at 6:39 pm

I’m not calling for Hagee’s head; I don’t even care if his language is politically correct. But here is a man of immense influence, a public figure who brags of his proximity to President Bush and no doubt weighs his words carefully. Because of that, his sermons about the Holocaust, and the Land of Israel and the End Times all deserve to be scrutinized.

Jay makes a significant point, though. I think this perspective has faded with time, but I know that many Jews once blamed the Holocaust on the unobservant, assimilated Jews of Western Europe.

Comment by Brad A. Greenberg on 5/28/08 at 6:45 pm

We have to understand in the view of Hagee,he thinks Jewish people should be more faster for achieving their goals otherwise they will suffer from people like Hitler, Hagee is great crusader for Israel, no doubt about that, we cant compare Hagee with Other pastors like Rev.Wright.

Comment by ben on 5/28/08 at 6:54 pm

No no. Hagee was trying to explain how an all-powerful God could allow the Holocaust to happen.  See
Grappling with God and the Holocaust | Jerusalem Post
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1211872839054&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull

Comment by Jay on 5/28/08 at 7:21 pm

As a Christian who once lived in San Antonio, Texas, the going rumor in town was that Hagee had an affair with a married woman whose husband attempted to shoot the gaseous pastor during a service but missed. I believe guards were eventually hired to watch the congregation after that. Hagee has been hanging US and Israeli flags in his church for over twenty years and I remember visiting once by invitation and wondering how he kept his tax exempt status with all of the nationalistic preaching. I think he’s hoping that he’ll be named second in command to the big AC when the Revelation Administration wins the White House. We’re talking about a man with huge appetites here. I think he was in a couple of popular songs too, like “Bye Bye Miss American Pie” or maybe Peter Gabriel’s “Big Time”. It seems that Jewish Organizations are probably putting him in the category of friends who support enemies of their enemies.

Comment by Mike on 5/28/08 at 7:24 pm

Quotes:
“Well Islam in general—those who live by the Koran have a scriptural mandate to kill Christians and Jews.”
“I believe that the Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans.”
“The End Times—Rapture—is imminent and the U.S. Government must do what it can to hasten it, which at minimum requires: (a) a war with Iran and (b) undying, absolute support for a unified Israel, including all Occupied Territories”
“As millions of people anticipate the release of the latest Harry Potter book and film, we’re reminded once again of Satan’s ongoing attempt to deceive and destroy. The whole purpose of the Potter books is to desensitize readers and introduce them to the occult.”

But yeah, Jay is definitely right - he’s not anti-semitic.

Comment by Alice on 5/28/08 at 8:30 pm

What’s all the hubbub about.  My thoughts are that the end times are about about 20 years away.  Here’s a thought for all you respondents:  The West develops an answer to storing electric energy and the automobile’s use of oil fades into the past.  The demand for the Middle East’s oil looms larger from the ever expanding economies of China and India.  They form an economic alliance.  By this time the damage of the Greenhouse Effect has taken its toll and the snow pack on the mountains bordering Turkey and Iraq melts away creating dry riverbeds of the Tigris and Euphrates.  Then someone from a middle eastern organization pleads with this economic organization for help.  And since this eastern economic bloc will need to feed its continued growth (hang the greenies!!), it will cross the dry river beds 200,000,000 strong…with the hidden agenda of securing the oil reserves it needs.  And with of half the world’s population, it won’t be hard to muster an armed force of such size.
Forget Hagee.  He’s trying to save men’s souls.  Haven’t we all tried to do some good for man’s welfare?

Comment by Paul on 5/28/08 at 9:55 pm

spend your organizations money, energy, time and get prepare now to defeat muslim liar (mu)barak osama. other wise whole world is in chaos.apply full thrust to get him defeated in november elctions.
a muslim fundamentalist educated at muslim madarases in indonesia/malasia.
kenyan and other musl;ims are rejoicing over now because he got AL DEMOCRATIC PARTY NOMINATIONS.
WHAT ARE YOU FELLOWS DOING TO DEFEAT HIM?

Comment by j.w on 6/18/08 at 7:37 pm

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