[CTRL] Misguided Theology Makes Bad Foreign Policy
-Caveat Lector- June 16, 2006 Misguided Theology Makes Bad Foreign Policy Doug Bandow Iraq is an unalloyed disaster. War with Iran would be even worse. Lebanon's Cedar Revolution has empowered groups hostile to America. Where is the new democratic dawn in the Mideast that the administration promised? It certainly isn't represented in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The West Bank is still occupied and Gaza is nearing civil war. Whether peace is possible if the two peoples separate is unknowable. The only worse option is for Israel to maintain a system of militarized apartheid-like rule over millions of Palestinians. Yet some of President George W. Bush's domestic supporters oppose the slightest Israeli concession to the Palestinians. Before the 2004 election, Gary Bauer, one-time presidential candidate and head of American Values, lectured the president: The land of Israel was originally owned by God. Since He was the owner, only He could give it away. And He gave it to the Jewish people. Actually, God still owns the land of Israel. And that of America, for that matter. But that isn't a reason to oppose the Bush administration's peace plan. Washington's fulsome embrace of Israel has long generated controversy consider the fevered reaction to the famous (or infamous, depending on your viewpoint) paper by John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago and Stephen Walt of Harvard on domestic support for Israel. One can argue whether or not there is an Israel Lobby, but there obviously are lobbies for Israel. That's unexceptional: interest groups have long attempted to influence American foreign policy. Eastern European ethnic groups pushed for NATO expansion, African-Americans lobbied to invade Haiti, ethnic Albanians pushed Washington to attack Serbia. (Sadly, such groups rarely seek peace; most often they want Washington to back their side in war.) What makes support for Israel unique is the fact that part of it, at least, rests on theology. But not primarily Judaism. Even the vast majority of American Jews who support Israel do so more on cultural and ethnic than on religious grounds. It is some American Christians who are attempting to turn the U.S. government into a de facto arm of the church. Most of those who hold such views are evangelicals. Neither Catholics nor mainline Protestants have so heavily rested their spiritual faith on the machinations of a secular state identified with another religion, whose residents largely see themselves in ethnic rather than religious terms. Non-evangelicals are far more likely to perceive the harm to Americans and injustice to others resulting from turning Mideast policy into an aberrant variant of Christian theology. Developing an intelligent solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is insanely difficult. Moreover, sympathy toward Israel is understandable: there is no excuse for suicide bombings that slaughter and maim. But Washington needs to develop a Mideast policy that advances America's national interests by reducing the likelihood of war involving the U.S. and attacks on Americans basically staying out. Yet a number of Israel advocates appear to see their support as an outgrowth of their Christian faith. For instance, former Christian Coalition head and candidate for Georgia lieutenant governor Ralph Reed wrote, [T]here is an undeniable and powerful spiritual connection between Israel and the Christian faith. It is where Jesus was born and where he conducted his ministry. True, but so what? This has nothing to do with the formulation of foreign policy for the secular nation of America, which represents non-Christians as well as Christians. Columnist Maggie Gallagher writes, [M]y support is based on an inchoate sense that if put into words would be something like this: As Christians, we just cannot sit by and let Islamic nations exterminate the Jewish people. Not that the Arab nations have that capability, but never mind. Should Christians care less about the killing of Christians by Muslims in Kosovo, Indonesia, and Nigeria? Or the killing of Christians and Muslims by Hindus in India? Another contention is that the U.S. should back whatever the Israeli government wants to do because God gave Israel to the Jews. As Bauer explains, The Bible is pretty clear that the land is what is called covenant land, that God made a covenant with the Jews that that would be their land forever. Bill Wilson of Koenig International News argued that Bush's peace efforts and personal commitments on the surface sound good but they are biblically wrong. After all, the president's position means the he will be responsible for the forceful evacuation of Jews by Jews off the land God gave to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their
Re: [CTRL] Misguided Theology Makes Bad Foreign Policy
-Caveat Lector- In a message dated 6/20/2006 10:48:17 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: June 16, 2006 Misguided Theology Makes Bad Foreign Policy Doug Bandow Iraq is an unalloyed disaster. War with Iran would be even worse. Lebanon's Cedar Revolution has empowered groups hostile to America. Where is the new democratic dawn in the Mideast that the administration promised? It certainly isn't represented in the Israeli-Palestinian "peace process." The West Bank is still occupied and Gaza is nearing civil war. Whether peace is possible if the two peoples separate is unknowable. The only worse option is for Israel to maintain a system of militarized apartheid-like rule over millions of Palestinians. Yet some of President George W. Bush's domestic supporters oppose the slightest Israeli concession to the Palestinians. Before the 2004 election, Gary Bauer, one-time presidential candidate and head of American Values, lectured the president: "The land of Israel was originally owned by God. Since He was the owner, only He could give it away. And He gave it to the Jewish people." Actually, God still owns the land of Israel. And that of America, for that matter. But that isn't a reason to oppose the Bush administration's peace plan. Washington's fulsome embrace of Israel has long generated controversy – consider the fevered reaction to the famous (or infamous, depending on your viewpoint) paper by John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago and Stephen Walt of Harvard on domestic support for Israel. One can argue whether or not there is an "Israel Lobby," but there obviously are lobbies for Israel. That's unexceptional: interest groups have long attempted to influence American foreign policy. Eastern European ethnic groups pushed for NATO expansion, African-Americans lobbied to invade Haiti, ethnic Albanians pushed Washington to attack Serbia. (Sadly, such groups rarely seek peace; most often they want Washington to back their side in war.) What makes support for Israel unique is the fact that part of it, at least, rests on theology. But not primarily Judaism. Even the vast majority of American Jews who support Israel do so more on cultural and ethnic than on religious grounds. It is some American Christians who are attempting to turn the U.S. government into a de facto arm of the church. Most of those who hold such views are evangelicals. Neither Catholics nor mainline Protestants have so heavily rested their spiritual faith on the machinations of a secular state identified with another religion, whose residents largely see themselves in ethnic rather than religious terms. Non-evangelicals are far more likely to perceive the harm to Americans and injustice to others resulting from turning Mideast policy into an aberrant variant of Christian theology. Developing an intelligent solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is insanely difficult. Moreover, sympathy toward Israel is understandable: there is no excuse for suicide bombings that slaughter and maim. But Washington needs to develop a Mideast policy that advances America's national interests by reducing the likelihood of war involving the U.S. and attacks on Americans – basically staying out. Yet a number of Israel advocates appear to see their support as an outgrowth of their Christian faith. For instance, former Christian Coalition head and candidate for Georgia lieutenant governor Ralph Reed wrote, "[T]here is an undeniable and powerful spiritual connection between Israel and the Christian faith. It is where Jesus was born and where he conducted his ministry." True, but so what? This has nothing to do with the formulation of foreign policy for the secular nation of America, which represents non-Christians as well as Christians. Columnist Maggie Gallagher writes, "[M]y support is based on an inchoate sense that if put into words would be something like this: As Christians, we just cannot sit by and let Islamic nations exterminate the Jewish people." Not that the Arab nations have that capability, but never mind. Should Christians care less about the killing of Christians by Muslims in Kosovo, Indonesia, and Nigeria? Or the killing of Christians and Muslims by Hindus in India? It even sometimes alarms me that the Israeli are occasionally exterminating Christian Palestinians (that forgotten people) along with the Muslim Palestinians, but I guess the rule is killthem all and let God sort them out later. Prudy www.ctrl.org DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests
