Hundreds of Christians, Jews join to honor Israel on its 60th

  CLACKAMAS — Only three days before its national founder became the subject of controversial headlines in the U.S. presidential race, a Christian pro-Israel group made its second annual visible stand locally in support of the Mideast nation.
    Christians United for Israel, founded by Texas pastor and television evangelist John Hagee, sponsors yearly Nights to Honor Israel across America. The second local observance, organized by the group’s Oregon chapter, was held May 19 at New Hope Community Church in Clackamas and gave special attention to Israel’s 60th anniversary last month.
    The gathering drew several hundred evangelical Christians and Jews who fervently share a common belief that modern-day Israel holds a special role in God’s eyes and that the nation faces unprecendented global threats.
    Featured speakers were Yoram Ettinger, a retired Israeli ambassador to the United States and a consultant on U.S. and Middle East policies to members of the Israeli Cabinet and Knesset, and Walid Shoebat, a former member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization who converted to Christianity and now promotes the cause of Israel worldwide while living in the United States.
   Ettinger noted a long history of shared Judeo-Christian values between America and the Jewish people. He said America has been a “backbone” for modern Israel, and that such close ties with Israel have been a fruitful investment for the United States, despite the controversies. He also said American efforts to establish a Palestinian state run directly counter to what has been done the past six decades.
   “This would be fuel on the fire of terrorism in the Middle East, and would undermine American interests,” he said.
    Shoebat said he came to discover just how special Israel is, and how it has a divine role in world affairs.
   “There’s somebody watching over Israel,” he said. “No matter how you try to destroy it, it doesn’t work.”
    He said all Christians need to recognize both the heritage and significance of Israel in today’s world.
   “It is a job of the Church to stand with Israel,” he said. “It is God’s commandment.”
    The gathering also included an invocation from Rabbi Shlomo Truzman of Congregation Shaarie Torah in Portland; a welcome from Brian Cuff, CUFI state director and pastor of Church of the Harvest in Eugene; a greeting from Israeli Deputy Counsul General Ismail Khaldi, and a benediction from Chuck Goldberg of New Hope Community Church.
    Later that week, Hagee reaffirmed his pledge to combat anti-Semitism and defend Israel following controversy over his theology regarding the Jewish Holocaust of World War II. An old sermon by Hagee, in which he explains the Holocaust as part of a divine plan to bring about the founding of Israel, came under scrutiny recently because of Hagee’s endorsement of the presidential candidacy of Sen. John McCain. As a result of the controversy, Hagee and McCain formally cut ties May 22. Hagee said his comments were never intended in any way to defend Nazi Germany’s horrors in the Holocaust.