Jeffrey Goldberg bemoans the fact that Michele Bachmann and Christian Zionists love Israel too much, warts and all.
According to Goldberg, Bachmann and other Christian Zionists support Israel because of Biblical imperative. Goldberg asserts that this is bad. Instead, Goldberg wishes that Christian Zionists would support Israel because Israel is Manhattan on the Mediterranean.
Talk about wishful thinking. Talk about being in a fantasyland.
The fact is that the core of pro Israel America is comprised of American Jews and Christian Zionists. Outside of Evangelical America, the officialdom of Mainline Protestant America is not in Israel’s corner. The National Council of Churches is reflexively hostile to Israel despite the fact that Tel Aviv is a cross between Wall Street, Greenwich Village and the Upper West Side. Mainline churches participate in the Boycott, Divestiture and Sanctions movement.
As for academic America, the recent tussles over Israel at Columbia and the University of California at Irvine, and the emergence of Walt and Mersheimer’s critique should remind Goldberg that his view of Israel is not the liberal establishment’s view of Israel. And yet, Goldberg is upset that Evangelicals and Mormons are rallying to Israel’s defense.
Perhaps Goldberg ought to be more upset that liberal church groups and liberal academics are not Israel’s allies — despite the Palestinians’ real time expression of glee over 9/11 and heartfelt demonstrative grief over the passing of Osama bin Laden.
Perhaps Goldberg ought to be upset over Obama reneging on America’s April 2004 written commitment to Israel regarding Israel’s security.
