Conservative Christians send anti-road map letter to Bush

-20/5/03

Twenty-two American Christian conservative leaders have signed a letter George W.

Conservative Christians send anti-road map letter to Bush

-20/5/03

Twenty-two American Christian conservative leaders have signed a letter George W. Bush protesting against the road map to Middle East peace saying in its current form it “could lead to disaster.”

The letter follows a meeting of hard-core pro-Israel/anti-Palestinian groups in Washington at the weekend, who held an ìInterfaith Zionist Leadership Summitî strenghening an emerging alliance of Jewish and Christian Zionists.

Co-sponsored by a number of predominantly Evangelical groups with specific views about the fulfilment of biblical prophesy concerning Israel, the stated aim of the conference was ìTo oppose rewarding murderous Palestinian terrorism with statehood – mocking our own war on terror and ultimately encouraging renwed arab aggression against an Israel made invitingly vulnerableî.

The letter to the US President was signed by many of the attenders at the conference.

It states; “You and the United States are being undermined by the other members of the so-called ‘Quartet’ – the European Union, the United Nations and Russia. You and the United States are being pressured to show we are ‘evenhanded’ and are being urged to pressure Israel to make concessions.”

“It would be morally reprehensible for the United States to be ‘evenhanded’ between democratic Israel, a reliable friend and ally that shares our values, and the terrorist infested Palestinian infrastructure that refuses to accept the right of Israel to exist at all,” the letter adds.

The letter cited celebrations in Palestinian neighborhoods after the September 11 attacks and similar “displays of glee” after every terrorist attack in Israel.

The signers – among Bush’s most significant political supporters – urged the president to keep in mind a series of principles while pursuing peace, including that “Israel has a right to defend itself when attacked and should not be pressured by the United States, the United Nations or anyone else to be passive in the face of attacks on its citizens.”

Gary Bauer, President of American Values and a former Republican presidential candidate, spoke at the conference and organised the letter.

“This weekend’s wave of terrorist bombings in Israel should cause a fundamental reevaluation of why we are pushing for the creation of a Palestinian state when thugs are still in control of the Palestinian Authority,” Bauer said in a statement.

The Christian signatories to the letter included: Reverend Jerry Falwell; Reverend John Hagee, a prominent evangelical pastor in Texas; Elwood McQuaid, editor-in-chief of Friends of Israel; Paul Weyrich, chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation; Janet Parshall, a talk-show host; and Michael Little, president of the Christian Broadcasting Network.

Conservative Christians send anti-road map letter to Bush

-20/5/03

Twenty-two American Christian conservative leaders have signed a letter George W. Bush protesting against the road map to Middle East peace saying in its current form it “could lead to disaster.”

The letter follows a meeting of hard-core pro-Israel/anti-Palestinian groups in Washington at the weekend, who held an ìInterfaith Zionist Leadership Summitî strenghening an emerging alliance of Jewish and Christian Zionists.

Co-sponsored by a number of predominantly Evangelical groups with specific views about the fulfilment of biblical prophesy concerning Israel, the stated aim of the conference was ìTo oppose rewarding murderous Palestinian terrorism with statehood – mocking our own war on terror and ultimately encouraging renwed arab aggression against an Israel made invitingly vulnerableî.

The letter to the US President was signed by many of the attenders at the conference.

It states; “You and the United States are being undermined by the other members of the so-called ‘Quartet’ – the European Union, the United Nations and Russia. You and the United States are being pressured to show we are ‘evenhanded’ and are being urged to pressure Israel to make concessions.”

“It would be morally reprehensible for the United States to be ‘evenhanded’ between democratic Israel, a reliable friend and ally that shares our values, and the terrorist infested Palestinian infrastructure that refuses to accept the right of Israel to exist at all,” the letter adds.

The letter cited celebrations in Palestinian neighborhoods after the September 11 attacks and similar “displays of glee” after every terrorist attack in Israel.

The signers – among Bush’s most significant political supporters – urged the president to keep in mind a series of principles while pursuing peace, including that “Israel has a right to defend itself when attacked and should not be pressured by the United States, the United Nations or anyone else to be passive in the face of attacks on its citizens.”

Gary Bauer, President of American Values and a former Republican presidential candidate, spoke at the conference and organised the letter.

“This weekend’s wave of terrorist bombings in Israel should cause a fundamental reevaluation of why we are pushing for the creation of a Palestinian state when thugs are still in control of the Palestinian Authority,” Bauer said in a statement.

The Christian signatories to the letter included: Reverend Jerry Falwell; Reverend John Hagee, a prominent evangelical pastor in Texas; Elwood McQuaid, editor-in-chief of Friends of Israel; Paul Weyrich, chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation; Janet Parshall, a talk-show host; and Michael Little, president of the Christian Broadcasting Network.