August 26, 2011, 2:13 AM
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American media superstar Glenn Beck's visit to Israel this week was a revealing and remarkable event. It revealed what it takes to be a friend of Israel. And it revealed the causes of Israel's difficulty in telling its enemies from its friends.
Many world leaders, opinion-shapers and other notables profess enduring friendship with Israel. From Washington to London, Paris to Spain, policymakers and other luminaries preface all their remarks to Jewish audiences with such statements. Once their declarations are complete - and often without taking a breath - they proceed to denounce Israel's policies and to deny its basic rights.
US President Barack Obama exemplifies this practice. Obama always begins his statements on Israel by proclaiming his enduring friendship for Israel. Then he tells us to deny Jewish property rights, accept indefensible borders, or desist from defending ourselves from aggression.
The Israeli Left habitually embraces self-proclaimed friends such as Obama. Often leftist leaders encourage such friends to harm Israel in the name of helping it. For instance, in 2007, speaking to then-secretary of state Condoleezza Rice - who had a habit of comparing her friend Israel to the Jim Crow South - then-Haaretz editor David Landau asked her to "rape" the Jewish state. Opposition leader Tzipi Livni recently encouraged Obama to increase pressure on Israel.
When anti-Semitic public intellectuals such as the late Nobel laureate Jose Saramago compare Israel to Nazi Germany, the Israeli Left makes light of their remarks. For instance, when at the height of the Palestinian terror war in 2002 Saramago said Israel was worse than the Nazis and that Jews had no right to speak of the Holocaust, Yediot Aharonot's Ariella Melamed referred to Saramago as "one of the most beloved foreign novelists in Israel."
On Thursday, Israeli Arab actor and filmmaker Muhammad Bakri was the subject of a two-page hagiographic profile in Yediot. Bakri's libelous 2003 film Jenin, Jenin, in which he falsely portrayed IDF soldiers as murderers and war criminals, was brushed off as merely "controversial."
Making no mention of Bakri's family ties to terrorist murderers or supportive statements regarding terrorism and war against Israel, Yediot portrayed this foe as a hero. Bakri, who has used his considerable talents to criminalize and demonize the country and to support its terrorist enemies, was lionized as an unwilling culture warrior who would much rather be acting than fighting, but feels he cannot escape his duty to fight for the great causes he holds dear.
Also Thursday, Yediot ran a story about Beck's Restoring Courage Rally beneath the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The headline read, "Glenn Beck's Messianic Show."
In general, the Israeli media responded to Beck's visit to Israel either as a non-event, or they distorted who Beck is and what he is trying to do. Thursday's print edition of Ma'ariv sufficed with a photograph from Beck's rally in Jerusalem the previous day.
By casting Beck's visit as insignificant, Ma'ariv disserved its readers. Beck is one of the most influential media personalities in the US today.
Unlike the leftist public intellectuals such as New York Times columnist Tom Friedman who are celebrated and obsessively covered by the Israeli media, Beck exerts real influence on public opinion in the US. His calls for action are answered by hundreds of thousands of people. His statements are a guidepost for millions of Americans. Aside from radio host Rush Limbaugh, no media personality in the US has such influence.
It is highly significant that thousands of Beck's supporters followed his call and came with him to Israel for a week to express their support for Israel and the Jewish people. It is similarly significant that millions more of his supporters followed his actions on Internet.
Those media that did not seek to downplay the importance of Beck's visit opted instead to distort who he is and what he is doing. As the Yediot headline indicated, the media portrayed him as an unstable messianic, or they castigated him as an extremist and marginal force in the US. Haaretz and Globes both ran articles attacking Beck as an anti-Semite.
These claims are outrageous and represent yet another gross disservice to Israeli news consumers who do not have an independent means of judging Beck, his message and his actions for themselves.
Beck came to Israel to launch a global movement of activists committed to supporting Israel, not in order to "rape" it, but in order to empower it to defeat its enemies and to stand up to an increasingly hostile world. In his speech under the Temple Mount, Beck roused his audience - which contrary to media reports was a mix of American Christians and American Jews joined by scores of Israelis - to action. With gripping prose, Beck told his audience to disregard the "convenient" lies about Israel and embrace the truth.
That truth, he said, is that "In Israel, there is more courage in one square mile than in all of Europe. In Israel, there is more courage in one Israeli soldier than in the combined and cold hearts of every bureaucrat at the United Nations. In Israel, you can find people who will stand against incredible odds, against the entire tide of global opinion, for what is right and good and true. Israel is not a perfect country. No country is perfect. But it tries, and it is courageous."
From Israel he proceeded Wednesday night to South Africa to tell the true story of Apartheid and to dispel the popular falsehood that Israel bears any similarity to Apartheid South Africa. From there he will continue on to Latin America to meet with communal leaders and mobilize them to support Israel. And from there he will return to the US where he will launch his global movement to support Israel before a mass audience in Dallas early next week.
What was most remarkable about Beck's message was its rarity. Beck did not say anything factually inaccurate. The vast majority of Israelis certainly would find nothing controversial in any of his assertions. Yet despite his honesty, and his reasonable interpretation of Israel's strategic and diplomatic circumstances, Beck's is a voice in the wilderness. One almost never comes across a foreigner - or even an Israeli - who is willing to speak such basic truths in public.
Both the rarity of truthful assessments of reality such as Beck's and the gross distortion of his message and importance by the media are the consequence of intellectual and social intimidation that has led to groupthink among members of the media and of the cultural elites in Israel and throughout much of the Western world.
As Beck put it, "The grand councils of the earth condemn Israel. Across the border, Syria slaughters its own citizens. The grand councils are silent...
"These international councils, these panels of so-called diplomats, condemn Israel not because they believe Israel needs to be corrected. They do so because it is convenient.
"Everyone does it. In some countries, it's a crime not to.
"The diplomats are afraid, and so they submit. They surrender to falsehood. The truth matters not. To the keepers of conventional wisdom, a sacrifice of the truth is a small price to pay. What difference does it make if we beat up on little Israel? These are the actions of the fearful and cowards."
And in the face of this cowardice, Beck organized his visit to Israel under the banner "Restoring Courage."
He told his audience, "I stand here to tell you this: Fear is the pathway to surrender. And to overcome fear, we must have courage."
Beck is rare, because he refuses to bow to the intellectual intimidation and groupthink that plagues the discourse on Israel in Israel itself and throughout the world. He refuses to play by the rules in which friends of Israel are castigated as messianic crazies and extremists and Israel's enemies are praised as friends and great artists and courageous dissidents. He is an exception to a demented rule.
Israel's media didn't come to their hatred of Beck on their own. Most of it is fueled by American Jewish leftists. Beck ran afoul of the liberal American Jewish establishment through his outspoken attacks on George Soros. In January, Beck ran several shows on Soros, the extremist leftist anti-American and anti-Zionist global financier who has given more than $100 million to radical leftist groups.
Among other things, Beck ran a 1998 interview that Soros gave to CBS News's Steve Kroft on 60 Minutes. During the course of the interview, Soros admitted that as a boy in Nazi occupied Hungary he collaborated with the Nazis in confiscating Jewish property. Beck dwelled on Soros's statement and his stated lack of guilt for his actions. Beck considered its impact on the shaping of Soros's personality.
For his actions, Beck was attacked as an anti- Semite by the Soros-funded Jewish Funds for Justice. The group which conducts community organizing in liberal Jewish congregations collected the signatures of several dozen rabbis and ran a $100,000 ad in The Wall Street Journal asking Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch to take action against Beck. According to JCCWatch.org, New York's UJA-Jewish Federation has given more than a million dollars to the Soros-funded organization.
The Left's attacks on Beck are fueled by the fact that he is a Christian Zionist. The Left's default mode is to accuse Christian Zionists of a hidden agenda to convert Jews and a secret desire to see us killed in an Armageddon.
But in truth the media's embrace of Israel's enemies, their rejection of Beck, and most importantly Beck's refusal to bow to their conventional wisdom that Israel's enemies should be praised and its friends should be condemned all reveal the reason that Christian Zionists can be trusted and embraced by Israelis.
Christian Zionists - like Jewish religious Zionists - are unmoved by the media's intimidation because of their faith in God, and their reliance on scripture. Their faith provides them with a means of judging reality that is independent of the largely post-religious intellectual commissariat that runs the media and the cultural elite in the Western world. They don't seek or care about receiving the accolades of the New York Times or other post-religious totems for their actions. And Beck's message to Israelis is that we shouldn't care either.
For most Israelis, this message rings powerful and true. But for the media, in Israel and throughout the West, it is dangerous sedition that must be marginalized and destroyed.
Beck said that his movement will be one of individuals who work together to defend Israel and the Jews from those who seek our destruction. He argued that regular people are far more capable of understanding what needs to be done than the well-heeled experts who lead us down the garden path of weakness and demoralization.
And he is right.
And in bringing this message to Israel, he demonstrated his friendship. We should return the favor by taking his advice. We should trust ourselves and our instincts and stop listening to the "experts" who preach weakness and surrender.
Originally published in The Jerusalem Post.
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When Israel's struggle is seen as a fight between good and evil,the forces of darkness against the light it's not hard to see who will triumph in the end.
Numbers are not important when the Creator is setting up the final showdown between the two.
Nigerian Christian Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye who visited Samaria this week as a guest of Gershon Mesika said: "I believe that the problems we see between Jews and the rest of the world are because they are G-d's chosen.
When you are special in the eyes of G-d, automatically people will dislike you.
I do not see why anyone should think that the Jews may not live in their homeland. I believe that no matter how hard they try, they will not be able to move the Nation of Israel from the place G-d gave their forefathers."
I hope and pray that Becks message of defeating ones enemies reaches the highest positions of power in Israel as they have been neutered and restrained by America's false peace scam.
I wrote this below in response to article at PJM
the writer is so neutered that he does not know what Israel should do.
It's time for Becks message to resound throughout the land of Israel.
Defeat the enemy and stop listening to failed Washington.
'What should Israel do? There is no easy answer'
B.R.
Israel is so worried about what the Gobbels media have to say instead of taking care of business.
The leadership have become such trained poodles of America's failed restraint policy that they twiddle their thumbs and ask ;
'What should Israel do? There is no easy answer'
instead of ending the threat from Hamas in Gaza permanently which is the only answer.
Israel used to defeat her enemies before her close ally entered in with the peace process.
Now the concept of defeating ones enemy is forgotten and replace with the pathetic ;
'What should Israel do? There is no easy answer'
The intelligentsia of Israel retreated from Gaza and surrendered the Philadelphia Corridor where smuggling of weapons and missiles was stopped by the IDF ,all because the U.S. told them to do it for their strange peace and now Israels cities are under constant attack and the fools say ;
'What should Israel do? There is no easy answer' because they do not have permission from their pimps in Washington to defeat Hamas or Hizbollah.
Restraint is the message to ISRAEL from the US,EU,UN and the lap dogs Netanyahu and Barak are well trained and obedient and Israel suffers.
Sadly ,the restrained Jews are once again told not to resist and go silently,submissivly and they are obedient to their peace pimp destroyers.
Hi Caroline,
I'd just like to say that Glenn Beck is not a Christian Zionist. He is a Mormon. I believe his love for Israel is sincere, and he does a lot of good spreading his pro-Israel message worldwide, and I fully agree with the geopolitical dimension of what he says. I personally am a Christian Zionist, and there are some theological differences with Mormonism. The love for Israel may be sincere on both sides, but the unspoken spiritual differences in worldview are quite dramatic. Notably,one of the key differences is that in Christianity there IS a fiery hell, and also that for Israelites to live peacefully in their God-given land is not enough in itself for their eternal personal salvation. And I'm sure you know the name of the One who we believe provides the blood atonement for the sins of mankind... You may disagree with me on that, fair enough. But IF my belief is correct - and I believe it is - then shouldn't I try to tell everyone about it - including the children of Israel - if my love for them is really sincere? Believe me, I don't want anyone to end up in that fiery place of eternal torment. Shalom. And keep up the good work that I enjoy reading!
I love this article. Truth vs. the leftist media. Thanks for pointing-out that religious jewish Zionists & Isrselis, w/ individual criticsl fsculty not under the sway of the media's prejudice, fully support & are grateful to these selfless Christians for their support. (Maybe you can write an article explaining why the Likud gov't allows such bias Leftist media coverage if the media is still state controled)
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/nonsense-pro-beck-jewish-academic-makes-forceful-stand-against-hostile-questions-outside-restoring-courage-event/
Moving counter-protest by brave female academic to the Soros funded Peace Now anti-Beck/anti-Netanyahu Leftists. Scroll to 2nd video. ( also on you tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Y2G1XcUAu0U)
Israel is being threatened from all sides. She is being beaten up by terrorists firing rockets and suicide bombers. Along came Christians from every corner of the world, and not only pass her by, but spit on her and throw condemnation upon injury. (Much like Mr. Tutu stating that the reason for the acts of the suicide bombers is the Israeli occupation.) Along came someone from the "outcasts" among Christianity, a Mormon, and pay with his money and his reputation for standing with Israel, publicly.
Would not God look favourably upon those who act, rather than those who speak only?
If you really, sincerely, love the Jewish people, you will stand with them in support without any intentions. Let God deal with his people, as he has been doing for the past 4000 years, and let us Christians stand with them to be counted among the righteous among the gentiles.
Glenn Beck's message should be a wake-up call for Christians in the world that God is using anyone who is willing to accomplish his work, even someone who is regarded as a "Samaritan" among us Christians (if you'll excuse my analogy).
Good work, Mr. Beck! I hope your voice in the wilderness will open the eyes of the blind among your fellow believers and Jewish audience. This is indeed a time to listen to the threats and take them seriously!
Caroline, thank you for this incredible article in support of Glenn Beck, whose support of Israel is indeed brilliant, bold and sincere. You are a shining soul.
Ha’aretz came up with this headline:
The extreme Israeli right’s alliance with lunatics
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/the-extreme-israeli-right-s-alliance-with-lunatics-1.380546
I have little doubt that all the journalists in Ha’aretz put together have read less Islamic source texts and books on Islam than Glenn Beck did by himself.
It is mind-boggling that a leading Israeli newspaper is filled with people who are totally ignorant of what is happening around them. Just like the Church at the time of Galileo refused to look through the telescope, Ha’aretz staff refuse to educate themselves. So we have a bunch of ignoramuses calling others lunatics just because they themselves have no clue what is going on.
Caroline, there is no question that Glenn Beck's love for Israel is straight from the heart. Unfortunately the stupidity and often criminal acts of the Jewish left downplay the support that is forthcoming from Beck and other Christian Zionists in order to feed their own agenda. Thank you for this excellent article, you are a true aishet chayil. G-d bless you for your courage and fortitude in the face of so much evil. Shabbat shalom
"Unlike the leftist public intellectuals such as New York Times columnist Tom Friedman who are celebrated and obsessively covered by the Israeli media, Beck exerts real influence on public opinion in the US. His calls for action are answered by hundreds of thousands of people. His statements are a guidepost for millions of Americans. Aside from radio host Rush Limbaugh, no media personality in the US has such influence."
Lady, you obviously don't live in America, Glenn Beck is a joke, a buffoon, his slide into irrelevance has been quick since his firing from FoxNews. His appeal at its hight was to just .02% of the US population. Beck has as much influence on American politic as you do.
Having all the friends in the world is no substitute for standing up for oneself. And many people will claim friendship to keep you from standing up for yourself.
This is a lot like the recognition of the Holocaust as a doctrine of discussion about Jewish history. Many who repent the Holocaust do so only because of the enormity of the crime and not because they believe in the innocence of the Jewish people.
Glenn Beck, like Rush Limbaugh, are in the entertainment industry. They are not journalists, they are not scholars. They are not even bloggers. Their first concern is ratings. They want our attention and contemporary events are the currency of the attention they get. Glenn Beck just recently lost his television show and this appearence in Israel is nicely timed to keep attention on his marketability in the media. Controversy sells and Israel is very controversial. And Israel is constantly under the media eye.
Glenn Beck's claim of friendship with Israel is clearly sincere. It is good for Israel to have somebody who commands an audience of that size stand up for it. But until such demonstrations are unecessary, Israel still has a lot to struggle for.
Patrick writes, "But IF my belief is correct - and I believe it is - then shouldn't I try to tell everyone about it - including the children of Israel...?"
If you believe that, why target the Jews who are but 0.2% of the world's population and struggling to hold it together? Is that love? I suggest you take your message to the Muslims or the other great faiths first and, in the meantime, let the Jews be.
I, and many of my friends here in America, would be considered Christian Zionists by most definitions. Although Beck is part of the establishment Republican structure (regularly supporting establishment globalist candidates such as Rick Perry instead of truly independent patriotic ones such as Ron Paul), and I've seen him compromise many times right at the point of true independent thinking, I still believe his love for Israel is sincere.
I agree with jantalkema who posted above that true love is shown through actions, not words. In this Beck cannot be doubted. His actions and his words match, and that is refreshing in today's world. Whether or not his "theology" is correct should be left for another discussion. For now, it is enough that the spirit of unbowed support for truth, courage and the people of Israel shine through. And it has.
Personally I spent a year in Israel at the Hebrew U in Jerusalem. I lived on Har HaTsofim that entire year traveled to almost every part of the land of Israel at least once and spent about $30,000 into the Israeli economy during that time. I learned Hebrew up to Gimel level, studied Jewish and Israeli history and tried to hang out with my Jewish friends as much as possible instead of staying in my comfort zone with fellow Christians.
Was it easy? No. Was I always accepted without question? Again, no. But nothing worth doing is ever really easy, and the Jewish people in my life during that time always eventually responded to consistency of support with an increasing return of friendship over time.
Trust must be built, and the Jewish people collectively have had their trust broken many times in the most egregious manner. Suspicion is expected, but the Jewish heart is still open to friendship. That friendship will indeed be tested, and even rejected initially, to make sure it is sound, yes, but in the end you will have an enduring relationship that is not easily broken.
What am I saying? I am saying that steps such as the one that Beck took are not just profitable, they are absolutely necessary. And they must continue. For true courage is not only displayed in a single act, but more importantly it is revealed through consistent acts over long periods of time. That is what friendship is...and the Jewish people understand this better than any other.
My take on this is that as secular Jews the vast majority of our Jewish education focused on how the Christians slaughtered us for 1500 years, and thus we don't trust that they are looking out for us. Add that to the fact that most of us don't keep the basic tentants of Judaism (what G-d told us to do, and while many Jews may think it is a bunch of fairy tales, it's written in a 3500 year old document that will continue to outlive all us of), so there is probably some subconscious Jewish guilt when we see someone who actually claims to act in a way that G-d wants (even if they are a hypocrite or screwy). While Beck says some stupid things, and quite frankly any religious Christian needs to be very careful in mentioning the Holocaust, I agree 100% with him going after Soros. Soros is probably the biggest Jew hating Jew on the planet right now. The only other Jew who even comes close is Noam Chomsky. IMO Jews like them at the least deserve a nice stiff punch to the nose, and I would happily deliver it to either of them if I knew I wouldn't get in trouble, because IMO they bear a lot of responsibility for Jewish deaths in Israel that could have been prevented if it wasn't for them and their little hoop-jumper liberal idiots who believe the self-serving BS these pompous liberal elites keep saying. And BTW, I think Abe Foxman is a coward and Obama's court Jew for standing up for Soros. The ADL should fire him and replace him with somebody who actually has a spine.
you're always railing about the anti-Israeli "media", yet you are an editor of the J. Post, and publish possibly the most extreme, anti-semitic regular columnist in your rag - derfner. what's with you?
The buzz in America is that Glenn Beck, a leader of the naive Right, is a front man for Bob Dylan, the number one communist in the USA.
'Glenn Beck just recently lost his television show'
Lost ?
Maybe he wouldn't stoop down and prostitute himself to the unethical,corrupt standards of the MSM and he left.
But you prostitutes on the left wouldn't know anything about that.
A wealthy Saudi Muslim of the extremist Wahabbi sect Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal owns a 7 percent stake in News Corp.
There is no doubt that Beck was told to tone down his truth series on the hideous nature of Islam and rather than back down he stood up for his principals unlike 98.2 % of politicians.
It's interesting that the schmucks who bad mouth Beck hide behind anonymity.
That's probably because they have more in common with the hate and intolerance of Islam and the Left and know nothing about principals.
dear ms. glick,
i am always impressed with your extensive, cogent and in-depth analysis of israel. however, i respectfully suggest that you are missing a key point regarding beck. he is part of a larger xian zionist movement inspired by finto's book "your people shall be my people" which is essentially replacement theology without naming it. please see this excellent piece on ha'aretz:
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/with-friends-like-glenn-beck-1.380155
jewishisrael.com has several articles and videos on beck. please see this link:
http://jewishisrael.ning.com/profiles/blogs/letter-sent-to-rabbis-and-a-former-missionary-reports-on-beck-s-c
moshe feiglin and mina fenton both published insightful pieces as well.
what is the essence of the problem with beck. one word: esav please see this fine torah analysis:
http://esseragaroth.blogspot.com/2010/11/kiss-of-esau.html
which discusses the founder of xianity as a gilgul of esav. for 2000 years we, the jewish people suffered from "esav hates yaakov". and now, in the recent past we are faced with 'esav's kiss"; meaning, the insidious deception of those xians who say they love us, but only want to use our homecoming to israel as a stepping stone to their triumphalist agenda which ultimately converts or kills the jews.
what is so serious here is how deceitful esav can be. beck is a very emotional, passionate and sincere man. many jews have been swept up by his "love" for israel. but this is precisely the point! "esav's kiss" is exactly this kind of deception that endangers the jewish people internally, spiritually.
that nigerian minister who visited yesha is part of a terrible phenomenon in israel where some religious zionists court xians to come, "help out" the farmers and have a presence there.
jewishisrael.com researches this effectively.
also, caroline, why haven't more jews been alarmed at this video, where beck angrily blames the jews for killing the dead heretic of xianity?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-05YVW1NsOk
one of the main points jewishisrael.com makes in its depth analysis of beck is the problem of boundaries. the site says that having xian 'friends" of israel is not the problem. what is dangerous is israeli and some american jews not proscribing definite, clear boundaries between judaism and xianity.
you see, the "hebraic roots movement" (see finto's book discussed in the ha'aretz piece above) intends to slowly, gradually blur the distinct lines between the two religions. (this is also discussed on jewishisrael.com).
the upshot of all this is that while beck may be doing good for israel on the world stage, his efforts may strengthen the missionary movement in israel.
please see
http://jewishisrael.ning.com/profiles/blogs/rabbi-grossman-battles-hagee
as an example. john hagee, of cufi, (xians united for israel) sponsors "daystar" a missionary t.v. station beamed into israel! this is just one of several examples.
caroline, the xians are on the march to usurp the land of israel from the people of israel because they, the xians, believe they are the true jews. this is nothing new...what is new is that they are doing it via "esav's kiss"...an insidious deception of "love".
please read "when xian love can hurt us"
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/7568
and "the war with eisav"
http://palmtreeofdeborah.blogspot.com/2011/07/open-for-business.html
everyone must be aware of "how to deal with pro-israel xians" (see below)
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/7477#.Tlfnhl1Aqqg
so, while beck may have made a splash "for israel" in the media, the jewish people must be very careful of the internal threat from the deadly deceptive "kiss of esav".
Beck's style is a little unusual, but he speaks truth an an age of lies of hypocrisy.
I really do hope that his movement to "restore courage" gains some traction
Israel's principle enemies, the Left and the Islamists, will stop at nothing to defame him.
This is an age of choice: bless Israel and be blessed, or curse Israel, and be cursed. I choose to stand with Israel, and know that your God stands with you.
(corrected version)
dear ms. glick,
i am always impressed with your extensive, cogent and in-depth analysis of israel. however, i respectfully suggest that what's missing is a key point regarding beck. he is part of a larger xian zionist movement inspired by finto's book "your people shall be my people" which is essentially replacement theology without naming it. please see this excellent piece on ha'aretz:
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/with-friends-like-glenn-beck-1.380155
jewishisrael.com has several articles and videos on beck. please see this link: (each article/video is important for a complete view of the issue).
http://jewishisrael.ning.com/profiles/blogs/letter-sent-to-rabbis-and-a-former-missionary-reports-on-beck-s-c
moshe feiglin and mina fenton both published insightful pieces as well.
feiglin:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/145734
fenton:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/147095#.Tlf1hF1Aqqg
what is the essence of the problem with beck. one word: esav please see this fine torah analysis:
http://esseragaroth.blogspot.com/2010/11/kiss-of-esau.html
which discusses the founder of xianity as a gilgul of esav. for 2000 years we, the jewish people suffered from "esav hates yaakov". and now, in the recent past we are faced with 'esav's kiss"; meaning, the insidious deception of those xians who say they love us, but only want to use our homecoming to israel as a stepping stone to their triumphalist agenda which ultimately converts or kills the jews.
what is so serious here is how deceitful esav can be. beck is a very emotional, passionate and sincere man. many jews have been swept up by his "love" for israel. but this is precisely the point! "esav's kiss" is exactly this kind of deception that endangers the jewish people internally, spiritually.
note how deep the problem is:
http://palmtreeofdeborah.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-many-ways-can-i-say-it.html
that nigerian minister who visited yesha is part of a terrible phenomenon in israel where some religious zionists court xians to come, "help out" the farmers and have a presence there.
jewishisrael.com researches this effectively.
also, caroline, why haven't more jews been alarmed at this video, where beck angrily blames the jews for killing the dead heretic of xianity?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-05YVW1NsOk
one of the main points jewishisrael.com makes in its depth analysis of beck is the problem of boundaries. the site says that having xian 'friends" of israel is not the problem. what is dangerous is israeli and some american jews not proscribing definite, clear boundaries between judaism and xianity.
you see, the "hebraic roots movement" (see finto's book discussed in the ha'aretz piece above) intends to slowly, gradually blur the distinct lines between the two religions. (this is also discussed on jewishisrael.com).
the upshot of all this is that while beck may be doing good for israel on the world stage, his efforts may strengthen the missionary movement in israel.
please see
http://jewishisrael.ning.com/profiles/blogs/rabbi-grossman-battles-hagee
as an example. john hagee, of cufi, (xians united for israel) sponsors "daystar" a missionary t.v. station beamed into israel! this is just one of several examples.
caroline, the xians are on the march to usurp the land of israel from the people of israel because they, the xians, believe they are the true jews. this is nothing new...what is new is that they are doing it via "esav's kiss"...an insidious deception of "love".
please read "when xian love can hurt us"
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/7568
and "the war with eisav"
http://palmtreeofdeborah.blogspot.com/2011/07/open-for-business.html
everyone must be aware of "how to deal with pro-israel xians" (see below)
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/7477#.Tlfnhl1Aqqg
so, while beck may have made a splash "for israel" in the media, the jewish people must be very careful of the internal threat from the deadly deceptive "kiss of esav".
As a Dutchmen and voter of Geert Wilders PVV I held the right on self determination of mainly white Afrikaner to (re-)establish a Afrikaner Republic higher than Federalist nr 10.
Besides that already more than 4.000 white farmers have died in organized murders by the African National Congress Youth League which heinous crimes are tolerated by Tutu, Zuma, Mandela etc. like murderer Mugabe in Rhodesia.
2. Before the Arab world came under the scientifically and intellectually stagnant mono causality of islam it was entirely Christian.
For these reasons I wish the removal of the symbol of islam spreading hatred, the mosque in Jerusalem.
In betraying the dialectical philosophy of Aristoteles resulting in the Enlightenment - post modernists have intellectually cowardly mistaken islam for a peace(use)ful religion ...
But it is - according to the Center for Security Policy report: Shariah the threat to America"" - nothing less but a 1400 year old tradition of 270 million people murdering politico-military doctrine aimed from the very beginning at the violent stealth & kinetic annihilation of the secular western world with shariah as the only point of reference
Glenn Beck is one of the most intelligent, honest and courageous people around today; he has an enormous influence and loves Israel. He's already made and continues making an impact on history. That's why all of them, from the soroses to the friedmans, hate him so much.
In reply to Raymond from DC, I would like to say that the apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, says this in Romans 1:16: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."
"For the Jew first" means that it is the Jews with whom God has an everlasting covenant, and therefore Jews have a special place in His heart for the sake of Himself being faithful to His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and for the sake of blessing their generations forever.
Raymond, you may not believe there is a fiery hell, but Christians are clearly told in the Bible that there is one. And this is NOT something targeted at Jews. This has nothing to do with personal merit, or how good Jews are as opposed to how evil Muslims are. From the time Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, we ALL are separated from God, you, me, everybody.
How can we enter God's holy presence after we leave this world if we are still in our sins? Your forefathers could not stand to hear the voice of God because they feared they would die. How then can anyone reasonably hope to live forever in His presence and not be destroyed by His sheer holiness, unless the proper blood atonement has been provided for them and they have received it? How could the angel of death pass over the houses of the Hebrews in Egypt, if the blood had not been placed on the lintel and the doorposts of the house?
You may not agree about Jesus being the Messiah, but Christians believe that He fulfilled the Passover, Himself offering His own sinless body as the sacrifice Lamb, the burnt offering, paying the penalty of sin in every human being's place. So you ask me: "Is that love?" and tell me to "let the Jews be."
If I believe that people go to hell because they have not received the blood atonement that Jesus provided, which is clearly what the Bible says, then I would ask you: "Is that love?" if I believe that you are going to hell, I know the way to help you escape it, and I do NOT tell you? You may think I'm wrong and that you are not going to hell, but I dont't want to be selfish enough to keep the possibility of salvation a secret from you or from anyone. You say "let the Jews be". From the Christian perspective, it sounds like: "No thanks, do not take us out of our comfort zone. Just let us go to what you call hell, we'll be just fine." And I tell you: "No Raymond you won't be just fine, unless you repent and turn to the true Messiah who laid down His life in order to save yours." Since when is warning someone of imminent danger a sign that you do not love them?
Caroline, This was another great column. What amazes me is that criticisms of Glenn Beck have no substance. No one ever refutes the facts.
Instead the critics debate whether he is a Christian Zionist or a Mormon Zionist. This is not the point. The point is that he is a Zionist. Period! You don't have to be any religion to be a Zionist. Zionism was originally a Jewish movement that sought to reestablish a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Today it has spread to a movement by anyone (not just Jews) who pray for, support, and encourage the right of Jews to live in the nation of Israel.
The critics say he is a buffoon in the U.S. Not true. He is a buffoon only to the leftists who are intolerant of his supposed intolerant views. Please quote exactly where any of his speeches could be labeled "hate speech." I have never heard it.
As far as I am concerned Glenn Beck is a true friend of Israel. If he has stated incorrect facts about Israel, then the critics need to respond with facts of their own. As Sgt. Joe Friday said: "Just the facts sir, give me the facts."
Comrade Anonymous 9:34:
You're actually the joke and the buffoon in this scenario. If you only knew.
So glad to see Ms. Glick covering this. And, if anyone followed the week's activities over at The Blaze, you would see a brief video of some leftest Israel badgering an Israeli academic as to why the academic supported Beck. It was a perfect microcosm of the situation, with the leftist querying, "Why would he do this?" and the academic (rare for an academic) stating the simple, obvious truth: Because antisemitism is on the rise around the world and Beck cares. As for the meshuguna person with the questions, it's pathetic to see an Israeli have so much self-hate and/or ignorance about the dangers facing Israel to have to wonder why someone would go out of their way to support Irael. But I digress....Thank you, Ms. Glick, for this and all of your wonderful articles.
I love Israel and am a Zionist. I am NOT at all a Jstreet supporter. I think it is reprehensible, however, to accept a "friend," all because he says "he's supportive." Glenn Beck is a mean, hateful race baiter who has made ugly - even anti-semitic comments. And note, I am NOT hiding behind anonymity, (although you, Marcel are. Pretty funny) However, I am an American and very concerned about this brand of hate being exported overseas.
And YES, he LOST HIS SHOW because he lost advertisers and viewers. He is now even saying that the hurricane that is now threatening over 68 million Americans ' is a good thing.' http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/26/glenn-beck-hurricane-iren_n_938411.html
And you think by kissing his butt Israel looks good?
Frankly, based on some of the hateful comments here, I do understand why you accept the hatemongering of Beck. Your brand of Judaism is not one that I want to follow.
You're calling Abe Foxman who has done more in this country to protect Jews a "court Jew?" Why, because he doesn't follow your hardcore line? I'm so sorry I even came to this website.
To understand the left, one need only call vice virtue to justify what they do and say. To illustrate, envy is a virtue that justifies class warfare. Cowardice is a virtue when it coalesces a mob of looters. Murder is a virtue when it destroys an unjust social order. Deciet is a virtue when applied to counter inconvenient truths. Insanity, defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result each time, is a virtue so long as it is indoctrinaire. Reputational rape is a virtue when employed to assisinate the character of the left's political opponents. Theft is a virtue when employed to redistribute wealth from its creators to its consumers. Etc., etc., etc.
Beck's rallies attempt to expose the left's corrosive ideology and methodology in the service of truth and good. Hence the left's reactionary rage. Ignore them. They won't go away, but they will become irrelevant and rediculous.
"caroline, the xians are on the march to usurp the land of israel from the people of israel because they, the xians, believe they are the true jews"
While Iranian leader Amadinejad and Islamic world openly call and work tirelessly for the extermination of Israel the blathering religious fools ignore the darkness and focus their insane hatred against true friends and common light.
We don't call ourselves 'true Jews' you lying,cowardly moron who hides behind anonymity to strike.
Glenn Beck seeks to educate and on many things he does an excellent job. He is setting the record straight for hundreds of thousands who only hear the "conventional" condemnations issuing from the United Nations, Europe and the White House on a regular basis. He is a friend of Israel and is working to help Israel in the public square by speaking the truth. Rather than indulge their clannishness, suspicions, or both, Jews should embrace the support of Israel which Beck and many admiring Christians, Mormons and others are providing.
Francis X Meaney
The Huffing Post is a far left liberal rag and not a good resource for reading the truth about anything.
If Ilene Kent had any idea who Glenn Beck really is and spoke the "truth" she wouldn't be ranting racist/hateful comments. Not about Beck or anyone for that matter.
Enough said!
to anyone who thinks xian "zionists" are innocent supporters and "lovers" of israel. read this to see their true agenda:
http://www.talk2action.org/story/2011/8/16/152647/490
ms. glick,
the extent of the missionary problem can be seen in part in this article from jewishisrael.com
http://jewishisrael.ning.com/profiles/blogs/birthright-for-jesus-part-one
in 2 parts it shows how birthright israel has allowed xians to address it's participants. a sensible jewish person reading this will be aghast at what is allowed to take place.
xians reading this piece will gain an insight to the problem. and, if they do not see, or object to the piece, guess what? they are part of the problem! hel-looooooo??!!!!
Caroline, I watched Beck interview Eric Metaxas about his book on Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Beck was fascinated by the story of the Christian pastor who participated in the conspiracy to kill Hitler. Eventually, Bonhoeffer was arrested for helping Jews escape to Switzerland. After the failed bombing of Hitler, interrogations led to prisoner Bonhoeffer's part in the conspiracy. For this, Hitler had him hung weeks before the end of the war. Beck was in awe.