A progressive needs to right a Right Wing Code Talk translation book for us....As Ms. Cocktail Party Parker mentioned in her latest column Sarah Palins rhetoric might sound like nonsense to rational people, but to her base it makes total sense!

Anyway the reason that the Right is so interested in Israel has NOTHING to do with caring about Israel. They pray for their conversion to Christianity and preach that they will not be taken to heaven during the "Rapture"! In their crazy world, the bottom line is that the 2nd messiah AKA the end of the world will not be come unless Jerusalam is under 100% Israeli Control. I think the Israelis should seriously reconsider their acceptance of the support of these people who are trying to bring about the END OF THE WORLD.

That is a common misconception. The Evangelicals support Israel because they believe God gave it to the Jews.

In any event, things have sure turned upside down. The left used to ADORE Israel, because it was the only socialist country that ever worked, and "Zionist" was a respected faction. But then, alas! the Soviet Union turned against Israel and all good leftists had to follow suit. Now they don't seem to realize that the Soviet Union has ceased to exist.

Too narrow a view of both right and left. The essence of Israel is that is a settler state -- the Zionists got off the boat, built their own Western society with hard work, and defended what they had built against the natives by force. The Hebrew word for the Zionist settlers is halutz, which translates into English as "pioneer."

That's why the non-Jewish left here and even more in Europe loathes Israel. Orwell wrote before Israeli independence that to an Indian, the Jewish-Arab dispute would seem a racial one, and the Indian would side with the Arabs. In leftist eyes, Israel is a settler state no different than South Africa or French Algeria, and the only proper recourse for the Jews is either to submit to rule by a native majority or to return to the West.

But that's also why the right in this country (aside from the conspiracy minded anti-Semites) favors Israel. The USA is the greatest, most successful, and least repentant European settler state. Our forbearers also got off the boat, took the country away from the Indians at gunpoint, and built up what we have today. We don't intend to give any of it back. Even without Bible-centered Protestantism, it is easy for mainstream Americans to identify with Israel as a country like ours.

“Common misconception” says who, can you enlighten us to the FACTS you have that would support your assertion that Evangelicals, are not preoccupied with the rapture and Israel’s part in it? I would assert that you have over stated your opinion; you cannot with any certainty speak for all evangelicals, for to do so is ridiculous.

Furthermore, your assertion again that the move away from Israel has to do with Russia is equally ridiculous, it has much more to do with the intranet, and how information regarding Israel’s unjust treatment of the Palestinians. If Israel does not want to be judged by Americans, they simply need to stop accepting our billions of tax dollars, problem solved.

I do not usually agree with Rev. Hagee, to say the least. But he IS a major force in the Christian Zionist movement as the leader of Christians United for Israel...and he is my source.

As for the anti-Zionist left following the Soviet Union...it happened DAYS after the Soviet Union announced its support for the Arabs during the Six Days' War. Quelle coincidence.

People like Beka13 really make me laugh.

Liberal Jews, of course, buy that nonsense about the big bad Christian Rapture trap that Israel needs to be VERY, VERY afwaid of.

Pragmatic conservative Jews are smart enough to understand that money talks, bullshit walks.

US Evangelicals have funded important projects in Israel, some of which are vitally helpful to security - helping to prevent kids from being blown to smithereens by Arab terrorists, bulletproof vests, etc.

One bulletproof vest paid for by an American evangelical and sent to Israel trumps more than one thousand armchair liberals spouting off about the "Rapture".