Israel Gets Offended By Pat Robertson…But…

Ido Hartuv, Israel’s Tourism Ministry spokesman said, "Evangelicals are the best friends of Israel and they are very, very welcome here.” Is he out of his mind? Yes, Evangelicals have pumped money into Israel because all things sacred to their religion and to Jesus Christ are in Israel. But Evangelicals hate Jews. And they preach hatred for everyone who adheres to any religion that does not espouse the fear and bigotry advocated by Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell. It was Robertson’s remarks about Sharon’s stroke being divine retribution that caused Hartuv to say, “We cannot accept these statements, and we will not sign any contracts with Mr. Robertson." Robertson had been in negotiations with Israel over a proposal for an evangelical pilgrimage and tourism park near the Sea of Galilee where Jesus is believed to have lived and preached. Amazingly, Hartuv said Israel would be willing to continue the negotiations but without Robertson. Hartuv never brought up the hideously bigoted and criminal suggestions Robertson has made in the past--suggestions which evangelicals accept as appropriate remarks from their prophet. Robertson said about Sharon’s stroke, "It was a terrible thing that happened, but nevertheless, now he's dead…God considers this land to be his…for any prime minister of Israel who decides he will carve it up and give it away, God said, 'No, this is mine’…I would say woe unto any prime minister of Israel who takes a similar course.” Continuing negotiations with or without Robertson for a $48 million "Galilee Heritage Park" that could draw 750,000 to 1 million new tourists annually would be a sign that Israel and its tourism ministry have no problem with previous Robertson statements. 1. Pat Robertson on a The 700 Club broadcast, December 30,1991: "The Constitution of the United States, for instance, is a marvelous document for self-government by the Christian people. But the minute you turn the document into the hands of non-Christian people and atheistic people they can use it to destroy the very foundation of our society. And that's what's been happening." 2. Robertson said in his “The New World Order,” page 218: "When I said during my presidential bid (1988) that I would only bring Christians and Jews into the government, I hit a firestorm. `What do you mean?' the media challenged me. `You're not going to bring atheists into the government? How dare you maintain that those who believe in the Judeo Christian values are better qualified to govern America than Hindus and Muslims?' My simple answer is, `Yes, they are.'" 3. Pat Robertson in an interview with Molly Ivins,1993: "Just like what Nazi Germany did to the Jews, so liberal America is now doing to the evangelical Christians. It's no different. It is the same thing. It is happening all over again. It is the Democratic Congress, the liberal-based media and the homosexuals who want to destroy the Christians. Wholesale abuse and discrimination and the worst bigotry directed toward any group in America today. More terrible than anything suffered by any minority in history." 4. On October 8, 2003, Pat Robertson said a nuclear device should be used to wipe out the State Department. He repeated his comments on his 700 Club broadcast on October 9th, saying, "What we need is for somebody to place a small nuke at Foggy Bottom.” 5. Pat Robertson on The 700 Club, August 22,2005: “There was a popular coup that overthrew him [Chavez]. And what did the United States State Department do about it? Virtually nothing. And as a result, within about 48 hours that coup was broken; Chavez was back in power, but we had a chance to move in. He has destroyed the Venezuelan economy, and he's going to make that a launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism all over the continent…you know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war…we have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability. We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator. It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with.” 6. On November 10th, 2005, when the people of Dover, PA voted out all seven members of the school board who supported “intelligent design,” Pat Robertson said on The 700 Club, "I'd like to say to the good citizens of Dover: if there is a disaster in your area, don't turn to God, you just rejected Him from your city…and don't wonder why He hasn't helped you when problems begin, if they begin. I'm not saying they will, but if they do, just remember, you just voted God out of your city. And if that's the case, don't ask for His help because he might not be there.” These are the beliefs that Pat Robertson has been promulgating and preaching. And these are the beliefs of the Evangelicals who Ido Hartuv says Israel will work with in order to bring a Pat Robertson theme park to Israel. With or without Pat Robertson, this kind of bigotry must not be supported in Israel. The people of Israel and all Jews all over the globe must never forget that Evangelicals want to claim the birthplace of Jesus as their kingdom and they hold Jews and all non-Christians in contempt. Robertson equates the fact that people don’t agree with his hateful and bigoted religion with the Holocaust and the killing of 6,000,000 Jews by the Nazis. What are you thinking, Hartuv? It’s a no-brainer.