Colorado Jews are Divided Over John Hagee

Open Letter: John Hagee’s Pool: Swim At Your Own Risk; No Lifeguard On Duty
NOVEMBER 16, 2010
tags: AIPAC, ADL, AJC, John Hagee, Christians United For Israel, Jewish Federation s Men s Event, Christian Zionism, CUFI, David Brog
by Rob Prince
Open Letter: John Hagee’s Pool: Swim At Your Own Risk; No Lifeguard On Duty
November 16, 2010
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
We, Melodye Feldman and I, Rob Prince, are writing to invite you to join us on Sunday evening, November 21st to respectfully protest outside of the Jewish Federation Men’s Event.
This annual event, hosted by Federation and underwritten by Larry Mizel, selects a keynote speaker to raise money for the Jewish Federation. It usually draws upwards of 1200 attendee’s. More and more, the Men’s Event has been keynoted by speakers with a very conservative – right agenda.
This year the Federation invited the Reverend John Hagee, but due to a large outcry from both within and outside of the Jewish Community he was subsequently uninvited.
The Federation underestimated the outrage of inviting someone into the community who has espoused anti- semitic, homophobic, anti-Islam/Muslim and racist remarks over and over again in his speeches and writings.
Unfortunately, we have just learned that the Federation has invited David Brog to speak in Hagee’s place. By inviting Brog, we are still getting Hagee, someone who will most probably whitewash Hagee’s record. We see virtually no difference between Hagee and Brog as speakers. David Brog is the Executive Director of Reverend Hagee’s organization, Christian’s United for Israel (CUFI).
Brog himself is Jewish. As a result, the Federation argues he has the right to speak on behalf of Hagee and the relationship between the Christian Zionist Movement and their “love” of and “desire” to stand by the Jewish faith in support of the State of Israel.
Friends, although CUFI claims it does not proselytize as a part of its work, there is considerable evidence to the contrary. A good number of their past and present directors and board members are wholehearted involved in `bringing Jews to Jesus’.
CUFI also lobbies in Washington for extreme rightwing foreign policy positions. David Brog knows this.
Yet he believes that the means justify the end: Brog is willing to live with the knowledge and understanding that many of the Pastor’s that sit on the CUFI board, John Hagee included, continue to put out antisemitic, anti- gay, racist views because they financially support the State of Israel even while they are actively trying to convert Jews to become Jews for Jesus.
David Brog and many Jews in the larger established Jewish organizations continue to befriend this movement with the belief that “anyone who is willing to support the State of Israel” and to back it financially is a “friend” regardless of the hate they spew and the anti-ism’s that they speak.
Years ago Jewish organizations such as ADL, AJC, the Jewish Federation and AIPAC strongly condemned the venomous words and actions that these “Christian Right” pastors spouted. But today the Jewish Community not only remains silent – they embrace and honor these people and they remain silent or try to “explain away” what was meant when tapes and videos appear with their vile remarks.
David Brog is an enabler of John Hagee and his organization – Christians United For Israel. As such he can be considered little more than `Hagee-lite, at worst, Hagee in sheep’s clothing so to speak.
We believe in free speech. We believe that David Brog has a right to speak.
We also believe in the right to protest his speech, with an eye on educating the Jewish Community about CUFI, Hagee and Brog.
We cannot stand silently by while David Brog gives credibility and support to individuals and organizations like Hagee and CUFI, giving voice to their hate.
We will be standing outside of the men’s event to protest as a Jew against David’s remarks. We believe that he and CUFI are dangerous to the Jewish Community.
We will not be silent concerning organizations who allow their leader and board members to espouse hate and violence against segments of the population.
Please join us for this silent vigil.
Cheers,
Melodye (Feldman) and Rob (Prince)
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The Jewish Federation’s Men’s Event begins at 6 pm at
Wings Over The Rockies Air And Space Museum
7711 E. Academy Blvd, Denver
We will be there with signs by 5:15. …. join us
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