Let Us Pray... For Israel

The Israeli-government-sponsored push to recruit and mobilise Australian politicians to work for Israel has never been more feverish.

Hot on the heels of the London Declaration on Combating Antisemitism mass sign-in in May comes this little try-on:

"A bipartisan group in Federal Parliament will form an Australian Israel Allies Caucus (AIAC) after a Knesset Christian Allies Caucus (KCAC) delegation met with politicians, including Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott last Friday. KCAC director Josh Reinstein said the delegation, which included KCAC chairman and MK David Rotem, was on a fact-finding mission... 'We want to establish an Australian Israel Allies Caucus, as Australia and Israel share values and have always enjoyed a culture of mutual support. We wanted to find out which politicians would be interested in being involved.' Reinstein said, 'They [the caucus] will take on legislation and resolutions and mobilise support for Israel.'... The delegation met with federal politicians, including Christopher Pyne, Philip Ruddock and Jewish MP Josh Frydenberg... The AIAC will join a growing network, including 5 caucases in America, 7 in Europe and 3 in Asia... The delegation also met with the NSW Parliament and more than 100 religious leaders at a forum organised by NSW Christian Democrat MP Fred Nile." (Israeli allies caucus to be founded in Parliament, The Australian Jewish News, 28/6/13)

A real can of worms this one. Let's dissect a few:

Josh Reinstein, director of the KCAC, is an American-born Israeli who works for Israel's Ministry of Public Diplomacy & Diaspora Affairs, headed by Yuli Edelstein MK (Likud), the main man behind the London Declaration on Combating Antisemitism initiative. (See my 17/5/13 post The Tel Aviv Declaration on Combating Criticism of Israel.)

David Rotem is a Yisrael Beiteinu MK. This is the party led by the thuggish former foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, once known for suggesting that Gaza be nuked and currently on trial for corruption.

In the photograph which accompanies the above report, in addition to the political fraternity, Frydenberg, Reinstein, Abbott and Rotem, we have Christian Zionists, Keith Buxton and Marisa Albert:

Buxton is director of the Queensland-based Bridges for Peace, which has links with the KCAC. His support for the Zionist project in Palestine is apparently unconditional and appears to derive from his own peculiar theological ruminations: "Firstly, I need to emphasise that we do not proselytise. Nor do we focus on an apocalyptic Armageddon scenario [in scripture]. I personally believe that references in Zachariah to Jews being converted and destroyed are a misreading. Sadly, in many ways, the destruction can be seen to have already happened, with the fall of Jerusalem and the events of the Holocaust. We stand with Isaiah's call to 'comfort my people.' We focus on the fact that God is faithful to his covenant promises to the Jewish people and to the land, going right back to Genesis 12... The Jewish people are an integral part of God's redemptive purpose." (A chat with Reverend Keith Buxton, The Australian Jewish News, 1/10/10)

Albert heads the Jerusalem East Gate Foundation, a "Filipino Christian Ministry based in Manila and Jerusalem," which has reportedly "organized and funded" the "Jerusalem-Australia initiative." (Pro-Israel caucus to be formed in Australia, Gill Hoffman, cac.org.il, 21/6/13). Here's a potted biography:

"President of Kol Adonai Foundation (Philippines) and the East Gate Foundation (Jerusalem). The partner organizations are Asia initiatives to bring spiritual, moral and practical support from Asia into Israel. Their main ventures include live praise and worship on the Mt.of Olives, the production and worldwide airing of 'Voice From Jerusalem' programs and the Asia-to-Israel Shavuot Worship Tours. As member to the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus, EGFJ was the organizer and major sponsor to the first Jerusalem Summit Asia held in Manila in August 2004. Miss Albert was former President of White Stone Productions, a special events management corporation which serviced top multinational companies in Asia. She is also President of the In His Care Leadership Network Israel."  (jerusalemsummit.org)

Something of the flavour of Ms Albert's particular brand of Christian fruit juice can be gathered from this little item at koladonai.org:

"When in Jerusalem, one of the most authentic and meaningful biblical sites to visit for a time of meditation, prayer and praise fellowship is the Mount of Olives. We know that the presence of God is within us and everywhere that is sanctioned unto Him. But there is a significance also to the places that evidence biblical occurrence and biblical prophecy. The pilgrim and tourist who comes to Israel also 'comes home' to his biblical homeland and enters into a prophetic connection. Coming into the Holy Land also enhances spiritual prayer connection These are prayers of thanksgiving and honour to the Holy One who dwells in Zion; prayers for spiritual aspirations; prayers for loved ones; prayers for the church and for the community of nations; and prayers for peace for Israel. They may be prayers for the establishment of Jerusalem as the capital city of the coming King. They may be prayers calling on the love of Messiah to touch the precious people of the Middle East with His great love, hope, peace and blessings. They may be prayers that cry out, 'Come, Messiah, Come!" (At the most special Prayer Mountain in the world)

Now of course these Christian Zionists aren't always off with the pixies. They also take time off to push a very Israeli political agenda. Like Iran-bashing, for example. I wonder, could an Abbott (or Rudd) government, under the influence of their kool-aid, ever go this far:

"Edelstein and other speakers frequently cited the pressure from members of Canada's Israel Christian Allies Caucus who were successful in lobbying Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to completely sever ties with Iran last week." (Int'l Christian lawmakers vow to stop Iranian nukes, Melanie Lidman, cac.org.il, 10/3/12)

Then there's Jerusalem. Could an Abbott (or Rudd) government, under the influence, ever fall victim to UJS (United Jerusalem Syndrome) and go where no country, not even the US component of USrael, has ever gone before:

"High-profile parliamentarians and congressmen in Washington, Europe and elsewhere around the world are celebrating together the historical date of the reunification of Jerusalem,' [Former tourism minister Benny Elon & president of the Israel Allies Foundation] said, 'and at the same time they are trying to do their best to relocate their embassies to Jerusalem through legislation." (International Israel Allies representatives in US, Europe and Israel for a united Jerusalem, Gil Hoffman, cac.org.il, 6/3/13)

OK, to sum up this terminal madness, we have here a Filipino Christian Zionist happy clapper organising and funding Israeli government representatives on a trip to Australia to recruit Australian politicians to 'do the donkey' for Israel. It doesn't get much more bizarre - or brazen - than that. (In case you've forgotten what doing the donkey entails, allow me to refer you to my posts USrael: The Movie (14/2/13) and Doing the Donkey (2/3/13) - to be read in that order.)