More zionist antisemitism

Collaboration with antisemitism has been a recurring theme in the history of zionism. Every generation of zionist history has thrown up an antisemitic ogre for the zionists to collaborate with and our time is no different. At the inception of the movement, Herzl, the first president of the World Zionist Organisation, said that the enemies of the Jews were the people who had the main interest in supporting zionism and so it has proven down the years. Next up came Jabotinsky's collaboration with Simon Petliura while devotees of the latter slaughtered over 100,000 Jews in Ukraine. Then there was the celebration of the rise to power of Hitler, the transfer agreement and that nasty business in Hungary.

Come 1948 the zionists have got their state, what more do they want? More antisemitism it seems. Israel Shahak writes of Ben Gurion's dealings with antisemitic French generals in Algeria, who he claimed were "careful to explain that they were only against the Jews in France, not in Israel." Just like zionists don't like Jews in France, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Argentina - oops, I forgot Israel's arming of the antisemitic Galtieri regime - and now America.

Now America? Of course, our new friends the Christian zionists. Here's a rather naive Labour MK Collette Avital in Ha'aretz:

The Israeli public is so thirsty for love that it becomes very excited by the support it gets from Christian groups; this is the case when the support comes in the form of political support or in the form of millions of dollars in cash that flows generously to various causes in Israel, some of them questionable. Several weeks ago, the evangelical leadership even held a conference in Israel, and some of our most important leaders were on hand.

The support of American evangelicals does not receive the necessary attention in Israel. The outrageous statement by Reverend John Hagee, an evangelist who disseminates his opinions not only in his church in Texas, but also through popular television broadcasts, is an example of extremist views that are being ignored by those who laud the support Israel gets from evangelicals.

Hagee is the founder of the Christians United for Israel lobby, and as such received the blessing of the Jewish lobby AIPAC during its annual conference last year. Hitler and the Holocaust, Hagee argues, were part of a divine plan to expel Jews from Europe and bring them to the Land of Israel. It was written about and prophesized in the Bible, Hagee says. How will God restore Jews to their homeland? asks Hagee. The answer: "through fishermen and hunters. A hunter is the one who comes with a gun and forces you; Hitler was a hunter."

As someone familiar with the evangelicals' views and beliefs on the second coming of Jesus, there is nothing surprising to me about his statements. It only causes me to sigh in relief because the truth is coming out. This time it was not a slip of the tongue, and the statements are documented on the Church's Web site. Do we still need to point out that Jesus can return only after Armageddon, and to this end it is best if Israel continues to be at war?

But the support of Hagee and his lobby is not impartial. This is support to specific leaders and parties, to whom he offers generous assistance. Hagee's evangelicals reject the two-state solution, which is currently acceptable for the vast majority of the Israeli public; as such, Hagee's followers direct their funding and assistance toward a clear political agenda in Israel.

In an interview with Haaretz some two years ago, Hagee said he would offer aid to hospitals and orphanages. To those who know him, this is not a likely option.

Hagee, a clear "friend" of Israel who preaches that it must not relinquish an inch of land, declared his support for Senator John McCain in the race for U.S. president. But his latest declarations, and this latest one most of all, embarrassed McCain to the point that he renounced the reverend's support.

Is it not appropriate then to expect Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to make an unequivocal announcement that they, too, are cutting ties with Hagee and his ilk? After all, the aims of this bear hug are clear.

MK Colette Avital (Labor) served as Israel's Consul General in New York.

Unfortunately neither role has imbued her with a sense of zionist history.