Canadian government reportedly forming pro-Israel lobby; Prime Minister Harper to attend official announcement?
The Jeruselam Post Online Edition
Canadian government forming pro-Israel lobby
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The Canadian government is establishing an "Israel Allies Caucus" this week meant to mobilize support for the State of Israel and promote Judeo-Christian values amid a groundswell of Christian support for
The launching of the Canadian parliamentary lobby, which is based on the formation of the Knesset's "Christian Allies Caucus" three years ago, comes less than six months after a similar lobby was established in the US Congress.
The establishment of the new pro-Israel lobby will be officially announced in
The event comes at a time of burgeoning relations between
"The launching of the Canadian Parliamentary Israel Allies Caucus is a sign of things to come," said Josh Reinstein, director of the Knesset's Christian Allies Caucus in an interview from
"We hope that one day every parliament and government around the world will form a sister caucus to the Knesset's Christian Allies Caucus which will mobilize support for
Over the next six months, similar parliamentary lobbies are expected to be established in the
The increasingly influential Israeli parliamentary lobby, which is currently made up of 12 MKs from seven parties across the political spectrum, has come to epitomize Israel's newfound interest in garnering the support of the Christian world in the 21st century, especially the largely pro-Israel evangelical Christian community around the world, at a time when radical Islam is on the rise.
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The Jeruselam Post Online Edition
Christian Allies Caucus vows that 'the best is yet to come'
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The Knesset's Christian Allies Caucus is marking its third anniversary on Tuesday, as ties between
The increasingly-influential parliamentary lobby, which is currently made up of 12 Knesset members from seven parties across the political spectrum, has come to epitomize Israel's newfound interest in garnering the support of the Christian world in the 21st century, at a time when radical Islam is on the rise.
"A State of Israel which does not understand that its strongest friend in the world at a time of growing threats from Islamic extremism is the Christian world, and particularly the Evangelical Christian community, is a state which is not politically astute," said interim Caucus leader MK Benny Elon (National Union-National Religious Party), the hawkish rabbi who spearheaded the campaign to court Evangelical Christian support during his tenure as tourism minister.
Established in January 2004 amid an unprecedented wave of Palestinian suicide bombings, the parliamentary lobby immediately took off, as pro-Israel Christian pilgrims, particularly Evangelicals, stood out in the then-empty streets of Jerusalem, their moral support conspicuous among the city's hard-hit residents at a time when even many American Jews didn't come to Israel.
After decades of shying away from Christian supporters, the newly formed lobby burst onto the scene with a flurry of activity, which continued apace in the last year, even as the Caucus's highly-respected founder, MK Yuri Shtern (Yisrael Beiteinu), had to temporarily step down from his position due to his debilitating battle with cancer.
In the past year alone, the endlessly-active lobby spurred the launching of a sister caucus in the United States House of Representatives known as the Congressional Israel Allies Caucus, while half a dozen similar pro-Israel caucuses in governments around the world are now being planned, including one that is scheduled to be launched in Canada next month.
Ultimately, the group hopes to create an international network of parliamentary sister caucuses that coordinate activities in support of
"The singular achievement of the Christian Allies Caucus is that in its three years, it has become a well-known institution operating within the Knesset, and many Christians of all walks of life have become aware of it and are relating to it," said Rev. Malcolm Hedding, the executive director of the staunchly pro-Israel International Christian Embassy, a Jerusalem-based Evangelical organization.
The lobby, which met with top Christian leaders in the United States, Europe, Singapore and South Africa over the past year, is involved in programs to increase Christian tourism to Israel, strengthen Israel's dialogue with the African American community and improve the status of women globally on the basis of Judeo-Christian values, events that aim to broaden its ties with Christians of all denominations, beyond its natural alliance with the supportive Evangelical world.
At the same time, the Caucus's work - and goal in courting the support of predominantly conservative Christians - has been given the cold shoulder by the predominantly liberal American Jewish leadership, whose outlooks on social matters such as abortion, the separation of church and state and school prayer are 180 degrees to the left of the Christian Right in America.
Indeed, despite its almost overnight success, most mainstream American Jewish organizations have shied away from the parliamentary lobby or ignored it altogether.
The conflicting views on the two sides of the Atlantic over
At the same time, the Caucus's main limitation to date has been that it has primarily dealt with the supportive Evangelical Christian Community and has failed to make major inroads with the Catholic Church or other mainstream Protestant communities, some of whom have pressed ahead with Divestment Campaigns from Israel to protest Israeli policies vis a vie the Palestinians.
Still, Caucus director Josh Reinstein, who has termed the lobby "the personification of the new relationship between Jews and Christians in the 21st century," is overtly optimistic about the future.
"The Caucus has toiled to accomplish a great deal in the last three years, but the best is yet to come," he concluded.
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The Jeruselam Post Online Edition
Congress forms Israel Allies Caucus
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The United States Congress on Thursday announced the establishment of an Israel Allies Caucus, meant to mobilize Christian support for
The American congressional lobby, which is modeled on the Knesset's Christian Allies Caucus created two and half years ago, will debut with a membership of four Congressmen - two Republicans, Dave Weldon of
The new caucus plans to advocate
The establishment of the caucus was moved up as a sign of solidarity as
"During the current crisis,
He said the formation of the caucus reflected an unwavering Congressional commitment to the state of
"
Engel, who is the only Jewish member of the caucus, said it was important to garner support for
Weldon and Engel will co-chair the lobby.
A separate pro-Israel caucus has existed in the House of Representatives for decades.
The founding of the new caucus, which will serve as a forum for outreach and communication among pro-Israel Christians, comes at a time of burgeoning ties between
"I think that our basic appeal of reuniting people and especially politicians around Israel, not on a temporary cost-benefit approach, built on the most fundamental values of our civilization emanating from the Bible has proven itself," said Knesset Christian Allies Caucus founder MK Yuri Stern (Israel Beiteinu). He noted that similar parliamentary caucuses were being planned in the
"This is not about religious observance or fundamentalism, it is about better understanding our identity and the things we are ready to fight for," he said.
"The civilized world's war with the Islamic terror regimes is at its root, a war of values, and this congressional sister Caucus to the Knesset's Christian Allies Caucus signals a recognition that the Judeo-Christian values
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Etgar Lefkovits-Dallal is a Jerusalem Correspondent for the Jerusalem Post. He has extensive knowledge of the region. Mr. Lefkovitz is responsible for daily coverage of all major news in the city; including police, city hall and terror attacks. He has been involved in many diplomatic discussions regarding
Mr. Lefkovitz was the
Availability: Etgar lives in Israel and frequently comes to the US for speaking engagements.
Contact JNF Speakers Bureau for availability.
posted by Joe Kuchta @ 7:46 PM
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