Born Again Christians

Killing Of Dozens And Wounding Of Thousands At Israeli-Palestinian Border Reprehensible, Ending Israeli Moral “High Ground”, And Promoting Endless Warfare

This author and blogger is Jewish, and has always been supportive of the nation state of Israel, now celebrating its 70th birthday, recognized by the United States and the United Nations on May 14, 1948.

Being supportive of the Israeli nation and wanting its success and survival, however, does not mean endorsement of the right wing government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu and its tactics.

It is also NOT endorsement of the decision of the United States to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, taking the future status of the Holy City off the negotiation table with its Arab neighbors, the Palestinians.

War and constant tension has existed in the Middle East now in an unceasing manner, and it is acknowledged that there is no easy solution to the morass.

But Donald Trump made a major blunder in caving in to right wing religious demands of the Israeli government. It is also a disgrace that Israel’s government caves in to the born again Christians who see Jerusalem as their city, even though they harbor strong antisemitic beliefs, seeing Jews as going to hell if they do not accept Jesus Christ as their savior, conveniently forgetting that Jesus was Jewish.

To have extremist right wing pastors speak at the symbolic opening of the US Embassy yesterday was disgraceful and disgusting. To have Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner speak as dozens of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip were murdered by Israeli soldiers, while thousands were wounded, creates a terrible image that will harm the United States and Israel for the long term.

Between the controversy over Jerusalem, and the unjustified breaking of the Iran agreement last week by Donald Trump, these events insure future warfare and people dying on both sides of the Middle East cauldron for the long haul.

One can condemn Hamas, the terrorist organization which runs the government of the Gaza Strip, and yet agree that their conditions are an open air prison, and the hatred built up insures the death of more Israelis over time.

Israel has the right to defend itself, but the tactics used yesterday make Israel look horrible on the international scene, and Jerusalem’s status should have been left to negotiation, not become the political football it has evolved into, due to the despicable leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump.

It also further isolates the United States in international affairs, as its allies are being alienated, in the name of reckless foreign policy.

Civil War In The GOP: Men Vs Women; Blue Collar Vs White Collar; Born Again Christians Vs Not; Tea Party Supporters Vs Not

The Republican Party, based on a new CNN poll, are totally split down the middle, engaged in a true civil war for the future of the party.

Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts Governor, despite being self described as “severely conservative”, has not convinced many groups in the GOP that he is a conservative. He is backed by women, white collar professionals, those NOT born again Christian, and those NOT Tea Party supporters.

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, certainly more right wing than Romney can claim to be, is backed by men, blue collar workers, born again Christians, and Tea Party supporters.

This means that Mitt Romney is far from certain as the nominee of the party, and the Michigan Primary coming up on February 28 in the state of his birth, and the state which elected his father George Romney Governor in the 1960s, will be a true battleground, with Santorum at the moment ahead of Mitt Romney.

The question is are we going to have a candidate who represents a much more narrow minded, less educated, more religiously fanatical element, as the Republican nominee to lead our country in the 21st century? Or are we going to have a candidate who represents a more socially advanced, more educated, more open minded, less governed by religion as part of government, as the GOP nominee?

This looks like a battle royale on the level of Nelson Rockefeller vs Barry Goldwater in 1964, but with Santorum far more scary and narrow minded and dangerous than Barry Goldwater could ever have been in reality!