by Peter Ryan

What, in the end, does it mean to be "Pro-Israel"? Some who self-describe themselves as such mean only that Israel, as a nation, has a right to exist. Others seem to use the term to mean, essentially, that Israel can "do no wrong" and the stance almost seems to blind them to the violations of human rights and international law being carried out by the Israeli army in the Occupied Territories. But extreme Christian Zionists like Pat Robertson, it turns out, are not Pro-Israel at all, they're merely Pro-Occupation.

Pat Robertson, a well known Christian broadcaster and conservative commentator, recently publicly apologized for a statement he made blaming Ariel Sharon's severe stroke on the wrath of God. The apology came only after Robertson's statements were condemed both by the White House and the nation of Israel. Israel, in fact, threatened to cut all ties with Robertson. His apology admitted that his words were insensitive and ill-timed but failed to retract his announcement that Sharon's illness was a form of divine punishment.

Here is the text of Mr. Robertson's original unedited statement:

"Ladies and Gentlemen I said last year that Israel was entering into the most dangerous periods of its entire existence as a nation. That is intensifying this year with the loss of Sharon. Sharon was personally a very likeable person and I am sad to see him in this condition, but I think we need to look at the Bible and the Book of Joel. The prophet Joel makes it very clear that God has enmity against those who "divide my land."

"God considers this land to be His. You read the Bible and He says 'this is my land' and for any Prime Minister of Israel who decides he is going to carve it up and give it away, God says 'no, this is mine.' I had a wonderful meeting with Yitzhak Rabin in 1974. He was tragically assassinated, it was a terrible thing that happened but nevertheless he was dead. And now Ariel Sharon who again was a very likeable person, a delightful person to be with, I prayed with him personally, but here he's at the point of death. He was dividing God's land and I would say woe unto any Prime Minister of Israel who takes a similar course to appease the EU, the United Nations, or the United States of America. God says 'this land belongs to me. You'd better leave it alone.'"

Robertson prefaces his message with personal flattery of Sharon, but his central point is clear: God will punish (in fact, kill) any Israeli leader whose aim is anything less than the complete conquest and annexation of all Palestinian lands by Israel. In this topsy-turvy theology, God's greatest wrath is reserved for any leader who might pursue peace.

For Robertson returning even a single inch of land to the Palestinians (native and legal inhabitants of this territory) is a sin. In other words, any Palestinian state, no matter how small, is an iredeemable contradiction of God's will (as interpreted by Robertson). And God's will cannot be contradicted for any reason--not for human rights, not for international law, not for political expedience certainly not for peace. Not even if it's in Israel best interest.

How can Robertson be "Pro-Israel" if he believes that Israel's democratically-elected leaders can't make the strategic decision to dismantle illegal settlements? How can Robertson be "Pro-Israel" if he is pursuing a dream of Israeli hegemony which will result in an escalation of violence and will leave the Israeli nation trapped in its current state of perpetual war? In the end, any man or woman who refuses to help and cajole Israel into a policy of peace is an enemy of Israel's true interests. Those who are Pro-Occupation may call themselves friends of Israel but they are not--they are friends of war, friends of destruction, friends of death.

To me, to be genuinely Pro-Israel, or Pro-Palestinian, is to be Pro-Peace. The only way Israel can ever hope to achieve real security is through a negotiated process with the Palestinians that leads to a return to the 1967 borders and an end to the Occupation. The Gaza withdrawal can be used a stepping stone toward this goal--or it can be just an interesting footnote a history, a moment when a peace process might have bloomed but didn't.

According to a report from the Jewish Telegraph Agency, Israeli Ambassador Daniel Ayalon has accepted Pat Robertson's apology and plans to speak with him, stating: "I felt he was very sincere. He is a great friend of Israel."

Other Israelis may be less quick to forgive-and-forget. Robertson, in reality, is no friend to Israel. As an opponent of peace, he is an enemy to Palestinian and Israeli alike.

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Resources:

Pat Robertson's Website.

Other Quotes Robertson Might Consider Apologizing For:

(talking about apartheid South Africa) "I think 'one man, one vote,' just unrestricted democracy, would not be wise. There needs to be some kind of protection for the minority which the white people represent now, a minority, and they need and have a right to demand a protection of their rights."--Pat Robertson, "The 700 Club," 3/18/92

"There is no such thing as separation of church and state in the Constitution." --Pat Robertson, November 1993 during an address to the American Center for Law and Justice

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This article is a Middle East Window original publication. All Rights Reserved. Republication requests should be e-mailed to the author at: peter@mef-la.org