DEWINE LOOKING FOR DIVINE INTERVENTION? Mike DeWine may be able to distance himself from his fellow Ohio Republicans' ethical scandals, from Ken Blackwell's God-centered politicking, and even, just maybe, from Bush, but will he distance himself from the Armageddon hunters? In this photo, circulated by Rod Parsley, DeWine is shown meeting with Parsley and Ohio delegates of John Hagee's Christians United for Israel (CUFI) this summer, discussing "his support for the nation of Israel."
But for Hagee, Parsley, and their CUFI followers, "supporting Israel" has meant lobbying against the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah and clamoring for military intervention against Iran. Their motives do not stem from a love of the nation of Israel, as Israel-supporting Jews in Ohio might expect. Rather, they seek a world-ending conflagration leading to the Second Coming of Christ. As Parsley put it in his newsletter with the photo of DeWine, CUFI is "an organization that supports Israel in matters related to Biblical issues." That means not the safety and security of Israeli citizens, or a peaceful, two-state solution with the Palestinians, but the fulfillment of what CUFI followers believe to be Biblically prophesized events, including the wiping out of non-believers (i.e., Jews and Muslims). That DeWine -- and all the other members of Congress who cozied up to CUFI at its kick-off lobbying event this summer -- can justify giving credence to CUFI's end-of-the-world war-mongering shows not a toughness against the terrorists, but a spinelessness against religious fundamentalism.
--Sarah Posner
