Haaretz
Tishrei 18, 5765
Led by American
evangelist Pat Robertson, thousands of Christian pilgrims gathered in the
Holy Land on Sunday to express support for Israel.
In two Jerusalem
appearances, Robertson praised Israel as part of God's plan and criticized
Arab countries and some Muslims, saying their hopes to include
Israeli-controlled land in a Palestinian state are part of "Satan's plan."
Robertson did offer a hint of rebuke for Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon for his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip. Only God could decide
on transfers of biblical land, Robertson said.
Robertson's views
coincided with those of many of Sharon's own constituency, who oppose his
plan to evacuate all 21 Jewish settlements from Gaza next year. Sharon has
pledged to push ahead.
The tourists, many from the United States,
said they were not frightened by recent violence but only hoped to boost
Israeli morale during their visit.
In a gathering of more than
4,000 pilgrims at a Jerusalem convention center Sunday, Robertson warned
that some Muslims were trying to foil "God's plan" to let Israel hold on
to its lands.
"I see the rise of Islam to destroy Israel and take
the land from the Jews and give East Jerusalem to [Palestinian Authority
Chairman] Yasser Arafat. I see that as Satan's plan to prevent the return
of Jesus Christ the Lord," said Robertson, a Christian broadcaster.
Robertson, who has made critical statements of Islam in the past,
called Israel's Arab neighbors "a sea of dictatorial regimes."
He
said he "sends notice" to Osama bin Laden, Arafat and Palestinian militant
groups that "you will not frustrate God's plan" to have Jews rule the Holy
Land until the Second Coming of Jesus.
Only God should decide if
Israel should relinquish control of the lands it captured in the 1967 war,
including the Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem, Robertson said, in
a reference to Sharon's plan to pull out of Gaza next year.
"God
says, 'I'm going to judge those who carve up the West Bank and Gaza
Strip,'" Robertson said. "'It's my land and keep your hands off it.'"
More than 4,000 people joined this year's annual pilgrimage, about
25 percent higher than the past three years, according to organizers with
the International Christian Embassy.
The support was welcomed by
Israeli officials, including lawmakers and government representatives who
attended the gatherings. The visit comes during Sukkot, or the Feast of
the Tabernacles, a seven-day Jewish harvest festival the commemorates the
40 years biblical Israelites wandered in the desert after the exodus from
Egypt. The holiday is celebrated by some Christians who want to connect
with their religion's Jewish roots.
Blowing rams' horns and
exclaiming "Hallelujah," hundreds of pilgrims - including visitors from
Norway, England and Germany - gathered in downtown Jerusalem to pray for
peace and celebrate Israel's unification of the city with the capture of
East Jerusalem in 1967.
Israel considers the entire city its
"eternal capital," despite Palestinian claims to make east Jerusalem the
capital of a future state.
Evangelical Christians are strong
supporters of Israel, believing that the return of the Jews to the Holy
Land is foretold in the Scriptures and heralds the return of the messiah.
While the pilgrims are welcomed in Israel, the belief of some in a
final, apocalyptic battle between good and evil - in which Jesus returns
and Jews either accept him or perish - causes discomfort among Jews.
The Israeli government has forged a close alliance with
conservative American Christians in recent years. Evangelical groups have
contributed millions of dollars to Israel and lobbied in Washington in
support of the Israeli
government.
Most of the pilgrims were
spending at least 10 days in the country, visiting biblical sites in
northern Israel's Galilee, Jerusalem's Old City and the Jordan River.
Some also toured Jewish settlements in the West Bank to express
solidarity with settlers, who have frequently been targeted by Palestinian
militants.
Marilyn Henretty, 66, an Anglican from Annandale,
Virginia, blew a long ram's horn throughout the prayer session. She said
she was not afraid to be in Israel despite the fighting.
"God said
my feet must be in Jerusalem at this feast," said Henretty, a retired
public affairs worker at the U.S. Commerce Department.
Outside,
Avi Bardugo, a 33-year-old Israeli ice cream vendor, looked on with
interest as the pilgrims filed out of the park. Many asked him for
directions to Jerusalem hotels.
"This helps morally and
psychologically," he said. "They are encouraging Israel despite the
international criticism."