Posted on 09/12/2014 7:33:04 AM PDT by xzins
Cruz: Anti-Israel Crowd Like Nothing ‘I’ve Previously Encountered’
Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) said in an interview with the Washington Free Beacon that the “hatred and bigotry” he encountered when he was booed off the stage at a Middle Eastern Christian conference for defending Israel on Wednesday night was like nothing he has previously seen in his political career.
“I’ve certainly encountered audiences that disagreed with a particular point of view. But this virulent display of hatred and bigotry was remarkable, and considerably different from anything I’ve previously encountered,” Cruz said, just a few hours after his pro-Israel speech to the In Defense of Christians conference was drowned out by shouts and jeers from the audience.
The senator was booed off stage at the conference, which is aimed at raising awareness for the persecution of Middle Eastern Christians, after saying that Christians “have no greater ally than Israel” and calling on the audience to support the Jewish state.
“The division and anti-Semitism expressed tonight by some of the crowd is not reflective of the teachings of Christ, and is in fact directly contrary to the tenets of Christianity,” Cruz said.
In video posted by the Daily Caller, audience members can be heard shouting at Cruz during his keynote address.
“I am saddened to see that some here, not everyone, but some here, are so consumed with hate,” said Cruz, before he was interrupted with shouts of “all of us!” from the audience.
“You speak for yourself!” one participant yelled during the senator’s defense of Israel.
“If you will not stand with Israel and the Jews, then I will not stand with you,” said Cruz, as audience members drowned him out with boos and cries of “enough!,” “no!” and “never!”
The Free Beacon reported on Wednesday that several Hezbollah and Syrian regime supporters were scheduled to speak at the conference. Numerous members of Congress were scheduled to attend, including Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D., Mich.), Rep. Darrell Issa (R., Calif.), and Rep. Brad Sherman (D., Calif.).
The speakers included Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Raï, who has defended Hezbollah’s right to attack Israel and has called for a meeting with the Iranian-backed terrorist group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Another speaker, Syriac Orthodox Church Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, boasted on his official Facebook page last week about his Sept. 5 meeting with a “high level delegation from Hezbollah.”
The conference also featured Antioch Church patriarch Gregory III Laham, who has blamed terrorist attacks against Iraqi Christians on a “Zionist conspiracy against Islam” aimed at making Muslims look bad.
“It is actually a conspiracy planned by Zionism and some Christians with Zionist orientations, and it aims at undermining and giving a bad image of Islam,” Laham said in 2010, according to the Daily Star.
Despite the controversial speakers, Cruz decided to speak at the conference because he wanted to bring attention to the persecution of Middle Eastern Christians, his office told the Free Beacon on Wednesday afternoon.
He said Wednesday night that he was disappointed he was unable to give the speech he had planned.
“I’d intended to talk tonight about Pastor Saeed Abedini, wrongfully imprisoned in the nation of Iran for practicing his Christian faith. I’d intended to talk tonight about Mariam Ibrahim, wrongfully imprisoned and sentenced to torture and death for her Christian faith,” said Cruz. “I had intended to talk about the three Jewish teenagers who were kidnapped and murdered by Hamas simply because they were Jews.”
“Radical Islamic terrorists do not distinguish between Christians and Jews,” he added. “They hate us both, they murder us both.”
Funding for the conference was provided by top Clinton donor and Lebanese-Nigerian billionaire Gilbert Chagoury, organizers told the Free Beacon on Tuesday.
A spokesperson for the conference did not immediately respond to request for comment.
The conference also featured Antioch Church patriarch Gregory III Laham, who has blamed terrorist attacks against Iraqi Christians on a “Zionist conspiracy against Islam” aimed at making Muslims look bad. “It is actually a conspiracy planned by Zionism and some Christians with Zionist orientations, and it aims at undermining and giving a bad image of Islam,” Laham said in 2010, according to the Daily Star.
Ted Cruz has character, integrity and guts. I pray he will be the next President.
I agree on every point.
I also am a big supporter of Israel’s right to exist, and the religious side of me still considers her to be in a special relationship with God.
Cruz said it pretty well. If you don’t stand with Israel, then I don’t stand with you.
I mean that politically. I never agree to muslims slaughtering these Arab Christians no matter how warped their politics is. They apparently need someone to look out for them. They don’t know who are their enemies and who are their friends. You’d think they’d recognize that the people killing them are their enemies, but, like someone said on another thread, there appears to be some kind of Stockholm Syndrome that’s overcome them.
Syriac Orthodox Church Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II,
boasted on his official Facebook page last week about his
Sept. 5 meeting with a “high level delegation from Hezbollah.”
Antioch Church patriarch Gregory III Laham, who has blamed
terrorist attacks against Iraqi Christians on a “Zionist
conspiracy against Islam” aimed at making Muslims look bad.
It is clear that these individuals do not follow YHvH, They clearly do not seek YHvH's face in His WORD. I would suggest they most likely do not have a personal Yah'shua did not come to start a new syncretic religion. They should be regarded as followers of haSatan and his minions. Wow !
shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach
the creator of the universe, the voice of the burning bush.
relationship with Yah'shua, YHvH's promised salvation.
I won’t go that far. They really could be shell-shocked by living in an absolutely treacherous muslim culture.
We don’t realize at times how much freedom in accessing information that we have compared to others.
We don’t know what they’re told about Israel, and if they don’t have alternative news, or if they are threatened to say anything, then I’d really like to have a conversation with them in an absolutely secure place when and where they feel totally safe.
Don’t misunderstand me. I think their comments here are absolutely, totally wrong.
Not everyone who says “Lord Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven. Those “Christians” need to reexamine themselves and the bible before buying into Laham’s nonsense.
“I will bless those who bless you (Israel) and I will curse those who curse you,” says the Lord. Of course you need to be a Christian who believes the bible is the inspired word of God before one will understand.
It is clear that YHvH keeps His promises. His Land, His promise, His WORD, His NAME sake. Their sin starts with Supersessionism and it's Pride. They have the WORD.
shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach
He promised to return Israel to the Land
at the end of days.
I agree that they have the Word.
These people, though, have been through martyrdom for years now. I will not overlook nor discredit that. Perhaps they are not really represented by their leaders, but I cannot deny their willingness to give their lives for Christ.
They are refusing to deny Christ, and they are dying for doing so. That deserves my respect....and a bit of forgiveness if their politics is wrong through misinformation.
I’ve had a few normally adjusted American military friends come back from being stationed in Egypt with what felt like hostility towards Israel. It has to be from constant media exposure. I was shocked by what was clearly prejudicial statements they were making. I would imagine some of these people have been bathed in the same water their whole lives.
That being said, If I had just relocated to America for asylum from the complete opposite side of the globe and after arriving some politician told me that my best friend was all the way back on the side of the world that I left I might get a little miffed. My first thought would be “uh.....if they are my best friend why am I living here instead of there?”.
FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE…shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach
I looked for on that page but couldn’t find it. Is it a title?
sorrytry this
http://www.bobbotsford.com/2010/06/for-his-name’s-sake…/
I grew up in an Arab neighborhood.
At that time, (the 1960’s), the USA was much more supportive of Israel.
Every time something happened over there, the pastor of the Syrian Orthodox Church would get on TV and lambaste the Jews, Israel, Zionists, and anyone who supported them.
And yet, we had the bomb squad at our Jr. High School nearly every FRIDAY, and a bomb was left on the steps of the Lebanese Social Club which maimed the Police officer sent to disarm it.
You can bet it wasn’t Israel that was causing the “mischief” (Fitna in Arabic).
That being said, I will continue to pray for the Christians (even if they are in name only) in muslim countries, who are dying rather than renounce Christ.
And I will to continue to support Israel.
As this unfolds, I will not be surprised if Israel offers safety to those who are fleeing ISIS. In fact, some of this has already happened.
To somebody not raised in that kind of environment, such hate and anti-semitism coming from “Christians” must have been shocking to Ted Cruz.
I had a gig once at a Lebanese CHURCH, and made the mistake of playing “Hava Nagila” in a big medley of Middle eastern dances.
I was almost LYNCHED!
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