Tag: Jesus

The end of evangelical support for Israel

A mere decade ago, Christian Zionism was seen as an emerging force in American politics. As if out of nowhere, a block of fifty to one hundred million friends of Israel were poised to enter the national debate and safeguard the U.S.-Israel relationship for generations to come. Evangelical love for Israel appeared so solid that the only debate within the Jewish community was whether or not to “accept” it.

Just a few years ago, almost every significant evangelical leader, such as pro-Israel stalwart Pastor John Hagee came out squarely behind the Jewish state.

How quickly things change. The days of taking evangelical support for Israel for granted are over. As they are increasingly confronted with an evangelical-friendly, anti-Israel narrative, more and more of these Christians are turning against the Jewish state.

There is troubling precedent for such an about-face. At one time—prior to the 1967 war— the mainline Protestant denominations were among Israel’s most reliable American supporters. Israel’s opponents, therefore, targeted these denominations with mainline-friendly, anti-Israel messages. There are still many mainline Protestants who support Israel today. But to the extent the mainline denominations act corporately in connection with the Jewish state, it is to divest from it. And it is from Israel—not Iran—that they seek to divest.

In a similar fashion, Palestinian Christians and their American sympathizers are successfully promoting a narrative aimed at reaching the rising generation of evangelicals and turning them against Israel. As a result, more leaders of this generation are moving toward neutrality in the conflict while others are becoming outspoken critics of Israel. Questioning Christian support for the Jewish state is fast becoming a key way for the millennials to demonstrate their Christian compassion and political independence. In short, this population is in play.

Almost every significant evangelical leader who took a position on the issue of Palestine came out squarely behind the Jewish state. A center-right evangelical world simply was not taking its political cues from stalwarts of the left.

This situation is changing dramatically. With every passing month, more evidence is emerging that anti-Israel Christians are succeeding in reaching beyond the evangelical left and are influencing the mainstream. In particular, they are penetrating the evangelical world at its soft underbelly: the millennial generation. These young believers (roughly ages 18 to 30) are rebelling against what they perceive as the excessive biblical literalism and political conservatism of their parents. As they strive with a renewed vigor to imitate Jesus’ stand with the oppressed and downtrodden, they want to decide for themselves which party is being oppressed in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Source: The Middle East Quarterly

Mandela portrayed as Jesus in London painting

 

Painting of Mandela as Jesus by Dean Simon
Painting of Mandela as Jesus by Dean Simon

A portrait of Nelson Mandela by British artist Richard Stone and a portrayal of him playing the role of Jesus at the Last Supper are some of the works on display in London’s “We Love Mandela” exhibition.

Some 22 artists, all South African with the exception of Stone, are displaying around 50 works reflecting the “emotions of people”, their feelings and ideas about South Africa’s first black president, exhibition curator Natalie Knight told AFP.

Many of the artists showcased were forced to work underground during the era of apartheid.

Peace icon Mandela featured “at the top” of the list of personalities whom Stone, portraitist of Queen Elizabeth II and former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, wanted to paint.

“It was the most daunting experience I had ever had” and also “the greatest privilege”, the artist told AFP.

“Here we have quite possibly the most famous man on the planet,” he said.

“My goal was to capture something of the soul of this very great man.”

Natalie Knight in front of a Mandela painting in London Photo: AFP
Natalie Knight in front of a Mandela painting in London Photo: AFP

Stone recalled how Mandela “allowed a little window to be open into his soul” during the six sittings which took place in his Johannesburg office in 2008.

The painting, which features a dignified white-haired Mandela wearing one of his trademark colourful shirts, was sold at auction in 2008 for around 480,000 euros ($650,000) during a London concert celebrating his 90th birthday.

The exhibition gives equal billing to numerous cartoons by South African animator Zapiro, one of which shows Mandela sat in a carriage next to the queen as they travel through the streets of London.

A policeman turns to his colleague and says: “The next bloody tourist who asks who’s the little old lady with Mandela…!”

For Knight, the drawing epitomises “the importance of Mandela in the world.”

Another work explores the power of Mandela’s clenched fist, the symbol of his fight against apartheid, while another imagines Mandela as the central figure at the Last Supper, surrounded by “his” disciples, including Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks.

The exhibition was postponed on several occasions due to health concerns over 95-year-old Mandela, who was hospitalised in June and is now receiving intensive care at home.

The exhibition is free to the public and will open on October 16 at the South African embassy in London. It will then travel to Paris, while Berlin and the United States have expressed interest in hosting the works.