Robertson Angers Israel, Loses Right to Develop Jesusland

In my blog post, Why Won’t the Good Lord Shut Pat Robertson Up?, about Robertson citing God’s wrath as the cause of Ariel Sharon’s stroke because he “divided God’s land,” I predicted that he would quickly disown his words as he has in the face of previous idiotic statements. Well, he surprised me. He didn’t apologize, he merely attempted to explain himself ‘better’ and blame it on People for the American Way.

The Times of London notes that his original statement and subsequent defense so angered the Israeli government that it has labeled him persona non grata as far as his beloved Jesusland theme park to be built on the shores of the Sea of Galilee:

Avi Hartuv, a spokesman for Israel’s tourism minister, said: “We can’t accept this kind of statement [i.e. the clarification]. We will not do business with him.”

Just think, if the moron had delivered a contrite apology he might’ve maintained his $50-million investment in this monument to the power of Christian tourist dollars.

The headline of the Times story, Robertson tries to save Jesusland after Sharon gibe, dated January 11th is either sloppy journalism or deliberately misleading because it quotes a January 4th statement from Robertson which was released before the Israeli government statements. The Times article appears to connect the Robertson clarification saying it was an attempt to mollify the Israeli officials. Since Robertson’s statement came out BEFORE the Israeli one there can be no connection between the two. So in essence, Pat has said nothing since. Guess we’ll still have to wait for that tail-between-the-legs apology for which Pat’s so infamous.

Oh and Jesusland? A disgusting idea–may it go the way of other disgusting ideas that the world, and especially Israel, don’t need.