Hagee: Lies and the Lying Liar Who Tells Them

Hagee said [he is not] trying to dictate Israel’s security and political policies. Hagee will support Israel whether or not it carries out withdrawals, he repeatedly said, adding that this is something its citizens will decide…

What Hagee essentially says about himself…is, yes, I am a skeptic as to the wisdom behind withdrawals. But I never acted against them, nor shall I…

…Hagee said Israel is a free country. “…Israelis and Israelis alone have the right to make existential decisions about land and peace.” The only lobbying he did on that issue was to try and persuade the U.S. government not to pressure Israel into adopting policies it was reluctant to carry out.

—Shmuel Rosner in Haaretz

American evangelist John Hagee on Sunday…declared that Israel must
remain in control of all of Jerusalem…”Turning part or all of Jerusalem over to the Palestinians would be tantamount to turning it over to the Taliban,” Hagee said.

—Associated Press

Apocalypse ain’t over till the fat man sings (Jeff Minton)

In the spirit of Al Franken’s Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, I’d like to dedicate this post to John Hagee, one of the most two-faced Christian preachers out there (and there are quite a few I’m sorry to say). All I can say is: “White man speak with forked tongue.” Believe Hagee at your peril. And as I’ve written before if you lie down with a lying low-down dog you’ll get up with fleas.

Hagee is carrying water for the Likud, make no mistake about that. So if you ever hear anyone trying to sell you the idea that all Hagee cares about is what’s good for Israel–ask that person: “Which Israel?” Bibi’s Israel or the Israel inhabited by the majority of its citizens, who are not right-wing zealots?

Apparently, Hagee takes American Jews for fools. He thinks he can say one thing and then say the exact opposite and we’ll just roll over to get our tummies scratched. All I can say is: butt out buster. Israel doesn’t need your help in determining what its interests are.

John McCain too has drunk the cool-aid. Witness this interview with the Jewish Journal’s Rob Eshman (thanks to Gershom Gorenberg for providing the link):

McCain also defended his support of the controversial Rev. John Hagee…I asked the senator how he would get pro-Israel evangelicals, who have been staunchly opposed to Israel giving up territory or compromising on the status of Jerusalem, to support any peace agreement.

“You can’t jump ahead here,” he said. “I know they favor a peace process. I know they favor that because of my close relations with them, and pastor John Hagee … is one of the leaders of the pro-Israel-evangelical movement in America.”

I started to correct him — Hagee and other evangelicals most certainly don’t support compromise on territory or Jerusalem, and McCain must know this. That’s when I got my first taste of the famous McCain technique: I’ll-talk-so-you-can’t.

“Look,” he cut me off, “I just have to tell you that we should be so grateful for the support of the evangelical movement for the state of Israel, given the influence that they have, beneficial influence that they have over millions of Americans, and then we’ll worry about a peace process later on, but I know that they are committed to peace between Palestinians and Israelis as well.”

Sure John, we trust you just like we trust Hagee. Hagee will support a peace process simply because you know he will. Good enough for me.

According to today’s NY Times, both Hagee and McCain are soft-pedaling the former’s endorsement. It seems there’s been a firestorm of controversy regarding Hagee’s more daft religious views. But I find this statement from the McCain campaign to be incredible:

A McCain adviser acknowledged on Monday that the campaign had failed to look into Mr. Hagee’s background adequately…

Say what? You’re running a presidential campaign and you don’t realize that Hagee is one of the most controversial religious figures in the United States before you accept his endorsement? Not to mention, if you’re going to roast your opponent for his minister’s endorsement (Rev. Wright) you’d better be prepared for your own religious endorsers to come under scrutiny.

Getting back to Hagee, he is an utter ignoramus when it comes to understanding the difference between the Taliban and the Palestinians. In normal everyday life you don’t usually pay a price for being an ignoramus. But in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict there are no such luxuries. It is the ignoramuses who propel the conflict to ever-greater heights of hate and bloodshed.