17 thoughts on “Zeek Suspends Hagee Coverage Under Political, Legal Assault – Tikun Olam תיקון עולם إصلاح العالم
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  1. Hagee, like most Christian Zionists, is the slickest, cagiest form of anti-Semite. It is no wonder that almost all CZs are also Dispensationalists. They “love the Jewish people” because they’re hoping Jesus will come back sooner, and kill all the ones who won’t convert to Christianity.

    Along with everybody else disgusted with these people, I can only assume that it’s a case of each side exploiting the other for their own purposes. Both are confident that, in the end, THEIR side will be “The Winners.”

    1. Actually many Christian Zionists today, including many of Hagee’s CUFI leaders are not dispensationalists, an important point because it impacts their activism. They still have a very literal end time narrative (which is also anti-Semitic), but have abandoned the pre-Trib Rapture, meaning that they believe they will still be on earth and will have to fight evil themselves.

      The activism from this group is equally, if not more dangerous. They teach young people that they must be warriors for the end times therefore the movement is increasingly militant. Also, they teach that the 1000-year Christian utopia will not begin until a “believing” Israel calls for Jesus as their messiah. This has made proselytizing much more aggressive and Talmudic Judaism increasingly demonized. A number of CUFI leaders are at the center of promotion and support of Messianic ministries in Israel and internationally.

      1. Ah, the “Joel’s Army” fantasy.

        I was under the impression that post-Trib (or mid-Trib) folks were still following the “Dispensations.”

  2. Richard Silverstein did ask me to comment. Unfortunately, his request for a comment came on a Shabbat just before I left for a two-day retreat–as I informed him, I was unable to respond in full until my return today.

    I want to clarify two points, one personal, one about Zeek.

    First, I did not leave Tikkun over differences around Israel coverage. Silverstein never asked me why I left Tikkun. I have no idea where he received this information, but it is absolutely incorrect.

    Second, Zeek has not ceased coverage of Israeli politics or even of Christian Zionists. I decided to put our coverage of Christian Zionism on hiatus for three months while we determine our editorial direction. I communicated this to all our writers. We will continue to publish articles about Israeli politics in the next three months, and I believe it is likely that we will resume some coverage of Christian Zionist activity in Israel–I just wanted to take a breather to reassess our editorial position.

    Zeek is a catalyst for conversations about the Jewish tomorrow. Our role is to engage Jews around questions of Jewish identity. How American Jews relate to Israel, and specifically the Israel-Palestine situation, is critical to our understanding of Jewish identity. We will continue to bring out provocative, hard-hitting articles on this topic.

    1. First, you & I discussed a possible interview several times during this past weekend. I told you I couldn’t wait till Tuesday & asked you to answer questions via e mail. You agreed. I sent the questions to you. YOu then told me you were having 2nd thoughts about pariticpating based on what I posted about the Hagee op ed. I then urged you to respond & not allow me to publish w/o your input. You didn’t reply, which I took as a “No.” If it wasn’t you should’ve replied and said so.

      You didn’t bother to read the Forward article to which I linked which says explicitly what I wrote about your departure fr Tikkun. That reporter didn’t make up the editorial differences out of whole cloth. That’s what he reported.

      If you do continue publishing articles about Christian ZIonism and Israel you’re going to have to do so without some of the contributors who’ve contacted me who believe either they’re no longer welcome at Zeek or who’ve already told you they’re leaving. Good luck in finding replacements & I hope you treat them better than you’ve treated those writers who’ve contacted me about their situation at Zeek.

      YOU were the one who said that Israel coverage and Christian ZIonism were “tangential” (your word) to Zeek’s editorial direction. I can quote chapter and verse via your e mail. So I’m afraid you’re attempting to rewrite history. If my criticism makes you reassess your editorial decisions all well and good. But don’t attempt to become a revisionist w/o acknowledging your previous statements. Not to mention the writers who’ve contacted me who I mentioned who believe your previous statements about their possibly not having a role in the “new” Zeek.

      And there is one other disingenuous comment in what you write. Rachel Tabachnick isn’t the only writer you’ve suspended from contributing. You have asked other writers not to write on usual political subjects they contribute to Zeek.

  3. It just proves, some people can be bought… accepting money from this Hagee creep is certainly going to end in a mess.

    Hagee is not aware of himself, oblivious to suffering of others, and likely feels he is above other Christians, (in his predictable megalomaniac style), feeling he is immunized by his slick CZ agenda. But in his own theology, Jesus would be kicking his ass out of the temple with the other money-changers, specifically on this point.

    If only he could live for a moment in Gaza, in front of the gun of an IDF soldier, he might change his mind who God is…

  4. [Kaiser] mistakenly sees Christian Zionism and Hagee as essentially an Israel related story and not a Diaspora story.

    How do you know that’s the reason for her gag order? (I smell a trend here ;-)) Otherwise you suggest Kaiser caved in to threats of litigation.

    [Hagee’s] manipulations and fraudulent representations of Christian Zionist theology

    I understand you’re referring to Hagee’s published views before this Forward article. Hagee is one of the principal proponents of Christian Zionism. So how are his publications fraudulent rather than true representations of what Christian Zionism is?

    1. Not sure what your first question means. But I make my judgements based on previous e mail correspondence w. Kaiser.

      I understand you’re referring to Hagee’s published views before this Forward article.

      No, I’m referring to his revisionist version of his views in The Forward which are totally at variance w. his previously expressed views. Look over my post about the Hagee article in which I compared what he wrote in the Forward w. quotations fr. past statements.

  5. Statement Concerning CUFI’s Response to Zeek Magazine’s Coverage of Christian Zionism

    As the largest Christian Zionist organization in the country, Christians United for Israel (CUFI) contacted the editors of Zeek to request that they seek comment from our organization if the publication was to run further stories concerning Pastor John Hagee, CUFI, or Christian Zionists.

    This request is in accordance with the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics, specifically the second statement in the first section of the code which states “Journalists should:” “Diligently seek out subjects of news stories to give them the opportunity to respond to allegations of wrongdoing.”

    Initially Zeek’s editor did not agree to this request; that decision prompted CUFI to contact the Forward’s publisher due to the two organizations’ co-marketing agreement. Zeek has now agreed to our request, therefore CUFI considers this matter closed.

    At no point in time did anyone affiliated with CUFI threaten Zeek or the Forward with legal action.

    1. At no point in time did anyone affiliated with CUFI threaten Zeek or the Forward with legal action.

      Liar, liar pants on fire. Jo Ellen Kaiser had a conversation with Sam Norich after the two of you spoke and she told her staff to prepare for a lawsuit and she hired a pro bono attorney for just this eventuality. So I’ll let my readers be the judge of which narrative is more credible.

      And if what you claim is the truth why wouldn’t Sam Norich talk to me directly and confirm what you say? And btw, if what you claim is true and Zeek has agreed to vet its articles with you before publication after you made such a request of Sam Norich, then that means that NOrich was less than candid in his claim that he has nothing to do with anything that happens at Zeek. Indeed it appears that Norich has interceded on CUFI’s behalf and gotten Zeek to alter its editorial policy in your favor. Interesting.

      Oh & Ari while we’re at it–did Hagee write the op ed or did you or Brog write it for him? And if you claim he did write it himself does this mean that all future utternaces he makes will not contradict any of the statements in the Forward piece & will conform to this new leaf Sam Norich claims Hagee has turned over?

  6. In the end ‘Zeek’ is a website just as this is. Its up to its owners to decide who posts.

    If Tabachnik wants to set up her own anti-CZ website she can (although ‘Jews on first’ has beaten her to the punch in being first)

    And that way she won’t be ejected for her own views.

    Well probably not.

    PS I have a bit more faith than you do that Tikkun, Zeek and the Forward can read their readers.

    1. David,

      That’s not correct. Zeek has a website but it also puts out a print publication. And Zeek has staff, editors and so on. It’s also organizationally tied to the Jewish Daily Forward, which is over 110 years old.

      As far as your comment that you “have a bit more faith… that Tikkun, Zeek and the Forward can read their readers,” I’m not quite sure what you mean but if you’re suggesting the cited publications pander to their readership I’d respond with this – are news services to give readers what they expect or are they to report news and facts ?

      1. The Forward (or Zeek or Tikkun) isn’t a news service (eg the JTA)-it’s mostly opinion pieces.

        From ‘The Nation’ to ‘The National Review’, opinion journals do give their readers what they expect, at least 99% of the time. (The other 1% of articles are there to show they are ‘open-minded’)

        1. Actually The Forward is a newspaper which contains straight news reporting and opinion. Just because Hagee’s piece was in the opinion section doesn’t justify publishing lies that are totally at variance w. every other statement he’s ever made on the same subjects.

  7. Interesting article! Christian Zionists, Dispensationalists, Protestant Fundamentalists in general are the elephant in the living room that no one wants to admit is there, for the international press or the secular US press. I would guess most European journalists assume Americans are as secular as they are (Ha!), lots of US journalists are converts to secularism and don’t want to think about what they’ve left behind. How many discussions have I read on what Bush’s goals in Afghanistan or Iraq were! No one wants to consider what is obvious to me: he was pursuing the Rapture, the End of Days. He made no secret of it when he tried to recruit Chirac to his coalition. (What he meant when he said G-d talked to him is a whole ‘nother subject!)

    Anyway, keep up coverage of Dispensationalists and Israel, Richard. The subject is a gift which will keep on giving!

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