Christians United For Israel Washington DC Summit in Review
The “Christians United For Israel Washington DC Summit (CUFI)” last week was awesome! It was action packed with a variety of speakers, both Christians and Jews, all with one voice…support Israel!
One of the general meetings at the CUFI Summit.
CUFI set up appointments for us with our senators and our congressmen and prepared us to discuss three Talking Points representing CUFI and our state/districts.
George & Lisa Haines, Julia Humphrey & Deby Brown visiting Congressman Gary Miller.
Here are highlights of the three Talking Points:
1. Israel is not the Problem. Pressure on Israel is not the Solution. We were able to thank both Gary Miller, Ed Royce (Edward Burrier in his absence) for voting for H. Res.268 and the top staffers for Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein for already co-sponsoring same. We urged them to do everything in their power to oppose United Nations recognition of a Palestinian state.
2. Providing Security Aid to Israel. President Obama has requested that Congress approve $3.075 billion in security assistance for Israel in the fiscal year 2012 budget. We asked our leaders to grant this aid as it is crucial to their security and to ours. Israel is a crucial ally, and our first line of defense in the global war on terror. When Israel fights Hezbollah and Hamas, it’s fighting our enemies.
3. Stop Iran. CUFI has long supported though economic sanctions against Iran. The president of Iran has repeatedly threatened to wipe Israel off the map. He has also threatened to destroy America. Iran is making steady progress toward building nuclear weapons with which to carry out these threats. We asked our leaders for tougher sanctions and to keep this issue on the table.
Deby Brown & Julia Humphrey visiting at the congressional offices.
There was a constant flow of awesome speakers at this Summit. Here are some highlights from just a few:
Dennis Praeger: "We have been seared by anti-semitism. Every Jew is a survivor. Not explicable to a non-Jew. I occasionally read about rescuers--inside every Jew there is a question--'if there was another thing like the holocaust, would this person help me? Could I stay at your house?'" “To delegitimize Israel makes you anti-semitic.” He gave four reasons to support Israel: 1) God promises to bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel. (Those who destroyed Jews in history are not around today!) 2) Evil concentrates first on Jews; then Christians. 3) Because Jews really are the chosen people. There is no other way to explain it, but God has been involved in Jewish history. 4) Because when Jews and Christians work together, there is no force on earth that can stop us.”
We saw Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who received a very long standing ovation before he even spoke. Here are some highlights: “Israel is your only ally in the Middle East. You don’t have to choose between your interests and your values. You get both! Our enemies think we are you and you are us. We have the same ideals. We are committed to the same values. This is the land of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob…David and Solomon. This is the Jewish homeland. Israel wants peace with our Palestinian neighbors, but you cannot build peace on a foundation of lies. The greatest lie today is to attempt to deny the connection of the Jewish people to their ancestral homeland. For nearly 4,000 years, Jews have lived continuously in this land. We plan to restore our sovereignty here. We Jews have returned home and we are here to stay. The people of Israel know you will always stand by their side. We appreciate the depth of your commitment. May God bless you and the United States of America.”
Glenn Beck spoke at the closing “Night To Honor Israel Banquet” and received standing ovations throughout his message.
One thing I learned, is that our elected officials really DO want to hear from us and they listen. I plan to visit my Congressman here in Orange County a few times a year to encourage him to continue his support of Israel in his decisions.
