Dear Friends,
Advertising executives know that catchy fashions and statements come and go. But this little slogan has been around Israel for decades. I think its enduring presence is less about fashion and more a way for Bible Believers to share their belief that our Christian country’s interests are cosmically intertwined with Jewish Israel’s.
I couldn’t help feeling that the “America, don’t worry, Israel is behind you” sentiment was alive and well in America when I recently attended a domestic terrorism-training workshop led by Jews.
As you may recall, I volunteer as a reserve police detective. In that capacity and along with three hundred fellow officers in North Texas, I attended a hate crime seminar put on for the police by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). It was a real blessing to see law enforcement officers team up with a significant Jewish “watch dog” organization. The ADL helped us come to terms with domestic terrorism, hate groups, and the developing threat imposed by one particular hate group: Muslim extremists—both in and from the USA.
The Department of Homeland Security tracks one million potentially dangerous people. Though most of these are foreigners, the threat of American-born terrorists seems to be growing. Lest the latter concern seem trivial to you, remember that approximately one hundred American Muslim terrorists have been arrested since the World Trade Towers were felled by foreign, religious extremists back in 2001.
That number is rising.
Even all-American-looking women like “Jihad Jane” and “Jihad Jamie”—respectively, forty-six-year-old Colleen Larose and thirty-one-year-old Jamie Paudin-Ramirez—went over to the “dark side.” They recently gave their hearts and minds to the cause of radical Islam. Such examples remind us that American women and men can fall prey to the pathological, demon-inspired religious visions espoused under Islam.
One would expect more civility from someone educated, like Army psychiatrist Nidal Malik Hasan. However, he unleashed his misplaced religious fury and killed over a dozen servicemen in Texas last year—an act ranking second in devastation to the World Trade Towers attack. Dr. Hasan’s joining the 9/11 malcontents reminds us that higher social class, better education, and higher wages do not stem the jihadist’s rage.
One of Hasan’s confidants, American-born Imam Anwar al-Awlaki, also defrauded the American government. He gouged American taxpayers for a U.S. education (all the way to a Ph.D.) and used his escalating status to become the American-born poster-boy for Islamic belligerents.
It saddens me to report that being part-Jewish did nothing to dissuade another American-born poster boy—Adam Yahiye Gadahn from Orange County, California—from becoming the English voice for the most notorious group of all: al-Qaeda.
In another case of misplaced religious affiliations, Omar Hammami was born to a Baptist pastor in Alabama, yet took the name Abu Mansour al-Amriki upon becoming a terrorist.
Some time back, Shirwa Ahmed became the first American suicide bomber.
As you might suppose, I could go on…
Beyond their connections to the United States of America, these men and women have in common their jettisoned allegiance to America. They opt for allegiance to the ummah—the Islamic brotherhood—and betrayal of family and country.
Is the threat from these and other American-born extremists overblown, as some hope?
Dr. John Mueller, professor of political science at Ohio State University, argues that it is. He wrote “Is There Still a Terrorist Threat” for Foreign Affairs and opined that:
“For years, Americans have been regularly regaled with dire predictions of another major al-Qaeda attack in the United States. In 2003, a group of 200 senior government officials and business executives, many of them specialists in security and terrorism, pronounced it likely that a terrorist strike more devastating than 9/11—possibly involving weapons of mass destruction—would occur before the end of 2004.
In May 2004, Attorney General John Ashcroft warned that al-Qaeda could “hit hard” in the next few months and said that 90 percent of the arrangements for an attack on U.S. soil were complete. That fall, Newsweek reported that it was “practically an article of faith among counterterrorism officials” that al-Qaeda would strike in the run-up to the November 2004 election.When that “October surprise” failed to materialize, the focus shifted: a taped encyclical from Osama bin Laden, it was said, demonstrated that he was too weak to attack before the election but was marshalling his resources to do so months after it.
On the first page of its founding manifesto, the massively funded Department of Homeland Security intones, “Today’s terrorists can strike at any place, at any time, and with virtually any weapon.”
But if it is so easy to pull off an attack and if terrorists are so demonically competent, why have they not done it? Why have they not been sniping at people in shopping centers, collapsing tunnels, poisoning the food supply, cutting electrical lines, derailing trains, blowing up oil pipelines, causing massive traffic jams, or exploiting the countless other vulnerabilities that, according to security experts, could so easily be exploited?
One reasonable explanation is that almost no terrorists exist in the United States and few have the means or the inclination to strike from abroad.”
His reasoning leads him to the conclusion that the threat has been overplayed. He has a point. However, here’s a different perspective.”
Writing for In Homeland Security: News & Analysis of Critical Issues in Terrorism & Homeland Defense, William Tucker recently published “More on the Multiple Terror Plots Against the U.S.” (May 21, 2010) and informed:
“CIA Director Leon Panetta and National Security Adviser Jim Jones recently traveled to Pakistan to discuss the threat posed by the Pakistani Taliban to the U.S. homeland. For those that follow the In Homeland Security blog and the readers from my former World of Terrorism blog, you will likely recognize the ongoing threat posed to U.S. interests from Pakistani militants that I have discussed in the past. In regard to my past statements on the Pakistani Taliban, it appears as if the recent trend in reporting and information being leaked by the U.S. government seems to validate my earlier analysis.The volume of threats posed to the U.S. homeland has been steadily increasing since last fall and shows no signs of abating. The U.S. has been relatively fortunate that the attempted terror plots directed against American cities have been rather amateurish; however, it is only a matter of time before someone gets it right. Because of the strain that has been put on the U.S. security establishment, the need for the vigilance of the American citizenry cannot be [overstated].”
Threats from a “fifth column” in the States—being assaulted by our very own—seem to be growing.
So there you have it. Two perspectives.
But, rather than sound an alarm that we need to watch out for American traitors and extremists, I want to draw attention to “betrayal.” In speaking of Last Days’ “wars and rumors of wars,” Jesus warned that betrayal will abound just as wickedness multiplies (Matthew 24).
Connecting the dots between the Sacred Word and our world is not a job for foreign policy experts, security analysts, university professors, or evening news anchors. It is a job for well-informed Bible Believers—people like me and you.
Tragically—and in another sort of betrayal—many self-described Christians in the United States actually support the terrorists’ position. Without even a casual reading of the Bible, they argue that:
Jews have no business in Israel,
Americans have no business supporting Jews, and
American support of Israel justifies any attack by terrorists.
Their ignorance of the Bible leads them to unwittingly betray the Land and People of Jesus, the Savior they claim to worship. Ironically, they consider people like you and me the problem. I get this type of hate mail all the time. Being on the “front lines” of this spiritual battle brings all sorts of hazards. Supported by the prayers of friends, I press on with a clear, concise message for this muddied world.
Beautiful Inside and Out. Does God use women? Yes, He does! We begin by considering Esther’s rise and wicked Queen Vashti’s demise, and note how God elevates individuals to places of influence—then as now.
Chosen for a Purpose. Though wickedness surfaces in various ways in every generation, God positions His people to thwart the devil’s plans and fulfill His own. Here, we examine Mordecai and Esther’s placement—and our own; for we, too, are called to God’s work.
Called to be Courageous. Faced with a plot to destroy the Jews, Esther wavers but decides her sacrifice is worth it, and declares, “If I perish, I perish!” Would that we all had such resolve!
Undone by a Woman. Unbeknownst to the scheming Haman, the story’s courageous heroine hatches a plan to thwart him. The once-sheepish Esther becomes a shepherdess. She boldly takes on the wolf, thus guiding the saga to its peaceful conclusion.
God Rewards the Righteous. God uses irony to give the wicked and the righteous their just deserts. God’s ways are often mysterious to us, but we see the eventual triumph of the righteous—then as now.
Unlike the focus of this series, Queen Esther, our ministry doesn’t have the royal resources of a kingdom stretching from India on the east to Ethiopia on the west. We’ve pretty much covered the costs of our Middle East shoot and the production work in the States. Now we’re facing the sizable financial demands of our secular and religious television networks to air the programs. Though we viewers think of television as free for the watching, making and delivering programs never is. Faithbased ministries like ours can only hope to inspire supporters who might wish to sow a missionary, faith seed. I’ll pray that the Lord will speak to you on our behalf.
Please remember, Israel awaits you. I am happy to report that my wife, Patty, will accompany me and our group on this fall’s Holy Land trip. I’m looking forward to introducing her to our wonderful pilgrims and to having them meet her. How about you? Please call 214-696-9760 and ask our travel manager Tracie how to get started. Our fall schedule offers all the options to help you make the most of your travel to the Holy Land.
Oct. 12 – 27: Grand Athens (Athens and Israel)
Oct. 12 – 31: Ultra Grand (Athens, Israel, Petra)
Oct. 17 – 27: Deluxe (Israel)
Oct. 17 – 31: Grand Petra (Israel and Petra)
Come and get one of those T-shirts I told you about in the first paragraph. You’ll like wearing an “Israel is behind you” shirt, knowing that you too are standing behind Israel—and with us.
See you in Israel.
Your messenger,
Jeff
P.S. I just read about a well-known television evangelist who is building a multimillion dollar mansion for himself—in the name of his personal ministry. The cost of that homestead alone would help us deliver the Gospel into millions of homes for months. Personally, I sleep just fine in my modest home in the suburbs. But, I’ll rest easier once our ministry has recovered from the lackluster year of 2009. We’d be blessed with anything extra you have to share.
Dear Jeff,
Reaching unbiblical “Christians” with anointed teaching should prevent their unwitting betrayal of Jesus’ People and Israel.
“Here is my gift for July. You can count on me to stand, and pray, with you on the front lines of this spiritual battle.”
Dr. Jeffrey Seif compares today’s news to yesterday’s prophecies, demonstrating that we are living in ominous times. Co-host Sandra Levitt gives key insights to help viewers perceive world events with a Word-inspired perspective. Zola makes special contributions in brief teaching episodes.
Zola’s Ultimate Hebrew Primer teaches both print and script, so you will be ready to read, speak, and write Hebrew in Israel and in Heaven. Assumes no prior knowledge and progresses gradually, so even the fainthearted will find immediate value.
