Part 6: Christians United for Israel: Overview and Controversies


Part 1: Can Muslims Impact US Elections?

Part 2: How Evangelical Christians Shape U.S. Support for Israel?

Part 3: Theological Stances on Zionism: Perspectives from Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant Churches

Part 4: Evangelicals in the U.S: Population Statistics and State Rankings

Part 5: The Power Play of Zionist Influence in American Politics and the Defeat of Jamal Bowman

Christians United for Israel (CUFI) is the largest American Christian organization that supports Israel. It provides a national association through which every pro-Israel church, parachurch organization, ministry, or individual in America can speak and act with one voice to support Israel on Biblical issues.

It operates under the leadership of John Hagee, founder and chairman, along with Diana Hagee and Shari Dollinger, co-executive directors.

"Christians United for Israel" was established in 1975 by Dr. David A. Lewis. Evangelical minister John Hagee sought and received permission from Lewis to use the title for his organization. It has operated out of San Antonio, Texas.

The first college chapter of Christians United for Israel was established at California State University, Bakersfield. CUFI on Campus reported 200 established chapters nationwide with an active presence on over 300 campuses.

CUFI hosts "Nights to Honor Israel" events in cities across the United States to express Christian solidarity with the State of Israel and the Jewish people. CUFI holds an annual summit to enable delegates to speak personally with their representatives on behalf of Israel. In response to current events, CUFI also mobilizes its members through Rapid Response Alerts to raise popular support for Israel and lobby the U.S. Congress.

Daughters for Zion is a Christian prayer ministry that is part of the Christians United for Israel Organization (CUFI).

CUFI's support of Israel holds that the modern state of Israel has a central role in bringing about the second coming of Jesus Christ. It believes that God will bless those who bless the Jews and curse those who curse the Jews. It claims that the Christian faith couldn't exist without the foundation of Judaism. CUFI partners with Jewish interfaith organizations such as the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation (CJCUC).

Hagee has attracted controversy over his comments on the Catholic Church, Jewish people, and Islam and his promotion of the blood moon prophecy.

Catholicism

Hagee purported that Adolf Hitler derived his philosophy from his Catholic background. He also purported that Hitler was "a spiritual leader in the Catholic Church," and that the Catholic Church under Pope Pius XII encouraged Nazism. Hagee also blamed the Catholic Church for instigating the Dark Ages, claiming that it allowed the Crusaders to rape and murder with impunity.

Jewish people

Hagee has stated that he believes the Bible commands Christians to support the State of Israel. Hagee has claimed that Adolf Hitler was born from a lineage of "accursed, genocidally murderous half-breed Jews." Citing material from Jewish tradition, he claimed that the persecution of Jews throughout history, implicitly including the Holocaust, was due to the Jewish people's disobedience of God.

In 2008, Hagee claimed that the anti-Christ would be "a homosexual" and "partially Jewish, as was Adolf Hitler," and he suggested that God willed the Holocaust because most Jews "ignored" Herzl.

Islam

Hagee has made demonizing comments about Islam and claimed that "Islam not only condones violence; it commands it." He has also claimed that a contrast exists between Islam's "violent nature" and Christianity's "loving nature" and that the Quran teaches, and Muslims have a mandate, to kill Jews and Christians.

Blood moon prophecy

Hagee and Mark Biltz made the blood moon prophecy, which they promoted in a 2013 book. The two men claimed that a tetrad, which began with the April 2014 lunar eclipse, was a sign of the end times as described in the Bible. The tetrad ended with the lunar eclipse on September 27–28, 2015.


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