JEWISH WORLD

By SEAN SAVAGE T his year, Christians United for Israel (CUFI), one of the most powerful voices for Israel in the United States, marked its 15th anniversary. “We could never have imagined CUFI would achieve so much, so quickly. But God has blessed us because we are fulfilling our Bibli- cal mandate to stand with Israel and His Chosen people,” Pastor John Hagee, founder and chairman of CUFI, told JNS . “This said, I noted when we launched CUFI that there was a sleeping giant of Christian Zionism in this country. That giant has now been awakened. When mil- lions of people share a passion for Israel, great things are possible.” S till, the organization and the movement it represents, Chris- tian Zionism, is also one of the least understood. For some American Jews, they see an organization root- ed in Christian theology and are reminded of centuries of Christian persecution. Or for others, they see a movement that holds many tradi- tional and conservative values, and consider it out of place in an increasingly diversifying world. Yet a deeper look into CUFI, through its leadership and grass- roots supporters, reveals an organi- zation that reflects the diversity and forward-thinking in its support for Israel, and is not afraid to call out all forms of bigotry and anti-Semitism while remaining true to its Biblical values. “I won’t use the word ‘proud’ because the glory for CUFI’s suc- cess is God’s alone,” said Hagee. “The most significant achievement was bringing together millions of people from many different back- grounds and denominations across America in support of one single cause — Israel and the Jewish peo- ple.” To that end, on the grassroots level, the group says it has gained more than 4,000 students on U.S. college campuses and taken 1,000- plus pastors to Israel. M areyah Washington, a junior at St. Augustine University, a private historically black college in North Carolina, told JNS that sup- porting Israel on campus has been an uphill battle for her. “I find my campus to be unin- formed for the most part when it comes to what’s going on in the Middle East,” she said. “Starting with a clean slate actually allows me to engage in non-confrontation- al conversations about Israel, and prepare my classmates and faculty for the lies they are going to hear as they dig deeper into this subject.” Washington, who said that her support for Israel is rooted in her own personal faith, points out that as an African American, many of her peers question why she supports a country like Israel. “You are sometimes viewed as a sell-out for advocating for a non- African nation,” she acknowledged. “However, Israel has a long history of standing with and protecting Africa, as do the Jewish people with African Americans.” As president of her school’s CUFI chapter, which sponsored a trip to Israel for her in 2019, she uses it as a platform both to advo- cate for Israel and for general awareness of international issues. “One thing I will always be continued on page 18 CUFI Awakens Christian Zionism Organization brings millions behind cause of Israel and Jews “We achieved so much. When millions of people share a passion for Israel, great things are possible.” REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK JEWISH WORLD • MARCH 19-25, 2021 5 Pastor John Hagee, founder and chairman of CUFI, speaking with warmth on the occasion of the organization’s 15th anniversary.