He Has No Merritt
The glorious opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem is one of those eye-popping moments that come along only rarely.
Yet, not all are happy with President Trump’s campaign promise fulfilled. Past presidential candidates lied about moving the embassy, to get votes, but this week the embassy is open for business in Israel’s capital.
I no longer warn people full-time about the dangers of Millennial attitudes toward Israel and the Jews. Most people don’t want to hear it, and those who could have done something about it opted for a “soft” approach.
Dialogue. Understanding the other side. Don’t be too harsh.
Where has that gotten us?
I maintain that next-generation Christians will stand against the Jewish state. They have been raised on 24/7, old Soviet-style propaganda about everything from “climate change” to the Bible as myth.
The Cyrus-style approach of Trump in this matter is a real finger in the eye of our ideological enemies. They include people who cunningly mingle with evangelicals.
As social media began displaying the happy faces at the embassy opening, I noticed there were the usual suspects on the Left decrying the action. These are people who have no real clue what the real situation is regarding Israel and the Palestinians. They are simply regurgitating propaganda talking points they’ve heard.
Predictably, the writer Jonathan Merritt posted his displeasure with the embassy opening. This propaganda hack went low as he juxtaposed a photo of Jared Kushner, smiling, addressing the gathering in Jerusalem, with a photo of a Palestinian carrying a dead “protester” who defied Israeli warnings about rushing the Gaza security fence. This “demonstration,” of course, was organized once more by the death cult and terrorist entity, Hamas.
(Notice that terror chiefs never do their own dirty work; they enlist dupes who serve as cannon fodder. About 40,000 Palestinians tried to force their way into Israel and the IDF forcefully stopped them. The Left despises Israelis who defend themselves.)
Merritt’s tweet stated: “These photos show the sharp divide between the celebrations in Jerusalem and the horror of Gaza.”
Merritt pushes left-wing agendas. In the case of the Arab-Israeli conflict, he doesn’t know much. What he does know is that he loathes—absolutely despises—conservatives. Especially conservative Christians. Which is one reason he works overtime to dismantle the Old-Time Religion.
He hates it. Biblical Christianity pushes back against his favorite topics, such as advancing the homosexual agenda and embracing an overall Obama-style worldview.
And his father is a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Why does Merritt the Younger stay with the tribe he grew up with?
To change it from within.
In any case, the photo he tweeted that shows a dead Palestinian carried zero context. None. Merritt and his friends dupe Millennials into thinking that that members of the IDF just indiscriminately shoot Arabs.
Merritt’s friends, such as Rachel Held Evans, piled-on to affirm the anti-Israel tweets.
I noticed others on social media, as well, such as Christian pro Israel leaders who have opted for the softer approach in dealing with Millennials…and the hard-Left operatives who are influencing them in droves. These pro Israel leaders were grinning for the cameras as they celebrated at various embassy parties in Jerusalem.
In order to maintain their positions–salaries, benefits, status—they undermine their own good work in advocating for Israel by pulling-up on our enemies. This characteristic of the Right (playing nice and “above the fray”) has helped bring us where we are today: on the precipice of full on Palestinian support among Millennials.
Don’t get me wrong. There are, I believe, thousands of Millennials who are smart, discerning, and very pro Israel. Many are doing groundbreaking advocacy work.
But millions more are on the other side.
If you’re not willing to wade into your enemies, they will perceive you as weak and ultimately ineffectual.
Remember the character Jimmy Malone (portrayed by Sean Connery) in “The Untouchables”? A streetwise Chicago cop, he toughened-up Elliot Ness, who initially didn’t have the internal grit to wipe out corruption in the Windy City.
Malone’s signature line: “You wanna know how to get Capone? They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue.”
Ness responds: “I have sworn to capture this man with all legal powers at my disposal and I will do so.”
To which Malone then says: “Well, the Lord hates a coward.”
Don’t misunderstand. I don’t believe some of my former Israel advocacy colleagues are cowards. I just disagree strongly with their “high road” approach.
The Left has been lying about Israel for years. The Left will spare no tactic, no matter how brutal, to advance the goal of eliminating Israel.
Some people seem not to be aware that there is quite a lot of Jew-hatred in the American Church. Such a climate requires one to fix bayonets if the goal is to defend our Jewish friends.
Too many pro Israel Christian leaders prefer to fix a cocktail and chat with their enemies at parties. Plus, they love to be seen. Photo ops. Invitations.
Meanwhile, the Jonathan Merritts and Rachel Held Evans of the world continue their dirty work, no holds barred.
I can at least respect their tenacity.
Trump moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is a marvelous thing.
But dark clouds are on the horizon, partly because some of us would rather make nice.