John Hagee

Ted Cruz Polishes His Anti-Semite Credentials With Glenn Beck’s Help

Posted by on February 11, 2016 at 8:30 pm. 3 Comments :

In the battle for political endorsements Donald Trump won the Teabagger gold by snagging Sarah Palin. But Ted Cruz, no slouch in the wingnut arena, managed to score a silver medal by winning the “conspiritual” (conspiracy+spiritual) heart of Glenn Beck.

Ted Cruz

Fortunately for Cruz, Beck’s endorsement came with a truckload of goodies that only a practiced purveyor of snake oil could provide. Among those goodies are his relationships with the most fringy preachers America’s evangelical community has to offer. For example, Cruz has aligned himself with radical Christianist pastor Mike Bickle, a Beck pal, whose sermons have warned that God will “raise up the hunters” to go after any Jews who refuse to convert to Christianity. And Bickle was not afraid to name names. Adolf Hitler, according to Cruz’s new BFF, is “the most famous hunter in recent history.”

Bickle is not the only proponent of the crackpot theory that God sent Hitler to punish Jews. John Hagee of Cruz’s home state, Texas, has been preaching this nonsense for years. He is also a confederate of Glenn Beck. Hagee went to the extreme of literally thanking God for Hitler whom he believes was doing the Lord’s work by driving Jews out of unfriendly nations and into Israel, hastening the Apocalypse.

In his 2008 campaign for president, John McCain admirably rejected the endorsement of Hagee for saying the very same things that Bickle is saying. Cruz, on the other hand, has embraced Bickle and even attended a gala honoring Hagee where he vilified President Obama as “one of the most anti-Semitic presidents in the history of the United States of America.” At the time, the Anti-Defamation League and other major Jewish organizations called on Cruz to repudiate Hagee’s remarks, which Cruz obstinately refused to do.

None of this should surprise anyone familiar with Glenn Beck. He has a well established pattern of disparaging Jews and others he regards as different. He recently made a list of the nine people whom he said most contributed to the 20th century being the Era of the Big Lie. Eight of them were Jewish. Beck also maligned the majority of American Jews as being like terrorists, saying that “Reformed rabbis are generally political in nature. It’s almost like Islam – radicalized Islam – in a way to where radicalized Islam is less about religion than it is about politics.” And then there was the time that Beck likened 85 kids murdered in Norway by a right-wing extremist to the “Hitler Youth.”

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

This is pretty good evidence that Cruz is working hard to secure the Nazi vote. Of course, he’ll have to fight tooth and nail with Donald Trump for that sector of the electorate. Trump may already have an insurmountable lead by articulating an unequivocally fascist agenda. He even told George Stephanopoulos of ABC News that he is not bothered by comparisons to Hitler. Clearly Cruz has his work cut out for him. But Beck will surely be of some help rallying the Stormtroops. Consequently, the battle for the right’s Nazis and fascists and anti-Semites is going to roil the Republican Party for some time to come.

Israel To Glenn Beck: STAY HOME!

Posted by on June 17, 2011 at 11:23 am. 19 Comments :

A grassroots movement of Americans and Israelis are launching a campaign to tell Glenn Beck that he isn’t wanted or needed in Israel.

Glenn Beck Stay HomeBeck’s insultingly named “Restoring Courage” rally will bring Beck and a few hundred of his disciples to Israel on a vague mission that purports to be supportive of the Jewish state. Unfortunately, Beck’s history of anti-Semitism and harsh criticism of any peace proposal short of annihilating all Palestinians and Muslims in the region, is not likely to produce a positive outcome. To the contrary, Beck’s presence is more likely to inflame tensions and impair relations between Israelis and Palestinians. Beck is a proud enemy of peace as evidenced by his repeated characterization of Palestinians as irredeemably hateful, intransigent, and not worthy of engaging in negotiation.

Americans for Peace Now (APN) has begun a petition campaign that directly calls on Beck to “Stay Home” and to cease his provocative and counter-productive rhetoric. The text of the petition reads:

Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Courage” rally in Jerusalem is an outrage.

The location of the rally — in East Jerusalem, just outside the Old City, one of the most politically sensitive locations in the world — signals that Beck is planning to inflame Israeli-Palestinian tensions. Americans who care about Israel are not fooled by Beck’s claim to be “standing with Israel.” A real friend of Israel would seek to help Israel make peace. No friend of Israel would seek to sow greater enmity between Israelis and Palestinians.

We have had our fill of Beck’s polarizing rhetoric. We are united in our opposition to this event.

As details of the affair trickle out we have learned that warmongers like Sen. Joseph Lieberman may be among the participants. Lieberman was an early supporter of the war in Iraq and has called for starting a new war against Iran. Also, Herman Cain, the Tea Party/GOP presidential hopeful, has expressed his intent to attend. Recently Cain demonstrated his ignorance of the Middle East when asked by Fox News’ Chris Wallace about the Palestinian “right of return.” Cain had no idea what Wallace was talking about (which he later admitted) but clumsily tried to answer the question anyway. Also on the bill is fundamentalist preacher John Hagee, who is such a great friend of Israel that he thanks God for Hitler, whom he believes was “God’s hunter” to drive Jews out of unfriendly nations and hasten the Apocalypse.

Please sign the APN petition and “Like” the Glenn Beck Stay Home page on Facebook. It is time that the true supporters of a secure Israel and a peaceful resolution to the region’s hostilities speak out and make it known that Glenn Beck has nothing to teach Israelis about courage. His brand of self-promotion and dishonesty cannot possibly contribute to the state of cooperation that is needed. He can only make things worse.