The Jewish-Christian Alliance

There was an interesting article in the Washington Post this morning discussing a "kinship" between Jews and evangelical Christians. The article probes the burgeoning support of evangelicals for Jewish and Israeli causes.

Much is made in the article of "philo-Semitism", which is described as the flip side of the anti-Semitism coin. In attempting to explain the phenomenon, the Post provides the most cynical Jewish viewpoint in these paragraphs:

Julie Galambush, a former American Baptist minister who converted to Judaism 11 years ago, has seen both sides of the divide. She said many Jews suspect that evangelicals' support for Israel is rooted in a belief that the return of Jews to the promised land will trigger the Second Coming of Jesus, the battle of Armageddon and mass conversion.

"That hope is felt and expressed by Christians as a kind, benevolent hope," said Galambush, author of "The Reluctant Parting," a new book on the Jewish roots of Christianity. "But believing that someday Jews will stop being Jews and become Christians is still a form of hoping that someday there will be no more Jews."

The Post's article centers on the Rev. Lamarr Mooneyham, whose church in Danville, Virginia raised $25,000 for a Jewish cause. Nothing in the article suggests that Mooneyham's motives, or that of his congregation, are anything but altruistic, and fortunately, I don't believe most Jews feel the same way as Ms. Galambush.

But the article gives only passing notice to what I believe is the biggest contributor to philo-Semitism, which is the threat of militant Islam. Since evangelicals tend to the conservative side (how's that for an understatement?), and conservatives have long viewed militant Islam as the global threat that it is, I believe evangelicals regard Israel as a close ally in the fight against the spread of Islamic fundamentalism.

Now, if only the left would wake up and recognize the threat of Islamofascism. But I'm not holding my breath.