Campuses continue their anti-Israel activities

A couple of stories from US universities:

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Seattle Pacific University hosted an Anglican pastor who railed against Christian Zionism.

The United States' support of Israel is built on faulty principles and is hurting the country's foreign policy, evangelical Anglican pastor and London author Stephen Sizer said.

Yesterday afternoon, Sizer spoke in Demaray Hall 150 at an event called "Christian Zionism: What is it? Its history, theology and political impact on the world today."

Throughout the Israel-Palestinian conflict, the United States has offered unwavering support to Israel, Sizer said. Much of this is due to the prevalence of Christian Zionism, or Christians who support the modern political state of Israel, established in 1948, he said.

There is an antipathy toward the Arabs and Palestinians within Christian Zionism, Sizer said. He countered that the Bible calls us to reconciliation and tells us to love our enemies, he said.

"This theology is impacting attitudes and opinions in the Middle East," he said. There is a view that God is blessing America because the nation is helping Israel, he said, resulting in the demonizing of Islam and the characterization of Arabs as dogs and liars.

Giving Israel a geographic homeland in Palestine may not be the correct fulfillment of God's Old Testament promise to Israel, he said.

And here is a neat bit of cause-and-effect reversal:

"So much of our taxpayer money does go to the state of Israel," said Professor of English Doug Thorpe. This makes U.S. Christians deeply invested in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, he said, and people are suffering because of how American foreign policy supports Israel.

So it isn't that Americans support Israel and therefore give it money; it is that taxpayers are forced to give Israel money and therefore support it! This is the state of academic insight today.

At the University of Illinois:

Students join together to promote peace in Palestine
A group at the University hosted a series of events this week to draw awareness to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as part of Palestine Awareness Week.

The events, which included a talk, documentary, coffee hour and graffiti wall, were sponsored by Students for Justice in Palestine, a registered student organization.

On Thursday, students stopped by the Quad side of the Illini Union to write on the graffiti wall to show their support for peace in Palestine.

Of course, to the "Students for Justice in Palestine," the definition of "peace" is the destruction of Israel (in their case, via demographic means.) Some chapters are also associated with the ISM/PSM.

Sure sounds like the Zionists are supressing freedom of speech, doesn't it?