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Friday March 16, 2007

Evangelical pastor rouses AIPAC conference

by ron kampeas
jta

Of all the prominent speakers at this week’s AIPAC conference, none got a more rousing welcome than Pastor John Hagee, founder of Christians United for Israel.

If there were doubts that an evangelical could cast aside any proselytizing and make his case based simply on love of Israel, they were quickly dispersed. “What we have in common is far greater than the things that have separated us over the years,” Hagee said to applause from the crowd of 6,000.

“We must stop Iran’s nuclear threat, and stop it now, and stand boldly with Israel!” he said to even greater applause.

“Ahmadinejad is the new Hitler!”

Even greater applause.

Directly addressing the Iranian president and his wishes for Israel to disappear, Hagee said, “You may well be speaking of your own demise when you talk of passing with a sudden storm!”

That brought hoots, cheers and the sound of chairs scratching cement as they were pushed back so listeners could get to their feet.

“There will never be another Holocaust — not on our watch and never again!” he continued.

Hagee counted the various perceived enemies of Zion, from Ahmadinejad on down, alluding to the recent book by former President Jimmy Carter, Harvard’s Stephen Walt and the University of Chicago’s John Mearsheimer.

Thousands of Jews, who had come to Washington from the coasts to the heartland, responded as one: “Israel lives! Israel lives! Israel lives!”

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