The Times reports on the hearing held this week by Knesset Deputy Speaker Danny Danon (Likud), chairman of the Knesset’s Immigration Absorption and Diaspora Affairs Committee, on whether the American group J Street should be allowed to call itself pro-Israel. Danon, according to the Christian Broadcasting Network’s highly sympathetic (to Danon) coverage, had demanded that J Street “apologize for their treatment of Israel and explain the continued funding. . . from Arab nations and donors.”
J Street, which favors a two-state solution, calls itself “pro-peace” and “pro-Israel,” which incenses pundits like Caroline Glick, quoted in the CBN article as saying, ridiculously, that J Street wants to “wage war against Israel.”
There was negative reaction to Danon’s show trial from other American Jewish groups, even from the Anti-Defamation League, which is not particularly fond of J Street, as well as from other MKs.
But Danon may not be particularly concerned with these criticisms. Danon is close with the American Christian Zionist community, which of course doesn’t favor a two-state solution and gives money and succor to the occupation. Indeed one of Danon’s other activities this week was accompanying Sarah Palin on her visit to Israel, blowing David Frum’s theory that Palin was snubbing Jewish guides.
As wrote last year, Danon allies himself with American Christian Zionists (who are ultimately for Israel’s destruction), who insist that Western civilization is locked in a cosmic battle with Islam. In a video appearance at the Freedom Federation conference at Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University last year:
Danny Danon, a Likud Party member of the Knesset and Chairman of World Likud who recently likened President Obama to Pharaoh, added that “we know you love us and want to commend you for unconditional support for state of Israel,” maintaining that “Christians and Jews share the same future.” That future Danon envisions is one where Christians and Jews destroy their common enemy: Islam.
Maybe it was Danon who told Palin that Pharaoh Obama was interfering in a “zoning” issue.
