February 1999: Volume 21, Number 2


Contents


From time to time, the unbeliever struggles with ways to describe the people of true faith. They ordinarily miss by a mile, calling us conservatives, or right-wingers, or whatever, misunderstanding that we are individuals all, with different preferences but the same Bridegroom. It struck me as I read the article below that the New York Times writer was trying to make sense of something he could understand only from a spiritual perspective, and he sounds as if he may just envy us a bit.

Beliefs

by Peter Steinfels, THE NEW YORK TIMES
A scholar finds that modern pluralism, far from stifling evangelicals, actually nurtures them.

          One of the biggest questions facing anyone interested in understanding American society, indeed the modern condition generally, is why conservative evangelical Christianity not only persists in this country but also positively thrives.

          By now, it is no secret that evangelicals are growing in number. Less well known is that evangelicals outrank even fundamentalists in their adherence to traditional doctrines, their defense of the Bible, their rate of churchgoing, their personal evangelizing, and their financial support for efforts to spread the Gospel.

          And when it comes to believing in social change, participating in politics, voting, or volunteering in community programs, evangelicals leave mainline Protestants, as well as Roman Catholics, in the dust.

          But wait a minute. Wasn't this kind of straightforward Bible-based faith banished to the nation's cultural backwaters 73 years ago by the anti-evolution excesses of the Scopes trial in Dayton, Tennessee? And if that didn't do the trick, shouldn't the certainties of the old-time religion have long since fallen victim to the corrosive effects of modern pluralism?

          These are questions not to be answered by pundits. obsession with charting every last twitch of the religious right, which is only one facet of conservative religion in the United States. Nor can they be answered by a couple of popular theories.

          One is that evangelical Christianity flourishes only in sheltered zones where geography, demography, ignorance, or homogeneity shields it from contact with what Walter Lippmann, in 1929, called the "acids of modernity." The other is that evangelical beliefs appeal to anxious people who feel their social status is threatened and yearn for security in a world of rapid change.

          Neither theory fits the facts. By most standards, measuring contact with this elusive thing called modernity. level of higher education, employment patterns, income, urban versus rural residence. people who identify themselves as evangelical Christians are barely different from other Americans.

          They are more highly educated, for example, than are those calling themselves religious liberals or non-religious, and only slightly less likely to have a graduate education than mainline Protestants.

          Nor is there evidence that evangelicals are any more economically anxious or threatened by downward mobility than other Americans. Although they do feel that traditional values are under siege, they appear to be more worried about the danger this poses to others than to themselves and their own families.

          These findings are from a careful new study, "American Evangelicalism: Embattled and Thriving" (University of Chicago Press), by Christian Smith, a sociologist at the University of North Carolina.

          Professor Smith's conclusion, based on extensive polling and interviews, is that evangelical Christianity is thriving not merely in the face of modern pluralism, but precisely because of it. A zest for conflict and for drawing up religious battle lines is deeply embedded in the "cultural DNA" of American evangelicalism, Professor Smith says, and pluralism is just the environment where it can flourish.

          Evangelicals are confident that they possess an ultimate truth, although Professor Smith found that they "are not particularly arrogant or triumphalistic" about it. They are similarly convinced that they have a superior morality to guide them through life and a mission to bring these gifts to the world.

          Pluralistic modernity may implicitly challenge such claims. But this condition of "sustained dissonance," rather than undermining evangelical identity, Professor Smith believes, only sharpens and strengthens it.

          His book offers a theory of religious subcultures that supplements the theory that evangelical success owes primarily to its entrepreneurial competitiveness in the nation's "free market" of religions. He also amends the theory emphasizing strictness of belief and practice as the key to the religious group's vitality: if that were the case, evangelicals would not be enjoying greater vitality than their more unbending theological cousins, the fundamentalists.

          In fact, American evangelicalism has created a subculture managing to maintain "both high tension with and high integration into mainstream American society simultaneously," he writes. "Contemporary pluralism creates a situation in which evangelicals can perpetually maintain but never resolve their struggle with the nonevangelical world."

          That last sentence, of course, points to a problem. The vibrant evangelical Christianity of the last century not only flourished in the interstices of personal and family life, but also moved the whole culture and shaped the nation's institutions. It inspired social reforms, from abolitionism to temperance. It founded colleges, built hospitals, created charities, and molded national sentiment.

          Now, however, Professor Smith points out, the very factors that assure the continuing vitality of evangelicalism also appear to cripple its hopes of transforming the world. Many Americans, for example, are turned off by some of the traits. "personal conviction, confident evangelism, moral rectitude, fervent devotion" that Professor Smith cites as part of evangelicalism's distinctive identity. Even more of an obstacle, he argues, are the practical limits of evangelicals. preference for a strategy of changing society through individual conversions, personal influence, and strictly voluntary action.

          Professor Smith does not say so, but there may be something still more basic operating here. Has evangelical Christianity grown unconsciously fond of the cultural gridlock that has become a chief precondition of evangelicalism's continuing vigor?


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Falwell Says Antichrist Jewish

Editorial

Dr. Jerry Falwell was in the news last month concerning the Antichrist. He made controversial statements that may do more harm than good. Because a person is famous or on television doesn't mean he has some special insight into Scripture — and that certainly includes me. Every teacher's words should be tested against "rightly dividing the word of God." We reprint the Associated Press article in full below, followed by a discussion from the book "Is the Antichrist Alive and Well?" by Ed Hindson.

Rev. Jerry Falwell

          The Associated Press — The Rev. Jerry Falwell said the Antichrist is probably alive today and is a male Jew. He also said the second coming of Christ probably would be within 10 years. In a speech Thursday about the concern people have over the new millennium, Falwell told about 1,500 people at a conference on evangelism at Kingsport, Tenn., that the Antichrist is male and is a Jew.

          "Who will the Antichrist be? I don't know. Nobody else knows," said Falwell, whose Sunday morning services at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg are carried by television stations nationwide.

          "Is he alive and here today? Probably. Because when he appears during the tribulation period he will be a full-grown counterfeit of Christ. Of course he'll be Jewish. Of course he'll pretend to be Christ. And if in fact the Lord is coming soon, and he'll be an adult at the presentation of himself, he must be alive somewhere today."

          According to the Bible, the Anti-christ will spread universal evil before the end of the world but will be finally conquered at the second coming of Christ.

          Falwell, the chancellor of Liberty University in Lynchburg and founder of the now-defunct Moral Majority, said Friday in Williamsburg that he did not intend for his statement, which he subsequently retracted, to be anti-Jewish. He said he meant only that the Antichrist must be Jewish because Jesus Christ was a Jew.

          "If he's going to be the counterfeit of Christ, he has to be Jewish," Falwell said. "The only thing we know is he must be male and Jewish."

          Rabbi James Rudin, director of interreligious affairs for the American Jewish Committee in New York, said the comment surprised him because he knows Falwell is a strong supporter of Israel and is not anti-Jewish.

          "This is part of what I call millennial madness," Rudin said. "To single out any one man and particularly to identify him as Jewish plays into some latent and historical anti-Semitism from the past."

          In his book Is the Antichrist Alive and Well?, Rev.Ed Hindson addresses speculations about the Antichrist's nationality: Whether the Antichrist is a Jew or a Gentile is not clearly answered in the New Testament. Most prophetic scholars believe he will be a Gentile because:

  1. He leads the European Union of Gentile nations ( Daniel 7:8-24).

  2. His covenant with Israel promises Gentile protection for Israel (Daniel 9:27).

  3. His rule is part of the "times of the Gentiles" and their domination over Israel (Luke 21:24).

          These passages make it clear that the Antichrist will lead the Western powers, but they do not specifically designate him as a Gentile. It is entirely possible that he could be of Jewish origin or nationality and still be a European or American Jew who leads the final form of the world government. The fact that the verse that says he will not regard the "God of his fathers" (KJV) can also be translated "gods of his fathers" (NIV) makes his background inconclusive. However the typical exegesis of Daniel 11:37 has focused on his atheistic beliefs, regardless of whether he is a Jew or Gentile.

          Zola: Frankly, I disagree with Rev. Falwell. In addition to the evidence given above, I think the Antichrist is a Gentile because he has to make a covenant with Israel. It is an outsider who has to sign a legal contract with the Jewish people, not one of their own. If for example, Prime Minister Netanyahu or David Bar-Illan of Israel came up with some idea for a seven-year peace plan, the Jews could adopt it or not. They wouldn't need a special covenant drawn up between them and one of their own citizens.

          Second, the Antichrist follows along a series of Biblical persecutors of the Jews, all of whom were Gentiles. They include Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Antiochus, Titus, etc. In the A.D. centuries, the Romans, the Moslems, the Catholics, and the European Protestants were all anti-Semitic, an outstanding characteristic of the Antichrist.

          Third, the Antichrist's mission — to control and ultimately destroy Israel — is simply an un-Jewish undertaking. These are not things one does to his own people.

          Fourth, Falwell's reasoning that he will be Jewish to counterfeit Christ does not really follow. The "church" that the Antichrist will lead in the Tribulation will be virtually wholly Gentile. Let's face it: The liberal churches, the Catholics, etc., do not hold that Jesus is Jewish even now. They may read it in the Scriptures — if they read the Scriptures — but they simply don't see it that way. In their minds, He is the King of the Gentile church and belongs to them. That is the mentality to which the Antichrist's counterfeit must appeal. A Jewish Antichrist would have a tough time speaking to the European Union, the Gentile church and the Moslems of the world.

          And finally, I have myself translated the verse Daniel 11:37 from the Hebrew, and I agree with the NIV translation given above. An even clearer rendering would be "He will not worship the idols his fathers worshipped."

          For all of those reasons, I feel the Antichrist will not be Jewish.


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A Note From Zola

Dear Friends,

          We are being simply overwhelmed by pilgrims wanting to visit the Holy Land in 1999. Do people think this really may be our last year to see Israel in this life?

          Whatever the case, we have added a tour at the beginning of June that we have designed especially to suit our teachers and students, and other budget-minded travelers.

          This will be a Kibbutz Tour, and we will have lodging at guesthouses built on these cooperative farms.

          The advantages are obvious; Living out in nature with the soil under your feet or the Sea of Galilee right outside your window. And, of course, the price will be much lower than our high-season tours in spring and fall. On the other hand we'll have more rustic accommodations than our usual luxury hotels and somewhat warmer temperatures. The Kibbutz Tour will involve visits to a Bedouin tent, camel rides, and the sort of countryside activities we usually can't work into our major tours. On the other hand, all the Biblical sites seen on our high-season tours will be included. There will be no extension, just the ten-day tour of Israel.

          Please write to our office for details or call us at 214-696-9760.

          In Israel there are some changes underway. The Palestinians have built a casino called The Oasis outside of Jericho in order to raise a lot of cash. Israelis and visitors are cordially invited to gamble, but some of the Palestinians themselves disapprove. The Hamas, whose usual specialty is blowing people up, were religiously wounded. They said the place reminded them of Rahab, harlot of Jericho, who said to Joshua and his men, "I know that the Lord hath given you the land." Hamas thinks that the casino owners are playing into the hands of the Israelis.

          I'm afraid the casino is an example of what the Palestinians do with the land when they acquire it. They are not an advanced culture, and they have never founded an indigenous economy. As a matter of fact, they are dependent on Israel for their livelihood, as witnessed by the fact that they protest so strongly whenever Israel closes the borders in answer to some terrorist action. As we reported last month, the fact that monies are "wasted, looted, or misused...inspires foreign investment to stay far, far away from Gaza," the Palestinian headquarters. Will Palestine really be a viable new country if it is totally dependent on its next-door neighbor for its financial health?

          And the new Palestine's neighbor to the east, Jordan, has some problems of its own these days. The ailing king, apparently dying of cancer at press time, has named his 36-year-old neophyte son as his successor, rather than the king's more experienced brother. This has upset the population, but elections, as we think of them, are virtually unknown in the Arab dictatorships. It is as if we had to put up with Bill Clinton choosing his own successor, rather than our electing the next president. But Islam is the faith in power, and every single Arab country is a one-man-rule situation.

          Jordan is struggling with another age-old Islamic problem. It seems that young women are volunteering to go to prison to be safe from their own families. Honor killings are running amok there; young girls caught kissing on a date, etc., etc., may be killed by a father or brother to "protect the family honor." The problem has been endemic to Egypt and, of course, Iran and the other radical Moslem regimes.

          Such excesses on the part of Islam are in keeping with the approaching end times. This world is becoming a variety of radical, tribal groups whom only the Antichrist could unite. The calming influence of Christianity and democracy will be lost to the upcoming End Times, when the Rapture of the Church and the New World Order utterly change the societies of the world. The times between now and the start of the Tribulation promise to be difficult, forcing a lot of people to make eternal choices.

          And that's where we, the Church, come in. Prophecy is in the Bible so that we can demonstrate that time is running out on free salvation. As one after another prophecy fulfillment becomes apparent, we can show that the Scripture is supernaturally written, and that it requires a decision on the part of each and every soul. In some ways it should be easier to witness in this troublesome world than it ever has been before. We can virtually say, "Don't be a fool!" We are almost in the position of Noah when it started to rain.

          Concerning touring Israel, I explained the June Kibbutz Tour above. Our Spring Grand Tour (April 13-27) begins in Athens, Greece, where we will visit the magnificent Acropolis, including Mars Hill, and Corinth, and take a breathtaking cruise of the Mediterranean that will visit Mykonos, the Isle of Rhodes, Ephesus, and Patmos. The Spring Greek Island Tour (April 13-20) is being offered separately this year for the first time, and these passengers will have one extra night in Athens, departing for the U.S. on April 20.

          Our Spring Deluxe Tour (April 18-28) will cover all the important Biblical sites, including the ancient City of David, Jerusalem, Israel's national memorial to the Holocaust victims, and the Israel Museum where we will be able to examine the Dead Sea Scrolls. We will see the summit of the Mount of Olives, walk through the Garden of Gethsemane and see the Upper Room, Calvary, and the Garden Tomb.

          Our new series Evidence of God will begin airing for most of you very soon. Gerald Schroeder will again be featured, along with many other scientific personalities from Israel and America. We felt that this kind of testimony would be effective in 1999, and we will follow right after it with our first prime-time prophecy special and more programs on End Times prophecy.

          Thank you for your constant support and encouragement. This is our year, and we really appreciate your help!

Your messenger,


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Converstion With Terror

Editorial

Osama bin Laden
Time magazine recently published an interview with our supposed "Public Enemy No. 1" among the Moslems, Osama bin Laden (though I suspect we have thousands of such enemies among the Moslems). Out of his own mouth, he is condemned for viciousness and hatred against people he has little knowledge of. Truly, if his religion teaches him to talk and act as he does, then there is something very wrong with that religion. Here is the interview in part:

Time: How do you react to the December attack on Iraq by U.S. and British forces?

Osama bin Laden: There is no doubt that the treacherous attack has confirmed that Britain and America are acting on behalf of Israel and the Jews, paving the way for the Jews to divide the Muslim world once again, enslave it and loot the rest of its wealth. A great part of the force that carried out the attack came from certain gulf countries that have lost their sovereignty. Now infidels walk everywhere on the land where Muhammad was born and where the Koran was revealed to him. The situation is serious. The rulers have become powerless. Muslims should carry out their obligations, since the rulers of the region have accepted the invasion of their countries. These countries belong to Islam and not the rulers.

Time: What can the U.S. expect from you now?

Osama bin Laden: Any thief or criminal or robber who enters another country in order to steal should expect to be exposed to murder at any time. For the American forces to expect anything from me personally reflects a very narrow perception. Thousands of millions of Muslims are angry. The Americans should expect reactions from the Muslim world that are proportionate to the injustice they inflict.

Time: The U.S. says you are trying to acquire chemical and nuclear weapons.

Osama Bin Laden: Acquiring weapons for the defense of Muslims is a religious duty. If I have indeed acquired these weapons, then I thank God for enabling me to do so. And I seek to acquire those weapons. I am carrying out a duty. It would be a sin for Muslims not to try to possess the weapons that would prevent the infidels from inflicting harm on Muslims.

Time: The U.S. is trying to stop the flow of funds to your organization. Has it been able to do so?

Osama bin Laden: The U.S. knows that I have attacked it, by the grace of God, for more than 10 years now. The U.S. alleges that I am fully responsible for the killing of its soldiers in Somalia. God knows that we have been pleased at the killing of American soldiers. This was achieved by the grace of God and the efforts of the muja-hedin from among the Somali brothers and other Arab mujahedin who had been in Afghanistan before that. America has been trying ever since to tighten its economic blockade against us and to arrest me. It has failed. This blockade does not hurt us much. We expect to be rewarded by God.

Time: Is your Islamic message having an impact?

Osama bin Laden: Winds of change have blown in order to lift the injustice to which the world is subjected by America and its supporters and the Jews who are collaborating with them. Look at what is happening these days in Indonesia, where Suharto, a despot who ruled for 30 years, was overthrown. The time will come, sooner rather than later, when criminal despots who betrayed God and his Prophet, and betrayed their trust and their nation, will face the same fate.

Time: But there are many Muslims who do not agree with your kind of violence.

Osama bin Laden: We should fully understand our religion. Fighting is a part of our religion and our Sharia [an Islamic legal code]. Those who love God and his Prophet and this religion cannot deny that. Whoever denies even a minor tenet of our religion commits the gravest sin in Islam. Those who sympathize with the infidels. such as the PLO in Palestine or the so-called Palestinian Authority. have been trying for tens of years to get back some of their rights. They laid down arms and abandoned what is called violence and tried peaceful bargaining. What did the Jews give them? They did not give them even 1% of their rights.

Time: America, the world's only superpower, has called you Public Enemy No. 1. Are you worried?

Osama bin Laden: Hostility toward America is a religious duty, and we hope to be rewarded for it by God. To call us Enemy No. 1 or 2 does not hurt us. Osama bin Laden is confident that the Islamic nation will carry out its duty. I am confident that Muslims will be able to end the legend of the so-called superpower that is America.


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Letters to Zola

Note: If those writing to this ministry tell us that they do not want their letters published, we will abide by their wishes.

Letters to a Local Newspaper...

Spiritually Poor

Re: "Y2K Woman — Hurst resident wants Christians to be ready for the worst," Jan. 2. Karen Anderson's Web site promoting Christian women stockpiling for Y2K is a disturbing example of the well-fed but spiritually poor American Christian attitude: "Feed me first." While thousands of children go hungry around the world, American women are hoarding food. Ms. Anderson's directions to buy games for children (who, God forbid, may become bored during the supposed crisis) is perhaps the most telling indictment of a church that complains no one is listening to the words of One they themselves ignore. (Luke 12:22, 23, 34: "And he said to his disciples, 'For this reason I say to you; do not be anxious for your life, as to what shall you eat, nor for your body ... For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing ... For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also.'")

Friends in High Places

Our Smiling Angel

Thanks to Rosie Cohen for sharing her story with readers ("Jews treading new paths to reach spiritual healing." Dec. 13). I am prompted to write about our family's experience with an angel.

          Our dog got loose and we were unable to locate him. After some time, we decided to ask God for help. A short time later, we noticed a car about 200 yards ahead of our vehicle (we were driving around looking for the dog). The car was stopped in the slow lane. As we pulled within a few yards of the car, we saw a black man sitting in the driver's seat. He was grinning from ear to ear, a very warm smile, and was pointing over the top of his car to an alley next to his car. There was our dog, just a few feet from the street. We had passed that same alley just a few minutes earlier, and had not seen our dog. Also, we wonder how this man, (whom we had never seen before) knew that (1) the dog in the alley was lost, (2) we were looking for a lost dog, (3) that dog was our dog.

          Later that evening we all agreed that the black man with the big smile was an angel and that our prayers, indeed, had been answered. I hope that others will share their stories.

Blame Sugarcoated Gospel

We have seen the incredible sight of the president's poll numbers soaring at the same time more and more people believe that he is guilty of adultery, lying, and perjury. One reason for this has to be that for many decades the church as a whole has preached a sugarcoated gospel, that is soft on repentance but heavy on prosperity, self-esteem, and easy forgiveness.

          This is then extended to the world's most powerful leader, who has demonstrated by example and policies backed by Hollywood and Hustler magazine that he would undo the values that have worked well since the foundation of civilization.

          One representative had it right when he said he forgave President Clinton but voted to impeach in order to protect the Constitution, and in doing so he protected our children's future.

From: a 101 year old friend

Attn: Linda, Zola's Assistant

Dear Linda:


Thank you for your letter requesting my picture. I am deeply honored that you would run my picture in your newsletter. In years past I was a regular contributor. In about 1985 or '86 I had a low retirement income. I had a few [ministries] that I contributed to on a regular monthly basis; yours was one of them. So I wrote to each one on the list of my having to stop sending a monthly check. I had a reply from you in a phone call from Jean Rosenberg. We had become good friends, just through phone calls. I don't recall how that started. But Jean phoned, "Are you in trouble. I'm not rich but I can send you some money." I said, "Dear Jean, bless your heart. No, you don't need to send anything." After Jean retired we still kept in contact with her in St. Petersburg, I think it was. She must now be in Glory as two or three years ago my letter was returned.

          May I enter another subject, without infringing on your position? I have had an idea that every church, followers of Jesus (a Jew), should have a Jewish table in their church lobby. I am enclosing a copy of some of my thoughts on this. I have passed this idea on to the Moody Church in Chicago, where I am still a member. Pastor Lutzer replied favorably, and passed it on to a staff member. I had a favorable reply from him. But I am not there to follow up on it. Roy Schwarz is a Jewish man and an associate on staff at Moody. One of their Board members is Jewish, and they have many Jewish people attending as well as a Friday night Jewish meeting, led I presume by Roy. I don't rejoice at being a "shut-in." But I rejoice in the Lord as "in Him we live and move and have our being." All praise to His wonderful Name.

          Speaking of names. . . I just got a complete list of all the Biblical names of God, e.g. El Elyon, the Most High God, about 15 in all. I am in the process of memorizing all of them, so I'll know who I am talking to all day.

In Grace abounding,
Sprague Willard, Naperville, IL

I am enclosing a $25 check dated February 1st. If possible, and you do use my picture, it would be good if I could get several copies. [Having my picture in the newsletter is] a good excuse to send them to friends that would expose them to your ministry. I could do that anyway, but this could be a good opportunity. But if you decided not to use the picture, that would not bother me. We'd still be good friends.


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Quotations

We are indebted to Issues, a publication of Jews for Jesus, for the following valuable quotations.

Evidence for God's Existence

The order and complexity of the physical universe

If one came upon a watch in a field and asked where it came from, the obvious response would be that someone made it. Likewise the complexity and unique workmanship of the universe demands an intelligent designer.

Human personality

"No one has presented an idea, let alone demonstrated it to be feasible, to explain how the impersonal beginning, plus time, plus chances, can give personality."
— FRANCIS A. SCHAEFFER

The accuracy of the Bible

Historians, archaeologists, and scientists continue to find solid evidence to corroborate the Bible's accuracy.

Fulfilled biblical prophecy

Specific predictions and prophecies made hundreds, even thousands of years prior to events have come to pass precisely as predicted.

The survival of Israel and the Jewish people

"All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?"
— MARK TWAIN

"Evidence of God I have found in the existence of Israel."
— EDMUND FLEG

Universal religious impulse

"There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God the Creator made known through Jesus Christ."
— BLAISE PASCAL

Humanity's moral sense of right and wrong

"If God is dead, then everything is justifiable."
— DOSTOYEVSKY

The resurrection of Jesus

"I accept the resurrection of Easter Sunday not as an invention of the community of disciples, but as a historical event."
— RABBI PINCHAS LAPIDE

The failure of alternatives

"Hard as the world is to explain with God, it is harder yet without Him."
— CLAUDE MONTEFIORE


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A recent edition of the international Jerusalem Post (available at www.jpost.com) pointed out that the Israelis expect a very difficult American-style campaign for prime minister. It seems that American experts are being called to help certain candidates, and that could have a damaging effect on that democracy. While we have been able to .improve the world. by supplying Coca Cola and Levi's jeans, I'm not sure our politics are something we really need to be exporting.

Experts Expect
Dirtiest Election Campaign Yet

By Naomi Simons

          The upcoming election campaign is likely to be the most vicious ever seen in Israel, thanks to the influence of imported U.S. "spin-doctors" and the rise of American-style methods, according to local media consultants.

          Dr. Yariv Ben-Eliezer, dean of the School of Communications at Tel Aviv University and a top media consultant, predicts that the main contenders will attack each other's careers and private lives, and that the debate could descend into a battle of personal slurs. "It is going to be very personal and very bloody. It is going to be like a fistfight," he said.

          Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.s use of U.S. media specialist Arthur Finkelstein in the last election helped transform him into what Ben-Eliezer considers to be the ultimate "media-man." Now Labor leader Ehud Barak has enlisted the services of James Carville and Stanley Greenberg, who helped mastermind Bill Clinton's rise.

          "The campaigns will be much grislier and more personal because of the experts brought from Europe and America," agrees Menachem Sheizaf, who runs his own media consultancy firm.

          Ben-Eliezer, who has advised Tsomet and the Histradut on their media campaigns, says Netanyahu's opponents will probably accuse him of being a "media-gimmick," a liar, of having a weak personality and no plan except the plan to survive. Barak's enemies will say that he is vague about his policies, and will undoubtedly dig up the old nickname "Ehud Barach" (Ehud ran away), which refers to Barak's suspected involvement in the Tze'elim B affair, of which he was cleared.

          Netanyahu's camp will be especially eager to attack Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, after he officially announces his candidacy for the premiership, according to Ben-Eliezer. He also predicts that the media will make a meal of any dirt that Shahak's opponents can dig up about his private life.

          "Shahak was immune [to media criticism] while chief of staff because the army is a 'sacred cow,' but there is no immunity in politics," he said.


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Zola's Travel and Speaking Itinerary


March 6-7
Hereford Church of the Nazarene
1710 La Plata Drive
Hereford, TX 79045
Pastor: Rev. Ted Taylor
(806) 364-8303

March 11-14
1999 International Prophecy Conference
Sponsored by: God's News Behind The News
Tampa Convention Center
333 S. Franklin Street
Tampa, FL 33629
Rev. Joe Van Koevering
(727) 347-2463

April 2
Bethany First Church of the Nazarene
6789 N.W. 39th Expy.
Bethany, OK 73008
Rev. Doug Forsberg

April 4
Lakeland Baptist Church
397 S. Stemmons Fwy.
Lewisville, TX 75067
Rev. Thom Wilder
(972) 436-4561

April 7-8
Thy Kingdom Come Prophecy Conference
7301 East 14th Street
Tulsa, OK 74112-6700
Rev. Charles L. Pack
(918) 835-6978

April 13-27
Grand Tour

April 13-20
Greece Only

April 18-28
Deluxe Tour Only


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Copyright © 1999 by Zola Levitt Ministries, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. All rights reserved. Brief passages may be quoted in reviews or other article. For all other use, please get our written approval.