Going Rogue Zionist Style!

by Matt Sutton

This post is more derivative than usual. It started as an article in the Baltimore Jewish Times, which got picked up by a Baltimore Sun blog. Now, for your reading pleasure (and because Harvey likes it when I write about Palin) here it is for you.

Apparently Barbara Walters asked Palin last week about the Obama administration’s opposition to Israeli expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Palin's answer:

“I disagree with the Obama administration on that,” the former Alaska governor told interviewer Barbara Walters. “I believe that the Jewish settlements should be allowed to be expanded upon because the population of Israel is going to grow. More and more Jewish people will be flocking to Israel in the days and weeks and months ahead. And I don’t think that the Obama administration has any right to tell Israel that the Jewish settlements cannot expand.”

What makes this especially interesting is that it is totally contrary to actual Israeli immigration trends. According to the original blogger, Michael Felson, "Since 2002—the year in which the major wave of immigration from the former Soviet Union came to an end—there has been a consistent downward trend in immigration to Israel. By 2006, immigration was down to 1980s levels, during which time 9,000-24,000 people immigrated annually. And in 2008, the number was 13,681, representing the lowest ratio of immigrants to Israelis since the establishment of the State – 1.9 immigrants per 1000 residents."

This, of course, raises the question: what is Palin's source of information? You guessed it. The books of Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelation. That serious political candidates take premillennial apocalypticism seriously is great news for me; but it might not be such good news for the country (or the Palestinians). Sarah: keep rogue-ing it up!

Comments

Luke Harlow said…
Great stuff, Matt. Not having seen the interview: did Palin actually cite those books of the Bible? (I quickly read those articles and it seems like the Baltimore Jewish Times is merely claiming that her language sounds a whole like that of John Hagee.) Not trying to be chippy here--because I'm sure there's plenty of premillennialism coming from Palin that falls in line with your current research--but if she actually dropped biblical references in (or even references to contemporary dispensational leaders like Tim LaHaye), that would be very interesting indeed!
Matt Sutton said…
No, I don't think she actually cited the Bible. Walters did not push her to identify the source of her prediction.
Manlius said…
Oh, dear. Not good.
Manlius said…
Oh, dear. Not good.
Thanks for the post, Matt. You might be interested this line from the Charlotte Observer on Palin's recent visit with Billy Graham:
"She quizzed him on the presidents he's known and wanted his take on what the Bible says about Israel, Iran and Iraq, Franklin Graham reported."

See
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/topstories/story/1070916.html
Matt Sutton said…
Wow. The question is who is the bigger "user" here? Palin using Billy, or Franklin using Daddy to play nice with the GOP?

I think we need an expert opinion Steven!
Matt,

In this case, I would vote for "Franklin using Daddy to play nice with the GOP," with Palin being more than happy to help. My sense is that more than a few folks in the larger BGEA world weren't happy that Palin's book tour took a hike up Black Mountain.

BTW, in case you didn't come across it, Keith Olbermann jumped all over Palin's "flocking" line--last Monday or Tuesday, I think. Could be a useful anecdote for the book Intro :)
Paul Harvey said…
Palin is also giving verbal support, more or less, to the "birther" idiots:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/12/palin-flirts-with-obama-birth.html
Yet another Palin anecdote: The BGEA's webstite now features video clips of an "exclusive interview" with Palin during the day of her visit with Billy Graham. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch ran a full article on the videos this morning.

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