Israel: This will be the most contentious issue of all in a prospective Perry-Obama match-up. Like all conservative evangelicals, Perry is staunchly pro-Israel. Like all Evangelicals, his fealty to the Jewish state is theological in nature, based on a philo-Semitism enmeshed with classical Christian supercessionism (in some variants, for the Messiah to come all of the Jews must be gathered to Israel).
Jews are deeply divided over the evangelical embrace of Israel. Some object to the theological presuppositions of the approach (i.e., that Jews will either disappear or embrace Christ). Others, who don’t figure that Christ will return any time soon, disregard the theology and appreciate the political support that Evangelicals in Congress have given them since the 1980s.
Then there are liberal Jews who abhor both the theological underpinnings and the political support. The latter, they argue, enables a conservative Israeli government to pursue policies which are detrimental to peace and its own survival.
The wildcard in all of this is Obama. True, he received 78 percent of the Jewish vote in 2008. Yet current dissatisfaction with his policies is not inconsiderable, especially among the exceedingly vocal pro-Israel faction. Expect Perry or any other GOP hopeful to wedge this issue ‘till kingdom come.
Israel will be Governor Perry’s portal to the Jewish community. Obama’s “betrayal of our greatest ally” will be the central theme of every speech he gives to a Jewish group on the campaign trail. Expect a visit to the Wailing Wall replete with the governor donning a beaming white kipa.
