Press Release
Released: May 27, 2008
BURLINGTON, VT/WASHINGTON, D.C.
DemocracyForAmerica.com, our nations largest progressive political action organization, is partnering with J Street, the political arm of the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement, to demand that Sen. Joe Lieberman cut all ties with Pastor John Hagee and "Christians United for Israel.
Last Thursday, Senator John McCain renounced the endorsement of Pastor Hagee and made it clear that his views are simply out of bounds for mainstream American politics. Now its Joe Liebermans turn to follow the lead of his good friend, the Republican nominee for President.
J Street and DFA launched the Say Aint So Joe petition asking Sen. Lieberman to reject Pastor Hagees hatemongering and to refuse to appear at the 2008 Christians United for Israel Washington-Israel Summit this July 22. Democracy for America and its over 700,000 members and J Street are asking Americans to sign the petition and join the movement to keep Pastor Hagees brand of religious intolerance out of American political discourse.
Pastor Hagee has a long and despicable record of hate speech that has been well documented:
On Muslims -- "All Muslims have a mandate to kill Christians and Jews."
On Hurrican Katrina -- "I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God and they were recipients of the judgment of God for that."
On Women -- "Do you know the difference between a terrorist and a woman with PMS? You can negotiate with a terrorist."
Joe Lieberman has been hustled by a hate-filled con-artist who hides behind the cloak of religion to spread a particularly pernicious type of bigotry, said Arshad Hasan, Executive Director of Democracy for America. Does Joe Lieberman have no shame? Will he stand with a hatemonger and continue to praise this intolerant figure? Or, will he recognize that Pastor Hagee is no friend of Americans who believe that tolerance and understanding are things that make America great?
There should be no place in American politics and certainly no place in the American Jewish community for a man who holds John Hagees views, said Jeremy Ben-Ami, J Streets Executive Director. John McCain finally got that on Thursday. Now its time for American Jewish leaders to admit that, for too long, Pastor Hagees supposed pro-Israel views have bought him a free pass in the Jewish community. This has to end. It simply isnt worth sacrificing core values and principles that the Jewish community holds dear for a political alliance of convenience. And the great irony is, Hagee in the end really isnt pro-Israel. His support for Israel is simply a means to an apocalyptic end of destruction or conversion for the Jewish people.
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