Palin Flies Israeli Flag In Her Office

Palin Flies Israeli Flag In Her Office

A Flag in Her Office

Posted by Charles Featherstone at September 5, 2008 05:26 AM

So, Sarah Palin proudly displays an Israeli flag in her office in Juneau, and her "Pentecostal" faith makes supporting the state of Israel a central tenet of belief, possibly even more important than the Gospel itself (you know, that odd little fact that Jesus Christ was crucified and raised to redeem humanity from its sinfulness). As the Washington Times reports:

Mrs. Palin was baptized as a teenager at the Wasilla Assembly of God Church. She frequently attends the Juneau Christian Center, which is also part of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God. Her home church is the Church of the Rock, an independent congregation.

"Historically, the Assemblies of God have been dispensationalists, which means they believe in 'the rapture' of Christians that takes them out of the world," said Mr. Matthews. "Central to that position is a very strong support for Israel. It's integral to their view of both prophecy and politics. Denying Israel is almost like denying the faith."

This got me to thinking. Flying the flag of another country, pledging allegiance and loyalty to another polity, this is not the behavior of politicians in a powerful, world ruling empire -- it's what people in conquered nations, colonies and satellite states do. I can imagine Czech communist party officials in, say, 1980, having the Soviet flag in their office, of groveling before the USSR and the CPSU. No serious politician in Moscow (the head of the Soviet-Czechoslovak Friendship Society is not serious) would fly or wear the Czech flag -- it was clear how power flowed, from Moscow to Prague. Or Senegalese politicians in the 1950s pledging their loyalty and love to France, but no one in Paris caring much about Senegal.

Now granted, there was no theology outlining the Moscow/Prague relationship (although Marxism is a kind-of secular premillennial dispensationism), nor in the French colonialism of Africa. I am also not a dispensationist (indeed, it is heretical) and I know that being a dispensationist is not a requirement for pledging allegiance to the state of Israel. Still, it's odd that the leaders of the allegedly powerful United States stumble over themselves swear their loyalty to another nation-state, another polity, with such fervor.

Alaskapodshow.com An online episode of "Hike of the Week, Travel Adventures," featuring Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, shows the small Israeli ...
Evangelical faith drives Palin's pro-Israel view

Ralph Z. Hallow
Thursday, September 4, 2008

ST. PAUL, Minn. | Sarah Palin displays an Israeli flag in her governor's office in Juneau, even though she has never been to the country, and attends Protestant evangelical churches that consider the preservation of the state of Israel a biblical imperative.
Her faith makes her a favorite with the staunchly pro-Israel neoconservative elements in the Republican Party.

But other Republicans may be concerned that a John McCain-Sarah Palin administration will disregard the caution of former President George H.W. Bush and some of his top advisers and continue the tilt toward Israel.

Most Republicans and conservatives outside Alaska know little about Mrs. Palin's foreign policy views - on Israel or anything else.

But Tucker Eskew, who holds the title of counselor to Mrs. Palin in the McCain-Palin campaign, left no doubt where she stands.

"She would describe herself as a strong supporter of Israel's, with an understanding of Israel's fear of an Iran in possession of nuclear weapons," Mr. Eskew told The Washington Times.

In June, Mrs. Palin told ministry students at her former church that in going to war with Iraq, the United States is "on a task that is from God," the Associated Press reported.
Mrs. Palin's brand of evangelical Protestantism is especially well-disposed to the preservation of Israel for biblical reasons, said Merrill Matthews, an evangelical Christian and a Dallas-based health-policy specialist.

Mrs. Palin was baptized as a teenager at the Wasilla Assembly of God Church. She frequently attends the Juneau Christian Center, which is also part of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God. Her home church is the Church of the Rock, an independent congregation.

"Historically, the Assemblies of God have been dispensationalists, which means they believe in 'the rapture' of Christians that takes them out of the world," said Mr. Matthews. "Central to that position is a very strong support for Israel. It's integral to their view of both prophecy and politics. Denying Israel is almost like denying the faith.