Pastor John Hagee at the Christians United for Israel summit (Fox News)
EXCLUSIVE: One of the nation’s most prominent evangelical Christian supporters of Israel warned that the Obama Administration’s deal with Iran jeopardizes American and Israeli security.
“It is an historic, bad deal for the world,” Pastor John Hagee told Fox News in an exclusive interview.
Hagee is the pastor of Cornerstone Church, a megachurch in San Antonio. He is also the founder of Christians United for Israel, the largest pro-Israel organization in the nation.
Thousands of CUFI supporters gathered in Washington, D.C. this week for their annual summit and the president’s deal with Iran was a subject of concern.
“I have to follow the lead of the Prime Minister of Israel by saying it is an historic, bad deal for the world,” he said. “A nuclear Iran is a threat to America’s security. Iran being able to put missiles together that can reach America is detrimental to us. It is most assuredly a threat to the Jewish people and the nation of Israel.”
Hagee also expressed outrage over the Obama administration’s failure to secure the release of Idaho pastor Saeed Abedini. Abedini is one of four Americans held hostage by the Iranians.
He said that failure is “just a continuation of the pathetic negotiations that we’ve had from the beginning. America is a superpower that groveled before Iran and gave Iran what they wanted, when they wanted, if they wanted.”
“They have a constitutional responsibility to protect and defend the people of the United States of America," he said.
Pastor Hagee isn’t alone - under his leadership, thousands of the members of CUFI are meeting with their members on Capitol Hill.
“I can assure you that the 2.2 million members of Christians United for Israel fully understand the magnitude of this very bad geopolitical agreement America has just made,” and they intend to make their voice heard,” Hagee said.
“Israel is the only democracy in that part of the world. They are surrounded by tinhorned dictators who are screaming for their blood. America has always supported democracy. Israel is our only friend in the Middle East. Israel votes with us more in the United Nations than any nation. We should support Israel because we are connected at the hip, and we have as a people, a very strong Judeo-Christian Biblical basis of supporting Israel beginning in the book of Genesis and never stopping.”
CUFI just launched its Action Fund, a 501(c)(4), which has already been dubbed the “pro-Israel NRA” to lobby elected officials on behalf of its members across all 50 states.
In addition to putting pressure on members of Congress on the Iran Deal, Hagee plans to tackle the BDS (Boycott-Divesment-Sanctions) movement waged against the nation of Israel that he calls, “economic anti-Semitism against Israel.”
In charge of this operation is conservative, evangelical leader Gary Bauer.
“I have been in Washington a long time and one of the things you learn is you can show congressmen the light but you also have to make them feel the heat, and Pastor Hagee has built an organization with two million plus members that can generate a lot of heat and light as well on Capitol Hill,” Bauer said.
The CUFI Action Fund, led by Bauer, plans to continue the pressure by sending out alerts to members of Congress and meet with them on a daily basis as long as they believe it is needed.
“What we’re lobbying on is literally the security and future of the United States, Israel, and Western civilization, and it’s a credit to CUFI’s founder that we’re in a position when the country really needs it — to be this big of a part of the debate.”
It took CUFI six years to reach one million, and this year, at the CUFI DC Summit they’re celebrating 10 years with membership at 2.2 million.
“I believe that Christians United for Israel will continue to grow exponentially especially because Israel is in a time of danger,” Hagee said. “Every Christian who carries a Bible knows that God Almighty is interested in the welfare of Israel, and they know they have a Biblical mandate to stand up and speak up for Israel. The chaos we’re experiencing in the Middle East is a challenge for every Christian to come out of the closet and stand up and speak up for Israel and the Jewish people.”
Caleb Parke is a producer for Fox Nation. His Facebook page is http://facebook.com/calebparke
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