Bill Berkowitz

In the late 1960s and early ’70s, then US President Richard Nixon appealed to the country’s "Silent Majority" to oppose growing anti-Vietnam War sentiment in the United States. A decade later, President Ronald Reagan had the Rev. Jerry Falwell’s "Moral Majority" working by his side in support of Reagan’s low-intensity warfare in Central America, and … Continue reading “Far Right Sells Iraq War to ‘Values Voters’”

It was business as usual during Christians United for Israel’s recent "Israel Summit," its highly-publicized second summer sojourn to Washington. There were thousands of supporters in attendance, including an impressive array of Republican Party elected officials and political leaders. There were a series of seminars and workshops aimed at solidifying pro-Israel talking points, and growing … Continue reading “US Evangelicals at Odds on Embracing Israel”

Recently forced out as president of the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz, one of the primary architects of U.S. President George W. Bush’s Iraq war, is heading back to familiar surroundings. And the Washington-based American Enterprise Institute (AEI), one of the United States’ premier conservative think-tanks, is more than pleased to welcome him back. Earlier this … Continue reading “Wolfowitz: Return to Sender?”

Over the past 20 years, the U.S. Christian right has evolved into one of the most powerful grassroots organizing forces within the Republican Party, and a host of Christian Zionists have taken a well-earned seat at the foreign policy table. At the same time, their support for Israel is not only growing – it is … Continue reading “Holy Warriors Set Sights
on Iran”

In a recent speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld declared that, “The enemy is so much better at communicating. I wish we were better at countering that because the constant drumbeat of things they say – all of which are not true – is harmful.” Later, during a question-and-answer … Continue reading “Is It the PR, or the Policy?”

Over the past two decades, as the Christian Right has grown in political power in the United States, there has been a parallel growth in support for Israel. Organizations made up of conservative evangelical and Jewish leaders have been founded, and millions of dollars have been raised and donated to charities in Israel. Now, a … Continue reading “Christian Right Steps Up Pro-Israel Lobbying”

If you thought that a global conflagration on the order of a World War was more the stuff of Biblical prophecy, science fiction and apocalyptic end-times novels, think again. For years, U.S. neoconservatives have been ratcheting up the rhetoric – mostly in small gatherings and on partisan web sites – claiming that terrorist activities around … Continue reading “Bringing on ‘World War III’”

The drumbeat in some Washington foreign policy circles for "regime change" in Iran has striking similarities to the run-up to the Iraq invasion, and is being led by some of the usual suspects – like the American Enterprise Institute’s Michael Ledeen. Though not well-known outside of Washington, Ledeen’s "views virtually define the stark departure from … Continue reading “Iran War Drumbeat Has a Familiar Rhythm”

Charismatic televangelist John Hagee thinks that the Rev. Pat Robertson’s suggestion that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s stroke was payback from God for withdrawing from Gaza was “insensitive and unnecessary.” But he nevertheless appears to share Robertson’s concern that Israel may be giving up too much land to the Palestinians. To prevent the George W. … Continue reading “Evangelicals Rally Their Flocks Behind Israel”

U.S. Pres. George W. Bush issued his second-term National Security Strategy Thursday, a document outlining the administration’s strategy for using diplomatic, economic, and military tools to deal with global challenges. Ironically, the 47-page document that outlines a series of "successes" and "extraordinary progress in the expansion of freedom, democracy, and human dignity" since 2002 makes … Continue reading “White House Reaffirms ‘First Strike’ Doctrine”