A Match Made in Heaven

A Match Made in Heaven
Zev Chafets
HarperCollins
ISBN: 978-0-06-089058-2
Non-Fiction, Political Commentary
Reviewed by Pamela Crossland

The enemy of my enemy is my friend seems to be the underlying tenet for this thought provoking book by Zev Chevets. Chevets is former columnist for the New York Daily News, and founding editor of the Jerusalem Report magazine. Can Evangelical Christians be trusted to support Israel against militant Muslim forces and be foursquare against anti-Semitic activities of all kinds?
This may be a viable, if uneasy alliance. Chevets points out that many evangelical leaders, notable among them Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, are in total support of anything Israel does and believe God directs them to support His “chosen people” no matter what. During his year of traveling the world over meeting with evangelical leaders, Chavets comes to the conclusion that whatever their other failings, Christian evangelicals are not the enemy.
“I looked hard for evidence that the evangelicals are insincere, cynical, or devious in their attitude toard Israel and the Jews, and I didn’t find it. They may love Jews too much. They may love Jews for all the wrong reasons. They may, in the future, not love Jews at all-They are the enemy of the enemy, and they want to be accepted and appreciated. In return they are offering a wartime alliance and full partnership in a Judeo-Christian America. It is an offer the Jews of America should consider while it is still on the table.”
There does not seem to be a great deal of understanding on either side despite a common goal: the survival of Israel. Jewish leaders are suspicious, feeling that the ultimate outcome of this support is the conversion of their communities to Christianity; these is also the fear that Christian supporters will turn out to be no more than “the good neighbors of Berlin.” There are obvious and large differences between the two groups when it comes down to scriptural interpretation and political goals. They can both be amazingly short sighted. In a world where anti-Semitic feelings appear to be growing world wide, Chevets makes a good point. I found his book to be thought provoking and hope that Falwell and Robertson read it cover to cover.