"Amen" for Israel, say Christian Zionists

By Rebecca Harrison

SHILOH, West Bank (Reuters) - With a skullcap bearing the Star of David and a fervent belief that God gave the Holy Land to the Jews, Paul McCaleb could be mistaken for a Jewish settler.

The 73-year-old from Tennessee is actually a born-again Christian, part of a growing group of devout Protestants, many from the United States, who are supporting Israel with their votes and their wallets.

"Coming here just does something inside of me," McCaleb said at Shiloh, a holy Jewish site in the occupied West Bank where the Bible says the Ark of the Covenant once rested. "This land belongs to God, and God gave it to the Jews."

McCaleb and some 7,000 mostly evangelical Christians from across the world flocked to the Holy Land this week to celebrate the Jewish festival of Sukkoth and to show support for Israel.

During the event, busloads of pilgrims traveled in bullet-proof buses to Jewish sites in the West Bank -- which some Jews call Judea and Samaria -- and to Jewish settlements, which are deemed illegal under international law.

Some pilgrims toured army bases and donated gifts to Israeli soldiers while others gave money to buy mobile bomb shelters for communities near the border with the Gaza Strip, which are often targeted by rockets from Palestinian militants in the enclave.

Shouting "Amen" and "Hallelujah" as settlers acting as tour guides vowed to hold onto "the land of their forefathers" in the West Bank, the pilgrims said it was their duty as Christians to support Israel against a broader Muslim threat.

"We are here to support the Jewish people and to bless them," said Scott Fritz from California. "The idea of giving land back to the Palestinians is completely wrong."

"DANGEROUS MISSIONARIES"

A group called the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem organizes the annual festival, which culminates with a march through the holy city on Tuesday.

This year some Orthodox rabbis urged Jews to stay away from the marching pilgrims for fear the Christians -- many of whom believe Jesus is the only hope for salvation -- would try to "exterminate" the Jewish people by converting them.

The ICEJ concedes it "cannot offer hope outside of Jesus", but argues Christians and Jews share the same spiritual roots and says it wants to help erase the legacy of anti-Semitism.

"There is no dark agenda," David Parsons, ICEJ media director said. "Christians are realizing that God still loves the Jews and their return to Israel is of great biblical significance."

Some Christians, particularly evangelical Protestants, believe the return of Jews to Israel paves the way for Christ's return and the end of the world, and represents the fulfillment of God's promises to biblical patriarchs.

Christian Zionists form a growing part of the pro-Israel lobby in the United States, the Jewish state's main ally.