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The National Religious Broadcasters Association ("N.R.B.") is comprised of primarily of Christian radio and television broadcasters and program providers. The annual N.R.B. conventions we have attended over the past dozen years typically include Israel - whether as a current events topic in lecture sessions, or at expo booths from the Israeli Ministry of Tourism that feature travel and tour operators. From time to time, the Association will issue a public statement regarding Israel, such as in 2016, when the Association, under President Dr.
Jerry Johnson, urged President Barack Obama and Members of Congress to make it clear to the world that the United States is and will remain Israel’s tried and true friend.
"When
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington, DC, next
week, I urge President Barack Obama and Members of Congress to make it
clear to the world that the United States is and will remain Israel’s
tried and true friend.”In the wake of recent oppression and
violence in the Middle East, Johnson further commented, “The democratic
principles upheld by Israel offer Christians and other persecuted groups
in the region a hope for peace and liberty. We cannot allow that beacon
of freedom to be darkened.”
In 2018, ten major U.S. Christian denominations Went a step beyond statements of affirmation, i.e,
they are now materially participating, to some degree, in
the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (B.D.S.) movement, which aims to hold
Israel "accountable to international law." These are the
Alliance of Baptists, Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Religious
Society of Friends (Quakers), Mennonite Church USA, Presbyterian Church
(USA), Roman Catholic Church, Unitarian Universalist Association,
United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church, as well as the World
Communion of Reformed Churches (a confederation that overlaps some of
the above).
Since some Christian denominations do advocate B.D.S. towards Israel, at the N.R.B.'s Proclaim Convention in Anaheim March 2019, we asked N.R.B. spokesman, James A.
Smith about the N.R.B. publicly reiterating its support for Israel and
praising the Trump Administration's moves to rectify the political isolation of
Israel.
"The NRB Board of Directors
at their annual meeting this year adopted another resolution
unanimously supporting the right of Israel to exist, commending the
Trump administration for moving the embassy to Jerusalem, for commending
the Trump administration for declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel
and many other aspects of this matter the fifth resolution of this kind
in five years that demonstrates there is no lessening of support for
Israel within NRB. Israel remains a core concern and conviction for many
NRB members that hasn't changed that's not going to change and it's a
very important issue for our members."
"It would be probably be safe to say that evangelical Christians dominate religious broadcasting because evangelicals dominate the religious landscape in America in many different ways. But it is true that there are many other kinds of broadcasters in America - some of which are not Evangelical - some of which are not even Christian, let alone Evangelical. But Evangelical broadcasting is very strong in the United States, as represented in the strength of N.R.B.
At
NRB's Israel's 70th Independence tribute luncheon, we asked Gordon
Robertson why CBN produces pro-Israel news and documentaries- and why
their's have consistently been the most reliably objective - - not
distorted by anti-Zionist leftist propagandists, an endemic problem
among mainstream international news reporters and outlets.
JooTube asked Mr. Robertson, "How is it that the mainstream (Associated Press, Reuters and the international broadcasters) don't seem to get what your Jerusalem Bureau-Chief, Chris Mitchell, can see so plainly?
Mr. Robertson replied, "Well, I think a lot of it has to do with if you want access within the Palestinian Authority then essentially you have to play it from their point of view. So if you want to have those interviews in Ramallah, they will hold it against you if you report things accurately from an Israeli point of view. So that's, I think, the main reason you see it - and it's nothing new in covering the Middle East. We saw it with Saddam Hussein before he was overthrown in Iraq - that if you wanted to get an interview with him there were certain requirements. So we like our independent voice, we like that we're Christian, and we just want to report accurately on what's happening in Israel!
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