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Court Declines
New York (JTA) — The U.S.
Supreme Court declined without
comment to hear an appeal from a
lesbian
az who says the state of
Georga ia , broi
1aw when it with-
drew
is Islas.
Before Hi h Court
Nev York (JTA) -- The U.S.
Supreme Court heard oral argu
ments in a case that will determine
vvhether Ellis Is Ian. belongs to
New York or New Jersey,
Adecision about thefuture of
the efamed imrigratio n. center,
where man y Jewish irrun"
from titp
,Re entered the 'grants
United
States, is expected by the end of the
urt's term in June.
Can Bibi's :Mends' be trusted?
More importantly, it reflects Mr.
Netanyahu's inherent weakness in his
dealings with Washington, and it
puts a strong new emphasis on
acing shaky support in the
friends whose motives for supporting
American Jewish commu-
Israel may be questionable.
nity, Israeli Prime Minister
Mr. Netanyahu's first stop in
Binyamin Netanyahu came
Washington was Monday's rally by
to Washington this week looking for
the National Unity Coalition for
Evangelical Christians and conserva-
Israel. The group describes
tive Republicans to carry his
tattered banner.
itself as a coalition of
The embattled prime min- Prime Minister Christian and Jewish groups,
Netanya hu hopes but in reality it is comprised
ister hoped that a vigorous,
his vis it will
narrowly focused public
largely of conservative
offset frus tration Christians who are among
strategy would help offset
with his policies. Mr. Netanyahu's most
growing frustration with his
policies in the Clinton
enthusiastic U.S. backers.
The Israeli leader alsO met with
administration. His advance team
televangelists Pat Robertson and Jerry
sought to create photo-ops with
cheering supporters in anticipation of Falwell, who have been unstinting in
the long faces and the high-level leaks their support for his hard-line poli-
cies.
that they expected would paint a neg-
Mr. Netanyahu's reception — as
ative picture of the official summit
the prime minister's office had
on Tuesday.
planned — was rousing; he was truly
But that strategy, while producing
among friends.
a short-term media bounce, is unlike-
But it's important to look at the
ly to avert new friction as the policies
nature of that friendship, which is
of Washington and Jerusalem diverge.
JAMES D. BESSER
Washington Correspondent
IJ
based heavily on a prophetic theology
in which the revival of the Jewish
state in 1948 was a critical milestone.
According to most millennialists, that
event triggered a countdown that will
end with the "rapture" of the church
and the return of Jesus Christ — the
details vary among Evangelicals, but
the end result is the same.
What happens to Israel during that
period? Nothing good, that's for sure:
It will be at war with its neighbors
and eventually invaded and ravaged
in the final battle of Armageddon.
According to most of these
schemes, efforts will be made to
bring peace to the region, but they
are doomed to fail. A unified
Jerusalem plays an important role in
these events.
"We believe that Jews will take
their rightful place in the nation of
Israel, that the whole land will be
given back to them — and that's
where Christ will set up his eternal
kingdom, in the city of Jerusalem,"
said Dwight Parrish, director of the
Ralph Sexton Ministries in North
Papon
work wi
The tesdiii:,
prosecutor's case
1/23
1998
39