At a pastors' conference early in 1999, the Reverend Jerry Falwell stated that in his view the Antichrist will be a Jew, since the role of that antagonist of Christ is to deceive the Jewish people and pretend to be the Messiah. In response to an uproar in the Jewish community, Falwell clarified his controversial statement and offered an apology for his insensitivity.
In this 1999 reissue of the late Merrill Simon's revealing Jerry Falwell and the Jews, we discover what the Evangelical Fundamentalist Christian leader truly believes. Over a period of two years more than a decade ago, Simon-a man deeply involved in Jewish affairs but also attuned to the pulse of Christianity-met with Falwell numerous times and posed vital questions: Do Jews practice an incomplete religion? Are Jews and the State of Israel subjected to a moral double standard? Should Judea and Samaria be part of the State of Israel? Do you favor legislation against homosexuals? If abortion is murd! er, should criminal penalties be imposed? Do you feel responsible as a servant of the Church to approve anti-Semitism? As Jerry Falwell himself acknowledges, Mr. Simon's pointed and provocative questions forced him to probe deep within his soul in order to clarify his beliefs and articulate them in a straightforward manner. Jerry Falwell and the Jews presents those beliefs concisely and without judgment. It offers great insight into the heart and mind of one of the most important and influential religious leaders of our time.
Merrill Simon (1930-1997) was a renowned authority on the Middle East and an internationally recognized expert on high-technology marketing. He was a political adviser in Israel, adviser to the Center for International Security, and a research associate at the Tel Aviv University Center for Strategic Studies. He helped to establish research and manufacturing facilities in Israel for a number of U.S. high-technology firms and was a high-tech marketing consultant both in Israel and in the United States. Mr. Simon was president of Mercaz Hatorah, an institute for rabbinic studies in Jerusalem and a member of the Board of Directors of AMPAL.
A popular lecturer and featured guest on television and radio talk shows, Merrill Simon was a prolific writer on the Middle East and business-related topics. He was a national political editor for Israel Today and National Jewish Daily. He is the author of Jerry Falwell and the Jews; Oil, Money, WeaponsMiddle East at the Brink; God, Allah, and the Great Land Grab; and Moshe Arens, Statesman and Scientist, Speaks Out.
