Israeli flags at TPUSA church events
A fight is breaking out on the American right over Israeli flags displayed in churches at Turning Point USA faith events — bad for TPUSA, which now faces criticism from its own side.
- An Israeli flag was draped across the stage at TPUSA faith events held in churches, drawing sharp criticism from conservatives who say a foreign flag has no place in a church service.
- Critics making that argument insist it is not about hostility to Jews but about the mixing of a foreign state's symbols with Christian worship.
- The events are partly sponsored by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, a group with a stated goal of placing 3 million Israeli flags in churches around the world.
- That group is accused of raising money from poor and working-class Christians and passing it to Israeli organizations and wealthy pro-Israel American groups.
- Some of that money is also said to flow to struggling conservative media outlets, including Ben Shapiro's Daily Wire.
Outlook: Expect this split on the right over Israel's influence in American churches and conservative media to keep widening.