Religious Right effect on US foreign policy toward the Israeli/Palestinian issue

Don't yawn -- that's actually the subject I'm delving into for my POLS 405 class here at AUC. Let me lay it out below, from my paper description:

"The strong relationship between the USA and Israel has many facets. But I believe the case can be made that US support for Israel is partially based on the belief that an Israeli state has a key role in Biblical prophecy, and that belief runs deeply through American’s cultural psyche. That culture-wide belief is maintained, and probably accelerated, by strong – sometimes uninformed – grassroots support from US Christian evangelical fundamentalists. That base of support, and the resultant culture-wide background beliefs, is channeled by the American Jewish lobby into a compelling influence on American foreign policy – especially regarding Israel’s relationship with the Palestinians. More often than not, American politicians find themselves working with the American Jewish lobby based often on the religious beliefs of the politicians and their constituencies."

Wordy, maybe, but the topic nonetheless. The basis for this is my own history and experience with Christianity and fundamentalism. What's fascinating for me is the fact that a worldview that I had always taken for granted comes as somewhat of a shock to the rest of the world.

Suprisingly (to me at least) there isn't a lot of work on this topic. So I'll be doing a lot of research. I'm starting with the basis of the belief, specifically Christian Millenarianism -- post- and pre-dispensationalist. I'll look at the rise of Christian evangelical fundamentalism and how the movement's views on morals and the "end times" compels its believers into political action.

My roommates and I got into a stiff argument about this topic, with Sinan minimalizing religion as a force in foreign policy of any state. I think he's wrong. Moreover, I think it's far more persuasive and pervasive than a lot of people care to admit.

It's not bad the religion affects a state's behavior towards other states. But it needs to be seen for what it is and dealt with as an ever-evolving facet of political science.

End of sermon.