By Michael Collins Piper
3-14-6
The unAmerican thought police operating on American soil have struck once again. This time their victim is veteran Christian evangelist Dale Crowley, Jr. who has been the host of two popular radio programs broadcast over WFAX 1220-AM radio in the Washington area for the last 20 years.
Crowley was told by Doris Newcomb, president and general manager of WFAX, that his Saturday morning broadcast, “Focus on Israel,” was terminated immediately. He was not even given an opportunity to bid farewell to his longtime listeners.
The program was canceled by the WFAX management because supporters of Israel had complained to the radio station about Crowley’s criticisms of Israel.
Over the years Crowley has been critical of Israel. He has dared to broadcast facts about efforts by the Israeli government to curtail the work of Christian missionaries in the Holy Land, even to the extent, as Crowley has pointed out, of laws introduced in the Israeli parliament that would penalize Christians who engage in missionary work among the Israelis, requiring that those convicted of evangelism be sent to jail.
In addition, Crowley has used his WFAX broadcast to tell Christians in the Washington area of how the Israelis have oppressed Christian Palestinians, uprooting them from their homes, vandalized Christian churches in the Holy Land, and otherwise made life difficult for Christian Palestinians and other Christian Arabs in the Middle East.
Crowley has upset many supporters of Israel by pointing out that under the thinking of such Christian supporters of Israel as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and Tim LaHaye, a New York-born Jewish atheist has more right to live in the holy city of Jerusalem than a Palestinian Christian minister whose family has lived there for 1,000 years.
For daring to speak truths such as this, Crowley’s “Focus on Israel” program has been banned from the airwaves by the management of WFAX radio, although it’s quite clear, according to observers who have been investigating the matter, that there was heavy-handed pressure brought to bear on WFAX.
Ironically, Crowley first began “Focus on Israel” in collaboration with the late Haviv Schieber, a Polish-born Jew who emigrated to Palestine in the 1920s and became the first mayor of Beersheva. The town is near the location of what became the site of Israel’s supposedly “holy” facility where that nation has produced nuclear weapons of mass destruction. Since Crowley’s friend Schieber was a no-holds barred anti-communist, Schieber broke with Israel, critical of Israel’s behind-the-scenes collaboration with the Soviet communists.
Seeking political refuge in the United States, Schieber became friends with Crowley and his wife Mary. After several years of working with the Crowleys, Schieber converted to Christianity, a fact that delighted many WFAX listeners. In fact, Schieber died in Crowley’s home, just shortly after telling Crowley that he had seen a vision of Jesus Christ welcoming him home.
Yet the Christian management of WFAX has bowed to the demands of the Zionist lobby and is silencing Crowley, a missionary who brought an Israeli Jew to Christ.
What is all the more astounding, to Crowley’s Christian supporters at least, is that WFAX management has advised Crowley, in addition, that he is likewise not permitted to talk about “Israel” in future broadcasts of “The King’s Business,” his daily program which is broadcast Monday through Friday.
Since the term “Israel” is mentioned in the Bible over 2,500 times, if Crowley is not allowed to mention that term, it will obviously make it difficult for him to talk about the Scriptures.
In the meantime, WFAX critics note, there are pro-Israel broadcasters appearing on WFAX, such as one Sid Roth for example, who repeatedly praise Israel.
Advocates of the First Amendment, who wish to express their views on this matter, may contact WFAX manager Doris Newcomb at (703) 532-1220 or write: Doris Newcomb, 161 Hillwood Ave., Suite B, Falls Church, Va. 22046 or email [email protected].
(Issue #12, March 20, 2006)
