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--SUPERS --

00:12-00:14
Getty images
#72445844

00:27-00:45
Randall Balmer
Dartmouth College/Author 'God in the White House'

00:45-00:47
Nats Music

01:04-01:06
Rick Perry
Former GOP Presidential Candidate

01:06-01:11
Sarah Palin
Former Alaska Governor (R)

01:06-01:11
Channel 2 Israel

01:11-01:27
Channel 10 Israel

01:27-01:48
David Brog
Executive Director Christians United for Israel

02:12-02:24
Tom Foreman
Washington


--LEAD IN --
PRESIDENT OBAMA APPEARS TO BE TRYING TO UNDERCUT THE IMPACT OF MITT ROMNEY'S PLANNED VISIT TO ISRAEL. THE WHITE HOUSE RELEASED ANOTHER $70-MILLION IN MILITARY AID FOR ISRAEL TODAY, SAYING IT UNDERLINES THE PRESIDENT'S "UNSHAKEABLE COMMITMENT" TO THAT AMERICAN ALLY.
THE PRESIDENT WON THE VAST MAJORITY OF VOTES BY JEWISH AMERICANS IN 2008....BUT ROMNEY MAY BE CHASING A WIDER AUDIENCE ...TOM FOREMAN HAS THAT STORY.

--REPORTER PKG-AS FOLLOWS --
(NAT SOUND/ROMNEY CAMPAIGNING)
MITT ROMNEY'S TRIP TO ISRAEL THIS WEEKEND IS UNMISTAKABLY AIMED AT A TRADITIONAL DEMOCRATIC VOTING BLOCK: AS A GROUP, JEWISH AMERICANS ARE VERY POLITICALLY ACTIVE IN FUNDRAISING, CAMPAIGNING, AND VOTING...

"I THINK MITT ROMNEY IS GOING TO ISRAEL CERTAINLY TO COURT THE JEWISH VOTE..."

HOWEVER, RANDALL BALMER, A PROFESSOR AT DARTMOUTH...AND AUTHOR OF "GOD IN THE WHITE HOUSE" SAYS ROMNEY MAY HAVE AN EVEN BIGGER PRIZE IN MIND....

"...BUT WHAT I THINK IS MORE IMPORTANT, THE CONSTITUENCY HE WANTS TO IMPRESS IS THE EVANGELICALS, PEOPLE WHO HAVE AN UNEQUIVOCAL SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL. AND THIS IS THE CONSTITUENCY THAT WAS QUITE SUSPICIOUS OF HIM IN THE COURSE OF THE PRIMARIES, AND IN MAY WAYS HE HASN'T FULLY WON THEM OVER."

(NAT SOUND/EVANGELICAL CHURCH)
COUNTLESS CHRISTIAN EVANGELICALS ARE INDEED STAUNCH SUPPORTERS OF ISRAEL, CITING A BIBLICAL KINSHIP WITH THE JEWISH NATION. THEIR INTEREST IN THE WELL BEING OF ISRAEL HAS BEEN A MOTIVATING FORCE IN RECENT YEARS FOR MANY REPUBLICAN CONTENDERS TO VISIT THE HOLY LAND AND SPEAK OUT FOR ISRAELI RIGHTS...

(SOT)
(SOT)
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WHAT'S MORE, THE GROUP "CHRISTIANS UNITED FOR ISRAEL" WITH MORE THAN A MILLION MEMBERS.--- and politically conservative leadership --- -- says President Obama has further strained America's sometimes tense relationship with Israel."
.
DAVID BROG IS THAT GROUP'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR...

"AMERICAN CHRISTIANS, UH, AMERICANS IN GENERAL ARE GOING TO WANT TO SEE GOVERNOR ROMNEY TREAT ISRAEL AND TREAT PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU WITH A RESPECT AND AN APPRECIATION THAT MANY OF US FEEL HAS NOT BEEN PRESENT...HAS BEEN LACKING IN THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION."

SOME EVANGELICALS BELIEVE THERE MUST BE A MASS CONVERGENCE OF THE WORLD'S JEWS IN THE HOLY LAND BEFORE CHRIST CAME COME AGAIN...THEREFORE, PROTECTING ISRAEL'S STABILITY IS KEY.

MANY OTHER CHRISTIANS AND JEWS SEE THAT AS A RADICAL INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE, AND IT IS SOUNDLY DISMISSED BY BROG...

"THIS IS SIMPLY ONE OF THOSE URBAN MYTHS."

STILL, IT ALL RAISES THE STAKES ON ROMNEY'S ISRAELI GAMBIT; MAKING IT CLEAR THIS TRIP WILL BE CLOSELY WATCHED BY AMERICAN VOTERS ON BOTH THE LEFT...AND THE RIGHT.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN, WASHINGTON.


-----END-----CNN.SCRIPT-----

--KEYWORD TAGS--
ROMNEY TRIP ISRAEL