Pat Robertson

What was the accusation?

In January 2009, religious broadcaster and former U.S. presidential candidate Pat Robertson told viewers of his television show, The 700 Club, that Ariel Sharon, then Israel’s prime minister, had suffered a stroke as a result of divine intervention for returning land in Gaza to Palestinians. U.S. and Israeli officials, as well as other Christian leaders, condemned Robertson’s comments, excluding him from involvement in the construction of a new Christian heritage site outside Jerusalem. Robertson soon sent a letter of apology to Sharon’s son Omri, writing: “I ask your forgiveness and the forgiveness of the people of Israel for saying what was clearly insensitive at the time.” Also written: “My zeal, my love of Israel and my concern for the future safety of your nation led me to make remarks which I can now view in retrospect as inappropriate and insensitive in light of a national grief experienced because of your father’s illness.”

Key Apologia Strategies:

Mortification, Good Intentions

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Sources

Lagorio, C. (2006, January 12). Pat Robertson apologizes to Israel. CBS News. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pat-robertson-apologizes-to-israel/

Robertson apologizes for comments on Sharon. (2006, January 12). USA Today. Retrieved from https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-01-12-robertsonapologizes_x.htm

Snow, M., & Medding, S. (2006, January 13). Robertson apologizes to Sharon’s son. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/01/12/robertson.apology/