The Rev. Pat Robertson, a television evangelist who founded the Christian Coalition, told a synagogue audience last night that his support for the state of Israel is not based on theology but on his appreciation of Christianity's ancient origins in Judaism.
Robertson received a standing ovation at the conservative Temple Beth Sholom in Framingham after an hourlong address in which he debunked past assertions by both the Christian right and liberals that he mainly supports Israel because it fulfills a prophecy in the Bible that says the formation of Israel is a prelude to the second coming of Christ.
''I've heard that, and I'm sure some people think that - I'm not one of them,'' said Roberston, whose speech was part of the temple's adult education lecture series. ''I think there's a visceral, heartfelt love from the heart of evangelicals for Israel and the Jewish people.''
Outside the temple, about a dozen protesters - all of whom oppose Robertson's conservative stance on women's rights, homosexuality, and his past disparaging remarks about Muslims - held signs and handed out fliers with messages such as, ''Being in bed with Pat Robertson can never be good for the Jews.''
Inside, the host of the 700 Club, one of television's longest-running and best-known religious programs, spoke to a standing-room-only crowd of about 300, drawing two standing ovations for a speech on the importance of American support for Israel.
His support, he said, stems from a ''deep affinity'' for the Jewish people because of the shared religious history of Jews and Christians. He said that affinity was extended through friendships with former Israeli prime ministers Yitzhak Rabin and Benjamin Netanyahu.
Robertson said his public support for Israel dates to 1974, when he met with Rabin shortly after the Yom Kippur War, which Israel won after Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel on its most sacred holiday. Robertson said he saw the weariness in Rabin's eyes, and at the time, made a vow to support Israel ''in her time of need.''
''I've kept that promise,'' he said. ''I've kept that battle.''
Robertson said he understood firsthand some of the violence that people in Israel face daily. During the early 1980s, when he was trying to set up a television station in southern Lebanon, extremists often blew up his equipment and shot at his cars, he said.
''While we were there, we understood the pressure that Israel was under,'' he said. ''We saw the viciousness and the fanaticism.''
In the weeks leading up to last night's event, many members of the Jewish community and area peace activists expressed concern about Robertson's appearance, saying that forming an alliance with him and the Christian right in general was dangerous.
As recently as last October, Robertson voiced public support for the Christian Zionist movement, which is driven by a literal interpretation of the Bible. Members of the Christian Zionist movement have raised millions of dollars for Israeli causes and lobbied the Bush administration and Congress to support the expansion of Jewish settlements on the West Bank.
''His values are antithetical to what a majority of the Jews stand for,'' said Ron Newman of Somerville, a protester. ''It's not right to seek him out as an ally when this man believes Jews are going to hell.''
But a majority of the people who attended the event said they were surprised by Robertson's genteel manner and knowledge of the Old Testament and history of conflicts in the Middle East.
''I was impressed by how logical and reasonable he was,'' said Sidney Annis of Framingham, a member of the temple who considers himself socially liberal. ''I knew a little bit of his history coming here, but I think he made a great deal of sense.