In 1966, Earl Cox, then a young cub TV reporter, spent 45 days in Vietnam taping first person Christmas holiday messages from soldiers to broadcast to their families back home. His innovation in reporting won Cox the US Distinguished Citizenship Award from the Department of Defense. Earl was the first journalist ever to receive this award.
Cox, who switched from TV journalism in Raleigh, NC after his Vietnam stint, ran North Carolinian Jim Gardner’s congressional campaign before landing successive positions in Washington, DC. He remained in Washington working in the administrations of four US Presidents. During his thirty years in politics he worked as both Nixon’s and Ford's Director of Broadcast Media for the U.S. Department of Commerce. Although Cox was a Republican presidential appointee, President Jimmy Carter invited Earl to remain in that post where he later awarded him the U.S. Bronze Medal, the 3rd highest government award, for his performance.
Under Reagan, Cox was appointed Spokesman and Director of Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Labor. During Reagan's second term, he appointed Cox as Director of Information and Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Cox, who returned to his native South Carolina to an island along the coast, figured his life would take the route of other retirees. He launched one last effort politically when he persuaded Elizabeth Dole to run for President and then returned to thoughts of a possible ambassador appointment. His diplomatic skills though took him on a journey to Jerusalem instead and it began with his usual morning jog.
In 2000, on his routine jog, Cox experienced what he calls, “an amazing encounter with God.” He remembers, “My life was transformed in a few moments’ time when God asked me to stand with the state of Israel and the Jewish people.” Cox, a hard-nosed political consultant, claims his personal relationship with God grew real at that moment. His wife Kathleen asserts, “My husband went on his morning jog as one man and came back completely changed.” His willingness to follow what he experienced on his morning jog—and Kathleen’s willingness to stand with her husband--would change the course of their lives and land them in front of Judaism’s holiest site five years later.
Cox’s about-face propelled him to create unusual ways of proclaiming a Christian’s support for the Jewish people. He bought billboard space in Israel and emblazoned these words across it; “Evangelical Christians Stand with Israel.” He also bought TV time and made short promotional spots on Israel’s channel 2 giving the same message. Cox, who has mounted his support for the state of Israel in an unorthodox way, has also funded all of his projects with his own personal wealth. That includes the radio program he launched three years ago called Front Page Jerusalem Global Radio Network (www.frontpagejerusalem.com). Cox articulates, “I decided to fight anti-Semitism with missiles of truth and arm people with an educated viewpoint concerning the Jewish people.”
On his program he interviews officials who often won’t grant interviews to major networks because of their perceived anti-Israel bias. Cox’s program offers the uncensored viewpoints of Israel’s top movers and shakers in many sectors of Israeli society. The Vice Prime Minster, Ehud Olmert, now a good friend, calls Front Page Jerusalem “the voice of Israel to the world.” The guest line-up includes, among many others, former Israeli Chief Rabbi Lau, Editors from the Jerusalem Post and YNET News, Dr. Ra’anan Gissin, Sharon’s Chief Spokesman, and Danny Seaman, Director of Israel’s Government Press Office along with a host of ambassadors and other senior ranking government and religious leaders.
The radio program has grown “beyond belief” as Cox says and is now broadcast coast-to-coast across the USA and now worldwide in 155 nations. Cox is unwilling to accept contributions for any of his efforts. “My accountant cannot believe what is happening,” Cox smiles. “It seems as if the more I give to bless the Jewish people, the more I seem to have in my bank account. My accountant and I thought my well would run dry.” A Bible verse he observes taking hold in his efforts is Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you…” Cox bases much of his work on Psalm 122:6 which calls Christians and Jews alike to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”
Cox first built his reputation in Israel through his billboards and his TV spots, but more importantly through his compassion for terror victims and his decision not to proselytize the Jewish people. Although he is a strong, uncompromising Christian, he wears his beliefs gently and wrapped in love. Cox explains, “God has called me to love and comfort the Jewish people, the Apple of His Eye.” Cox has remained true to his position with the Jewish people. His trustworthiness, his tangible acts of generosity, and his quiet yet commandingly sincere ways have opened doors for him at the highest level of the Israeli government from the Prime Minister’s office on down.
At the beginning of 2005, Cox cemented a relationship with long time 700 Club co-Host Ben Kinchlow. Known by millions across the world, the popular Kinchlow is now co-host on Front Page Jerusalem. Cox, who has moved to Israel for 2005 produces and broadcasts from Jerusalem while Kinchlow joins in from his Virginia Beach studios. The same month, he launched the silent prayer vigil at the Western Wall and for 56 hours each week, Cox and other Christian volunteers are there on a prayer rotation.
Cox’s wife Kathleen is right by his side. Together, the two of them make a tireless power team often working 18-hour days as they oversee the radio program, arrange and carry out many interviews, spend countless hours on the telephones and computers, and of course, praying at the Western Wall alongside the hundreds of thousands of Jews who have flocked there in the last few weeks.
Where will Cox be after the Disengagement? “In 2000,” the 66 year old explains, “I dedicated my life as a Christian to do everything in my power to stand with the Jewish people because it’s the right thing to do. Israel needs friends in these perilous times. I’ll be right here until January 9, 2006.”
A Silent War
By Arlene Bridges-Samuels, media liason for Front Page Jerusalem
Former Washington Insider Prays at Western Wall During Disengagement and Beyond
While talk of Israeli civil war and Gaza morphing into a full blown terror state threaten to shake the foundations of the state of Israel, Earl Cox, a 30 year veteran of Washington politics, and former Vietnam era journalist, is waging another kind of war at Judaism’s holiest site, the Western Wall in Jerusalem. It’s a silent war and it’s called prayer. Cox, awarded the Bronze medal under Jimmy Carter, and other Christian volunteers spend eight hours each day praying at the Western Wall. They have positioned themselves at the Wall ever since January 9th 2005 and don’t plan to stop until January 9, 2006. Israelis, too, are using the ancient weapon of prayer like never before during the Disengagement and Cox and his Christian volunteers are right there with them.
Cox, welcomed from the very first day by Rabbis who draped a tallit (prayer shawl) over his shoulders, goes to the Western Wall in snow, rain, and blistering heat. How did he make his journey from the jungles of Viet Nam to the halls of Congress to Jerusalem, the most controversial piece of Real Estate in the world?
In 1966, Earl Cox, then a young cub TV reporter, spent 45 days in Vietnam taping first person Christmas holiday messages from soldiers to broadcast to their families back home. His innovation in reporting won Cox the US Distinguished Citizenship Award from the Department of Defense. Earl was the first journalist ever to receive this award.
Cox, who switched from TV journalism in Raleigh, NC after his Vietnam stint, ran North Carolinian Jim Gardner’s congressional campaign before landing successive positions in Washington, DC. He remained in Washington working in the administrations of four US Presidents. During his thirty years in politics he worked as both Nixon’s and Ford's Director of Broadcast Media for the U.S. Department of Commerce. Although Cox was a Republican presidential appointee, President Jimmy Carter invited Earl to remain in that post where he later awarded him the U.S. Bronze Medal, the 3rd highest government award, for his performance.
Under Reagan, Cox was appointed Spokesman and Director of Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Labor. During Reagan's second term, he appointed Cox as Director of Information and Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Cox, who returned to his native South Carolina to an island along the coast, figured his life would take the route of other retirees. He launched one last effort politically when he persuaded Elizabeth Dole to run for President and then returned to thoughts of a possible ambassador appointment. His diplomatic skills though took him on a journey to Jerusalem instead and it began with his usual morning jog.
In 2000, on his routine jog, Cox experienced what he calls, “an amazing encounter with God.” He remembers, “My life was transformed in a few moments’ time when God asked me to stand with the state of Israel and the Jewish people.” Cox, a hard-nosed political consultant, claims his personal relationship with God grew real at that moment. His wife Kathleen asserts, “My husband went on his morning jog as one man and came back completely changed.” His willingness to follow what he experienced on his morning jog—and Kathleen’s willingness to stand with her husband--would change the course of their lives and land them in front of Judaism’s holiest site five years later.
Cox’s about-face propelled him to create unusual ways of proclaiming a Christian’s support for the Jewish people. He bought billboard space in Israel and emblazoned these words across it; “Evangelical Christians Stand with Israel.” He also bought TV time and made short promotional spots on Israel’s channel 2 giving the same message. Cox, who has mounted his support for the state of Israel in an unorthodox way, has also funded all of his projects with his own personal wealth. That includes the radio program he launched three years ago called Front Page Jerusalem Global Radio Network (www.frontpagejerusalem.com). Cox articulates, “I decided to fight anti-Semitism with missiles of truth and arm people with an educated viewpoint concerning the Jewish people.”
On his program he interviews officials who often won’t grant interviews to major networks because of their perceived anti-Israel bias. Cox’s program offers the uncensored viewpoints of Israel’s top movers and shakers in many sectors of Israeli society. The Vice Prime Minster, Ehud Olmert, now a good friend, calls Front Page Jerusalem “the voice of Israel to the world.” The guest line-up includes, among many others, former Israeli Chief Rabbi Lau, Editors from the Jerusalem Post and YNET News, Dr. Ra’anan Gissin, Sharon’s Chief Spokesman, and Danny Seaman, Director of Israel’s Government Press Office along with a host of ambassadors and other senior ranking government and religious leaders.
The radio program has grown “beyond belief” as Cox says and is now broadcast coast-to-coast across the USA and now worldwide in 155 nations. Cox is unwilling to accept contributions for any of his efforts. “My accountant cannot believe what is happening,” Cox smiles. “It seems as if the more I give to bless the Jewish people, the more I seem to have in my bank account. My accountant and I thought my well would run dry.” A Bible verse he observes taking hold in his efforts is Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you…” Cox bases much of his work on Psalm 122:6 which calls Christians and Jews alike to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”
Cox first built his reputation in Israel through his billboards and his TV spots, but more importantly through his compassion for terror victims and his decision not to proselytize the Jewish people. Although he is a strong, uncompromising Christian, he wears his beliefs gently and wrapped in love. Cox explains, “God has called me to love and comfort the Jewish people, the Apple of His Eye.” Cox has remained true to his position with the Jewish people. His trustworthiness, his tangible acts of generosity, and his quiet yet commandingly sincere ways have opened doors for him at the highest level of the Israeli government from the Prime Minister’s office on down.
At the beginning of 2005, Cox cemented a relationship with long time 700 Club co-Host Ben Kinchlow. Known by millions across the world, the popular Kinchlow is now co-host on Front Page Jerusalem. Cox, who has moved to Israel for 2005 produces and broadcasts from Jerusalem while Kinchlow joins in from his Virginia Beach studios. The same month, he launched the silent prayer vigil at the Western Wall and for 56 hours each week, Cox and other Christian volunteers are there on a prayer rotation.
Cox’s wife Kathleen is right by his side. Together, the two of them make a tireless power team often working 18-hour days as they oversee the radio program, arrange and carry out many interviews, spend countless hours on the telephones and computers, and of course, praying at the Western Wall alongside the hundreds of thousands of Jews who have flocked there in the last few weeks.
Where will Cox be after the Disengagement? “In 2000,” the 66 year old explains, “I dedicated my life as a Christian to do everything in my power to stand with the Jewish people because it’s the right thing to do. Israel needs friends in these perilous times. I’ll be right here until January 9, 2006.”
Posted by Arlene Bridges-Samuels at August 17, 2005 10:48 AM