"Bush read your bible: God gave Israel to the Jews"
This poster is going to greet US President George Bush when he visits Jerusalem next week:
Tzvi Fishman of Am K'Lavee explains:
You can email Fishman here to get a high-resolution version of the poster for distribution (if you do email, please mention that you saw it on my my blog):“The Biblical claim of the Jewish People to the Land of Israel was recognized by the British in the Balfour Declaration of 1917, which called for the establishment of a Jewish State in Palestine,” Fishman states. “The British believed in the Bible and what was written in it, and that was what guided Lord Balfour in winning the support of the British Parliament.
"America also believes in the Bible,” Fishman says, “and therefore, it is totally unreasonable that America and its G-d-fearing President should act against the Bible, the pillar of Christian belief.” Through the poster, Fishman is embarking to remind President Bush that God’s plan for the world supersedes his plan.
How to conduct its public relations campaign has long been a matter of debate among Jewish leaders in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza (Yesha). Am K'Lavee has chosen what they call "the irrefutable argument." Fishman explains:
"I remember the day some twenty years ago when the leaders of the settlement movement decided that they weren’t going to speak any more about G-d’s gift of the Land of Israel to our forefather, Abraham. Instead they decided to base the importance of settling Judea and Samaria on practical military and Zionistic reasons. The trouble with this strategy is that when you bring a big general to warn the public about the dangers of surrendering portions of Yesha to the enemy, the political Left parades out their line-up of big generals who say the very opposite. That’s what happened with the 2005 Disengagement Plan.
"People thought they could trust the famous military hero, Sharon, when he assured the nation that there was no security risk in evacuating the Jewish towns of Gush Katif. The military question can be argued this way and that, but our Biblical claim to the Land is irrefutable. Bush, America, Europe, and all the Christian world have to be reminded that in pressuring us to give up the Jewish towns of Yesha and divide Jerusalem, they are going against the Bible and G-d.
Fishman says that Bible lovers all over the world have to join the fight to save the Holy Land. "It's not just about saving the Jewish villages of Yesha and safeguarding the unity of Jerusalem, but also preventing the wanton destruction of shrines and churches sacred to their religions as well," he argues.
“It isn’t enough that this poster fills the streets of Jerusalem,” Fishman asserts. “It has to be circulated all over the Internet, on every Christian, Baptist, Evangelist, Catholic, and Jewish site. A vast part of the world still believes in the Bible, and if these hundreds of millions say no to the ‘Road Map’ and email the poster to the White House, they can help us save our Holy City and prevent the Holy Land from turning into a haven for Islamic terror.”
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:24 PM
19 Comments:
I found you through the comments on LGF's lounge - keep up the good work!
You need to know that there are many of us here in the states that support you, and loathe the idea of Israel giving land to terrorists in trade for terrorism.
Scripturally, Israel is entitled to far more then what they got in the 1967 war, and shouldn't give up one inch.
www.mangdiddles.com
I think that this argument has a lot of merit. One problem sociologically is that some liberal Jews are unhappy with Israel's support by evangelical Christians for this very reason (the biblical connection of Jews to the land of Israel). They don't want to have anything to do with "the religious Right" and shy away from it. There has to be a willingness to embrace that support.
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We ought to all show our love of Hashem and Eretz Israel by reminding ourselves who gave the Jewish people the Land.
Certainly not Olmert and his band of g-dless, confused, traitorous and rootless fools.
Israel will live long after they're gone!
Lydia,
There are two totally separate issues that make some Jews uncomfortable with Evangelical Christian support of Israel. One, as you point out correctly, is the reluctance of some Jews to accept support from the "religious right." Most of those Jews are people who are on the left of the political spectrum, which includes most of the non-Orthodox. They're the same Jews who will pull the ballot for Hillary or Obama or whoever else is on the Democratic side of the ticket. They're still a majority of Jews (unfortunately), but that majority is narrowing.
The other issue is one that applies even to those Jews who are on the right of the political spectrum - which includes the Orthodox - and that's proselytizing. The truth is that we don't see it much (and it's actually illegal in Israel), but the little bit that we do see drives a wedge between Jews and Christians. Judaism doesn't believe in proselytizing, and Orthodox Judaism in particular is very reluctant to accept converts (the Talmud says specifically that during the times of David and Solomon NO converts were accepted because no one believed their motives were pure), so when we see members of other religions trying to convert our own, it hurts.
So long it doesn't mean that people are going to wander our streets trying to convert Jews to other religions, I am happy to accept Evangelical Christian support and anyone else's. And while most of the arguments I make on this blog for Israel retaining what it has are security-based, that's because it's what resonates with the largest number of people. I also believe that we have a God-given right to this land and while I believe (as do many Orthodox Rabbis - I'm not a Rabbi) that there MIGHT be circumstances in which giving up land for a real peace might be permitted under Jewish law, at the present time those circumstances are so theoretical as to be irrelevant.
Carl in Jerusalem said...
The other issue is one that applies even to those Jews who are on the right of the political spectrum - which includes the Orthodox - and that's proselytizing. The truth is that we don't see it much
They work in ways that prevent you from seeing it. It's much worse than what appears to your eyes. Contact your local Pe'ilim/Yad Le'Achim office and refer to Ellen Horowitz's articles on the subject of Evangelicals for many of the details.
"(and it's actually illegal in Israel)"
Minimally enforced.
I'm curious as a sheerly factual matter: What exactly is illegal under the heading of proselytizing? Passing out literature, particular types of conversations, large evangelistic meetings, or what? I would think it would be pretty hard to draw lines there, legally, esp. in terms of one-on-one conversations.
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The security argument won't work to save Israel. The Left can always claim abandoning this and that part of Israel will shorten the lines and leave Israel with a greater military advantage.
The only argument that is irrefutable is the one from the Bible: G-d gave the Jewish people the land as an eternal inheritance and only by obeying Him, do they deserve to remain in it. It works in a way no secular argument does since there isn't another side to it. Its one that needs to made more often.
Lydia,
I have never read the statute. My understanding is "all of the above." But you're right - it's hard to enforce and there are no bright lines.
You may want to look at the link that Shy Guy posted (it links to several articles). I haven't read all of them (and can't now), but they will give you some idea of the arguments.
If you follow My statutes and observe My commandments and perform them,
I will give your rains in their time, the Land will yield its produce, and the tree of the field will give forth its fruit.
Your threshing will last until the vintage, and the vintage will last until the sowing; you will eat your food to satiety, and you will live in security in your land. - Leviticus 26:3-5
It's that simple.
But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live.
-Numbers 33:55
No, it's that simple! :P
"Scripturally, Israel is entitled to far more then what they got in the 1967 war, and shouldn't give up one inch."
Amen.
"[A]t the present time those circumstances are so theoretical as to be irrelevant."
I think this is a pretty important point. I have heard a sort of moderate Israeli argument to the effect that this or that (giving up more land, releasing terrorists, giving the "Palestinians" money as reparation for the "right of return," etc.) may or may not be fair to Israel, but that's not what matters; what matters is whether it would work to bring peace. Now, every time I hear something like that, I find it baffling, because it's *so obvious* that this stuff *won't* work to bring peace, so there is no point in even talking about it.
I mean, it's sort of like saying, "Hey, I may have no obligation to do so, but I'd cut off my hand if it would cure everyone who has cancer." Well, maybe someone would be willing to do that under those circumstances, but it won't work anyway, so why bother talking about the hypothetical? Similarly, every single thing that the "political right" in Israel says is unjust to demand of the Israeli people also seems to me to be pragmatically reckless and foolish anyway.
Kronik,
Since the 'Palestinians' claim to have been here since "time immemorial" it's important to point out that the scriptural verse you quoted is referring to the seven Cananite nations, who did NOT include the 'Palestinians.' As was documented extensively by Joan Peters in From Time Immemorial the vast majority of the Arabs who live here started to arrive after there were large numbers of Jews living here who could provide them with employment.
And by the way, as Peters and others have documented, there is no such thing as a 'Palestinian.'
Kronik,
Since the 'Palestinians' claim to have been here since "time immemorial" it's important to point out that the scriptural verse you quoted is referring to the seven Cananite nations, who did NOT include the 'Palestinians.' As was documented extensively by Joan Peters in From Time Immemorial the vast majority of the Arabs who live here started to arrive after there were large numbers of Jews living here who could provide them with employment.
And by the way, as Peters and others have documented, there is no such thing as a 'Palestinian.'
Good point, but they are still "inhabitants" of G-d's land to his people(you), but you are 100% correct, the verse I quoted gives too much credit to those carpetbagging "Palestinians".
As a "born again" Christian, who voted for President Bush twice, i could not disagree more strongly, with his administration's position concerning Israel. It is clear to me that God recognized Isaac and not Ismael and all that entails. I could not support you more strongly and Israel not only should not give up land but they should once and for all, vanquish completely, all those who would harm them. This most assuredly will happen someday and i pray soon.
Carl, the email link to Fishman's not working for me, but whether the error's on my end or not I don't know. I definitely would like that poster!
Orde,
The address is fishman11@bezeqint.net
Thanks Carl, got it.
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