In my foreign policy class today we had a very interesting debate about whether or not the United States should support Israel. The debate was sparked by this article in Tuesday's New York Times. The article centers on Reverend John Hagee, The Senior Pastor at Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas. In July, during the Israel- Hezbollah war, Hagee went to Washington with the Christians United for Israel demanding that united States support the Jewish nation
I was one of two people in the class that vocally advocated the continuing support of the United States for Israel no matter what. The professor and most of the class said that we should support Israel but that we should act in our best interests which may mean going against Israel in certain instances. They also said that it is frightening and dangerous if our support for Israel is based on religious reasons.
I disagree.
Here are five reasons we must support Israel
1. Genesis 12:1-3 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. This is a promise about Abraham's seed Isaac and the nation of Isreal
2 Psalm 122:6-7Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. We are to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, which cannot happen when the terrorists are attacking the Jewish people everyday
3 Israel's significance in Biblical prophecy
4 Our relationship to the Jews as Christians as outlined in Romans 9-11
5 On a secular note, we must support Israel because they are the only true democracy in the whole region of the Middle East and North Africa.
There are more reasons why we must support Israel, but it would take forever to do... The 5 reasons listed are the best rationale that I have on this issue
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2 comments:
I agree. Hagee was on TBN today, talking with Kenneth Copeland about these issues. He told the story about how his father told the congregation from the pulpit that if Israel didn't become a state, that would be one reason to believe that the Old Testament wasn't true, because (Hagee explained) that every single prophet in the Old Testament prophesied the establishment of the state of Israel. To say such a thing at that time was just a beat short of heresy.
Then in 1948, when the radio announced that the U.N. had recognized the state of Israel, Hagee was with his father at the breakfast table. His dad told him, "This is the most important event of the 20th century. From now until the end of time, the world's focus will be on Israel."
It's pretty amazing.
We, the United States of America, will fail to support Israel at our own peril. We need to pray not only for the peace of Jerusalem, but also for our President and his advisors to understand this issue. It is surely NOT in our best interest to stick our fingers in the apple of God's eye. To me, supporting Israel is far and away the most important foreign policy issue in any election. If and when God chooses a time to correct Israel, let us not get in His way. Read any of the Old Testament prophets regarding how God feels about His chosen people, and their relationship with other nations. Do we really think we can side with Israel's enemies with impunity?
p.s. Peter must get up earlier than I do; I always seem to respond right after he does!
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