Ezra Taft Benson and the State of Israel - Brandeis Institutional ...
Ezra Taft Benson and the State of Israel - Brandeis Institutional ... Ezra Taft Benson and the State of Israel - Brandeis Institutional ...
and Peter Grose describe the frustrations that Protestant missionaries in Palestine faced asZionists pushed forward for a Jewish homeland. 93“Everyone zealous for Christianmissions,” explains a Presbyterian veteran of the faculty at the American University ofBeirut, “must feel a veritable heartbreak for the way in which the hasty and ill-advisedendorsement of the Zionist program by Congress has nullified the sacrificial labors ofgenerations of missionaries and educators.” 94The central issue for these Protestant and Catholic groups was essentially Jewishrejection of Jesus as the Messiah, 95 and especially for the Protestants, rejection ofmissionary labors to help correct that perceived fault. Per Osterbye in his book TheChurch in Israel (1970) condemns Israel for its anti-missionary attitude. Still, heexplains that most people of Protestant faith believe that the formation of the State ofIsrael represents “a direct fulfillment of someOld Testament prophecies,” and concludes that “the Jews are still God's chosen people.” 96Yet, despite their belief in the Jews as God's chosen people, many Christians remainedstaunchly opposed to the Jewish State on the basis of the Christ issue. “The centralquestion between Judaism and Christianity lies in their answer to the question: What doyou think of Christ?” insists Millar Burrows of Yale University. “The present resurgenceof Jewish nationalism is a repetition of the same fatal error that caused Israel's rejectionof Jesus.” 979394959697Oren, Power, Faith and Fantasy 428; Grose , Israel in the Mind of America, 214.Grose, Israel in the Mind of America, 214.Grose, Israel in the Mind of America, 214.Per Osterbye, The Church in Israel (Denmark: Vinderup Bogtrykkeri I/S 1970), 136.Grose, Israel in the Mind of America, 214.34
In addition to contributing to persisting notions of anti-semitism, these attitudescomplicated American sentiment regarding support for Israel. Still others recognized therole that Christian anti-semitism had played in setting the stage for the Holocaust, arealization that caused them to support the creation of a Jewish homeland to assuage theirguilt. As Dorothy Thompson contends, “The salvation of the Jews must. . . come in partas an act of repentance from the Christian world.” 98Nonetheless, America remained divided throughout the 1940s and 50s. PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt clung desperately to the American policy of neutrality in theconflict over a Jewish state in the Middle East, and even promised King ibn Saud ofSaudi Arabia “never to assist the Jews at the Arabs' expense,” 99 but his successor HarryTruman left notions of neutrality behind. Influenced both by various outspoken, pro-Israel Christian leaders, and by his own convictions, Truman threw his support in favor ofIsrael. 100On May 14, 1948, shortly after David Ben Gurion announced Israel'sindependence, the United States officially recognized “the provisional government as thede facto authority of the State of Israel.” 101Clearly American sentiment of the 1940s and 50s regarding Israel 102 vacillatedand equivocated, even while a change was taking place in American society that linkedCatholics, Protestants and Jews together in a common dislike of Communism. 103However, the year 1967 saw American support for Israel begin to solidify. As noted,98Oren, Power, Faith and Fantasy, 215.99Oren, Power, Faith and Fantasy, 471.100Oren, Power, Faith and Fantasy, 483-84.101White House telegram, 6:11 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Truman Presidential Library, online:http://www.trumanlibrary.org/photos/israel.jpg.102 American political sentiment regarding Israel will be discussed in greater detail in the followingchapter.103Mart, “Christianization of Israel and Jews,” 119; see also Will Herberg, Protestant, Catholic, Jew: AnEssay in American Religious Sociology (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1955).35
- Page 2 and 3: AcknowledgementsI am indebted to Pr
- Page 4 and 5: Table of ContentsIntroduction - 1Ch
- Page 6 and 7: elationship in any depth.In researc
- Page 8 and 9: friendships with various Israeli le
- Page 10 and 11: Joseph Smith taught that Latter-day
- Page 12 and 13: Gentiles, and it will be again inha
- Page 14 and 15: for their long suffering. Yet, he,
- Page 16 and 17: focus on both the fulfillment of pr
- Page 18 and 19: Smith and Brigham Young, as previou
- Page 20 and 21: Smith, the members of the group “
- Page 22 and 23: Jews.'” 46Benjamin further descri
- Page 24 and 25: Chapter 2: Benson's Religious Leade
- Page 26 and 27: audiences. The first, called, “Je
- Page 28 and 29: Benson's sense of kinship for the J
- Page 30 and 31: eturn of the Jews to the land of Pa
- Page 32 and 33: general mention of his efforts at s
- Page 34 and 35: Or perhaps it did not aid in his ap
- Page 36 and 37: about Jews and Israel, throughout t
- Page 40 and 41: Israel's victory in the Six Day War
- Page 42 and 43: the Messiah. Indeed, both Benson an
- Page 44 and 45: those visits, as opposed to those o
- Page 46 and 47: U.S. agricultural products on credi
- Page 48 and 49: The American public, though divided
- Page 50 and 51: States.” 133Indeed, a Gallup poll
- Page 52 and 53: with Britain and France, for their
- Page 54 and 55: many Americans that Israel was now,
- Page 56 and 57: those experiences to give validity
- Page 58 and 59: Benson, “I want you to pray to Go
- Page 60 and 61: gathering. Some of those themes inc
- Page 62 and 63: Ben Gurion and Levi Eshkol, both of
- Page 64 and 65: sending “two Mormon Books,” and
- Page 66 and 67: Yet Ben Gurion's next letter, dated
- Page 68 and 69: on this occasion with Shimon Peres
- Page 70 and 71: cultivate land for crops in the 194
- Page 72 and 73: attitude in the Synagogue Light art
- Page 74 and 75: United States, his views on Israel
- Page 76 and 77: eminded the host that he had not be
- Page 78 and 79: Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and
- Page 80 and 81: "Though Thy servant is now far from
- Page 82 and 83: BibliographyAlteras, Isaac. Eisenho
- Page 84 and 85: Madsen, Truman G. “Mormon Attitud
<strong>and</strong> Peter Grose describe <strong>the</strong> frustrations that Protestant missionaries in Palestine faced asZionists pushed forward for a Jewish homel<strong>and</strong>. 93“Everyone zealous for Christianmissions,” explains a Presbyterian veteran <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> faculty at <strong>the</strong> American University <strong>of</strong>Beirut, “must feel a veritable heartbreak for <strong>the</strong> way in which <strong>the</strong> hasty <strong>and</strong> ill-advisedendorsement <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Zionist program by Congress has nullified <strong>the</strong> sacrificial labors <strong>of</strong>generations <strong>of</strong> missionaries <strong>and</strong> educators.” 94The central issue for <strong>the</strong>se Protestant <strong>and</strong> Catholic groups was essentially Jewishrejection <strong>of</strong> Jesus as <strong>the</strong> Messiah, 95 <strong>and</strong> especially for <strong>the</strong> Protestants, rejection <strong>of</strong>missionary labors to help correct that perceived fault. Per Osterbye in his book TheChurch in <strong>Israel</strong> (1970) condemns <strong>Israel</strong> for its anti-missionary attitude. Still, heexplains that most people <strong>of</strong> Protestant faith believe that <strong>the</strong> formation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>of</strong><strong>Israel</strong> represents “a direct fulfillment <strong>of</strong> someOld Testament prophecies,” <strong>and</strong> concludes that “<strong>the</strong> Jews are still God's chosen people.” 96Yet, despite <strong>the</strong>ir belief in <strong>the</strong> Jews as God's chosen people, many Christians remainedstaunchly opposed to <strong>the</strong> Jewish <strong>State</strong> on <strong>the</strong> basis <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Christ issue. “The centralquestion between Judaism <strong>and</strong> Christianity lies in <strong>the</strong>ir answer to <strong>the</strong> question: What doyou think <strong>of</strong> Christ?” insists Millar Burrows <strong>of</strong> Yale University. “The present resurgence<strong>of</strong> Jewish nationalism is a repetition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> same fatal error that caused <strong>Israel</strong>'s rejection<strong>of</strong> Jesus.” 979394959697Oren, Power, Faith <strong>and</strong> Fantasy 428; Grose , <strong>Israel</strong> in <strong>the</strong> Mind <strong>of</strong> America, 214.Grose, <strong>Israel</strong> in <strong>the</strong> Mind <strong>of</strong> America, 214.Grose, <strong>Israel</strong> in <strong>the</strong> Mind <strong>of</strong> America, 214.Per Osterbye, The Church in <strong>Israel</strong> (Denmark: Vinderup Bogtrykkeri I/S 1970), 136.Grose, <strong>Israel</strong> in <strong>the</strong> Mind <strong>of</strong> America, 214.34
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