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 ...
The American public, though divided, was largely supportive of Truman'sacceptance of the Jewish State. As discussed briefly in chapter two, this support wasrooted in various aspects of the circumstances of the late 1940s. Michelle Mart arguesthat beginning after World War II, Jews in the United States enjoyed much moreacceptance than ever before. She attributes this phenomenon to three changes inAmerican perceptions: post-war ecumenism, the looming threat of Communism, and thenotion that the gathering of the Jews to Palestine, and the subsequent creation of the Stateof Israel, was a sign of the second coming of Jesus Christ as the Messiah. 122She explainsthat, although Protestant ideals remained at the forefront of American thought, “postwardangers seemed so great [that] many Americans were motivated to seek religiousalliances outside of the Protestant faith.” 123 This resulted in a new “Protestant-Catholic-Jew” triad of religious identity that could serve to combat the rise of atheisticCommunism in Europe. Many evangelicals “shift[ed]. . . the central Antichrist focusfrom Jews, modernism, or Catholicism, to communism.” 124 They likewise saw thecreation of a Jewish state as a sign that the end of days was near, and that the children ofAbraham would have a significant role in that culmination. 125 Thus, Jewish-Christianrelations began to enjoy a new solidarity.Oren emphasizes a different aspect of American endorsement of the Jewish inPalestine. He quotes Sol Bloom who sees the Yishuv, or pre-state Jewish community inPalestine, as “the reincarnation of the old American West, the embodiment of the122123124125Mart, “Christianization of Israel and Jews,” 109.Mart, “Christianization of Israel and Jews,” 112.Robert Ellwood, as cited in Mart, “Christianization of Israel and Jews,” 115.Mart, “Christianization of Israel and Jews,” 115.44
pioneering spirit.” 126He later asserts that “for nearly two hundred years, Americans haddreamed of transforming the Middle East into a reflection of their own United States –democratic, modern-minded, and free.” 127For many Americans the modern Jewish staterepresented precisely those values. Likewise, the media played a role in popularizingIsrael in American society. In the dispute over who would control Jerusalem, the pressemphasized the Jews' willingness to internationalize the Holy City, while at the same timehighlighting Arab rejection of any sort of compromise. 128Keeping in line with Americanpublic opinion, both the Democrat and Republican platforms adopted pro-Zionistplatforms by 1945, and both houses of Congress resolved that “Palestine must be 'openfor the free entry of Jews' and the country 'reconstitute[d] . . . as a free and democraticJewish commonwealth.'” 129This is not to imply that American was finally free from lingering anti-semiticsentiments, or that it wholeheartedly supported the Jewish state. On the contrary,American support for Israel was at best divided and uncertain, even after Holocaust.Notable American leaders such as Henry Ford and Father Charles Coughlin remainedresolute and outspoken anti-semites. 130 And while it is true that Americans felt someguilt over the fate of the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust, 131 Grose reports thatmost Americans were “not particularly interested” in the Jews in Palestine. 132He quotesthe British Embassy in 1947: “In the middle west there is some support by non-JewishAmericans for the Zionist cause because they do not want more Jews in the United126127128129130131132Oren, Power, Faith and Fantasy, 431.Oren, Power, Faith and Fantasy,474.Mart, “Christianization of Israel and Jews,” 118.Oren, Power, Faith and Fantasy, 468.Oren, Power, Faith and Fantasy, 426.Grose, Israel in the Mind of America, 207, 214.Grose, Israel in the Mind of America, 213.45
- 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 38 and 39: and Peter Grose describe the frustr
- 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 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
pioneering spirit.” 126He later asserts that “for nearly two hundred years, Americans haddreamed <strong>of</strong> transforming <strong>the</strong> Middle East into a reflection <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir own United <strong>State</strong>s –democratic, modern-minded, <strong>and</strong> free.” 127For many Americans <strong>the</strong> modern Jewish staterepresented precisely those values. Likewise, <strong>the</strong> media played a role in popularizing<strong>Israel</strong> in American society. In <strong>the</strong> dispute over who would control Jerusalem, <strong>the</strong> pressemphasized <strong>the</strong> Jews' willingness to internationalize <strong>the</strong> Holy City, while at <strong>the</strong> same timehighlighting Arab rejection <strong>of</strong> any sort <strong>of</strong> compromise. 128Keeping in line with Americanpublic opinion, both <strong>the</strong> Democrat <strong>and</strong> Republican platforms adopted pro-Zionistplatforms by 1945, <strong>and</strong> both houses <strong>of</strong> Congress resolved that “Palestine must be 'openfor <strong>the</strong> free entry <strong>of</strong> Jews' <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> country 'reconstitute[d] . . . as a free <strong>and</strong> democraticJewish commonwealth.'” 129This is not to imply that American was finally free from lingering anti-semiticsentiments, or that it wholeheartedly supported <strong>the</strong> Jewish state. On <strong>the</strong> contrary,American support for <strong>Israel</strong> was at best divided <strong>and</strong> uncertain, even after Holocaust.Notable American leaders such as Henry Ford <strong>and</strong> Fa<strong>the</strong>r Charles Coughlin remainedresolute <strong>and</strong> outspoken anti-semites. 130 And while it is true that Americans felt someguilt over <strong>the</strong> fate <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> six million Jews who died in <strong>the</strong> Holocaust, 131 Grose reports thatmost Americans were “not particularly interested” in <strong>the</strong> Jews in Palestine. 132He quotes<strong>the</strong> British Embassy in 1947: “In <strong>the</strong> middle west <strong>the</strong>re is some support by non-JewishAmericans for <strong>the</strong> Zionist cause because <strong>the</strong>y do not want more Jews in <strong>the</strong> United126127128129130131132Oren, Power, Faith <strong>and</strong> Fantasy, 431.Oren, Power, Faith <strong>and</strong> Fantasy,474.Mart, “Christianization <strong>of</strong> <strong>Israel</strong> <strong>and</strong> Jews,” 118.Oren, Power, Faith <strong>and</strong> Fantasy, 468.Oren, Power, Faith <strong>and</strong> Fantasy, 426.Grose, <strong>Israel</strong> in <strong>the</strong> Mind <strong>of</strong> America, 207, 214.Grose, <strong>Israel</strong> in <strong>the</strong> Mind <strong>of</strong> America, 213.45
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