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 ...
States.” 133Indeed, a Gallup poll that year revealed that over 60 percent of Americansopposed any direct U.S. intervention to maintain order in Palestine, and 72 percentthought the U.N. should handle things. 134 Americans agreed that the Jews needed someplace to go, and around two-thirds supported the idea of a Jewish state, 135 but the overallmood was certainly one of equivocation. This was complicated by the reality thatAmerican support of Israel in the Middle East made for difficult relations with Israel'simportant, oil-rich Arab neighbors.Thus, when Dwight D. Eisenhower entered the White House in 1953, heimmediately found himself caught between opposing aims in the Middle East. Thedifficulties posed by those opposing forces would distinguish Eisenhower'sadministration as one of attempted neutrality and manifest ambivalence regarding mattersin the Middle East. Like much of the American populace, his Christian upbringing ledhim to view the Jews as God's chosen people, 136 and Eisenhower was deeply affected bythe atrocities he witnessed in Europe after World War II. After visiting some of theconcentration camps and witnessing firsthand the Jewish suffering, he wrote to his wifeMamie, “I never dreamed that such cruelty, bestiality and savagery could really exist inthis world! It was horrible.” 137General Eisenhower attempted to help alleviate some ofthat suffering by helping remaining Jews learn to farm on land requisitioned from theGerman people, and expanding educational and cultural programs in Hebrew in order to133134135136137Grose, Israel in the Mind of America, 213.Grose, Israel in the Mind of America, 213.Oren, Power, Faith and Fantasy, 483.Gary Scott Smith, Faith and the Presidency: From George Washington to George W. Bush (Oxford:University Press, 2006), 243.Isaac Alteras, Eisenhower and Israel: U.S.-Israel Relations, 1953-1969 (Gainesville, Florida:University Press of Florida, 1993), 28.46
prepare them for the transition from Europe to Palestine. 138 Yet, as President, Eisenhowerremained stubbornly neutral, 139 at least from the Israeli perspective. Israelis rejoiced inthe fact that Eisenhower's commitment to Israel's right to exist did not waver, 140 but notedthat the “special relationship” they had enjoyed with President Truman had beendowngraded to a “friendly impartiality.” 141This difference in attitude between Truman and Eisenhower can certainly beattributed to various factors, but two stand out in particular. The first is the contrast inthe relationship between the State Department and the Executive. Eisenhower was muchmore closely linked with his Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, than Truman hadbeen with George C. Marshall or Dean Acheson. In fact, the pair is described as “twomen who thought like one.” 142Dulles recognized the great strategic importance of theMiddle East, not just for its access to oil, but for its political importance in keeping thatoil out of the hands of the hated Soviets. 143 The second is largely related to the first:Eisenhower's desire, like Dulles, to keep the Soviets out of the Middle East. Dulles andEisenhower hoped to gain greater Arab cooperation against the Soviets by “publiclydownplaying the relationship with the Jewish state while at the same time maintaining themoral commitment to [Israel's] existence.” 144 This required a delicate balancing act thatwould mark much of Eisenhower's presidency. In the end, Eisenhower would remainloyal to Israel's existence. Indeed, although both men were infuriated at Israel, along138 Alteras, Eisenhower and Israel, 29.139 Alteras, Eisenhower and Israel, 36.140 Alteras, Eisenhower and Israel, 22.141 Alteras, Eisenhower and Israel, 21.142Cited in Alteras, Eisenhower and Israel, 21.143 Alteras, Eisenhower and Israel, 21.144 Alteras, Eisenhower and Israel, 21.47
- 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 48 and 49: The American public, though divided
- 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
prepare <strong>the</strong>m for <strong>the</strong> transition from Europe to Palestine. 138 Yet, as President, Eisenhowerremained stubbornly neutral, 139 at least from <strong>the</strong> <strong>Israel</strong>i perspective. <strong>Israel</strong>is rejoiced in<strong>the</strong> fact that Eisenhower's commitment to <strong>Israel</strong>'s right to exist did not waver, 140 but notedthat <strong>the</strong> “special relationship” <strong>the</strong>y had enjoyed with President Truman had beendowngraded to a “friendly impartiality.” 141This difference in attitude between Truman <strong>and</strong> Eisenhower can certainly beattributed to various factors, but two st<strong>and</strong> out in particular. The first is <strong>the</strong> contrast in<strong>the</strong> relationship between <strong>the</strong> <strong>State</strong> Department <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> Executive. Eisenhower was muchmore closely linked with his Secretary <strong>of</strong> <strong>State</strong>, John Foster Dulles, than Truman hadbeen with George C. Marshall or Dean Acheson. In fact, <strong>the</strong> pair is described as “twomen who thought like one.” 142Dulles recognized <strong>the</strong> great strategic importance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>Middle East, not just for its access to oil, but for its political importance in keeping thatoil out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> h<strong>and</strong>s <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> hated Soviets. 143 The second is largely related to <strong>the</strong> first:Eisenhower's desire, like Dulles, to keep <strong>the</strong> Soviets out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Middle East. Dulles <strong>and</strong>Eisenhower hoped to gain greater Arab cooperation against <strong>the</strong> Soviets by “publiclydownplaying <strong>the</strong> relationship with <strong>the</strong> Jewish state while at <strong>the</strong> same time maintaining <strong>the</strong>moral commitment to [<strong>Israel</strong>'s] existence.” 144 This required a delicate balancing act thatwould mark much <strong>of</strong> Eisenhower's presidency. In <strong>the</strong> end, Eisenhower would remainloyal to <strong>Israel</strong>'s existence. Indeed, although both men were infuriated at <strong>Israel</strong>, along138 Alteras, Eisenhower <strong>and</strong> <strong>Israel</strong>, 29.139 Alteras, Eisenhower <strong>and</strong> <strong>Israel</strong>, 36.140 Alteras, Eisenhower <strong>and</strong> <strong>Israel</strong>, 22.141 Alteras, Eisenhower <strong>and</strong> <strong>Israel</strong>, 21.142Cited in Alteras, Eisenhower <strong>and</strong> <strong>Israel</strong>, 21.143 Alteras, Eisenhower <strong>and</strong> <strong>Israel</strong>, 21.144 Alteras, Eisenhower <strong>and</strong> <strong>Israel</strong>, 21.47
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