Ezra Taft Benson and the State of Israel - Brandeis Institutional ...

gathering. Some of those themes include, as evidenced, rejection of Arab claims to theland, particularly Jerusalem, and unequivocal support of Israel both for its role infulfilling prophecy, and the fact that it, by its very nature, seems to the writers toincorporate religion into politics.Four years later, as Benson took up his post as Secretary of Agriculture, many ofthose same elements would find their way into his observations of the fledgling state.Especially interesting are his views as presented in his 1957 and 1960 trips to severalcountries worldwide in promotion of PL 480. His reports on his visits to the Middle Eastreveal a sharp contrast to his perceptions of Israel versus other Middle Eastern countries.It is unclear whether Benson himself wrote the report, or dictated the basic elements tohis secretary; but at the very least these reports are a clear general reflection of his ownsentiments. And his feelings seem to demonstrate, in comparison with those that heexpressed for his time in Israel, a general tone of practicality and pragmatism. In reality,he spends relatively little time commenting on his visits to the Arab countries. When hedoes comment, he reports on the cities visited and on the country's reception toward himand American agriculture (usually relating to Public Law 480). He is never disparagingto the leaders themselves, whom he simply reports as having met, but he is likewise moreor less unenthusiastic.Likewise his description of the people and cultures he encounters in his visitsreveals him to be rather unimpressed. The most illustrative example is that of his 1957report on Jordan. He notes the guard of Jordanian soldiers that met them at the embassy,as well as the frequent stops at military checkpoints, and comments briefly on the56