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

cultivate land for crops in the 1940s. 192Like Benson a decade later, Lowdermilk wasparticularly and passionately supportive of the emerging Jewish state, amidst a relativelyhostile government (with the exception of Truman himself). He saw in the Jewishsettlements “the most remarkable devotion to reclamation of land that [he had] seen inany country of the New or Old World,” and rejoiced in Zionist aspirations to restore theland to its biblical fertility. 193Benson's rhetoric is similarly generous regarding Israel's increasing agriculturalstrength, and is perhaps the greatest evidence of the way his political perceptionsreflected his religious ones. His support of Israel was not only founded on religiousconvictions, but was also reinforced as he witnessed the “desert bloom,” in furtherfulfillment of prophecy. Within his report on his November, 1957 trip as AgricultureSecretary is an intriguing comment. He says, “The Israelites are making remarkableprogress in developing their resources” (italics added). His use of the term “Israelites”instead of Israelis is compelling, exhibiting his manifest view of Israel as modernfulfillment of ancient prophecy. The rest of his assessment is likewise significant.“There was sharp contrast between the economy and agriculture and that of Jordan andother Middle Eastern Countries. In Israel much is being done to develop the resourcesavailable.” 194 As noted, this association of Israel with biblical import caused him to viewIsrael much more favorably than its Arab neighbors. Another quote earlier in the reportagain reveals Benson's contrasting views of Israel and other countries in the region, as hecomments on the progress of the modern “Israelites.” “Tel Aviv appears to be a very192193194Oren, Power, Faith and Fantasy, 439-440.Oren, Power, Faith and Fantasy, 439-440.Ezra Taft Benson, 1957 Report on Foreign Trips, Ezra Taft Benson Papers, Eisenhower PresidentialLibrary (Abilene, Kansas).66