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Moses of Texas: President Bush, the Bible and Israel

The Bible and Judeo-Christian values have played a major role in shaping the state of mind of President George W. Bush and his wife Laura, as well as their positive gut feeling toward Israel.

 

 

At a January 21, 2001 Senate reception for President Bush, he was introduced by Senator Mitch McConnell as a leader who follows in the footsteps of Joshua and Kalev [the two courageous Jewish leaders, who adhered to faith, conviction and long-term strategy, rather than to short-term convenience and “pragmatism.”].   During a January 21 sermon at a Washington DC church, Bush was compared to King David, “who united the Jewish Nation, leading them during the strongest ever chapter in Jewish history.”  And, Marc Craig, Bush’s personal pastor at the AustinUnitedMethodistChurch, compared the president to “Moses who just crossed The River, leading his People to the Mountain and from there to the Promised Land.”

 

 

President Bush’s deeply-held belief and values – despite changing political considerations – constitutes a unique opportunity for

 

Israel.  President Bush’s view of the Land of Israel as the cradle of shared Judeo-Christian values could soften disagreements with Israel.  It could, also, mellow the impact of some advisors who have been critical of Israel, thus strengthening the Commander-In-Chief’s recognition of the joint interests and mutual threats, binding together the leader of the Free World and its sole soul ally in the Mideast. 

 

 

While President Bush credits his wife Laura, and his religious faith, with the crucial transformation in his life, from Dolce Vita to a meteoric success in the public and political arena, he is not a religious fanatic.  His approach toward religion is representative of most Americans.  According to a New York Times poll, published on December 7, 1997, 96% of the US public believes in God, 90% pray a few times annually, 41% attends church on Sunday, 63% (43% in 1947) say Grace, 93% of US households possess at least one copy of the Bible and 33% of US households read the Bible at least once a week.  The Tennessee publisher, Thomas Nelson, sells about 8 million copies of the bible each year.  And, there are 257 religious TV stations in the US, compared with 9 in 1974.  These data puts President Bush as the head of one of the most religious nations in the Free World!

 

 

The 43rd President considers himself a successor of Thomas Jefferson, a principle-driven role model of harmony and moderation.  Jefferson, and other Founding Fathers, referred to the American revolutionaries as the 1776 Israelites, to the British rule as Pharaoh and to America as the 1776 Promised Land.  Furthermore, Jefferson proposed that the official seal of the AmericanRepublic would be the parting of the Red Sea.  Benjamin Franklin, who studied Hebrew, suggested that the inscription on the seal would be in Hebrew.  In denouncing the Tea Act, Benjamin Rush stated: “What shining examples of Patriotism do we behold in Joshua, Samuel, Maccabeus and all the illustrious princes, captains and prophets among the Jews.”  The successors of the Founding Fathers have recently issued, annually, Chanukah and Christmas stamps.

 

 

The Old Testament – and particularly the legacy of Moses – has played a major role in the shaping of the world view of the Founding Fathers, religiously, socially, judicially and politically, including the concepts of Separation of Powers, Checks and Balances and the Bill of Rights.   In fact, “Proclaim liberty throughout the land to all the inhabitants thereof” (Leviticus, 25, 10) was engraved, by the People of Pennsylvania upon the Liberty Bell.

 

The decision to locate the capital of the US outside the territory of the individual States, was influenced by the precedent of Jerusalem, which was located outside the territory of the individual 12 Jewish tribes. A marble plaque of Moses’ face features in Congress, which opens its daily business with a morning prayer, conducted by its Chaplain.  Moreover, on June 17, 1999 a 248:180 majority of the House of Representatives approved a bill, which would allow the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools and public buildings, as a means to curtail youth violence.  President Bush, as did all his predecessors, concludes his speeches with “God Bless America,” and the motto “In God We Trust” is printed on the US dollar bill.

 

 

President Bush, just like most Americans, does not regard Israel as a typical foreign policy issue.  They view Israel as a special valued ally, deeply rooted in the American tradition. Such an affinity between the two Peoples constitutes a major reservoir of support, for Israel, as well as a viable foundation for an effective strategic alliance in face of mutual threats. 

 




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*Israel’s primary national security challenge is the reinforcement of education on the 4,000-year-old Jewish/Zionist roots in the Land of Israel, through the bolstering of the Jewish/Zionist identity (self-determination), vision (the reestablishment of the Jewish State in its Homeland) and destiny (the Jewish Ingathering/Aliyah to the Land of Israel).

*These core values are currently threatened by a cosmopolitan and post-Zionist worldview – in addition to the anti-Zionist worldview, that is dedicated to Israel’s physical destruction – which aims to play-down, misrepresent and replace Jewish/Zionist roots and values with multicultural and universal values and institutions.

*Post-Zionism considers Jewish/Zionist identity, vision and destiny as a major obstacle on the way of advancing its top goal: being embraced by the international community.

*This post-Zionist worldview, also, reflects battle fatigue. It refuses to accept the reality of Zionism as a multi-generational uphill marathon-like mission; deluding itself that Zionism is a sprint-like undertaking.

*Post-Zionism is eager to abdicate the colossal responsibility entailed in being the only Jewish State (e.g., securing physical and spiritual Jewish survival and combating anti-Semitism).

*Moreover, post-Zionism wishes to escape the, supposedly, frustrating reality of an ongoing Jewish/Zionist struggle against clear and present lethal threats in the inherently unpredictable, violent, despotic, intolerant and anti-“infidel” Middle East. It wishes to replace the inconvenient Middle East reality with the convenient make-believe “New Middle East,” which professes cancel-culture, cancel-history and dramatic Israeli land concessions, which are the cradle of Jewish history, culture and religion, and critical to the national security of Israel.

*Jewish/Zionist identity, vision and destiny – which represent Judaism as a historic, cultural, linguistic, religious and territorial entity – are not merely intellectual issues. Rather, they are at the foundation of Israel’s national security and spiritual and physical steadfastness. The stronger the Jewish/Zionist identity, the stronger the resolve to defy the military, diplomatic and intellectual challenges facing the Jewish State and the Jewish People.

*History-driven identity, vision and destiny are fixed and durable components of national security.  On the other hand, political, diplomatic, defense, economic and peace accords are variable and tenuous components of national security, whose durability is tenuous due to the systematically changing regional and global leadership, policies and relations.

*The stronger the resolve and steadfastness of Israel, the more compelling is its contribution – as a force and dollar multiplier – to the US economy and defense, and the more productive is the mutually-beneficial US-Israel two-way-street. Bolstered US interests are advanced by bolstered Jewish/Zionist identity, vision and destiny, which inspired the US Founding Fathers.

*In the pursuit of bolstered Jewish/Zionist identity, vision and destiny, contemporary leaders of the Jewish State should adhere to the legacy of David Ben Gurion, Israel’s Founding Father, who was the iconic leader of Israel’s Labor Party: “…. Our commitment to our history is a prerequisite to Israel’s political and military steadfastness in the face of our continued military struggle…. It is impossible to comprehend Jewish history and struggles, if one is not aware of the unique Jewish vision…. Jewish/Hebrew education is the precondition for Jewish unity and attachment to the Land of Israel…. The Jewish nation is not merely a national and political entity. Since its inception, it has possessed an historic vision [the Ingathering of Jews to their Homeland]…. The very small Jewish nation was able to defy major powers due to its determined spiritual and moral uniqueness…. While the ethnic, cultural and political environment of the Middle East has changed dramatically during the last 4,000 years – since the dawn of the Jewish people – the Jewish people has retained its language and culture, notwithstanding 2,000 years of exile…. The retention of the unique Jewish national character has served as a magic-vitamin, sustaining Jewish survival and independence and the power to withstand threats, challenges and temptations…. The establishment of the State of Israel has not ended the struggle for Jewish uniqueness and destiny…. The Ingathering is our central undertaking; it is a prerequisite to our independence…. Jewish history did not start upon the 1948 establishment of Israel or the 1897 First Zionist Congress.  Jewish history is a 4,000-year-old wealth of values, culture and heroic events, which are based on the Bible and the Land of Israel. It must be shared with the Jewish youth” (Ben Gurion, Uniqueness and Destiny, 1951).

Support Appreciated

 

 




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