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From: MoishB@aol.com
Date: Tue 30 Jul 2002
Subject: Support Israel: Why America Is Blessed
Content-Language: en
X-Mailer: AOL 5.0 for Windows sub 40

Dear Sir:

I can think of many reasons why I am fortunate and priviledged to be an=20
American. But the following article by Dennis Prager has reinforced my=20
feeling that it is our belief in justice and fairness that is this country's=
=20
real strength.

As long as our country stands for these ideals we will be blessed. Our=20
country's strong support of Israel from the founding of the modern state in=
=20
1948 until today is a demonstration of these ideals.

One Jewish country in the midst of over 100 throughout the world; one Jewis=
h=20
country in the Middle East in the midst of over a dozen Arab/Moslem states;=20
one Jewish country in the midst of three Arab states in Palestine (yes :=20
Lebanon Syria and Jordan along with Israel were formed out of the Ottoman=20
province of Palestine).

Yet the Arabs and the majority of the world will not be satisfied until ther=
e=20
is no Jewish State.

I applaud your administration's continuing support of Israel in the face of=20
Arab and world criticism. Israel is one of the few countries in the world=20
that shares our values of justice and freedom.

As Mr. Prager states in his article "It is the United States that has sinc=
e=20
its inception most blessed the Jews and that does so almost alone today=20=
=E2=80=93 in=20
its support of the Jewish state against those who wish to exterminate it. By=
=20
almost any reckoning America has been and remains the most blessed of=20
countries."

May our country continue to prosper; and if it is due to our treatment of=20
Jews and all of the world's minorities that is just a side benefit from our=
=20
great heritage.

Respectfully yours



Dennis Prager

Those who curse the Jews and those who bless the Jews

July 30 2002
=20
In 1973 during the Arab embargo on oil exports that followed the Yom Kippur=
=20
War between Israel and Egypt many Americans had to deal with=20
embargo-induced hour-long lines at gas stations gas rationing and various=
=20
setbacks to the economy. As a result some called for our abandonment of=20
Israel for the sake of oil.=20

Those voices were not heard among evangelical Christians.=20

In fact in a television broadcast from his church to his many followers=20
the Rev. Jerry Falwell said that he would sooner give up his car and ride a=
=20
bicycle than yield to Arab blackmail. Citing Genesis (12:3) he explained=20
that God "will bless those who bless the Jews and curse whoever curses=20
the Jews."=20

I have since heard this over and over from lay Christians calling my radio=
=20
show and from Christian leaders with whom I have shared platforms.=20

I heard this again this past weekend in Colorado Springs Colo. at the 25th=
=20
Anniversary Celebration of Focus on the Family where I spoke to a few=20
thousand supporters of that influential evangelical organization. There are=
=20
many reasons for the support of conservative Christians for Israel =E2=80=
=93 along=20
with social conservatives the only group giving such support =E2=80=93 bu=
t their=20
belief that God blesses those who bless the Jews and curses those who curse
the Jews plays a central role.=20

When I first heard this verse cited by the Rev. Falwell I certainly found=20
it encouraging to hear a major Christian figure say this to fellow =20
Christians. But perhaps because I had just completed graduate work in the=20
social sciences my rational faculties simply dismissed the idea as more=20
quaint than believable.=20

Over time however that quote stayed with me. Eight years later when=20
Rabbi Joseph Telushkin and I wrote a book explaining anti-Semitism ("Why=20
the Jews? The Reason for Antisemitism" Simon & Schuster) we noted this=20
verse. But now after seeing the resurgence of anti-Semitism in the Arab=20
and Muslim worlds and in Europe after being asked by the publisher to=20
write a new version of the book and after hearing Christians repeatedly=20
cite this verse I feel compelled to finally take a position: Is this=20
verse biblical poetry or verifiably true?=20

I am increasingly convinced that it is verifiably true.=20

I think of Spain for example. One of the world's mightiest powers and most=20
developed culturesmin the 15th century in 1492 it reached its zenith when=20
it sent Christopher Columbus on a voyage that changed history. But the=20
same year it also expelled all its Jews and intensified the Spanish =20
Inquisition against the many forced Jewish converts to Catholicism=20
(converses). Spain then descended into a 500-year status as "the sick man o=
f=20
Europe."=20

I think of Germany (and Austria) as the cultural and intellectual center of=20
Europe if not the world before World War II. Then Germany (with Austrians'=
=20
help) murdered nearly every Jew in Europe. Germany lost over seven million=20
people was divided for a generation and while it now thrives materially=20
culturally Germany has become irrelevant. Ask anyone even an intellectual=20
to name one living German.=20

And I think about the world today. Look at who most blesses the Jews and who=
=20
most curses them and you decide whether the verse in Genesis has validity.=20

It is the United States that has since its inception most blessed the Jews=
=20
and that does so almost alone today =E2=80=93 in its support of the Jewish s=
tate=20
against those who wish to exterminate it. By almost any reckoning America=20
has been and remains the most blessed of countries.=20

And it is the Arab world that curses the Jews. It rivals Nazi Germany for th=
e=20
ubiquity and intensity of its Jew-hatred. Look at its state. According to=20
Arab scholars appointed by the United Nations to report on the state of Arab=
=20
society that part of the world lags behind the rest of humanity including=
=20
in most instances sub-Saharan Africa in virtually every social moral and=20
intellectual indicator. And there is no question but that its half-century=20
long preoccupation with destroying Israel has only increased the Arab world'=
s=20
woes.=20

No one can prove it is God who actively blesses those who bless the Jews an=
d=20
curses those who curse them. But at the same time the evidence historicall=
y=20
and this very moment suggests that there is indeed a real connection between=
=20
the state of a society and its treatment of the Jews.

Dennis Prager one of America's most respected and popular nationally=20
syndicated radio talk-show hosts is the author of several books and a=20
frequent guest on television shows such as Larry King Live Politically=20
Incorrect The Late Late Show on CBS Rivera Live The Early Show on CBS Fo=
x=20
Family Network The O'Reilly Factor and Hannity & Colmes.

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