Israeli News Commentator: Israel Needs Evangelicals More Than It Needs US Jews

(As a Christian publication we welcome the comments and insights from our Jewish brothers on current events to better understand one another, even if we do not agree entirely with their theological perspective)

I live in the Golan and have a front-row seat to watch God protect His people. He performs miracles every day. Many Christians tell me that this is what they see happening. And precious few American Jews express this. They are more concerned with politics, and for non-Orthodox American Jews, their politics has nothing to do with Israel or their Jewish identity.

For many evangelical Christians, their politics has everything to do with their Christian values and, (shockingly) their love for the Jewish state.

I usually respect everyone's right to their political opinions, but this election is different. Support for Israel used to be bipartisan. Obama managed to hide his antisemitism and hatred for Israel. He did so by playing both sides, supporting Israel while reviving Iran. Biden continued this, but he was less adroit at hiding his anti-Israel agenda. He lifted sanctions on Iran, poured money into the Palestinian Authority and Hamas-run Gaza, and told Iran they were free to attack Israel without US reprisal. And despite his claims to the contrary, he cut back weapons shipments to Israel while we were fighting a multifront existential war. 

Of course, the Democratic party has nurtured an extremist core that is anti-Israel and also anti-American. It is this element in the party that Kamala Harris has chosen to embrace. Most pundits admit that Harris passed over Gov. Josh Shapiro as a running mate because he is an observant Jew, and this made too much of her radical base uncomfortable. This week, she met with leaders of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and reassured them that she was open to a complete embargo of weapons to Israel. 

It should be emphasized that such a move would violate several legally binding agreements the US has with Israel. But this is not an obstacle for the Democrats. Aid flows from the Biden administration to the PA even though it violates the Taylor Force Act. 

Despite all this anti-Israel activity, Harris is still being supported by a majority of US Jews.

A Harris presidency would be a disaster for Israel but would also empower the people who believe that Jews have too much power, the Democrats who believe "it is all about the Benjamins." These are the people who believe that Jews murder Palestinian children to use their blood to bake matzo. These are the "squad" and the pro-Hamas mobs that support them. They are the spiritual descendants of the academics and intellectuals who ruled the Nazi party.

Even more bizarre is the US Jews continued alliance with the progressives despite massive antisemitic protests. While this movement claims to be pro-Palestinian, it is unabashedly pro-Hamas, and only slightly less unabashedly anti-Jew. 

Nonetheless, the liberal Jews remain in a one-sided alliance with the left wing. Their allegiance to the left wing takes precedence over self-preservation. As a young man in the US, I was a hippie and a liberal. But it is precisely these liberal values that turned me into a Republican. Most of the liberal values are now being championed by Republicans. 

Through it all, most evangelicals stand firm with Israel. If I were to visit the US right now, I would feel safer traveling through Texas than I would were I to visit a secular Jewish enclave like Manhattan or LA. 

Most of the men I learned with in Yeshiva returned to the US to "strengthen exile Judaism." I did not join them as I felt the exile was strong enough. These men were university graduates and inculcated in liberal values. I may be wrong, but I have not seen any of these men tell their fellow Jews to abandon the left wing and support Israel. In the past, I was ostracized by them for supporting Trump.

It is now undeniably clear that US support is essential for Israel's survival and in this election, that survival is dependent on a Trump victory.

And where the US Jews have chosen liberal values over the survival of the Jewish people in Israel and abroad, the evangelical Christians have doubled down in a manner that defies precedent or logic.

I am uncomfortable with relying on Christians. I don't entirely trust them. They absolutely want me to come to Jesus. I can live with that since I am a Torah-observant Jew living in Israel, and that will never happen. 

But can I abandon the Jews in America? Jewish tradition teaches that only 20% of the nation left Egypt. 80% died in the plague of darkness. Even fewer returned from the Babylonian exile. Many of the Jews in Babylon caused political problems for Cyrus because they did not want to return, and he made them uncomfortable by facilitating the return and the building of the Temple in Jerusalem.

And most of the secular Jews strongly oppose Trump, perhaps for the same reason. In the time of the Exodus, no Jew went back to "strengthen the exile." No rabbi went to Babylonia to convince the Jews to return to the Promised Land and fulfill the covenant.

The Talmud states explicitly, "The one who leaves Israel is similar to one who performs idolatry." Halacha does not permit leaving Israel to teach the Torah to Jews.  

The Jews in the US are going to have to wake up and come home without any help or encouragement from me. Moving to Israel has never been easier. It is almost as easy as being brought here on eagles' wings. 

And in the most inexplicably bizarre manner, Christians are paying the fare for Jews to come home. I hope they receive a massive blessing for what they do for Israel and the Jews. I have gone way out of my comfort zone in connecting with Christians, and I am struggling to meet them at least halfway. I am not trying to curry favor. I am trying to show gratitude. Ingratitude is a horrible trait and they deserve our gratitude. 

It is painful for me to say this but I must now stand on the far shore of the Reed Sea and wave goodbye to my brethren who remained behind in Egypt. While the spies wanted to stay in the desert and learn Torah, God commanded me to go and take possession of the land, to manifest the covenant by settling the land.

Originally published at Israel 365 News