The American-Israeli Friendship

By Rabbi Mordechai Levin – July 2011
 

I was moved to see Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking to a special joint meeting of Congress several weeks ago. For me, not only the content of his speech was important, but also, the overwhelmingly warm welcome he received. 

It began with the nearly four-minute ovation he received when he entered the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives. His 45-minute presentation was punctuated by frequent rounds of applause and more than two dozen standing ovations. On each key point, he received enthusiastic standing ovations. 

Few Israeli leaders are capable today of summarizing the key issues of the Israeli-Arab conflict with as much skill as Netanyahu. They are important for all of us to remember, and therefore I would like to recapitulate some of them here. 

He said that in an unstable Middle East, Israel is the one anchor of stability. In a region of changing alliances, Israel is America’s steadfast ally. Israel has always been and will continue to be pro-American. America doesn’t need to do nation building in Israel; it is already built. America doesn’t need to export democracy to Israel; it is already established. American soldiers do not have to be sent to Israel; it defends itself. 

As he has in the past, Netanyahu warned about the calamitous consequences of Iran developing nuclear weapons. The greatest danger could be upon us soon: a militant Islamic regime armed with nuclear weapons. 

He admitted that in a genuine peace, Israel would be required to give up parts of the ancestral Jewish homeland. But he reminded the legislators that in Judea and Samaria, the Jewish people are not foreign occupiers. We are not like the British in India, or the Belgians in the Congo. This is the land of our ancestors, the Land of Israel. Nobody can deny the almost four thousand-year-old connection between the Jewish people and the Jewish land. 

The prime minister explained that the conflict has always been about the existence of the Jewish state. In 1947, the United Nations voted to divide the land into a Jewish state and an Arab state. The Jews accepted the decision and the Arabs rejected it. In recent years, the Palestinians twice refused offers by Israeli prime ministers, to establish a Palestinian state on nearly all the territory won by Israel in the Six-Day War. 

Regarding Jerusalem, he reminded his audience that only a democratic Israel has protected freedom of worship for all religions. The city must never again be divided as it was during the 19 years in which it was occupied by Jordan. Jerusalem must remain the united capital of Israel. 

In the Middle East, the only peace that will hold is one that is anchored in security. Therefore, it is for Israel’s security that a Palestinian state be demilitarized and Israel maintain a long-term military presence along the Jordan River. For in that unstable region, no one can guarantee that those who sign an agreement today will be there tomorrow. 

The very warmth and applause Netanyahu received from the U.S. Congress showed, once again, Israel’s solid support among many of America’s policymakers and citizens. The American-Israeli friendship – based on mutual values — is strong. 

 

 

 

© Rabbi Levin