Last night I was watching the news with great sadness as I observed the continuing assault on Israel. Since Monday, Hamas has fired over 2,000 rockets into Israel and now riots are breaking out inside Israeli cities with large Arab populations.
I get it, the Middle East is a complex tinderbox of tension between passionate religious groups, all of whom claim an eternal right to the land. First known human habitation of Israel was during the Bronze Age when the Canaanites, part of the New Kingdom of Egypt lived in this region. It was the Egyptian Pharaoh Merneptah who first gave the land the name Israel in 1269 BC. As early as 1,000 BC the Israelites and Philistines, who lived in nearby Gaza, were at war with each other. Thus, the beginning of the on-going struggle between Israel and her enemies.
I mention this only to remind everyone that this struggle has been on-going for thousands of years. Jerusalem is the Holy City for Jews, Christians and Muslims. All three religions consider Abraham as the father to their religion, which makes Jerusalem significant to each.
Temple Mount in Jerusalem, blessed by Abraham, was the seat of the Kingdom of David. David is buried there. King Solomon built the Temple of God on the Temple Mount. Jerusalem is the sacred center of Judaism. For Christians, Jerusalem is the city in which Jesus preached and was ultimately crucified. Muslims believe Jerusalem to be the Holy City where Muhammad ascended into heaven. Thus, the triad of conflict over the Old City of Jerusalem and the struggles over its control.
Add to this the tension created by a desire to establish a Palestinian state. Today, Palestinians, largely Muslim by faith, seek to establish a homeland in the area known as Israel.
What have Democrats done in the past 20 years to strengthen the right of Israel to exist as a free and internationally accepted nation? Nothing.
Which brings me back to the mounting violence being seen in Israel this past week. What we are witnessing right now is a direct result of the feckless leadership from Washington. More about that later.
The unanswerable question: Why do most Jews vote Democrat? I have asked this question of my Jewish friends for decades. I’ve heard many reasons. The one that seems most common is the fear that conservatives in America may trend towards the discriminatory fascism that resulted in the murder of millions of Jews under the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler.
To my Jewish friends who may believe this, I can only say that you fundamentally misunderstand the guiding principles of modern American conservatism. Twenty-first century conservatism supports individual liberties, not collective socialism, and a commitment to smaller government with less control over people rather than greater government control that can lead towards mass abuse of power against select groups, like the current divisive progressive Democrat push to divide America based on the color of a person’s skin. As people who have experienced the holocaust by the hand of government, Jews supporting Democrats in modern America makes no sense.
What have Democrats done in the past 20 years to strengthen the right of Israel to exist as a free and internationally accepted nation? Nothing. In fact, Democrats have emboldened those who wish to eliminate Israel from the face of the earth. Hamas and Hezbollah, armed by Iran, have grown stronger under Democrats.
The anti-Israel crowd will try to blame Israel for the violence. They will ignore the fact that Hamas started the fight, just as they did in 2014.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed in 2015 by the Democratic Obama Administration provided a clear pathway for Iran to develop nuclear weapons that can be used against Israel and Europe to blackmail western society to accept Iran hegemony across the Middle East and the eventual destruction of Israel. Democrats supported the JCPOA, which also provided Iran with over $150 billion used to develop arms for use against Israel.
Despite the positive steps by the Trump Administration to exit the JCPOA, the Biden Administration has signaled to Iran a willingness to reenter the agreement. That has bolstered Iran’s aggressive behavior in the Persian Gulf and fueled the recent Hamas attacks against Israel.
Once again, Israel must deal with violent attacks against their nation by Hamas and Iranian sponsored terrorists. Iran is the arms supplier to Hamas. Just today the leader of Hamas in Gaza proclaimed: “If it wasn’t for Iran’s support, we would not have had these capabilities.”
The anti-Israel crowd will try to blame Israel for the violence. They will ignore the fact that Hamas started the fight, just as they did in 2014. However, the anti-Israel Democrats will continue spewing their anti-semitic dribble to stir up more violence. Just look at their mouthpieces. Representatives Omar Ilhan (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) are blatantly antisemitic, as are many other Democrat members of Congress. Remind me again why Democrats have received the Jewish vote these past 20 years?
There is no more critical a time than now to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
America has long been one of the strongest supporters of Israel, but it was never stronger than between 2017 and 2020. During those years, United States resolute diplomacy and military strength in the Middle East led to containment of Iran. During this period, the United States brokered the Abraham Accords Declaration, bringing peace between Israel and many Arab states like the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain and Sudan. These years provided relative peace for Israel, primarily because of the global realization that the United States would respond in kind if Israel were attacked.
The Abraham Accords was the most significant step towards peace in the Middle East since President Jimmy Carter signed the Camp David Accords peace agreement between Israel and Egypt in 1978. Hopefully, the violence we are now witnessing against Israel, fueled and armed by Iran, may coalesce the Arab world to further unite with Israel to stop the international terrorist aggression of the Persian State of Iran. Again, this is not new history, as the Arabs and Persians have fought numerous wars over centuries. This is just a continuation of the past with Israel now the centerpiece of the struggle.
For the record, I grew up in a community with a large Jewish population. I had many Jewish friends and dated a Jewish girl. I have been a supporter of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) for decades. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” is from Psalm 122:6. It represents the mission of the IFCJ. There is no more critical a time than now to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
ALASKA WATCHMAN DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX
I have visited Israel three times, first visit as the Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Commissioner. I was part of a homeland security group that went to Israel to learn about their approach to stopping terrorism. My second visit was as President and CEO of Alaska Aerospace, where I presented the benefits of the Pacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska (PSCA) to Israel, which culminated with Israel conducting test operations of the Arrow III missile defense system at PSCA in 2018.
My last visit was as a tourist. Anne Marie and I not only visited Jerusalem, but we also drove around the country to meet their people, visit historical sites and to learn about the threat of extinction they face every day as a country. It makes one much more appreciative of the sacrifices they make to sustain their faith and independence.
Sadly, as I close this piece, the Israeli Defense Force is, once again, preparing to enter the Gaza Strip to restore peace. Just 120 days into the Biden Administration and the Middle East is on fire, with the Iranian goal being the elimination of Israel. It didn’t have to be this way. Just like the border crisis created by the Biden Administration, callous message projecting has emboldened Iran to use their proxies to destabilize the Middle East and wage war against the region’s most successful democracy.
I ask again, why do so many Jews vote for Democrats? Maybe it’s finally time to vote Republican!
The views expressed here are those of the author.
8 Comments
Why does the four months into Bidens reign suprise you? I’m suprised it lasted that long. Obama did everything he could to get rid of Isreal. Obama Jr is using the same play book.
The answer to that question is well known and creates huge division in the Jewish world. Dennis Prager has even made videos about it. Jews who vote with our enemies are secular and don’t believe in or follow Torah. They are idolaters who worship leftist ideology above all else. To gain acceptance and prove themselves in Leftist circles (journalism, academia, politics, etc.) they have to be especially anti-semitic. Jews who care about the Jewish people and Israel vote Republican and love Trump. (In New York City the only precincts that went for Trump were predominately Jewish.) There are traitors in every group.
I would ask you, Mr. Campbell, why do Christian Americans vote for Democrats? This is equally baffling to me. They are voting against Christian teachings and against everything good about America. Maybe the explanation is the same?
Thank you for your frequent columns in the Watchman. I really enjoy them (and usually agree 100%). If we had more people with your common sense and decency in office Alaska would be a different, better place.
I noticed Democrats/compromising Republicans are better at making peoples, who think of themselves minorities, FEEL better about themselves than Real Republicans are at showing their interest. Democrats give them a little attention just for being whatever the person wants recognized. But. The vain attention comes at a cost. Democrats are good at capitalizing on a victim’s past and making you feel they work for your best interest. Its up to the victim, they choose forgiveness, and move forward. I watched a video published Dunbar talking with some BIPOC members, and what was my takeaway I saw my old self when they all who spoke focused on the past injustices they felt done to them in Anchorage, and they hadnt forgiven. Instead of forgiving they focus their mission how can they make a difference changing neighbors hearts through the democrat party because of that is the party who appears the most interested. You know! If feels really good to a victim to think they are heard. It feels really good to get a little payback for their past hurt. But! Whose heart really has been changed. We can’t change peoples hearts, we can’t control how people respond to us. Democrats have been very good at making victims feel heard and their pain is addressed and compensated. Victims don’t move forward until they forgive and take ownership over their own life, and they don’t get the respect they want from others until they learned respecting their neighbors even when they are disrespectful. My other takeaway from that BIPOC meeting was they want a utopian society where no one is offended, and that is just not realistic goal.
You want your problems heard, go to a Democrat, they will make you FEEL better. You want to build up and move your community forward go to a Real Republican with a real project that builds the community more than your own self-esteem and Feelings.
Pray for Jerusalem and pray for Alaska, This is global evil where the minds of men are either fighting for good or they have saddled up with the. global Evil. Look no further than the injecting of the experimental so called vaccines and the mass hysteria Mask . The proof is in the pudding this was all sham and the weak weak elected from the Governor on down have all signed on to this crap pushing inoculation of what they have no idea what its effects will be and if they do then they are just plain evil. The CDC and the minions of satan have now just dropped the mask as if it was a joke. All involved in this globalist fraud will face a Nuremburg trial that will come as humanity sees through this evil… The demons in the Globalists genocide are culling by waves not only in Israel… Right here. Govt has been purchased as I clearly see as Stand Tall Tale and stalwart Mike Shower have turned and bowed to the devil and said the PFD is negotiable when they know they are oathbreaking cowards and it is not,,, this was not negotiation by these weak willed hollowed out shells that were once men of honor we thought, This was surrender….. turncoats need to be thrown into the dustbin of the quitter…. So sick of these that desert their morals and ethics as the arrive to the sewer called Juneau…. Yes pray for the Peace of Jerusalem but Peace will not come until YASHUA arrives and Men and women that represent us remain true to their word to get elected… DOMINION will build your GALLOWS,,,,,
THE VACCINATION IS JUST A SIMPLIFIED PORTABLE GAS CHAMBER,,,,
It’s obvious to most people above the first grade level that the crash test dummy in the oval office who has difficulty walking up stairs or reading a teleprompter is obviously not the person in charge. Many astute observers have stated their suspicion that Susan Rice may now actually be the De Facto POTUS, and may be acting on directives from former President Barack Hussein Obama. Who was behind this order for all US Troops to be flown out of Israel at the start of this current crisis, and was this intended as a show of non support for our premiere ally in the middle east, and a hat tip to the Islamic State of Iran?
It’s baffling that religions were developed during a time when no one understood any aspect of science and now thousands of years later we no longer need ascribe wind, tidal action, volcanic activities or any other natural event to divine intervention yet here we are with mountains of money being given to religious nutters such that they can feed an emotional involvement with a patch of sand. Stop sending money and see if there are fewer religious nutbars when the dust settles.