Israel, Sarah Palin, JFK and the Wisdom of Rabbi Gamaliel

Sarah Palin's support for Israel is unquestioned, abiding and deep. It is a core aspect of her world view-world including its outer and internal aspects.

Outer in that her foreign policy decisions as President would, where applicable, always take into consideration the affect those decisions would have on Israel-that nations security being paramount.

Inner, because her Christianity (which includes family) is her core being. Even her most strident critics, who view everything Palin through a prism of conceit and deceit, would admit her Christian faith to be real.

In point of view they would only admit of its validity to either ridicule it or to attack the pro-Israel aspects-such is the topsy-turvy world of liberal thought where the "other" is subject to personal attacks of the basest kind. Their method is condescension and ridicule with an elitist sneer worthy of 1950's Britain's ruling class, but without the acerbic wit.

Her religion is only one of a number of structured attacks on Palin, there are so many going on at once it is hard to keep track of them all.They included her supposedly being a hypocrite for travelling when campaigning in a private jet, being a bad mother for taking her children on tour-and for not taking them on tour. She is dumb, she is too clever by half and etc. None of this rubbish sticks anymore as it has no substance, but they keep throwing them out there in the hope that some might catch on.

Her support of Israel and the possible reason for it (apart from it being the right thing to do for the sake of common humanity) through the connection with Pentecostal Christianity is another matter. It is weighty and deserves analysis. The controversy arose because Palin, when questioned on her foreign policy views by Barbara Walters, voiced support for Israel's right to build more settlements. "I believe Jewish settlements should be allowed to grow...I don't think the Obama administration has any right to tell Israel that the settlements cannot expand"

The second aspect of her answer, which appears to be related directly with her religious views and how they relate to Israel, Palin said "More and more Jewish people will be flocking to Israel in the days and weeks and months ahead".

This has been interpreted, with validity I believe, as relating to the Pentecostal "last days" belief. This generally holds that before the return of Christ ,in the last days, the Jews shall be gathered in the holy land. This will happen in a time of violent war (i.e. invasion) in Israel which will be ended by Christ with a portion of the surviving Jews (Zechariah 13 8/9) recognizing Jesus as the Messiah in fulfilment of biblical prophecy and ushering in the rule of Christ over Israel and all the nations.

Who is to say, as presented previously that our, these times are not the commencement of the fulfilment of this prophecy as militants now posses missiles?

Israel has historically been a grain of sand of freedom and democracy surrounded by a sea of repressive dictatorships. It is a legitimate creation of the United Nations which, Israel, was at its inception supported by the left and the far left.Truman and Stalin raced to be the first to recognize the new country diplomatically. It is of course perfectly legitimate to criticize Israel when it is wrong, but not legitimate to strive to seek to remove it from existence.

What is also not valid is to criticise Palin's support of Israel, and her concept of an in-gathering from a party political point of view. These are religious matters which the supposedly tolerant left should leave alone, and let religious minded people debate the finer points of doctrine amongst themselves.

It is ridiculous to hold, even for one second, that Palin could not separate her support for the legitimacy and security of Israel as a political entity from her support of Israel in biblical prophesy. Kissinger and Albright managed to keep faith and heritage apart from their politics.Why then should Palin be any less capable than JFK was to keep his belief in the Pope separate from his constitutional oath of office?

For those who attack Palins religious beliefs regarding Israel from a liberal i.e. leftist Jewish standpoint, let the, amongst the wisest and most liberal of Jewish heroes, Rabbi Gamaliel, have the last word. Gamaliel was described in Acts chapter 7 vs.28 as "an expert on religious law and very popular with the people" and in the Talmud (a commentary on the bible) "it was said of him that when he died righteousness perished from the earth". He was the grandson of Rabbi Hillel, perhaps the originator of the Golden Rule, and possibly a teacher of St.Paul.

When Peter and the other apostles were brought before the religious authorities Gamaliel said (Acts 7 Vs 38/39) "If what they have planned and done is of human origin it will disappear. But if it comes from God you cannot possibly defeat them".

This indisputable judgement should be the touchstone for all attitudes to Palin's religious beliefs towards Israel-if these beliefs happen then it is God's will. If they don't, then what is the harm to anyone? Judge a President  Palin rather on her oath to the constitution and her defending America's security at home and abroad against real threats from those who would destroy our values.