Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #900771 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 285 pages

Customer Reviews

Israel is not alone
Standing With Israel is an eloquent plea for reconciliation between Jews and Christians, based upon mutual values and a shared history of Zionism. In the introduction, the author makes a link between the righteous gentiles of the past and mainstream evangelical Christians who today support Israel. There are many instances of secular people and Christians that sheltered Jews during the Holocaust. And since the rebirth of Israel, the country has gained loyal friends amongst influential Christian leaders.

The book chronicles the development of Christian Anti-Semitism and how it influenced attitudes towards Jews down the ages. Replacement Theology, the destructive idea that the Church replaced the Jews, has an ancient thread running from the Apostle Paul through church fathers like John Chrysostom, Justin Martyr and St Augustine. But another strain of Christianity with its roots in the Puritans found eloquent expression in the Plymouth Brethren founded in 1827 and ultimately became the dominant form of the religion in the USA in the 20th century.

There were always Christians who provided vital assistance to the Zionist project. Early Christian Zionism in fact predates Jewish Zionism. Theodor Herzl had a great ally in the Englishman William Hechler. In America, there was William Blackstone who worked tirelessly for the cause. Three well-known Christians had a direct hand in the rebirth of Israel: Arthur Balfour, Woodrow Wilson and Harry Truman. Recently, Jews and Christians have joined hands in organizations like the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.

The motives of today's Christian Zionists are investigated and found to be based on Genesis 12 verse 3: "I will bless those who bless you". Furthermore, there is a profound gratitude to the nation who wrote and preserved the scriptures. These Christians are steadfast friends of Israel and the Jews, providing material and spiritual support to the beleaguered nation and those in the Diaspora. In view of the long centuries of Christian persecution, it is not surprising that the mainstream Jewish response has been lukewarm, if not somewhat hostile. To understand this, one needs only consider the horrible words of Martin Luther.

There are many issues on which Christian and Jewish leaders disagree. Abraham Foxman of the ADL, for example, still perceives the Christian Right as a threat. This despite the fact that prominent Christians have proved themselves to be trustworthy friends of Israel.

In the conclusion, the author looks at bipartisan support of Israel in the USA and reveals the close personal relationships between Theodor Herzl and William Hechler, Chaim Weizmann and Arthur Balfour, and Menachem Begin and Jerry Falwell.

In these perilous times of resurgent anti-Semitism, it is comforting to know that Israel is not alone. The country now has millions of devoted friends in the USA and around the world.

A book on Israel by a Jew? Is this a first?
The fact that this book is written by a Jew is special enough but David Brog's governmental experience lends an air of authority to it and being a Jew there's a heart feel to it. Great read, well done!