Letters From Grandpa #88
- LETTERS FROM GRANDPA
- 88
Dearest grandchild,
May 14th is a special day for many people. Here is the reason why. It was on this day in 1948 that Israel declared it’s independence for the first time in 2,900 years. From the time the United Nations mandate regarding Palestine expired, until the independence of the Jewish nation, was less than 24 hours. This remarkable fact causes some to remember this verse from the Bible.
“Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day? (Isa 66:8)
Against the advice of many, President Harry Truman of the United States immediately recognized Israel as a nation. This, of course, was a tremendous benefit to this fledgling nation.
Their independence came on Friday May 14, 1948, and next day Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia all declared war on Israel. Their intentions were declared by Azzam Pasha, Secretary-General of the Arab League. He said: "It will be a war of annihilation. It will be a momentous massacre in history that will be talked about like the massacres of the Mongols or the Crusades."
At this time the Israeli army did not have a single cannon or tank, and their air force consisted of only 9 obsolete airplanes. The Jews had only one weapon for every three soldiers. The Arabs, by comparison, had no difficulty obtaining all the arms they needed. Moreover, the Arabs held the superior terrain and were capable of cutting the Jewish state in half. Further, Arab bases of operations were only minutes from the heart of Tel Aviv. Jerusalem was already under siege, and it seemed that nothing could stop Egyptian forces from invading from the south.
Against all odds, however, Israel won this War of Independence. During the war 6,373 Israelis were killed, their cities were reduced to shambles, and their lands were laid waste. Even though all the Arab nations but Iraq signed an armistice, the Arabs have never given up their goal of annihilating the Jews. It seems that even today all major Palestinian organizations are determined to destroy Israel. The Palestinian National Charter has openly declared it’s goal of eliminating Zionism in Palestine. The PLO's 10 Point Program of 1974, and the charters of Hamas and Hezbollah are also intent upon the destruction of Israel. In 2013, the new Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, pledged to find a way to achieve Khomeini’s long time goal of seeing that Israel ceases to exist. Someone has observed that if all the Arabs were disarmed there would immediately be peace. If all the Israelis were disarmed there would immediately be no Israel.
While the long standing conflict between Arabs and Jews has raged for centuries, several historical facts are interesting, unusual, remarkable and worthy of contemplation.
#
First, the Jews have never lost their identity. The book of Deuteronomy lists 7 nations that once inhabited the land of Palestine. They were the: Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites,
Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Every one of these nations was larger and stronger than Israel (Deut; 7:1). None of these nations exists today, but the Jews remain a distinct people. Though scattered through the earth, they have somehow maintained their identity.
#
Second, the Jews have been perhaps the most persecuted people in history. Powerful world leaders like the Pharaoh,, Hamaan, Antiochus Epiphanes, Adolph Hitler, and many others, both ancient and modern, have sought in vain to annihilate the Jews.
#
In the third place, powerful world leaders have also been responsible for the survival of Israel. King Cyrus, for example, is the only gentile called the Lord’s anointed (Is. 45:1). 200 years before he was born Isaiah predicted that he would rebuild Jerusalem and lay the foundation of the Jewish Temple. He did! (See Ezra 1:1 - 4). At the time these predictions were made, however, neither Jerusalem nor the temple were destroyed. President Truman speaking to the N.Y. Jewish Theological Seminary in 1953, reflecting on his own key role in helping Israel dared to say: “I am Cyrus” .
#
Regardless of your understanding of Isaiah 66:8, it is still remarkable that the modern nation of Israel was born in a single day.
On Nov. 15, 2015, J.D. Heyes wrote an article headlined “UN Human Rights Council led by dictators and leaders of repressive regimes”. He was outraged that the U.N. has turned the responsibility of policing “human rights” to anti-Semetic dictatorial regimes. Their bias is reflected by the fact that they routinely condemn Israel for defending itself. For example, according to the UN’s own data, more than 4,800 rockets and 1,700 mortars were fired from Gaza towards Israel between 8 July and 26 August. When Israel tries to stop this indiscriminate attack on civilians, they are condemned for “human rights” violations. On Nov. 24, 2015, for example, – The UN General Assembly adopted six non-binding resolutions condemning Israel. The UN council, however, refused to condemn China, Cuba, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, ISIS, or any other country, for “human rights” violations.
God has given each of you good minds and the ability to think for yourself. I pray that you will be careful students of history, both ancient and modern. I hope you will carefully analyze the facts and come to your own conclusion. As you analyze the facts, please consider the possibility that something unusual is going on with Israel and just maybe God has something to do with it.
I love you,
Grandpa Boyce