Could Donald Trump Reverse the Curse Over America?
Editor’s Note: Dr. Jim Garlow recently wrote an article for cn.mycharisma.com titled “If You’re on the Fence About Your Vote, This Pastor Clarifies How the Very Future of America Is at Stake.” The article quickly went viral and has garnered more than 1 million shares in four weeks.
In part one of this article, we covered five key points that lay out the background for understanding Donald Trump’s view of Israel. Today, part two will cover the nine key points with allow us to understand Trump’s stand on Israel:
1. Trump and Israel. So how does Donald Trump view Israel? (I have made it known in other writings that I was originally for Huckabee, and then when his campaign ended, supported Cruz. And I have commented here why I am supporting Trump over Hillary.)
Succinctly stated: Trump supports Israel. Yes, I am aware of his February statement about being “neutral” in negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, which is restated in this online video. Frankly, that is unrealistic. One cannot be “neutral” with two parties when one party would merely like to peacefully exist in its own tiny country and the other party has in its charter that it wants the other side dead and provides proof of that with suicide bombers sent into shopping centers. What are clues to where Trump stands on Israel.
2. Israel adviser. Who is Trump’s closest adviser on Israel? His name is Jason Greenblatt, an acquaintance of mine. Who is he? He is a Jew. He has been Trump’s attorney for 20 years. He is the executive vice president/chief legal officer of the Trump Organization and he is co-chairman of Mr. Trump’s Israel Advisory Committee. Mr. Greenblatt’s voluminous writing provides clues as to where Trump stands.
There are those who attempt to paint Trump as an anti-Semite. This charge is so absurd, I will respond only briefly. The July 8, 2016, Washington Post headline for Jason Greenblatt’s op-ed column says it all, “I’m a Jew who has worked with Donald Trump for years. He’s no anti-Semite.”
3. Jerusalem as capital. Imagine with me if the rest of the world demanded that the U.S. keep its capital in a city of their choosing, but not Washington, D.C., as we have chosen. That is what has happened to Israel. The U.S.—and others—have demanded that Israel not be allowed to select its own capital city!
Donald Trump rightly believes that Israel should choose its own capital (CNN, published June 29, 2016). What a novel thought: A nation getting to select its own capital! By the way, the capital of Israel was resolved approximately 3,000 years ago! Clue: It’s Jerusalem.
4. BDS. If you don’t know what those three letters mean, you should. This is an attempt by the American “left” (I don’t care for the “right vs. left” delineations since I believe this is actually a case of “right vs. wrong.” However I will use “left” here as common jargon.) to strangle Israel’s economy by: B (boycotting Israeli products), D (divesting of funds in Israel’s growing and glowing economy) and S (sanctioning or ostracizing the nation). There is a name for BDS. It is called anti-Semitism. Trump stands against BDS anti-Semitism (Fox News, published June 9, 2016).
5. War. The people of Israel want peace, but they can’t have it. Within 24 hours after they came into existence, surrounding nations attacked them! They fought their War for Independence from 1947 to 1949 and wars have continued: 1956, 1967, 1973, 1971-1983 (Palestinian aggression from Lebanon), 1982, 1987-93, 2000-2005, 2006, 2008-10, 2014.
When can Israel just be left alone? By all indications, Trump seems to understand this.
6. The T-shirt. My favorite T-shirt was purchased in Jerusalem. It states, “Civilizations, nations and empires that have tried to destroy the Jewish People.” Following that are two columns: one with “nation,” the other with the “status.”
Working down the columns: “Ancient Egypt—Gone. Philistines—Gone. Assyrian Empire—Gone. Babylonian Empire—Gone. Persian Empire—Gone. Greek Empire—Gone. Roman Empire—Gone. Byzantine Empire—Gone. Crusaders—Gone. Spanish Empire—Gone. Nazi Germany—Gone. Soviet Union—Gone. Iran—???” The implication of the “???” is essentially saying: “Your time is coming!”
Across the bottom of the T-shirt are these words: “The Jewish People: The smallest of nations but with a Friend in the highest of places! So…BE NICE!” How true!
I repeat, God will bless those who bless Israel. Curse Israel and … you get the picture. If for some reason you won’t stand with Israel, God will! At donaldtrump.com, there is a brief video in which Trump states, “I love Israel. I am very pro-Israel. … Israel, I love you.” Are these words important? They would be to me if I were an Israeli. Given the fact that God will bless those who bless Israel, they are important to me as an American as well.
7. While in Israel. I am now preparing to leave for my 11th trip to Israel as my wife prepares for her 58th trip. Thus we are in Israel with frequency. While in Israel, I would feel considerably safer with a Trump presidency than a Hillary presidency. All our Israeli friends feel the same way.
8. Platforms matter. The GOP platform has Trump’s tacit approval. The Democratic platform has Hillary’s. The platforms are a “window” into the candidate. They allow us to see what the respective parties actually believe. These two platforms are different.
The Republicans rejected a “two-state solution” and refuse to call Israel an “occupier.” The GOP platform states:
“We oppose any measures intended to impose an agreement or to dictate borders or other terms, and call for the immediate termination of all U.S. funding of any entity that attempts to do so. Our party is proud to stand with Israel now and always.”
The Democratic Platform states:
“We will continue to work toward a two-state solution of the Israel-Palestinian conflict negotiated directly by the parties that guarantees Israel’s future as a secure and democratic Jewish state with recognized borders, and provides the Palestinians with independence, sovereignty and dignity.”
One problem: the Palestinian leaders don’t merely want the above listed items. They want the Jews dead and Israel gone.
Reminder: The phrase “two-state solution” is a way of lopping off a big piece of Israel, thus rendering the Jewish state defenseless. How would you like it if some nation or nations demanded that we surrender a huge section of America to give it to people who want us dead or at least driven out?
Based on the party platforms, you have two clear choices this election: 1) a party that calls for Israel to become defenseless, that is, a vote for Hillary, or 2) a party that recognizes Israel’s right to exist and defend itself, which is, a vote for Trump.
9. “Occupier.“ To her credit, Hillary prevailed on her party platform not to call Israel an “occupier.” However her motivation was faulty. She claimed that it might enflame the emotions in the Middle East. However, this is not about “enflaming emotions.” It is about speaking truth. Just for the record: Israel does not “occupy” the land. It owns it! {eoa}
Dr. Jim Garlow, author of Well Versed: Biblical Answers to Today’s Tough Issues, commentator on The Garlow Perspective, a one-minute commentary on 850 radio outlets daily, pastor of Skyline Church in the San Diego area, and co-founder of The Jefferson Gathering, a weekly worship service for Members of Congress in the U.S. Capitol Building. Garlow has a Ph.D. from Drew University in historical theology and master’s degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary, Asbury Theological Seminary and Southern Nazarene University.
