Stand with Israel

Ever wonder why Israel doesn't just withdraw to its 1948 borders, approved by the UN. Wouldn't life be simpler? Wouldn't the wars end? This video, by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, made prior to the current conflict in Gaza, sums up the perspective opposing withdrawal from the land won in the 1967 Six Day War quite well.

I spent my high school senior year (1956/57) at a Bible College/High School Academy, in Owosso, Michigan. Sadly, the campus no longer exists. Among all the special memories of that year, I especially remember my Bible class, and the teacher. It was during the 1956 war crisis (see below) and Eisenhower was President. My teacher was quite concerned that the United States remain faithful to Israel, so he sent a letter to Ike warning him of the dangers of abandoning Israel. This was 9 years after Israel was granted their tiny sliver of land by the United Nations, and 10 years before the 6-Day War.

The 1956 War

From 1949 to 1956 the armed truce between Israel and the Arabs, enforced in part by the UN forces, was punctuated by raids and reprisals. Among the world powers, the United States, Great Britain, and France sided with Israel, while the Soviet Union supported Arab demands. Tensions mounted during 1956 as Israel became convinced that the Arabs were preparing for war. The nationalization of the Suez Canal by Egypt's Gamal Abdal Nasser in July, 1956, resulted in the further alienation of Great Britain and France, which made new agreements with Israel.

On Oct. 29, 1956, Israeli forces, directed by Moshe Dayan, launched a combined air and ground assault into Egypt's Sinai peninsula. Early Israeli successes were reinforced by an Anglo-French invasion along the canal. Although the action against Egypt was severely condemned by the nations of the world, the cease-fire of Nov. 6, which was promoted by the United Nations with U.S. and Soviet support, came only after Israel had captured several key objectives, including the Gaza strip and Sharm el Sheikh, which commanded the approaches to the Gulf of Aqaba. Israel withdrew from these positions in 1957, turning them over to the UN emergency force after access to the Gulf of Aqaba, without which Israel was cut off from the Indian Ocean, had been guaranteed.

Read more: Arab-Israeli Wars: The 1956 War http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/history/arab-israeli-wars-the-1956-war.html#ixzz3PUBZEVk9

I saw this video on Facebook yesterday, and scrambled over the internet to find it on YouTube so I could post it here on my blog. The video is about 5 minutes long, and I urge you to watch/listen to it in its entirety. This is important information, and may help us to understand what Israel is enduring right now. We, the United States of America, need to stand firm in our commitment to keep our alliance with Israel. We’re doomed if we abandon them.

I am not an activist and generally avoid controversy because I struggle with expressing myself well. But in this instance, I cannot keep quiet. I welcome your comments

Peg