@casreeves, one of our Christian Zionist followers, sent in the following:
"What would be the loss to the world if Israel was destroyed?"
Unfortunately, this question is honestly being asked by many young Jews around the world today. According to one survey, (see here and here), nearly half of young American Jews responded that they would not consider it a personal tragedy if Israel were wiped off the map tomorrow.
Now, some supporters of Israel will make a completely secular argument for the Jewish state. Besides being necessary for the Jews to defend themselves, have their own land to prevent persecution, etc - hey, just look at how cool the country is!
According to FLAME (Facts and Logic About the Middle East - read whole list here), Israel is great because:
- the cell phone was invented here
- Mircrosoft and Intel do lots of Research and Development here (the hardware and software you're using right now to read this were likely developed here)
- We are the only liberal democracy in the Middle East
- We have the biggest economy and the highest standard of living in the Middle East
- We are the only country in the Middle East to give true religious freedom to all
These are all very nice things. Still - they can all be replaced rather easily. The next great cell phone or microchip could be designed somewhere else. Who knows, with all of this Arab Spring stuff going on, maybe another Middle Eastern country will rise up and become a great liberal democracy, with religious freedom, and liberty and justice for all.
All in all, we would have to admit that if the jihadists have their way, and succeed in the complete and total destruction of Israel, the world would find another way to get new technology, and possibly find another Middle Eastern country to support when it democratizes.
There is a greater, deeper lesson in the existence of the People of Israel, the Torah of Israel, and the Land of Israel - and especially when the three unite.
What we consider to be "morality" today, is actually the direct result of Torah practice in the world.
The Jewish people are a "Light unto the Nations" (Isiah 42:6). Everything that is considered "good" and "moral" has its roots in the Torah.
Christianity, and even non-jihadist Islam, take the moral teachings of the Torah and apply them to their own theological understandings.
The entire world has benefited, and continues to benefit, from the Jewish people, who live and teach the morality of the Torah to the other Nations of the world.
The Jewish people were able to return to their G-d given land, the land of Israel, and re-establish sovereignty in 1948. Many wars erupted since then, and Israel has been able to stave off total annihilation. In 1967, after only six days of fighting off a planed Jewish genocide by the combined forces of all Arab neighboring states, Israel reclaimed the entire city of Jerusalem, our holy capital, as well as the heartland of Israel, Judea and Samaria, where many biblical events (including the entire episode of Chanukah) took place. In addition, the Golan Heights were liberated from Syrian occupation, the Syrians having used this historic Jewish plateau to constantly shoot rockets and terrorize the Israeli farmers below.
The entire Sinai peninsula and the tiny Gaza Strip, both occupied by Egypt, were also captured by Israel. The Sinai peninsula was given to Egypt in exchange for a cessation of hostilities. (If the new Egyptian government cancels peace with us, do we get the Sinai back?)
A serious error in judgment made Israel abandon Gaza in 2005, and the Israeli government callously evicted thousands of Jews who had built their lives there, at the behest of previous Israeli governments. The good news is, the nation as a whole were so emotionally traumatized by the decision to take away the life and livelihood of so many innocent Israelis, that the people will likely never tolerate an eviction of any kind, from any part of Israel, ever again.
Despite the setbacks and missteps, the fact remains that the People of Israel were reunited with the Land of Israel, and an increasing percentage are following the Torah of Israel.
Unfortunately, secular humanism is growing like a cancer, at a rapid pace throughout the world today.
The best antidote to this moral rejectionism is a strong Jewish People, following the Torah, in Our Land. We continue to be a Light unto the Nations, and our very existence in the world, and especially in Our Land, strengthens every human being who chooses to connect with the morals and values of the Torah (which have largely been adopted by Western Civilization and are now often called "Western morality").
So, " "What would be the loss to the world if Israel was destroyed?"
One less vibrant democracy? One less technologically advanced country to produce new and innovate products? One less country in the world where people can be free?
Yes. And it would also be the first victory in the war against Western Civilization. It would be the top domino, knocking over all other Western powers, one by one. It would a modern-day Tower of Bavel triumph - a stinging salvo in the fight against our very Creator.
Anyone who cares about the continuation of life in the free world must necessarily support the continuation of the renewed State of Israel.
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