JNS: One of the most prominent supporters of the State of Israel in the U.S. Senate recently issued a warning to the leader of Israel’s largest party. In the context of the calendar, it seemed to represent the view of many other Americans who think that Benjamin Netanyahu—the Likud chairman hoping to add to his record as his country’s longest- serving prime minister after the Nov. 1 Knesset elections—has some atoning to do.
It was Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) who served notice to Netanyahu that if, as is likely, he is considering including MK Itamar Ben-Gvir in his next cabinet, he’s endangering the U.S.-Israel alliance. Ben-Gvir is the leader of the Otzma Yehudit (“Jewish Power”) faction of the Religious Zionist Party, which polls say will be the third largest in the next Knesset and essential to the formation of the right-wing/religious coalition Netanyahu hopes to form after the election. As far as Menendez is concerned, however, he’s an extremist who would complicate efforts to maintain support for Israel if he is allowed to serve in high office.
Menendez is far from alone in voicing concerns about Ben-Gvir, but a lot of the same people who are up in arms about him had no problems when a different brand of extremist was included in an Israeli government last year. While Ben-Gvir is considered beyond the pale, when Mansour Abbas of the Ra’am Party provided the decisive votes last year that enabled the formation of the coalition (then led by Naftali Bennett and subsequently by now interim Prime Minister Yair Lapid) there was general rejoicing among those who publicly worry about Israeli extremism. So, while there is good reason to worry about what Ben-Gvir might do if he were a cabinet minister, the hypocrisy on display in this controversy shouldn’t go without notice.
According to Axios, Menendez specifically brought up the issue of Ben-Gvir in a meeting with Netanyahu in Israel earlier this month. The anonymous sources who leaked the account of the dispute say that Netanyahu was angered by what seemed to be an ultimatum from Menendez, but that the senator stood his ground on the issue.
Opinion: Luke 21:24
And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”
Gentile domination over Jerusalem began when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took the city of Jerusalem and nation of Israel into captivity in 586 BC, and will continue until the return of Jesus Christ.
There is no better example of Gentile domination over Jerusalem than Senator Bob Menendez, a Jesuit educated Catholic politician.
So what exactly is Senator Bob so concerned about?
- Ben-Givr is accused of being against former Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin’s decision to shake hands with Yasser Arafat, one of the most dangerous Jew killers of the 20th century, on the failed Oslo Accords to divide God’s land in violation of Joel 3:2.
- Ben-Givr is accused of being against Jews marrying Arabs.
- Ben-Givr is accused of calling for the expulsion of Palestinians from Israel.
I can’t help but connect Ben-Gvir with two other radicals who would also be banned from the Knesset today:
Moses: In Deuteronomy 7:1-4 Moses warned the Jews when they came into the Promised Land to “conquer and utterly destroy the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. “You shall make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods, and the Lord’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you.”
Ezra: Ezra 9 records that the returning Jews (From Babylon) indeed married the Canaanites, the same tribe that was recorded in Genesis 36:2 “Esau took his wives from the women of Canaan.” And they married the Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites.Ben Givr is accused of calling for the expulsion of Palestinians from Israel.
As for Ben-Givr’s decision to expel Palestinians From Israel, Senator Menendez might check back to the UK’s decision in 1922 to take back 78% of the land designated for Israel in the Balfour Declaration, and use it as a two state solution. 1 state for Jews and 1 state for Arabs.
Excerpts our post September 6, 2022 here
