Only one place for the Jewish homeland

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Only one place for the Jewish homeland

Posted: Thu 21st August 2008 8.39 AM | Author: Christian Friends of Israel

It is a very rare thing to hear something in the world of politics, which brings huge encouragement. However, listening to former Arkansas Governor and vice-presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee in Israel on Monday, on a whirlwind fact-finding and solidarity tour, was indeed encouraging. On his first day in Israel, Huckabee visited Jewish neighbourhoods in Jerusalem, while on Tuesday he went to tour Sderot.

Daniel Luria, executive director of the Jerusalem Reclamation Project (Ateret Kohanim) took Governor Huckabee around Jerusalem, including the all important stop at the Western Wall. However, Huckabee also had the opportunity to view parts of Jerusalem which no major American politician has had the privilege of seeing. These included new Jewish enclaves at Abu Tor, the Yemenite Village in the Silwan Valley, Kidmat Zion, the Muslim Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem, and the new housing project at the Mount of Olives. Throughout his tour he also had time to make statements and respond to questions from journalists. It was from these statements the encouragement came.

Huckabee said he understood the need for a Palestinian state, but that it should not interfere with the Jewish one. Speaking to reporters, he stated, "There are many, many places where a homeland for the Palestinians could in fact take place that would be consistent with their roots... but there is only one place on earth where the Jewish people could have a homeland that is consistent with their roots." He emphasized that the international community agreed to recognise clear, definitive boundaries of a Jewish homeland in Israel as early as 1919. Huckabee continued, "We have a moral obligation to the Jewish people to honour the commitment that has been made through decades and decades of understanding that there is going to be a homeland for the Jewish people. The question shouldn't be 'Do Arabs have a right to live in Jewish territory, but, do Jews have a right to live in Jewish territory? To say that Jews can't live in Jerusalem is the equivalent of telling the Boston Red Sox they can't play in Fenway Park. Obviously, that would never go over very well on Beacon Hill."

Huckabee stated that he supports creating a Palestinian state, but believes that it should be formed outside of Israel. He named Egypt and Saudi Arabia as possible alternatives, noting that the Arabs have far more land than the Israelis and that it would only be fair for other Arab nations to give the Palestinians land for a state, rather than carving it out of the tiny Israeli state. Let's pray that other Politicians where listening, and that Huckabee's views would not be buried in the wilderness of the American Whitehouse.

[That was an excerpt from David Soakell's weekly news and prayer update from CFI-UK. To subscribe to future updates please click here]

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