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Three Great Zionist Men of Faith
God raised up three great
Zionist men of faith whom He used at crucial points during Israel’s
march to statehood.
1 – Benjamin Disraeli
[1804-1881] and
The Berlin Congress of Nations [1878]
Benjamin Disraeli traced his
roots to a Jewish family expelled from Spain in the 15th
century. He became Britain’s Prime Minister in 1868, and a
confidant and counselor of Queen Victoria. He presented her with
the controlling shares in the Suez Canal Company, which had been
financed by the Rothschilds. Due to his political acumen, Disraeli
opened the British trade route to India and obtained a foothold in
Egypt. He passed a bill in parliament conferring upon Queen
Victoria the title of Empress of India. For his services, Disraeli
was awarded the title of Earl of Beaconsfield.
From 1876 to 1878 Disraeli’s
premiership was dominated by the Eastern Question. He fought for
equal rights for Jews everywhere and believed in the return of the
Jewish People to Palestine.
Although he was not the chairman
of the Berlin Congress of Nations, Disraeli was the leading
behind-the-scenes mover. Russia was making inroads on Turkey to
get a seaport in attempt to reach the Mediterranean, which had
always been its quest. The Western European powers got a little
nervous, and called the Berlin Congress of Nations. They
guaranteed Turkey security against Russia.
One of the unofficial
under-the-table agreements was between Disraeli and the Prime
Minister of Turkey. In return for Britain’s protection to Turkey
against Russia, Disraeli wanted Jews to be able to return to their
Promised Land, then under the Ottoman Empire rulership. For two
centuries, Jews had not been allowed to get visas to stay in
Israel for more than two weeks. They could not even buy a handful
of the soil. But due to Lord Beaconsfield’s efforts, Jews were
able to return to the Holy Land and buy land.
2 – Chaim Weizmann [1874-1952]
and
The Balfour Declaration [1917]
Again, the Lord raised a giant
on the scene–Chaim Weizmann, who became the first President of
the State of Israel.
Weizmann was born in Motol,
Russia and became active in the local Zionist group as a youth. He
taught Hebrew and studied chemistry, becoming a renowned chemist.
Weiszmann obtained his doctorate in chemistry from Freiburg
University and attended his first Zionist Congress in 1898. In
1902 he became involved in a plan to establish the Hebrew
University in Israel.
Weizmann was a very ardent
Zionist. In 1903 he helped defeat Herzl’s Uganda Plan. Weizmann
also secured a chemistry professorship at Manchester University
where he continued his scientific research. Immediately, when WWI
broke out, he began negotiating with government officials.
Turkey entered the war and the
Ottoman Empire had dominion over the Holy Land since 1510. If the
Central Powers–Germany, Turkey, and others–would lose that
war, the Ottoman Empire, which included the Holy Land, would be up
for grabs. Weizmann wanted to ensure that the Holy Land went to
the Jewish people.
Weizmann strengthened his
position by synthesizing Acetone, which was very vital at that
time in the manufacturing of munitions. Great Britain’s natural
source for Acetone had been cut off by a German U-boat blockade.
So Weizmann synthesized Acetone in the laboratory. Production
plants were developed to synthesized Acetone, and the war effort
for Britain was saved.
Arthur James Balfour and Lloyd
George had a tremendous respect for Weizmann as a great
philosopher, scholar, and man of faith. By intensive diplomatic
activity and lobbying, Weizmann negotiated the Balfour Declaration–Her
Majesty’s government favoring a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
Weizmann worked for three years
behind the scenes to accomplish the Balfour Declaration. He
engaged in 2,000 conversations with British statesmen and
politicians for three years preceding his victory. That averages
about three interviews a day! He wrote 1,000 letters in the same
three year period before he arrived at the Balfour Declaration.
This was done while World War II was raging in Europe.
3 – Clark Clifford [1907-1998]
and the U.N. Partition Plan [1948]
The third giant was Clark
Clifford, Assistant to White House Naval Aide, 1945-46; Special
Counsel to President Truman, 1946-50. Clifford played a
significant role as an advocate of extending U.S. diplomatic
recognition to the new state of Israel.
The U.N. passed a U.N. Partition
Plan. The United States voted for it. Israel was guaranteed a free
independent state for the first time since her polity fell in A.D.
70. Even before A.D. 70, Israel had not been a free nation, being
under the Roman Empire. After the U.N. Partition Plan was passed,
there were second thoughts in the countries represented at the
U.N.
Even Truman, under the pressure
of Secretary of State Marshall, had second thoughts of going
through with the U.N. Partition Plan because of the Arab pressure.
Great Britain and France were putting tremendous pressure on
Truman to back away from carrying out the U.N. Partition Plan.
Truman was waffling back and
forth. He sent a memorandum to Secretary of State Marshall and to
Security Advisor Clifford to have a meeting with him in an office
at a certain time on a certain date. Each was to present his own
position as to whether they should go ahead with the U.N.
Partition Plan. Truman called on Clark Clifford to state his
position first.
Clark Clifford said, "Mr.
President, there must be a State of Israel. The greatest proof
that there has to be a State of Israel is the Bible."
Clifford proceeded to quote scripture after scripture after
scripture to prove that Israel, the Jewish people, had the right
to a homeland, and they would be returned to their homeland at the
end of days.
Without even listening to
Secretary of State General Marshall, Truman said, "I’m
convinced. We’ll carry on with the Partition Plan and an
independent state."
Marshall got up and said,
"Mr. President, if you proceed with that position, in the
next election I will vote against you," and he left the room.
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