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Mike Huckabee @ Israel Day Concert
"...My first trip to Israel was in 1973. I was 17 years old. And it became the first of dozen and dozens of trips I have made over the past 42 years, to this remarkable land, with whom the United States has not just an organizational relationship but an organic relationship! There is no explanation for Israel other than the hand of Almighty G-d that has preserved and protected and given the Jews their homeland after 2000 years of being scattered across the earth, the same way there is no explanation for the United States of America, other than the providence of G-d's hand. It is not only natural, it is not only politically expedient, it is a matter of our existence, that the United States and Israel maintain their unique friendship and alliance. An alliance that we've seen threatened over the past few years. An alliance which has taken us to a place where we now put more pressure on Israel for building bedrooms in Judea and Samaria than we are willing to put on Iran for building a bomb! My friends, this does not make sense! I tell you this. If I am elected President of the United States, it is not a matter of political rhetoric, it is a matter of absolute reality that the Iranians will not be able to have a bomb and they will not be able to continue to threaten the peace of Israel! (loud applause) A lot of Americans don't seem to understand that a threat to Israel is ultimately a threat to the United States. It is not just Israel whose freedom is on the line, but the very liberty that we love and sometimes take for granted in this country, is threatened by the forces of radical Jihad, and if we can not even call our enemy by its name, we will never be able to defeat it. We must stand united as a world, a world of sanity against insanity. We must stand, and stand together, because the existence of Israel, is truly at stake when you have people who openly declare that one of their stated intentions is to wipe Israel off the face of the earth.
How can we negotiate with Iran when even as they are in the negotiation table their leaders take to the streets and chant "death to America". I would say that if we continue believing that we can have a relationship with the Iranians and their government, we might as well say, "death to sanity" because that is what we are giving a license to, a license to kill us all. Over the past few years,starting in Europe and spreading across the world, is the irrational BDS movement. We must educate the world that the Israeli's have done more to bring prosperity, peace and a state of liberty to people whether they are Jewish or not. And the many times that I have been there, just last year, 3x in Israel, one of those trips to the Soda Stream factory in Judea, and I watched this plant with 600 Arabs and 500 Jews working side by side, the Arabs earning 4x the amount of money that they would earn in any place in the PA, and someone in Europe or someone in this country, sitting in some Ivy League ivory tower, wants to tell me that life isn't as good, under the prospect of an Israeli protection, my dear friend, tell that to the Arabs who are making more money than they have ever made in their lives, and they have security and sidewalk's and schools and hospitals that they have never had before! ,
I know that there are people who think that a smart way to bring peace to the Middle East is to divide Jerusalem up and to give away more territory. I suggest, that the one way to have peace is to make clear that Jerusalem will never be divided (Loud Applause), that it will be in the hand of Israel (Applause), that it is the capitol of Israel. And thank G-d that the Israeli's are willing to protect the Holy sites and shrines for all people, whether they are Muslim, Christian or Jew. As a frequent visitor, as a Christian,I know that if that land were divided, I do not trust one moment that the PA would protect for a day the shrines of anyone who was Jewish or Christian. You know that and I know that, and the world deep down has to know that. And that is one of the many reasons why we never can accept the notion that Israel will be divided that Jerusalem will be carved in half. Let us be clear. The boundaries of Israel are not given by the United Nations but by Almighty G-d. And those boundaries can be affirmed by man but not reshaped by man. And the United States doesn't have a better friend in the world than Israel, and Israel does not have a better friend in the United States than me. (Applause) And I am grateful for your support of Israel and for your understanding of the liberties that we have. I want to say, let us not be weary in well doing. Let us not for one moment let our guard down. There are forces who want to destroy every last one of us and it is our goal and intent to make it clear to the world, as it says in Genesis "Those who stand with Israel shall be Blessed and those who curse Israel shall be cursed. I can't speak for anyone else , but I speak for me today. I Stand With Israel! (applause) May G-d Bless the Land of Israel and may G-d bless America! Thank you very much!
Interview with Mike Huckabee @ Israel Day Concert 2015
excerpts>>
..."There is a unique kind of spirit that exists in Israel. I know what that spirit is -
G-d! There is no other explanation for Israel. It is the special place that I believe is the embodiment of freedom, liberty of people who are seeking to find a place of refuge from the hatred from all of those intent to destroy them.....I believe that standing with Israel is standing with what G-d wants us to do..."
Q: Relating to the Iranian threat...do you see Israel attacking and of America not even supporting an Israel attack?
..."If I am President, I assure you that would not be the case. I think if the Israeli's were under attack right now, I'm not sure what this President would do. I know what he did when they were under the attack in Gaza and he tried to create some kind of - equivocation - saying, both sides need to hold back..and I'm thinking, hey, wait a minute...There is only one side here who is the aggressor. Israel did not aim targets intentionally at civilians and babies and children, but Hamas did - and for us to say it's the same? It's not the same! Israel has taken a defensive position to protect itself. The terrorists have taken an offensive position to destroy Israel. That's very different..."
Q. How about the 2 State Solution? What is your opinion on that?
A. "Well, the 2 State solution, if we made two governments who were holding the same piece of real estate is irrational and unworkable and I think it is time we quit playing this pretentious game that there is going to be a two state solution where both sides share the same country and real estate and streets, cause they're not! One of the sides, the Palestinians, continue to say that Israel doesn't have a right to exist. You can't forge an alliance with that. So if there is a two state solution, the Palestinian State, must be outside the boundaries of the Nation of Israel. There is plenty of land in the world where we can find a place to say OK let's create a Palestinian State - but not within the confines of a secure Israel."
Q: This is the first time here at the Concert. What do you think of this show?
A. " Well, it's an amazing celebration of Israel and a celebration really of the alliance between America and the people of Israel. The enthusiasm, the vast crowds, all is a reminder that anyone who thinks that America is abandoning the State of Israel, obviously, they weren't in Central Park today. because they would find out that there is strong passionate sentiment to stand with the State of Israel!"
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Sincerely,
Robin Ticker
Activist emails sent to my list are L'Ilui Nishmat Yisrael ben David Aryeh ob"m (Izzy - Kaplan) and Howard Chaim Grief great activists and lovers of Eretz Yisroel, Am Yisroel and the Torah. Yehi Zichronum Baruch. May their memories serve as a blessing.