Maimonides was correct, without interpretation: We hope for a miracle, nothing less.

Submitted by Michael S, Dec 31, 2016 at 19:24

Hi, Daniel. I had to chuckle at one line:

"Trump would probably be drawn to an approach that has our side win and the other side lose."

When Ronald Reagan was first elected President in 1980, one of his confidants asked him whether he even had a policy in mind towards the Soviet Union and the Cold War. Reagan replied,

"Yes, I do -- 'We win'."

As simplistic and obvious as this appears, it is the element that has been missing in the foreign policies of every other US president since Eisenhower replaced Truman and settled for a draw in Korea. You went on to say,

"[Israeli PM Netanyahu] has an ambitious vision of Israel's global importance."

Israel was just defeated, 14-0 in the UN Security Council; and it has been overwhelmingly outnumbered in resolution after resolution in the General Assembly. I can hardly infer from that, that Israel is of "global importance" as anything other than a whipping boy. The article you cited began,

"One of the thirteen principles of the Jewish faith, compiled by the medieval philosopher Maimonides, reads as follows: 'I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah, and although he may tarry, I wait every day for his coming.' Replace 'the Messiah' with 'a drastic increase in Israel's global popularity,' and you'll get the first article of faith from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's foreign policy gospel.

-- http://www.timesofisrael.com/why-netanyahu-refuses-to-turn-the-other-cheek-in-his-confrontational-response-to-un-defeat/?utm_source=The+Times+of+Israel+Daily+Edition&utm_campaign=a1142a79b4-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2016_12_27&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_adb

Israel has NOT had "a drastic increase in global popularity". In the recent vote, some of her closest friends deserted her. Many countries DEAL with Israel, because they stand to get something out of the deal: oil, defense technology, campaign contributions, what have you. But when push comes to shove in UN votes, the "beauty contests" of the world, Israel always winds up being the ugly duckling.

Raphael Ahren (whom you cited) should have left Maimonides' quote as it was:

"I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah, and although he may tarry, I wait every day for his coming."

Israel needs Messiah. She needs a miracle. Here is a list of United Nations (read, "United Gentiles", for that is exactly what it means) resolutions against the Jewish State:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_UN_resolutions_concerning_Israel_and_Palestine

UNGA Resolution 67/19 is typical:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_General_Assembly_resolution_67/19

The vote was 138-9 against Israel. Other resolutions were even closer. In the most recent vote in the Security Council, the leaders of Britain, France, Spain, Japan and New Zealand all voted in favor of de-legitimizing Israel's existence in the Holy Land. That's "Britain", as in "Theresa May", whom Donald Trump hoped would be his "Margaret Thatcher".

The world has turned completely against Israel. The score in the UNSC is 14-0, and we have only a minute or so to play. The situation is HOPELESS.

Abraham was MIRACULOUSLY given a child, from which Israel sprang.
Joseph was MIRACULOUSLY elevated to Governor of Egypt, so that he could preserve the lives of his family of 70 souls could be preserved.
Moses MIRACULOUSLY delivered Israel from Egypt
Joshua was MIRACULOUSLY victorious over the inhabitants of Canaan
God MIRACULOUSLY returned Israel to its homeland in the 5th Century BCE, allowing them to rebuild the Temple and renew Jewish customs
Mattathias and his sons MIRACULOUSLY defeated Antiochus Epiphanes, the most powerful king in the East.
The Jewish people have MIRACULOUSLY survived, after 1900 years of being scattered abroad.
They MIRACULOUSLY have preserved Torah, with 97% accuracy, letter-for-letter, over a 2200 year period.
They have MIRACULOUSLY revived Hebrew as a living language, long after the language of the Romans has become a dead language.
They MIRACULOUSLY arose as a modern state, in the midst of nearly universal opposition
They MIRACULOUSLY defeated their enemies in 1967, who outnumbered them some 5:1, restoring Jerusalem, Hebron, Beit El and all the holy places to them.

Maimonides does not to be explained away, to fit modern times. Modern times do not speak ANYTHING good, concerning Israel's feature. Israel does not need to become "popular among the Gentiles". It never will. The Gentiles, for the most part, hate Israel and want to destroy it. Israel does not need them nor their friendship. What Israel needs, as Maimonides correctly saw, is a miracle.

Israel is not unique in this respect, by the way. The whole needs a miracle to survive; because we are headed straight for nuclear Armageddon, and accelerating as we go. We all need a miracle, the same miracle.

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