Ezra Taft Benson and the State of Israel - Brandeis Institutional ...

Israel's victory in the Six Day War with Egypt, Jordan and Syria for many evangelicalChristians amounted to nothing less than divine intervention, hastening the coming of themessianic age. It also helped convince many Americans that they had substantialpolitical grounds for support of Israel, as a powerful ally in the fight againstCommunism. 104While Christian and political sentiment on Israel's legitimacy in the Middle Eastremained mixed early on, then transformed into resounding support in 1967, Benson'sattitude, as both a leader of the Church and a political figure, was favorable from thebeginning. Without access to his personal thoughts, we can only guess that he waslikewise supportive in the days of the Yishuv. As noted, his opinions are in large part acontinuation of previous Mormon leaders who saw the gathering of the Jews in Palestineas fulfillment of prophecy. And as a prominent leader, and later prophet of the Church,his ideas were heard and widely accepted by members. His comments reveal hisconsistent and emphatic support of the Jewish State over the span of the almost threedecades between his public remarks on the topic.In many ways, Mormon perspectives reflect Christian notions regarding Jews inPalestine, but in others, they differ notably. Benson, like many of his Christiancounterparts, focused on the fulfillment of prophecy that for him was represented in theformation of a Jewish homeland. Yet, as noted, he also consistently highlightedaccompanying Mormon prophecy and the Latter-day Saint role in ushering in thatfulfillment. Another excerpt from his 1950 message to members of the Church helps toillustrate the importance that this held in Benson's understanding. He quotes a long104Oren, Power, Faith and Fantasy, 527.36