Book of the Month

Shuts and Failures

by Michael Maiello

People of the Book What's behind the strange love affair between Mormons and Israel?

by A Guy Called LULU 7/31/2012 - 4:12 pm

TEL AVIV – Mitt Romney dropped by the Western Wall on Sunday, July 29, but one nearby landmark was conspicuously left off his Israel itinerary: the Jerusalem Center of Brigham Young University (BYU) -- or as locals call it with typical directness, "Mormon University."

Read the full article at http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/07/30/why_do_mormons_love_israel

After living in Utah for quite a while this was still pretty much all new to me. I email ed this link to a very active, and I presume devout, Mormon who is personally acquainted with Romney and a strong supporter. I asked if he considered it to be accurate. If he reads it and responds I will pass along his views on the chance that others find the article to contain  interesting as well as valuable information.
 I will probably also send him the following link. He is a fan of the author and, while I am not, I don't see anything in this particular piece that I would argue with. Would anyone at Dag disagree with what this arch-conservative says in this case?

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article32032.htm

by A Guy Called LULU 7/31/2012 - 4:37 pm

Thanks for the link to the Foreign Policy article. I know little about Mormon teachings, but now I know a bit more.

I also clicked on your informationclearinghouse link, and read it through before glancing at the "arch-conservative" author's byline. Aagh! I hate it when I agree with Pat Buchanan, but in this case he hits the nail on the head.

I have a lot of difficulty imagining what the world will look like the day after an attack on Iran. For sure, it won't look better. I suspect the concept of international law will take a generation to reassert itself, if it ever does.

by acanuck 7/31/2012 - 6:43 pm (re: A Guy Called LULU)

Thanks for the response. I also read the piece by Buchanan before I read the byline but in my case not intentionally, I just read and then went back to the top to see who the author was. I think he has been fairly consistent on this issue for a few years.
 I, too, wonder and worry what the world will look like after an attack on Iran if those pushing for one succeed.
 I spoke to my Mormon friend and he said he had skimmed over the article quickly and would go back to it, but he thought it was mostly accurate. He said he was a bit surprised at the level of obscure knowledge contained in it, stuff few people know.    

by A Guy Called LULU 8/1/2012 - 10:11 pm (re: acanuck)

I would just point out that whatever this love affair may be, it wasn't strong enough for Netanyahu-fan-boy Sheldon Adelson to support Romney as first choice; that prize went to Newt Gingrich in an attempt to defeat Romney.

I'd be more prone to believe that Sheldon Adelson had a hand in drafting every word Mitt said in Israel, as a quid pro quo for his belated and reluctant support, over the idea that Mitt has a Mormon special love for that state. Nobody running for president looks up his nose at $100 million being dangled, especially if all that's required to get it are words and not actions.

by artappraiser 7/31/2012 - 5:46 pm

The 'prize' that Gingrich received was not awarded in an attempt to defeat Romney, it was just for the purpose of Adelson getting his first choice for the Republican candidate. His first choice though was not his first priority. Adelson's first priority is the defeat of Obama by any otherwise acceptible Republican who is a strong supporter of the war mongering faction of Israel's leadership. That was a position that every Republican candidate except Paul tried to stake out. I doubt if Adelson cares where in a candidate's psyche that support comes from, he just demands that it is there. Gingrich was his first choice and there were no doubt many factors in play to bring him to that position but obviously it wasn't Gingrich or nobody for Adelson. Romney still fills the bill sufficiently by being a champion for corporations who vows to back up Israel whatever it chooses to do.  Adelson no doubt believes that Romney will do so.
 The background of Romney's religion may or may not have anything to do with his stated strong support for Bibi and his bad boys [Romney may not even be, in his heart, a believer, though I expect that he is] but I do not think we can reject Romney's words just because they are the same words that any pandering politician, and my default position is that they are all panderers most of the time, would spout to get that 100 million. We should give some credence to evidence supporting the idea that Romney is saying what he believes in this case, or at least consider that evidence. Is this another subject where his stated policy has changed for a particular election? He surely believes something. He would surely act or react in some way regarding  Israeli wishes and actions if he were to become President. I think that here we have some more clues which can lead to fair speculation.

by A Guy Called LULU 7/31/2012 - 9:08 pm (re: artappraiser)

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