Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

The New Haman

If there ever was a time when we needed a new Esther and Mordecai, now is the time.  Of course, I’m speaking of the events described in the Book of Esther, traditionally read on the holiday of Purim.  Sometime in the 5th century, B.C.E., there arose a horrible anti-Semite called Haman, assistant to the king of Persia.  Persia controlled all the regions of the Middle East where Jews resided.  Offended by a Jewish man, Mordecai, Haman decreed the following: “destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews ... in one day.”  As the story unfolds, Mordecai’s niece, Esther, had become queen and successfully interceded with the king on the Jews behalf.  Ultimately, Haman was hanged, and Mordecai replaced him in his former position.  Today, in the same nation, the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, maintains relentless verbal threats against Israel.  Note the similarity of his comments with Haman’s: “The uniform shout of the Iranian nation is forever, ‘Death to Israel.’” What makes this new Haman particularly dangerous is Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. 

I was in Israel in 2003 with a group of other lawyers when a retired Israeli general, who was briefing us on terrorism, declared that Israel will never allow Iran to build a nuclear weapon.  Today, experts predict Iran will be able to assemble a weapon anywhere between 8 months and 3 years.  Some suggest Israel preemptively destroy the weapons’ factories like they did in 1981 to Iraq.  But doing so in Iran is far more complex.  One, unlike in Iraq, Iran is aware of Israel’s capabilities and willingness to attack and has prepared intricate defenses.  Two, Iran is further away.  Three, Iran’s program is more sophisticated and widespread than Iraq’s.  Four, Iran has long range missiles capable of reaching Israel.  Five, Iran has proxy regimes in both Lebanon (Hezbollah) and Gaza (Hamas) who will likely attack Israel if Israel attacks Iran.  Even if Israel were successful in destroying Iranian nuclear capability, in and of itself highly problematic, such an attack would likely cause a major Middle Eastern conflagration with significant loss of Israeli lives and property.  The one country most able to destroy Iran’s plans is the U.S.  But with U.S. troops tied down in Iraq and Afghanistan, direct U.S. involvement in an attack is unlikely.  So far, plans to dissuade Iran from acquiring nuclear capability have failed.  What can be done?

I was in Israel again in 2007, a few weeks following the war with Hezbollah and Lebanon.  I spoke at an Israeli military base to 500 soldiers as a result of a humanitarian project sponsored by the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations to which I was president at the time.  In my short remarks I quoted the following from the book of Amos: “Also I will restore the captivity of my people Israel, and they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, and make gardens and ear their fruit.  I will also plant them on their land, and they will not again be rooted out from their land which I have given them, says the Lord your God.”  I concluded by saying it doesn’t matter what Hamas says or Hezbollah says or the world says.  Rather what’s important is what God says, and He says you will not be uprooted from your land again. 

Now, more than ever, Israel needs a miracle.  She needs new Esthers and Mordecais to deal with the new Haman.  As we approach Purim that celebrates deliverance from a remarkably similar situation, would you “pray for the peace of Jerusalem?”