How Does Judaism Influence The World?
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Middle East Culture and Society
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The history of Judaism dates back thousands of years as chronicled in the Old Testament of the Bible. The actual state of Israel, which is the only Jewish country in the world, dates back only to 1948, just after World War II. People of Jewish faith are in every country of the world. They look to preserve and protect this one and only Jewish country.
Part of the effort to preserve and protect directly affects the culture and politics of a number of neighboring countries including Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Egypt. The impact on culture, society and national expenditures for the Jewish state is significant. The effects are in aspects such as expenses for an adequate military, watchful vigilance concerning nuclear weapons, health issues such as bird flu and heavy loss of poultry, oil production, economic impact, tourism, agriculture, even grapes, and wine-making.
Judaism influence in the United States
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The most significant present day influence of Judaism is the peculiar relationship it has with the United States. Each U. S. President has committed to guaranteeing the military security of Israel starting from Israel's establishment in 1948, yet there is not any formal treaty between the U. S. and Israel. This has come about through the strong support of the Jewish people of the United States. That support comes in the form of direct representation in Congress and from two key lobby groups. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) dedicates itself to direct lobbying of members of Congress, and The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations directly lobbies the executive branch of the U. S. government.
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World-wide Judaic Lobbying techniques
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The influence of the Jewish lobby in most countries consists of one, some or all of these basic techniques. Financial support of political parties and individual politicians is important. Jewish individuals in many countries join together with other interest groups. There is internal formation of policy planning. Countries also have direct consultation and coordination with officials in Israel, and supporters of Judaism have prompt public disagreement and rebuttal of any criticism of Israel whether domestic or foreign.
The cultural impact of Judaic influence within a country is directly linked to the use of these techniques more so than the number of Jewish people in a country. The influence of the Jewish lobby in the United States is very strong as noted above.
Against the Odds
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The unfathomable oddity of all is the public stance of the State of Israel's assertion of a democratic nation reluctant to rely upon any nation for help, capable of defending itself from attack and invasion. Consider that Israel has a population of 7 million, and the adjoining neighboring countries have a combined population of 110 million. Beyond those neighbors are two anti-Israel countries with a combined population of 100 million.
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Resources
- Photo Credit http://en.wikipedia.org
Comments
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yididnefesh
May 13, 2009
If you're interested on Judaism's and the Jewish people's impact on civilization, take a look at Ken Spiro's book "WorldPerfect: The Jewish Impact on Civilization."
