by Alan Langstaff

Over the years, I have written a number of Langstaff Letters about America and, in particular, about President Donald Trump. Mainly, I have been supportive of him, although I don’t care for the way he talks at times and questions relating to his character.

Although I have generally supported him, there is one issue on which I differ from him and strongly oppose. It is the plan to have a Two-State Solution for Israel. I believe in this case, he is wrong. Israel is not meant to become two states.

Before I get to the heart of the matter, it would be helpful to review a little of the history of Jews in America.

BRIEF HISTORY OF JEWS IN AMERICA

There was one Jewish person on the Mayflower when the first pilgrims came to America. Then Jewish people came to America in the 17th Century in places like New Amsterdam (now New York). Many of the original Jewish people came from Spain and Portugal.

Large waves of Jewish immigrants came to America in the late 19th century and early 20th century, particularly from Russia, Poland, and Romania. After the Holocaust, Jews again came to America. Most settled on the coast and particularly in metropolitan areas.

The United States has the largest Jewish population in the world after Israel. As of 2019, the Jewish population was about 7.1 million (i.e., 2% of the national population), with 1 million in New York.

The American Jews are divided into numerous Jewish denominations, including Reform Judaism, Conservative Judaism, and Orthodox Judaism.

There is a particular incident that concerned Jews in America during the Second World War. It involved the ship S.S. St. Louis, which carried nearly a thousand passengers, mainly Jews. They were refused permission to unload in America on orders of President Roosevelt due to the Immigration Act of 1924, which made it illegal. The ship returned to Europe, and only 365 survived the Holocaust. The U.S. Immigration policy was changed in 1948.

Jews came to America for two main reasons: social and entrepreneurial opportunities, and later as a relief from antisemitism in Europe.

It is estimated that 500,000 Jewish men – that represents half of Jewish men – fought in the war as Americans.

The Holocaust had a profound impact on people in the United States, and the Jews also became more assimilated within America. Politically, Jewish people have supported the Democratic Party, and in the 2000 US Presidential Election, Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, a practicing Jew, was the Vice Presidential nominee on the Democratic ticket.

In 1948, the Jewish state of Israel was founded, and it was President Henry Truman who was the first to recognize the State of Israel. During the subsequent years, the people of the modern nation of Israel began to create a new homeland and a new nation.

In 1967, the Six-Day War took place. For many, this was a miraculous victory over the Arab armies that sought to destroy it.

In 1983, economist Thomas Sowell of Stanford University wrote, “Jewish family incomes are the highest in any large ethnic group in the US – 72% above the national average.”

Antisemitism has been on the rise even as early as the Civil War, but it increased during the first half of the twentieth century.

However, Jewish people began to prosper, and by 2021, several Jews were included in the Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest people in America.

The Jews also formed the Anti-Defamation League to fight Antisemitism situations.

(Taken from articles including Googling “The History of Jews in the United States.”)

THE TWO-STATE SOLUTION

President Trump, back in his first term as President, proposed the two-state solution for Israel, where the West Bank would become a Palestinian State.

This has been proposed again just recently. America is not the only country to propose the Two-State Solution. Various European countries support it, including France.

OPPOSITION TO THE TWO-STATE SOLUTION

Not everybody agrees with the Two-State Solution. Even so, there has been pressure put on Israel by America to accept the Two-State Solution as the only answer to Israel’s situation.

The Israelis incessantly reject Palestinian statehood, declaring it “would pose an existential danger” to Israel. An article in the Wall Street Journal calls it a delusion.

“A ‘two-state solution’ is an oxymoron. The Palestinians, who hold the world record for rejecting such proposals since the 1930s, clearly oppose it. Since the massacres of Oct. 7, 2023, the majority of Israelis view a Palestinian state as a dangerous reward for terror. Nobody knows what that state would look like, who would run it or whether it would be democratic and peaceful or Islamic and jihadist. Nobody can adduce evidence that the Palestinians are capable of maintaining a nation-state.

Yet these facts haven’t prevented generations of world leaders, scholars and commentators from insisting that the two-state solution isn’t merely implementable but the only path to ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
(Wall Street Journal, July 9, 2025)

LINK OF AMERICA AND ISRAEL

There is, whether it is realized or not, a significant link between Israel and America. One of the reasons is that America is the only major country in the world that supports Israel. It is also interesting to note that many times when Israel was under attack that many significant events occurred in America at the time when action was proposed against Israel.

For example on September 9th, 2001 President Bush publicly committed to the roadmap to peace (Two-State Solution). Forty-eight hours later, September 11th happened to the Twin Towers in New York. Now some people would see this as a coincidence while others see a spiritual relationship in it all.

BIBLICAL REFERENCES TO THE LAND

The promises of God regarding Israel go back to the call given to Abraham:

“Now the Lord had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country, From your family

And from your father’s house,

To a land that I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1 NKJV)

Now, the question I get “Is the modern state of Israel linked to the Biblical State of Israel?” One points out that the modern nation of Israel has not embraced their Messiah and is contrary to Biblical teachings. Well, we should remember that there were times in Israel’s Biblical history when they too lived in disobedience, such as when they disobeyed Yahweh and followed Baal.

I believe, however, that the modern Israel is linked with Biblical Israel and is the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. So many Jews have come to Christ in the last century, and who knows whether the grafted branch of Israel will embrace their Messiah, and revival will take place.

SOME FINAL THOUGHTS

Now I believe that President Trump has had a remarkable first six months and much has been achieved that is good. However, I believe that his plan to have a Two-State Solution for Israel is wrong and will not be for Israel’s or America’s good. I am not the only person who thinks this way. For examples see articles by William Koenig, Director of World Watch Daily. He has been a White House correspondent from 2001-2021.

Tony Perkins from the Family Research Council sums it up this way:

“The United States should support Israel’s rightful claim to sovereignty over Judea and Samaria. This is not only a matter of historical justice, but of national security— for Israel and for all who value stability in the Middle East. Failing to do so will perpetuate a failed status quo, embolden enemies of peace, and betray the very principles that have undergirded America’s strongest ally in the region.”
(from Harbinger’s Daily, by Tony Perkins, July 6, 2025)

So let us pray for Israel and America that God would keep and bless these nations.