Now that everyone has a night's sleep, now that the fog of emotion has settled, now that we all have taken a long deep breath it's time to take a look at the lead up to and the event that happened yesterday.
To say it was an important Speech is understatement. To say that it was the most important speech given in that chamber is overstatement.
You have to figure out who had skin in the game and why they acted or reacted as they did.
President Obama who didn't even watch the speech (he said) has been actively trying to get Bibi out of office. Right now there are over 300 on the ground political operatives in Israel working hard to sway the outcome of the election being held a few days from now. They are from the Obama political machine. Remember, the one thing he does best is campaigning, apparently not just in the USA. So this speech gave Bibi credibility that pushes back on all the work his team has done in the past several weeks to change the outcome of the election. Obama has skin in the game.
Christians who believe that every headline that shows up on Fox news is somehow a harbinger of things to come, blood moons and all that have skin in the game. They believe there is some indication of the end of all things, rapture and such in this speech and the reaction to it.
Christians who do not see Israel as the historic prophetic land given by God and now occupied by his chosen people have skin in the game. Every time something like this happens they seem to be compelled to turn up the heat about who the chosen of God are, who is true Israel. Who are the inheritors of the promise. This event rubs the theology the wrong way, like going backwards in petting a cat and it stirs them up. They don't want to appear anti Semitic so they resort to the word Zionist and Zionism to illustrate their rejection of Israels position in the world.
The idea that supporting Israel makes you a better christian gives you skin in the game, so you support Israel. The idea that seeing the historical and eschatological reality of what Israel really is and who she is makes you a better christian gives you skin in the game.
Here's a flash. Both are presumptuous and wrong. It's a matter of who's Ox is being gored.
The right wing, some of whom are christian and Jews, go all apoplectic over this kind of thing. Partly because of leadership that Netanyahu demonstrated is lacking in the USA and partly because of the slap in Obama's face this represented. They had skin in the game.
The left wing, some of whom are christian and Jews, had a tough line to walk. In part they support Israel as loyal Americans. The issue gets to be the support that is lacking from the titular head of the party. So they had to make a choice. Party allegiance or principled support for a strategic middle eastern ally and it's prime minister. 53 chose party over principle. They lost the most in this. Along with the president and the secretary of state they chose to abstain. They were therefore outed as what they are. Cowards. They had skin in the game and got skinned. What credibility they had was sacrificed on the altar they have built to flawed political leadership.
So who won and who lost in this? If some people got skinned and some gained a thicker skin and hopefully a tiny infusion of backbone, who won the day?
It's easy to define the losers:
President Obama being shown for the petulant insecure person he really always has been. The 53 cowardly people who followed Obama's lead slavishly lost credibility and respect of the American People. It will come back to haunt them.
Speaker Boehner for giving in on funding DHS without any address to immigration et al only hours before the speech.
Iran for finding themselves isolated by the unifying focus of purpose outlined in this speech, particularly the line, "the enemy of my enemy can still be my enemy".
Secretary John Kerry who was trying to work something out with Iran during the speech and was summarily slapped down, they rejected even the offer that Netanyahu was so critical of.
AND Radical Islam. IF you are a member of ISIS, Hezbollah, Hamas or a hundred other groups who really fear the stirring of the global giant.. they liked us better asleep. We are awake.
So who won? That list is clear.
The American people. They now see things in a better light than they did a day ago. Life seems more hopeful. Contrasts were shown. Light shining in a murky place helped clear up those who were on the fence.
Many Democrats won yesterday. They know now it's OK to say that the king has no clothes. They didn't sleep well, but they now are ready to become their own man or woman.
Bipartisanship won. The fact that support for Israel was demonstrated real said much for who we are as a nation. The wind is blowing, and they can tell which way. This blew away the fog so they could see clearly.
Freedom won. Israel is important, but the global conflict, World War 3 was seen for what it is and the belligerents on both sides were identified clearly.
Republicans won, not because of any victory but because they now can see clearly the changes that will need to be made. The insurgency inside the party gained strength.
The final "winners" are the anti semites. They now can come out from under the rock and call for death to Israel. They have been exposed. Mark them well.
If you love light, you loved what happened yesterday. When a light shines in the darkness, darkness flees. Happens every time it's tried. It did again.
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