With war raging in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas, historian Rick Richman wants people to know the back story of how Israel came to be and why IDF soldiers know they’re fighting for the very survival of the Jewish state. In his book, “And None Shall Make Them Afraid,” Richman, a resident scholar at American Jewish University in Los Angeles, highlights the lives of eight individuals with different backgrounds and talents, that helped bring about the creation of Israel. From Viennese journalist Theodore Herzel, to a Supreme Court Justice, and even a Hollywood screenwriter. They became passionate about the creation of a Zionist state, as the world was becoming more and more radically antisemitic. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Richman talks about how the creation of modern day Israel actually begins in 1895 and that the Balfour Declaration in 1917 was a dream that became a reality through the work of Jews who realized their very existence was being threatened.

00:00:00-The Historical Context of Israel’s Creation
00:18:04-The Balfour Declaration and Golda Meir
00:25:10-Challenges in Israeli Leadership With Golda Meir
00:36:01-Israel and Jewish Army Books