Make America Great Again? Ask the Jews

Last week, we hosted a young man from Manchester for Shabbat. I asked him about life in England, where the Muslim population is growing rapidly and the left-wing government is arresting opponents of the government for “inflammatory” posts on X. Though not shocking, his answer was depressing: “People are very down, and many have given up on England. They feel their society has no future, and they are starting to look for a way to get out and start fresh somewhere else.”

Throughout history, great civilizations – like the British Empire – have followed a predictable pattern. They emerge from humble beginnings, expand through conquest and commerce, reach dazzling heights of wealth and intellectual achievement, and then begin a steady decline into decadence and eventual collapse. The British military historian Sir John Glubb documented this pattern across three millennia of human history, finding that empires from Rome to the Ottomans followed remarkably similar trajectories, with an average lifespan of about 250 years.

Today, many Americans sense that we are witnessing such a decline in our own nation. The signs are everywhere: diminishing influence on the world stage, economic struggles that leave young people worse off than their parents, and perhaps most painfully, the erosion of religious faith and traditional values that once formed the bedrock of our society. The ubiquitous “Make America Great Again” signs themselves testify to a widespread feeling that our greatest days may be behind us.

Yet in this time of uncertainty and decline, millions of people worldwide are turning to an unexpected source of hope: the Jewish people and the State of Israel. This is particularly true among American Christians, who are increasingly fascinated by the Jewish roots of their faith and eager to study Torah alongside their Jewish brothers and sisters. Why? Because the Jewish people represent something unique in human history – a nation that defies the normal rules of civilizational rise and fall.

The Hebrew words golah (גולה, exile) and geulah (גאולה, redemption) share the same essential letters, with “geulah” containing one additional letter – aleph. This linguistic relationship reveals a profound truth: while other civilizations simply decline and fall, Jewish exile transforms into redemption through the addition of the aleph, representing God’s presence and sovereignty. This is the key difference: where other nations face decline in isolation, the Jewish people experience their darkest moments with God, transforming exile into a pathway to renewal. It is this divine relationship – represented by that single letter aleph – that transforms what would otherwise be civilizational death into a uniquely Jewish process where exile (golah) contains within itself the seeds of redemption (geulah).

This truth is beautifully expressed in the words of the prophet Jeremiah:

This verse was written to the Jewish people in their darkest hour, as they were being led into Babylonian exile. Yet even then, God promised not just survival, but a future filled with hope.

The Jew stands as a living rebellion against the death of civilizations. While great powers crumble into dust – their youth lost to cynicism, their elites gorging themselves on the last scraps of decadence – the Jewish people keep proving that renewal is possible.

Look at the pattern: Spain expelled its Jews in 1492, thinking it would destroy them. Instead, they built new centers of Torah learning across the Mediterranean that outshone what they left behind. The Nazis systematically murder six million Jews, believing they would end Jewish history. Three years later, the State of Israel was born. The Arab world tried to strangle Israel in its cradle in 1948, then again in 1967 and 1973. Today, Israel leads the world in innovation and has experienced a religious revival while its enemies stagnate.

This is why Christians across America are increasingly drawn to Torah study and Jewish learning. They see their civilization following Glubb’s iron law of decline – the 250-year death cycle that has swallowed every empire from Rome to Britain. But the Jews offer something different: proof that you can lose everything and still begin again. Not just survive, but renew.

This spiritual awakening to Israel’s significance might be America’s salvation. While other empires followed the inevitable path of decline, America has a unique opportunity. Genesis 12:3 presents a stark choice:

If America remains steadfast in supporting Israel – not just politically, but by embracing the deeper spiritual truths the Jewish people carry – it could buck the iron laws of civilizational death. A nation that stands with God and His chosen people positions itself to receive God’s blessing. Perhaps this is why so many Americans instinctively sense that their country’s fate is mysteriously intertwined with Israel’s.

This is America’s moment of choice. In recent years, America has wavered in its support for Israel, threatening to join the long list of nations that turned their backs on the Jewish people. But there is hope. President Trump has the opportunity to reverse this dangerous course and return America to its tradition of blessing Israel. This isn’t just about foreign policy – it’s about America’s very survival. It can follow the familiar path of empires into decline and irrelevance, or it can forge a different destiny by standing firmly with Israel and the Jewish people. We pray that President Trump will remain true to Israel, for America’s future hangs in the balance. “Make America Great Again” isn’t just about returning to the past – it’s about choosing a future aligned with God’s eternal promises. 

In the crucible of today’s challenges, America’s unwavering support for Israel might be the key that unlocks its own renewal, defying the normal 250-year death cycle of civilizations. The same divine promise that has preserved the Jewish people through millennia offers hope for American renewal – if America has the wisdom to embrace it.

Join Israel365 Action in building a stronger Israel. Stand with us as we champion a bold new vision for Israel, support communities in Judea and Samaria, and partner with Israel’s true allies worldwide. Join the movement today!