ISRAEL AND ANTISEMITISM

The Garden of Gethsemane

Israel

For all who read and receive the Word of God, it is inevitable that at some point they will come face to face with one of the most frequently used words in it - Israel. Then, many questions come to the surface, for example, why Israel?

The simplest answer to this question is: Because God chose it that way! 

Didn't He choose us, each one of us individually, and doesn't He show His faithfulness to Israel today?

So, why did He choose Israel? 

To bring the Messiah into this world, the Savior Who would fulfill His perfect plan for the salvation of mankind, the Son of God, and who is Himself God, the Word of God. 

So does God love them more than us?

This is not a question of love, for in God there is an abundance of love for all equally, but rather a question of the role that the chosen people have in God's plan, and this role is not easy. Just think about the suffering, persecution, pogroms, expulsions, violence, murders, extermination, the Jews have gone through for 2000 years, just because they are Jews. And all of this culminated in the Holocaust. Then "Never Again" happened again on October 7, 2023.

However, there is one difference between the period after World War II, the Holocaust, and today. Back then, the world recognized the Holocaust, condemned it, and largely repented. Today, we have a large part of the world's population condemning Israel, (led by the UN), and even those who openly side with Israel's enemies. This is what happened after October 7th. Where the spirit that drives Hamas openly showed its nature as a merciless killer.

Thus, in this role that was assigned to Israel, on the one hand they were and are blessed - to share that blessing, and on the other hand, they suffered great hardships.

However, in order to define our relationship with the people of Israel, it is necessary to mention that throughout the centuries, Jews have often suffered at the hands of Christians, including in the Holocaust. With this in mind, I believe that our relationship with Jews should be one of respect, for example, as we respect our elderly relatives. Of course, with gratitude for the spiritual blessings and heritage.

Anti-Semitism

Representation of Jews by Nazi propaganda before World War II

I would use the term anti-Semitism more to denote hatred of everything Jewish, rather than just opposition to Jews. For me, it is inevitable in this case to turn to the Bible:

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? When you do good, is your face not cheerful? And if you do not do good, sin is crouching at the door; it desires to have you, but overcome it!” Gen. 4:6-8

Although after the Holocaust we said "Never Again", today anti-Semitism is on the rise. Now and much more widely than before, in a word, almost everywhere. The media campaign against Israel is gaining momentum and can cunningly mislead people who are not familiar with the situation in and around Israel.

It is true that the daily news is more concerned with the situations surrounding Israel than with any other part of the world. Rare are the media outlets that would accurately portray the situation, and often what is portrayed is partly accurate and partly not. So it is not easy to see what the situation really is. In today's world, of course, in this case we are mainly talking about the so-called.

Palestine, versus the State of Israel. Looking back, it is clear that the Gaza Strip poses a direct threat to Israel. And yet, they left there about twenty years ago, leaving the Palestinians to have their own state, so to speak. I know of many cases in which Israel extended a hand, which in most cases was rejected. But if you have a territory that you have ruled for at least two decades, and with a certain intention you depend on your neighbor for water and electricity, that's a different story.

So, it is good to delve into the motives of both sides. 

Israel's motive is defensive. As one of the rare democracies in the Middle East, they simply defend themselves. True, they defend themselves offensively, but in these 77 years of the existence of D. Israel, they have been attacked many times, from all sides, even without stopping, even inside Israel, with terrorist attacks. And October 7, 2023. I would say, there are not many countries with the patience of Israel...

If we look for the motive of the other side, it is not difficult to see it: the complete and uncompromising destruction of Israel. That is what the saying “From the river to the sea…” means. Or the statement of a Palestinian mother that: “she gives birth to children to die fighting against Israel”. Back in the 50s of the last century, Golda Meir, Prime Minister of Israel, would say: “We will have peace when they love their children more than they hate us”.

So they have the support of many who hate Israel. And they try to gain favor from the whole world, portraying Israel as guilty of everything. 

Interestingly, neutrality is out of the question in this case. One might want to remain neutral, not judging anyone, but that is actually even harder than taking sides…

Religious Anti-Semitism

Representation of anti-Semitism in medieval Spain

What has been said so far regarding anti-Semitism has primarily referred to Islamic radicalism, which is fundamentally religious. 

“They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering God a service.” John 16:2

However, there is another area where religious anti-Semitism exists - the Church.

The three major theologians of the three major Church denominations are known for their anti-Semitic writings. St. Augustine, in the Catholic Church, St. John Chrysostom in the Orthodox Church, and Martin Luther in the Protestant Church. I believe you can find testimonies of all of these online, if you are interested in reading them, although I find most of them unbecoming of men of God.

Thus, after the advent of the times of the Gentiles, i.e. some time after the formation of the Church, until today - when God is already turning His face towards Israel - the voice is heard that God has rejected His people and that the Church is "Israel". This is generally known as "Replacement Theology" (Replacement Theology, Supersessionism…)

This teaching gives the Church an advantage over Israel, even though St. Paul clearly writes to us on this subject in the Epistle to the Romans (Rom. 2:9,10; ch. 11). Over time, this teaching has taken on various forms and names, but in essence it remains the same.

Thus, the treatment of the Old and New Testaments becomes different, “in favor” of the New. In Matthew 13:52, Jesus speaks to us of the continuity and univocity of the entire Word of God. And God’s promises to Israel, according to this theory, apply only to the Church. These promises are, of course, the foundation of Christian support for Israel.

Thus, this view of much of Christianity, the judgment that God had rejected His people, would throughout history bring direct persecution, condemnation, and death to the Jews - such as the Inquisition in medieval Spain - and later indirectly in the Holocaust. 

They did not do so to us. Acts (15:1-35)

The ICEJ Mk team