The Ghouls are Back
One of the outcomes of living in this bizarre world now is that it feels like living in a time warp from every direction. The future seems scary, the present is staggering in its weirdness, and we also seem to be repeating some of the past.
With regard to Israel and the Jews, anti-Semitism is absolutely on the rise at levels none of us have ever seen. I could write a series of books on Jew-hatred in the Church; it’s worse than you can imagine (especially at the leadership levels). That’s my area of research.
I also watch the signs around the world, and predictably, Europe still has a problem with the Jews.
I will tell you that I think while anti-Semitism has always existed in Europe, I believe it has become a serious problem in the last century primarily because of the liberal biblical scholarship coming out of Germany, and Darwinian philosophy. Both were/are wicked attacks on the veracity of Scripture. It is known that the so-called “German Christian Movement” de-emphasized the teaching of the Old Testament in the lead-up to the Nazis.
Among other things, one grotesque outcome of such false teaching is that Jewish history becomes marginalized. In those days, Jews became “Other” and were then easily sidelined, persecuted, and finally murdered by the millions.
Sadly, indifference or even outright hostility to the Jews has spilled over into America.
But it’s England that now intrigues me. Recently, Israel’s Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich visited London; afterward he came under sharp criticism from Jewish leadership in the city. He criticized them as being similar to pre-World War 2 British Jews that believed they could essentially pacify their enemies by being more reasonable, more accommodating.
It didn’t work.
Smotrich has the right attitude, I believe. From a Jerusalem Post report:
“’It is ridiculous to bring up antisemitism on a day when a report is published on the massive rise of antisemitism in Britain, long before I arrived,’ Smotrich said. ‘Those who say the way to deal with antisemitism is to hide who and what we are repeat the awful strategy of German Jewry ahead of World War II, who thought if there is antisemitism, let’s be more like the non-Jews and they will forgive and accept us. The opposite is true. The response to antisemitism must be a strong and secure Israel that can justify the Zionist vision and the belonging of Israel to the Land of Israel and the entire Jewish people, and the strong connection of the Diaspora to Israel, instead of trying, yet again, to find favor with the hegemony and renounce anyone because someone thinks they should, due to warped, progressive, almost sick dictates.’”
Exactly.
For their part, official British Jewry said that Smotrich’s comments weren’t even worthy of response! Wow.
I have always believed in the concept of peace through strength. That policy has waxed and waned with American presidents through the years. The same holds true for Israeli leaders, but the one difference between Israel and all other countries is, they know they can’t afford to lose a war. That includes the war of anti-Semitism.
Israel knows what it has to do to win. I’m not sure their relatives in Europe can say the same thing.
A Wall Street Journal piece, by Andrew Doran, speaks of the so-called “new anti-Semitism.”
“The pretext of the ‘new’ anti-Semitism is hatred of Israel, which justifies Jew hatred anywhere. Other forms, like the popularity of ‘The Protocols of the Elders of Zion,’ endure. Jews are said to have a plan to dominate the world, spread drugs and venereal diseases, and much else. The crimes of capitalism and communism alike are blamed on Jews. Anti-Semitism is resurgent on the political right, which feels alienated from governing institutions. And the most refined anti-Semitism continues to be taught on university campuses.”
The writer then goes on to discuss (bravely, I think!) the problem of anti-Semitism among Christians.
All this proves one thing: anti-Semitism is a global problem, a human problem. Religious and non-religious alike don’t like Jews. Someday I’ll write about my investigations into Christian anti-Semitism.
I think that is an epic tragedy. But it is also prophetic. The Bible is full of evidence that Jew-hatred is a spiritual problem.
A problem not likely to be solved any time soon.