A Cauldron of Jew Haters

Simmering for decades, full-blown anti-Semitism has boiled over in the past two weeks since the controversy over a Jerusalem neighborhood (Sheikh Jarrah).

Palestinian activists, emboldened by the puppet Joe Biden’s odious presence in the White House, and internal Israeli politics, pounced on the evictions of Arab families from a handful of homes. The explosion of protests in the country then gave cover to Hamas, and as we all know by now, thousands of rockets threatened Israel.

In a conversation I had this week with dear friends who are long-time pro Israel activists, it was brought to our attention that there is a dearth of statements from Christian groups condemning the rocket attacks. At the same time, this uptick in anti-Semitism is quite alarming.

I must say I’m not surprised that Israel found itself scrambling to present its case to the world; there are and have always been plenty of Jew haters in global politics.

But it pains me to say that the weak responses from Christian (leadership) communities are not only alarming. They are infuriating.

The 10-day offensive by Hamas resulted in almost 4,000 rockets being fired. The Iron Dome knocked down 90 percent of them; around 500 fell inside the Gaza Strip. Eleven Israelis were killed by the time a ceasefire was announced. Included in the attacks were six Israeli air force bases.

As we have discussed before, such as during Trump’s term in office, geopolitics can turn on a dime. It seems it was not long ago we were celebrating the moving of the US Embassy to Jerusalem, from Tel Aviv. Sadly and tragically, the spiritual disease known as anti-Semitism (there can be no other plausible explanation) is always waiting to erupt. What lays the groundwork for that too often is the soft attitude toward the health and wellbeing of Jews.

It infuriates me that most of America’s top ministries are silent when it comes to anti-Semitism. They can speak about any other subject, but ignore the plight of the Jews and Israel. I suspect this isn’t an accident or oversight.

Let me give you a couple examples that explain in part this silence and weak-mindedness.

A recent Associated Press article was picked up and published by The Baptist Press:

“The current eruption of violence began a month ago in Jerusalem with protests and clashes with police. A focal point was of the clash between Palestinians and Israeli police was Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, built on a hilltop compound that is revered by Jews and Muslims.”

A hilltop compound?

This is almost unbelievable! The “hilltop compound” just happens to be the world-famous Temple Mount, home to the two ancient Israelite temples. I’d say it was revered by Jews. It’s only the spiritual center of the universe. Much of the world’s pivotal history took place there, and will.

This might seem like a small, subtle point but I think it speaks to a larger issue: the erasure of Jewish history. People are so ill-informed now that the Jew haters don’t need any help in removing Jews from history, especially their own biblical history. Why in the world would Southern Baptist editors, pastors, or high-profile ministry leaders not teach their people better on this point?

A May 14 piece that appeared on the website of the SBC’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), “Explainer: Israeli-Palestinian hostilities could lead to ‘full-scale war’” also subtly undermines Israel’s position (I do not believe this is unintentional):

“The recent tensions appear to be due to a pending decision by Israel’s Supreme Court that could evict approximately 75 Palestinians from their homes in East Jerusalem. Violent clashes also resulted when Muslims were reportedly blocked from Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest site.”

Notice it’s Israel’s fault that Hamas fired rockets, murdering Israelis. Then notice the poor Muslims were “reportedly” blocked from Al-Aksa.

I’ve been to the site many times. The mosque for years has been a literal storehouse of incitement against Israel, including hate speech and actual weapons storage.

It’s unconscionable that the venerable Southern Baptist Convention would help push PLO and Hamas propaganda.

Another (May 13) article published by Baptist Press was titled thus: “Israel begins firing shells into Gaza as fighting escalates”.

Again, notice the use of language: Israel just simply, for some reason, begins firing on Palestinians. Then this:

“The use of artillery fire in Israel’s four-day-old response to Hamas’ rocket attacks, which were aimed at Israel’s population centers, raised the likelihood of civilian casualties.”

The writers of this hit piece are very clearly accusing Israel of being responsible for Palestinian civilians being killed or wounded. This particular article was first published by International News. One of the authors of this article is Fares Akram, who has a BA in Journalism from the Islamic University in Gaza!

Unbelievable. When an American religious press service recycles lies and propaganda from Israel’s implacable enemy, you know we’ve got problems.

I’ve had enough of this.

I publicly call on SBC leaders like Ronnie Floyd, Al Mohler, the Executive Committee, and Baptist Press to ferret-out and repudiate this shoddy reporting that hurts Israel.

Will they? I doubt it.

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com

www.thegodthatanswers.com

 

 

 

Devilish

As 2,000 rockets have been fired at Israel this week, the usual suspects in the West—the Jew-haters—launch their own propaganda attacks. In this way, they work hand-in-glove with Hamas.

I want to make two points this week; both of them leave me irritated.

The first point is that, as I’ve written so many times over the years, certain American Christians despise Israel. I also stand by my statement many times that too many of them—here I’m talking about those in leadership or highly visible positions—simply do not like Jews.

It shows through their Media.

Until about a decade ago, Cameron Strang seemed fairly mainstream in his views of Israel. That is, his family has been well-known as pro-Israel publishers in the Charismatic community. But then Cameron went to Israel with anti-Israel evangelicals (or, better put, people who use the label “evangelical” in order to fool others. In reality, some of them are pagans), and he came back spouting PLO propaganda. His magazine has done untold damage in turning Millennials against the Jewish state. Another hit piece this week is proof of that.

Anti-Israel activist Todd Deatherage (he poses as an even-handed humanitarian) is interviewed about the rocket attacks from Hamas. Notice this comment:

“As we’re talking this morning, we are on day four of a massive conflagration of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. You’ve had hundreds of rockets fired out of the Gaza strip into South and central Israel. About nine Israelis are dead, including one or two children. And you had a massive Israeli response, mostly of an aerial bombardment campaign of the Gaza strip. There are about a hundred or more Palestinians who’ve been killed, including more than 20 children.”

You have to understand how totalitarians communicate. Here, the progressive Deatherage isn’t sure how many Jewish children have been killed. But he subtly notes that “more than” 20 Palestinian kids have died.

The way Christian media communicate about Israel is devilish.

Most of you know this drill. Hamas uses women and children as human shields. The terrorists are soulless fiends. Does anyone really believe Israel targets children? British Colonel Richard Kemp today tweeted:

“Never in history has any army made greater efforts to minimise civilian deaths in a combat zone. Whatever the media might tell you in Gaza 2021 the IDF has so far achieved one of the smallest ratios of civilian deaths in battle of any recent conflict.”

You should read the entire Relevant piece. And when you do, read it carefully and notice how Deatherage and the editors frame the argument against Israel. And not just the Jewish state. He has a particular animus for her supporters, primarily Christian Zionists.

Again, pay attention to language. How are words used to marginalize/attack someone? In this case, we see that Deatherage doesn’t spotlight the real problem here: Palestinian intransigence. Nowhere does he analyze the 100-year Arab war against the Jews in the Holy Land. The root problem here is hatred in the human heart. Most specifically, it is a continuation of the millennia-old hatred for Jews. Nothing explains this satisfactorily apart from what the Bible tells us.

Next, though the rocket attacks are horrific, I continue to be dismayed by Christians that seem to think Israel will be destroyed. Scripture tells us this will not happen. Granted, the Bible speaks of terrible times for Israel. The very last of the last days promise catastrophic wars.

But nowhere does Israel disappear.

Now, to some recent reports:

“The military-terrorist wing claimed it was using a new tactic by firing Sejil rockets at Ashqelon, which successfully evaded the Iron Dome aerial defense system and killed and wounded Israelis.”

“At 19:00 on May 11, 2021, Hamas’ military-terrorist wing threatened Israel, saying that if Israel continued attacking residential buildings in the Gaza Strip Tel Aviv would be hit hard (Izz al- Din Qassam Brigades’ Telegram channel, May 11, 2021). After the IDF destroyed the Hanadi Tower, a 13-story building in Gaza City, the military-terrorist wings of both Hamas and the PIJ threatened Tel Aviv would be attacked at 21:00. At 20:45 the terrorist organizations fired dozens of rockets at the Tel Aviv and coastal plain region. Hamas rushed to announce that 130 rockets with heavy warheads had been fired in the largest attack ever carried out against Tel Aviv. A similar barrage was fired at 03:00, May 12, 2021, at the Tel Aviv and coastal plain regions, Beersheba, Dimona and other cities.”

These escalations, including more sophisticated rockets, are progressing at an alarming rate. It’s already been estimated that Hezbollah has hundreds of thousands of rockets aimed at Israel. If this Hamas action is producing this level of damage, what would Lebanon’s arsenals do?

But that’s precisely the point. It doesn’t matter what the world plans for Israel. I have no idea at all how Israel would withstand or respond to a truly withering rocket attack. I don’t know when it might happen. I don’t know if it would be the prelude to Gog-Magog, or not.

What I do know is that God will not allow Israel to be destroyed. It isn’t going to happen.

This is what the new state of Israel said 73 years ago:

“We appeal – in the very midst of the onslaught launched against us now for months – to the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to preserve peace and participate in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions.”

The Arabs gave Israel the middle finger then, just as they are now. The tragic loss of life on both sides is sickening.

But the methods the world has used to deal with the conflict is so off-base, it’s almost laughable.

Nothing will solve this terrible situation until Jesus returns.

In the meantime, I implore you to let it settle into your mind that Israel is here to stay. Permanent regardless of what the Media say. Lasting irrespective of the evil intents of men and women in government, media, and religious circles.

Keep your mind sharp, your heart guarded. Pray for Israel.

God is in complete control.

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com

www.thegodthatanswers.com