Heart for Israel

Antisemitism is a disease of the fallen heart of man that can and does infect entire societies. Left unchecked or unchallenged, it can systematically destroy a nation. Case in point is Germany/most of Europe, which was plagued by antisemitism for centuries and saw such destruction in the 20^th century. Antisemitism is Jew-Hatred, a term originally coined by Wilhelm Marr in 1879. Marr was involved in a radical movement that wanted to overturn the laws of Emancipation for the Jews. Emancipation allowed Jews to be equal members and citizens of the state. Marr felt that this was dangerous and would destroy Germany and Europe. In his mind, the Jews were evil and had to be removed because they were involved in a conspiracy to take control of Europe and the whole world.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance defines antisemitism as
“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews”. Antisemitism, as an evil virus, mutates and takes on different forms throughout history. For example, in the Biblical period of the Old Testament, there are the Egyptians in Exodus 1:5, where there arose a “King who knew not Joseph”. Obviously, everyone knew about Joseph, the man who saved the world, but this King had no care or regard for Joseph and the people of Joseph, namely, the Jews.  The Jews were hated, beaten, and enslaved. The Canaanites hated the Jews and many times rose up against them. One can see in the Judges period various pagan nations- The Midianites, The Ammonites, The Moabites, and The Amorites all attacked the Jewish Nation. During the Greek period, Antiochus Epiphanes tried to outlaw Judaism. He burned Torah scrolls, condemned Kosher food, killed babies that were circumcised, and killed Jews who would not become Hellenized. The reaction was the Maccabean Revolt, in which the Jews defeated the Greeks and, for a short time, won their independence as a nation.

Later, Antisemitism became religious after the institution of the Church. Jews were called “Christ Killers”. In 387 AD, one of the most revered Christian leaders, John Chrysostom, preached eight sermons against the Jews, calling them “The slayers of Christ”. In one of his sermons, he said, “I hate the synagogue and abhor it…”. He said Jews were likened unto fat animals unfit for work, but fit for slaughter. He claims that Christ said, “…as for these my enemies, who did not want me to be King over them, bring them here and slay them”. Such language set off a mass persecution against the Jews.

Martin Luther followed suit in 1543, writing the famous book “The Jews and Their Lies”. In this book, he advocated burning their synagogues, destroying their homes, destroying their prayerbooks, stopping the Rabbis from teaching, and subjecting them to hard labor. Adolf Hitler would quote Luther in 1938 to justify Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, November 9, 1938.

Antisemitism then takes on a racial element in the late 1800’s, setting up the time of Hitler and World War 2. Nazi ideology was based on racial ideas of the superior Aryan race.  What helped this theory and ideology was the rise of Darwinism in the late 1800s. Hitler was also enamored with ancient German pagan occultic religions and wanted to move Germany back to that belief. Currently, we see Political Antisemitism, which argues that Zionism is racism. It claims that the Jewish people came in and stole the land away from the Palestinian people. The Jewish people are white colonizers, and the state of Israel is illegitimate. Piggybacking on this is Muslim Antisemitism, which has been around since the inception of Islam in the 7^th century.

Europe was plagued by antisemitism throughout the Middle Ages and the Reformation Period. But a new hope arose for the Jewish people in Europe and around the world: America! How were the Jews received in America? How did the Founders view them? In 1808, John Adams is responding to the French atheist Voltaire,  Adams writes, “How is it possible [that he, Voltaire] should represent the Hebrews in such a contemptible light? They are the most glorious nation that ever inhabited this Earth. The Romans and their Empire were but a Bauble in comparison of the Jews. They have given religion to three-quarters of the Globe and have influenced the affairs of Mankind more, and more happily, than any other Nation, ancient or modern.” George Washington writes a letter to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Rhode Island in 1790. Washington indicates that they have a part in this land as they continue to be good citizens. Did the Founders have interaction with the Jewish people? Yes, in fact, we know from history that Hayam Salomon helped finance the Revolutionary War. Washington couldn’t get enough money from the government, which had no power to tax, so he turned to others to help. Salomon gave so much that he died bankrupt after the war. Isaac Moses also almost ruined himself financially by giving 3000 pounds to buy food for the starving troops in the Continental Army. Philip Minis, in Georgia, paid out 7000 dollars to feed the troops in Virginia and North Carolina. More than 40 soldiers and officers who were part of the Continental Army were Jewish. Twenty-six served in Charleston, SC, under Captain Lushington and were nicknamed “The Jew’s Company”. The Jewish people invested in this country from its very beginnings because they believed in its values. The first Jewish congregation in America was established in 1655 by Jewish settlers in New Amsterdam/New York. Roger Williams, a Baptist, established Rhode Island and declared religious freedom, and opened it up to the Jews. A group of Jews came and started a synagogue in 1658.

Peter Stuyvesant (1592-1672), the Dutch colonial governor with an antisemitic reputation, tried to get the Jews expelled from New Amsterdam. The Dutch West Indian Company rejected and rebuked him. The Jews in Holland had supported the Company, and they were financing the colony. Later, he placed taxes on them and would not allow them to stand guard, which would have relieved them of the taxation. In addition, he refused to issue trade permits to Jewish settlers, which was shutting them down from surviving. The West Indian Company heard about this again and put an end to the abuse. In 1656, Jews were allowed to trade and own real estate, but not to hold public office, open a retail shop, or establish a synagogue.

Antisemitism began to enter the country after 1850, with the great influx of European immigrants, who brought antisemitic attitudes with them. By the time of World War 2, our country was full of antisemitism. Quotas in major universities limited Jewish students, and hotels prohibited Jews.  After the war, this discrimination was dismantled little by little. Currently, one of the biggest threats has been antisemitism on our college campuses. Marxist indoctrination and antisemitic thinking permeate our universities.  But perhaps, the greatest shock has been from the political right, not the left. Those who claim to be on the political right/non-interventionist viewpoints have become very vocal in antisemitic rhetoric.  A lot of misinformation and distortion of facts have fueled the antisemitism that we are seeing in this country from those claiming to be on the conservative right.

There is some antisemitism coming from the Christian Evangelical movement. Usually, this is in the Covenant Reformed camp, which holds to some form of “Supersessionism,” also known as “Replacement Theology.” This view teaches that the church has replaced Israel in God’s plan and that the church is regarded as “New Israel”.  Christian Palestinianism, another segment within the Replacement camp, advocates that Jesus was a Palestinian. Christ at the Checkpoint is the Evangelical wing of the more liberal Sabeel Movement of Palestinian Liberation Theology. Christian leaders such as Dr. Gary Burge, Hank Hanegraaff, Steven Sizer, and Lynn Hybels, among others, support or have spoken at Christ at the Checkpoint, which is in Bethlehem, Israel.

Politically, the Alt-Right and more Libertarian views, which tend to be anti-Israel, have been trying to move toward the center and influence the conservative movement in America. Unfortunately, many Bible-believing Christians have been influenced by these influential commentators. It is crucial to ensure that we have the Bible and our theology established before following political movements or commentators. To keep America under the blessing of God, it is critical to stand against antisemitism and stand for and with the Nation of Israel.