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Jew-hatred and Israel’s response

A wizened elderly man sat on the bench in the shopping mall I frequent in Sydney. His head was bowed, his kippah neatly clipped to his short hair. As I sat down, I quietly said: “Shalom.” He was shocked.

A lively conversation ensued. He was a Jewish immigrant from South Africa; my greeting surprised him. He said, “Nobody likes Jews. We are used to being hated by everyone.”

It broke my heart. I told him I volunteered with a group supporting Israel, and as a Christian, it was my privilege to pray for him because I am grateful for all the Jews have done for us.

The never-ending cycle of hatred for the Jews

What is it about the Jews that cause them to be hated, maligned and misrepresented throughout history?  Surely, it must be because, by their very nature, they remind the world of God. Their long and detailed history tells of encounters with their God, who chose them to be His vehicle of redemption for the whole world.

As Christians, many forget Jesus is a Jew. Although his immaculate conception, by the Holy Spirit, means He is fully God. He is also fully man, born into Jewish society, of Jewish descent, fulfilling all the prophecies concerning the coming Messiah. He lived as a Jew. He died as a Jew, and He will return as a Jew to Jerusalem, His chosen city, whether we like it or not.

As Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us, every human heart is steeped in sin and rebels against God. It should, therefore, be no surprise that when God calls a people to carry His name, reflect His character, and, through them, to redeem the world from sin, they should become the target for extermination.

Has the world gone mad?

The way the world manifests its hatred of God is to wage war on Israel. Although the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were indiscriminately exterminated, is the most obvious example, the response from the world to the atrocities of October 7, 2023, and the constant assault from Iran’s proxies, has predominantly been blamed on Israel for responding.

October 7 has been dubbed Israel’s 9/11. In reality, there is no comparison. While 2,977 people died in the massive attack in America, most Americans did not know the victims. In tiny Israel, with a population of less than 10 million, everyone knew someone affected by the horrific personal, indiscriminate killing of men, women and children. Rape, dismemberment and barbarism, often filmed and disseminated, have left deep wounds.

For over a year, the fate of the hostages, so cruelly taken, should have elicited outrage and definitive action for their release. Instead, the world’s press has misrepresented Israel as the aggressor, inciting further Jew-hatred and unconscionable support for the Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists.

You cannot sit on the fence

Each individual has a choice. Either we accept the Bible as the inspired Word of God, and Jesus as the Incarnate Word and our Messiah, or we make up our own story. Sadly, many Christian churches choose to claim the church has replaced Israel in God’s plan of redemption.

Jeremiah 31:35-36 states:

This is what the Lord says: He who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and the stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea, so that its waves roar – The Lord Almighty is His Name. “Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,” declares the Lord, “will Israel cease being a nation before me.”

You cannot sit on the fence. Is Israel perfect?  No. Is Israel right in all she does? Clearly not. But she is God’s chosen instrument. Through Israel, all the nations will be blessed. This promise was made to Abraham and is a promise for us today.

But where there is a clear choice between a nation fighting to defend itself against evil, and aggressive terrorists who have clearly stated goals of extermination of their nation, what choice can there be?

It is indeed sad that many Christians have turned against Israel, even accusing her of genocide against the people of Gaza and Lebanon.

In reality, Israel is fighting an enemy which has the avowed aim of destroying her.  I wonder how different the majority reaction would be if a similar attack was waged against Australia or New Zealand. Would we tell the people not to fight back and destroy their enemies? Would we expect our people to accept a ‘ceasefire’? Would we propose our enemies be given land they claim, so they can live alongside us – knowing their avowed intent to destroy us? Why are these absurd ideas expected of Israel?

War is terrible

Israel didn’t start this war. The loss of life, every single life, is not to be taken lightly. Every person, created in the image of God, is precious to Him. He wants all to be saved. Yes, we should pray for the enemies of Israel. Oh, that this terrible war would end!

As Christians, we have a divine calling. In Isaiah 62:6-7:

“I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.”

Our prayers do make a difference. They rise as a sweet incense to the Lord, when we pray for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

We cannot see the tapestry He is weaving, or understand His purposes fully, but let’s not ever give up. His promises are true. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is faithful and His prophecies are being fulfilled.

A day will come when He will return, and all eyes will see Him. Our Jewish Messiah will come back to Jerusalem, as we are told in Acts 1:11:

“This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven,
will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”

Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

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Image courtesy of Adobe.