One of the greatest things about Israel is that it’s a safe place for Jewish people to come and not feel nervous about their Jewish identity. As Golda Meir said; “Above all, this country is our own. Nobody has to get up in the morning and worry what his neighbours think of him. Being a Jew is no problem here.”
As tension increases in the Ukraine and the Middle East, Israel is roundly criticised, and people often forget that Jews have been kicked out of scores of countries and made very unwelcome in others. Thanks to God now they at least have one place they can truly call “home”. But abroad, the underlying hatred sometimes brims over, and Jewish people are attacked – just for being Jewish. 2014 has seen some terrible incidences of anti-Semitism already, particularly amid the recent upheavals in the Ukraine.
In several regions of the Ukraine, representatives of the Orthodox churches have begun to distribute leaflets which call for violence against Jewish people. This excerpt gives an idea of what they are advocating:
“Brothers and Sisters! If you want your families to be healthy you have to follow the commandments. Buy the Gospel in the Cathedral of Moscow patriarchy and read one chapter a day. Read the Lord’s Prayer 10 times a day. Refuse the fast food. The Yids (Jews) poison us from the planes spraying the barium and aluminum. The Yids produce vaccines with the special purpose—to bring health problems to your families. See in the Internet how the Yids kill our children, they gather our blood, then saturate the cloth with it and give [it to] you in small loaves of bread at Purim. It is forbidden to pray for them, only read the Psalms. Take up arms, the law permits this. If you don’t have money, buy the machine guns by clubbing together. The future King will give an order to the Cossacks to kill the enemies. And to you the Yid henchmen I say—go away from here to Israel. Beat the Yids—save the Russ.” (Reported by Bridges for Peace)
Racism of any kind, and intolerance of the stranger among you, is often rooted in fear – fear of harm and fear of missing out. Fear of danger from the “stranger” and suspicion that they are taking jobs, privilege, housing, women and so on… but God’s people are told 365 times in the Bible, “Do not fear!” Once for every day of the year! Fear so quickly degenerates into hatred and violence.
How very tragic then, when Christians fall into this Satanic trap of fear, and react with ugly anti-Semitic behaviour. And, it is not an isolated incident we’re talking about –HaPeles Israeli newspaper covered seven pages on its edition 31/1/2014 about the rise of anti-Semitism throughout the whole of Europe, explaining how it is often linked to “that man,” meaning Jesus. Shlomo Wolf wrote, “ever since the Jews refused to recognize that man, may his name be blotted out, he passed on to his disciples a hate for the people from whom he himself came. Christianity has abided by this law very well and continues to persecute the Jews in every way possible.”
There have also been some shocking incidences in Western Europe totally unconnected with religion, with Jewish people traveling by rail in Belgium being told to “get off the train and take a shower” at the Auschwitz death camp by some youths who gained access to the loudspeaker system. And on Holocaust remembrance day on 27th January, there was a “day of rage” in France, in which 17000 people were protesting and openly shouting abuse at Jewish people, telling them to get out of France.[1]
As you can see, these are dangerous times for the people of Israel. Please pray for the Jewish people in countries like France and the Ukraine where anti-Semitism is flaring up, and pray for the Jewish people who don’t want to hear about Jesus because of all the abuse that has happened in his name. How it must cause Yeshua to weep and grieve! Please join us in being part of the solution – love your Jewish brothers and sisters and pray for them today in Yeshua’s name!
[1] Article in Arutz Sheva: “Jews, out of France!” January 29th 2014
