ANTISEMITISM
THE ROOT OF ANTI-SEMITISM: WHY IT EXISTS
The word antisemitism means prejudice against or hatred of Jews (the Hebrew people.) “The term "Jew" is derived from the name of Jacob's fourth son, Judah--Yehudah, in the Hebrew. … In the 5th century BCE, the Kingdom of Israel was conquered by Assyrian King Sennacherib, and the ten tribes were exiled and lost. The only remaining Israelites were the residents of the Kingdom of Judah, and the term "Yehudi" or "Jew" came to refer to all the Israelites, regardless of their tribal ancestry.” (Chabad.org https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/640221/jewish/What-is-the-Meaning-of-the-Name-Jew.htm
Antisemitism is driven by the devil/satan/adversary/dragon/serpent/Lucifer, who was created by God as one of His angels. However, Lucifer wanted to be like God. (Is 14:12-14) Of course, no one is or can be like God. “For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.” (Is 46:9) Consequently, Lucifer and his angels were cast out of heaven to the earth, (Rev 12:7-9) where he battles against the powers of God to this day. Scripture records his first appearance in the Garden of Eden, where he deceived Eve into eating the fruit of the tree from which God had forbidden her and Adam to eat. (Gen 3:1-6)
Fast forward a thousand plus years to the Sinai Desert, where Moses spoke to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (the Hebrew people) the words God had given him for them, before they were to enter the promised land. “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.” (Deut 7:6)
Now let’s connect the dots:
Lucifer is against God……The Hebrew people are God’s chosen people……. Lucifer is against the Hebrew people.
Because God chose the Jewish people to be His own special people Lucifer has made it his life work to destroy them. We see it as an earthly battle. In reality it’s a battle in the heavenly realm. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph 6:12)
The following three men were driven by the devil to destroy the Jewish people.
Haman
“King Ahasuerus promoted Haman … and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.” (Esther 3:1) All the king’s servants bowed and paid homage to Haman, per the king’s command. Mordechai, a Jew, refused to do so. Haman was filled with wrath because of this. However, he wasn’t satisfied with punishing Mordecai only. He sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.
Herod
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He Who has been born King of the Jews?’ For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” (Matt 2:1-2) The words of the wise men troubled Herod. He asked them to come back and tell him about the child, but the wise men were warned in a dream not to return to him. When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the wise men he had all the male children two years old and under who were in Bethlehem and in all of its districts put to death.
Hitler
In a speech to the German parliament in January 1939, Hitler stated that another world war will result in the elimination of Jews from Europe. In 1941, Adolf Hitler, Heinrich Himmler, Reinhard Heydrich and other leading German authorities reached the decision to physically annihilate the Jews of Europe.
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/adolf-hitler-key-dates?series=4
In the context of the economic depression of the 1930s, the Nazi Party gained popularity in part by presenting "Jews" as the source for a variety of political, social, economic, and ethical problems facing the German people. Inspired by Adolf Hitler's theories of racial struggle and the "intent" of the Jews to survive and expand at the expense of Germans, the Nazis, as a governing party from 1933-1938, ordered anti-Jewish boycotts, staged book burnings, and enacted anti-Jewish legislation. To justify the murder of the Jews both to the perpetrators and to bystanders in Germany and Europe, the Nazis used not only racist arguments but also arguments derived from older negative stereotypes, including Jews as communist subversives, as war profiteers and hoarders, and as a danger to internal security because of their inherent disloyalty and opposition to Germany. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/antisemitism?series=30
New King James Version (NKJV) Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
https://www.thetimesofthesigns.net, et al 1994-2023...Copright 2023, TM
Feature Writer: K. Jones
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THE RESULTS OF ANTISEMITISM Part 2
The devil has been at work here on earth ever since he was cast out of heaven, deceiving the world with his lies. His hatred, jealousy, and resentment of the Jewish people continue to this day. Here are the results of his activity in just the last couple of years.
2021
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) was founded in the 1910’s “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people, and to secure justice and fair treatment to all...”
(www.adl.org/about/mission-and-history) The ADL tracks anti-Semitic incidents in the United States. Antisemitic incidents tracked in the 2021 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents reached an all-time high of 2,717 in the United States … – an average of more than seven incidents per day and a 34 percent increase year over year, including assaults, harassment and vandalism. This is the highest number on record since ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979. (https://www.adl.org/audit-antisemitic-incidents-2021) The following is their summary for 2021.
Harassment: Of the total, 1,776 incidents were categorized as harassment, defined as cases where one or more Jewish people (or people who were perceived to be Jewish) were harassed verbally (or in writing) with antisemitic conspiracy theories, slurs or stereotypes. Acts of harassment increased 43%, up from 1,242 in 2020.
Vandalism: Another 853 incidents were categorized as vandalism, defined as cases where property was damaged in a manner that incorporated evidence of antisemitic intent or which had an antisemitic impact on Jews. Swastikas, which are generally interpreted by Jews to be symbols of antisemitic hatred, were present in 578 of these incidents. Acts of antisemitic vandalism increased 14% from 751 in 2020.
Assault: A total of 88 incidents were categorized as assault, defined as cases where Jewish people (or people perceived to be Jewish) were targeted with physical violence accompanied by evidence of antisemitic animus. Antisemitic assaults increased 167% from 33 in 2020. Eleven of the assaults in 2021 were perpetrated with deadly weapons. The 88 assaults resulted in 131 victims and no fatalities.
2021 Incidents by State: Incidents occurred in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia. The states with the highest number of incidents were New York (416), New Jersey (370), California (367), Florida (190), Michigan (112) and Texas (112). Combined, these states account for 58% of the total incidents.
Monthly Comparisons: Incidents in 2021 were highest in May (387), December (275) and November (242) and were lowest in August (165) and January (173). The surge of incidents in May coincides with the military conflict between Israel and Hamas. The previous highest month on record was November 2018 (300 incidents), which was the month after the Tree of Life synagogue mass shooting in Pittsburgh, PA. In every month in 2021 except for January and February, ADL counted an increase in incident reporting compared to the previous year. https://www.adl.org/audit-antisemitic-incidents-2021
2022
A report released on January 24, 2023 by the Department for Combatting Antisemitism of the World Zionist Organization shows that the number of anti-Semitic incidents worldwide has been “curbed” for the first time in a decade. There were 10 anti-Semitic incidents a day worldwide in 2022. “Antisemitism on social media is increasing at an alarming rate….” World Zionist Organization Chairman Yaakov Hagoel said in a statement. The report noted a sharp increase in anti-Semitism in the United States in recent years, with a 61% jump “in the number of cases of violence or planning of violence against Jewish institutions.” https://www.jns.org/2022-saw-fewer-antisemitic-incidents-worldwide-for-first-time-in-a-decade/
2023
We are less than two full months into 2023. Here are some of the anti-Semitic incidents that have already occurred in the United States.
“A man threw a Molotov cocktail at a synagogue in Bloomfield, New Jersey, on Sunday (January 29, 2023) in an alleged arson attempt, according to both police and the synagogue. The suspect, at approximately 3 a.m., lit and threw the Molotov cocktail at the front door of Temple Ner Tamid, subsequently fleeing the scene. The bottle broke but did not damage the building….As a result of the attack, police in Livingston, approximately eight miles west of Bloomfield, plan to increase patrols of synagogues in the area.”
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/newjersey-synagogue-antisemiticattack/2023/01/29/id/1106392/
“On Monday, (January 30, 2023) UC Santa Barbara students and staff were shocked to discover anti-Semitic messages scrawled on a chalkboard of an Israeli Politics class on campus. One statement specifically read, “From the river to the sea,” referring to a common phrase symbolizing the total elimination of the State of Israel and Palestinian control from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. On Tuesday morning, residents and employees of businesses in the neighboring Isla Vista community were similarly shocked to find hundreds of flyers distributed in the area spreading anti-Semitic ideas, denying the Holocaust, and seemingly connecting Jewish people with racism, homophobia, and pedophilia.” https://www.independent.com/2023/02/01/two-anti-semitic-incidents-centered-near-ucsb-campus-leave-community-shocked/
“On Wednesday (February 1, 2023), Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) staff announced that graffiti of a swastika symbol was recently found on a pole in the Dos Pueblos High School athletic stadium. “While we have not determined the perpetrator, Santa Barbara Unified condemns this hateful act in the strongest possible terms,” the school district said. “A custodial team removed it immediately, and an investigation is now underway.” This is the third anti-Semitic incident to be reported in Santa Barbara County this week, following the spread of anti-Semitic messaging at UCSB and its neighboring community of Isla Vista. The string of incidents have occurred only days after International Holocaust Remembrance Day.” https://www.independent.com/2023/02/01/anti-semitic-graffiti-discovered-at-dos-pueblos-high-school/
FULTON COUNTY, GA – “Over the first full weekend of February, North Fulton County residents reported anti-Jewish flyers dumped on their lawns by a hate group. One of the recipients of those messages was a lawmaker who just happens to be working on a bill aimed at combating hate. "You don’t know if there’s something coming next," Esther Panitch (D) who represents Dist. 51 told FOX 5's Christopher King. Rep. Panitch says her husband stepped out of their home on Sunday morning to grab the newspaper when he noticed something littered on their property. "He came back in and said there was some antisemitic literature-garbage on our driveway," she told FOX 5. They were just one house among dozens around Dunwoody and Sandy Springs to receive bags full of corn kernels and propaganda. "It’s everywhere," Panitch said, "It just happens to be here now." https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/dunwoody-north-fulton-county-jewish-anti-semitic-message
Vero Beach, FL – On February 6, 2023, Vero Beach police issued an alert on social media that they had received several calls in reference to anti-Semitic materials being found on residential driveways. Officers collected about 50 bags containing papers with anti-Semitic rhetoric. https://veronews.com/2023/02/14/police-increase-presence-after-anti-semitic-materials-found-in-vero-beach/
DENVER, CO — “The University of Denver said Tuesday there have been three acts of antisemitism on campus in the past week including vandalism in residential halls. (published February 14, 2023) On Thursday, a resident at Johnson-McFarlane Hall said their door was vandalized. Two people that live in Nagel Hall reported on Monday evening that their doors had been vandalized and that religious items had been removed, DU said. Three students had their mezuzot torn from their doors, and one student had pork products glued to their door as well, according to an Instagram post from the DU Hillel and Daniel Bennett, executive director of Hillel of Colorado.” https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/university-of-denver-antisemitism/73-ec3bc41b-bbb1-4b07-9dd5-ff4bbb1f2f49
These are just a handful of incidents targeting the Jewish people in the United States this year. They are rooted in the hatred, jealousy and resentment of God’s chosen people, fed and fueled by the demonic spirits of satan’s kingdom. For those who continue to follow satan’s lead, standing against the Jewish people, they will receive what God promised them when He spoke these words to Abram, the father of the Hebrew people. “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen 12:3) Posted 15 February 2023
THOSE WHO STAND AGAINST THE JEWISH PEOPLE WILL BE CURSED!
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OUR RESPONSE TO ANTI-SEMITISM Part 3
We have looked at the roots of anti-Semitism and the results of it. Now let’s look at what we can do about it.
First and foremost, we must pray for the Jewish people. We are commanded to do so in Psalms 122:6-9 “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they prosper who love you. May peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces.’ For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, ‘May peace be within you.’ For the sake of the house of the Lord our God I will seek your good.” (NASB)
Next, we can learn more about them and their history. The best place to do this is in the Bible. Many ‘Christians’ rely on what they hear in church on Sunday instead of reading the Bible for themselves. Those who do read the Bible can see that the organized church (Christianity) has done a lot to separate itself from its Jewish roots. We need to explore this area before we continue with other ways to respond to anti-Semitism.
Jesus was Jewish. This is a revelation to many who have not studied the Bible and rely on what they have been taught in their church. The Apostles were also Jewish. They carried the message of the Messiah Jesus to Jew and Gentile alike. Unfortunately, less than a hundred years after Jesus’ resurrection, the ‘church’ had already veered from its original practices. “By the end of the first century C.E., however, as the church became increasingly Gentile in demographics and leadership, the fierce loyalty to the Holy Scriptures and to the Judaic faith which Jesus and the apostles taught and practiced was replaced by an inclination toward traditions of the Gentile cultures and religion of the Greco-Roman world.” (1) “Christianity was systematically excised from its Jewish roots, as one by one the church transplanted the teachings of Jesus in the foreign soil of human tradition. The final blow of the Greco-Roman axe which severed Christianity from the tap root of Judaism was wielded by Constantine the Great, pontifex maximus of Roman polytheism, when he arrogated to himself the headship of the church, enjoined the observance of Sunday as a day of worship in the Roman Empire, and outlawed any practice in the church which was obviously rooted in Judaism.” (2) “One of history’s most ironic aberrations is the fact that Christianity, the child, has for the most part risen up in antipathy toward Judaism, the parent, so that Judaeophobia, anti-Judaism, and anti-Semitism have come to characterize Christianity for more than nineteen centuries. (3) (1) Restoring Our Lost Legacy by John D. Garr, Ph.D. pg. 14(2) Ibid pg. 2 (3) Ibid pg. 19
This is just a brief view of the church’s attitudes toward the Jewish people. We will add additional historical information to this site soon.
Once we learn more about the history of the Jewish people, we can share what we have learned with our families, friends and, with our church fellowship. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you so that you will know when and what to share. It will be a blessing to you as you see others learning things they never understood before. You can also pray for your “circle of people” to come to know the Father’s love for the Jewish people and to embrace that love.
It is also important that we defend the Jewish people. You can use the information above to inform others about anti-Semitism if they doubt its existence and to refute lies about it that you hear others tell. Always remember to do so with a loving attitude, not in a confrontational manner.
Hopefully, these articles about anti-Semitism have stirred up within you a desire to learn more about it and the history of the Jewish people. Most importantly, we hope that you will draw closer to God to learn from Him through His Word how much He loves His People Israel! Posted 05 March 2023
Check back often. This is an ongoing study.
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