Zionism

March 26, 2019 By Olivier Melnick Leave a Comment

Zionism: What it is and what it is not!

The word “Zionism” can have either a positive or a negative connotation attached to it depending on who you are asking for a definition. When hard-pressed, most people, from either side of the spectrum have a difficult time clearly defining the word, yet it doesn’t stop them from using it. On one hand, the proponents of Zionism will define it using phrases such as “Right to the Land”, “Law of Return”, “Re-establishment of a Jewish homeland”, “Revival movement” or even “Repatriation to the ancestral homeland.” On the other hand, its foes will not hesitate to equate Zionism with “Colonization”, “Apartheid”, “Ethnic cleansing”, “Racism”, “Imperialism”, “Occupation” and “Human rights violations.”

There are many definitions of Zionism. A succinct and clear one goes like this ” Zionism is the national movement for the return of the Jewish people to their homeland and the resumption of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel.” ‘

Anti-Zionists will often accuse Israel of ethnic cleansing. Ethnic cleansing or genocide is the intentional organized mass murder to eradicate a people group. The Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust both qualify as ethnic cleansings. In 1947 there were about 1.2 MM Arabs in British Mandate Palestine. Today, there are about 6 MM Arabs in the whole land, including 1.8 MM in Israel alone. There are more Arabs in Israel today than before 1947. This is the opposite of ethnic cleansing. Incidentally, there are still less Jewish people in 2019 than there were prior to the Holocaust. Zionism IS NOT ethnic cleansing!

Anti-Zionists will also accuse Israel of being an Apartheid State. Apartheid was South Africa’s way of keeping blacks and whites separated, and as such, it forbade blacks to eat in white restaurants or cafes, attend white schools or universities, be treated in white hospitals, live in white neighborhoods and serve in the white government. Israeli Arabs are full citizens who do not experience any of the restrictions that were known to South Africa, they even serve in the Knesset (Israeli Parliament.). The only difference is with citizens of Gaza and the West Bank, but THEY do not want to be Israeli citizens. Zionism IS NOT Apartheid!

Historically, we must go back to the Haskalah, or Jewish enlightenment that started in the late 1700s. The Jewish Maskilim “Enlightened Ones” led an intellectual movement promoting liberalism and freedom of thought. The hope was the emancipation of European Jews and equality in the various countries where they lived. It failed! The 1880s saw the beginning of the Russian Pogroms (government-sponsored riots) against Eastern European Jews. Various Aliyot or waves of immigration started to take place from Europe to the Land that was then still called Palestine.

But anti-Semitism didn’t stop at Eastern Europe. In 1894, French Captain Alfred Dreyfus was falsely accused of treason, stripped of his rank, imprisoned on Devil’s Island, and eventually vindicated. The Austrian journalist, Theodor Herzl covered the trial in Paris and became rapidly convinced that Dreyfus had been framed and that Jews had no future in Europe. Two years later he published “Der Judenstaadt.” In 1897, at the 1st Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland, Herzl declared “At Basel, I founded the Jewish State…Perhaps in five years, certainly in fifty, everyone will know it.” Incidentally, 1897 plus 50 takes us to 1947 which is when the United Nations voted for the partition of British Mandate Palestine, leading to the 1948 birth of modern Israel.

The fascinating birth and growth of Zionism couldn’t have happened without contributions by key figures such as Eliezer Ben Yehuda who singlehandedly developed modern Hebrew from the liturgical tongue of the Scriptures. Chaim Weizmann was also instrumental in helping WW1 efforts and became close to British officials which led to the pivotal moment in Jewish history, the 1917 Balfour Declaration, telling the world that Jews had a right to their ancestral homeland. It was followed in 1920 by the San Remo Conference where 53 out of 61 countries of the League of Nations gave the rights to “Palestine” to the Jews and established an international legal precedent. Before long, the modern State of Israel was born on May 14, 1948, and since that day, it has been at war with its neighbors.

Is Zionism biblical or is it a valid thorn in the flesh of Palestinians who lived in and owned the land way before the Jewish people? Not everybody will use the Bible to validate Zionism, but since one of the main themes of God’s word is Israel, it sheds some light for us, as we can see in the Torah:

• The land belongs to God first and foremost: Leviticus 25:23
• God made a covenant with Abraham promising a land, a seed and a blessing: Genesis 12:1-3
• The land has specific boundaries: Genesis 15:18-21
• God’s covenant was reconfirmed through Isaac, Jacob and his 12 sons: Genesis 26:2-4, 28:13, 50:24
• God cares about the land and will bless/discipline Israel for obedience/disobedience: Deuteronomy 11:8-17
• The land is promised based on God’s character and not Israel’s performance: Deuteronomy 7:7-9
• God told Israel to conquer the land: Deuteronomy 9:3
• Israel’s exact boundaries are controlled by God: Deuteronomy 2:3-5, 16:19
• The Babylonian captivity didn’t annul the oath made by God: Leviticus 26:41-45

Additionally, the Prophets tell us of the glorious future of Israel:

• Israel will never be destroyed because of God’s promise of eternal protection: Jeremiah 31:35-37
• God promised Israel a New Covenant when He will remember their sins no more: Jeremiah 31:31-34
• Israel’s glorious future includes a final restoration to the land: Ezekiel 39:25-29
• Israel’s glorious future is secure because of God’s character: Ezekiel 36:22-28

Simply put, anti-Zionism IS anti-Semitism repackaged. From the biblical record, it can easily be argued that God Himself was the first Zionist, but He also doesn’t want for anybody to perish, and He certainly has the same love and compassion for Jews and Arabs, and so should we. Being a Zionist doesn’t mean that one is a racist or a colonizer. Not historically, and certainly not biblically. Being a Zionist doesn’t mean that one is anti-Palestinian but sadly, the opposite is seldom true!

February 12, 2019 By Olivier Melnick Leave a Comment

Not Exactly “A Pope for All Seasons!”

In the story “A Man for All Seasons” based on the life of Sir Thomas More, the hero is portrayed as a man of principle envied by many of his contemporaries, including some of his rivals. Sir Thomas More was once described in those words:” “More is a man of an angel’s wit and singular learning. I know not his fellow. For where is the man of that gentleness, lowliness, and affability? And, as time requireth, a man of marvelous mirth and pastimes, and sometime of as sad gravity. A man for all seasons.” Many around the world today see the current Pope as a man for all seasons, but are they right in their assessments and how does it all line-up with Scripture?

The Pope just co-signed a document with Al Azhar Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb (once named “the most influential Muslim in the world”), titled “Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together“. Ecumenically speaking, the document is a dream come true for mankind, and many have described it as a “historical breakthrough“. I would venture to say that it might be a “biblical breakthrough,” but not necessarily for the same reasons.

The document says of God “He is the Creator who has formed us with His divine wisdom and has granted us the gift of life to protect it. It is a gift that no one has the right to take away, threaten or manipulate to suit oneself. Indeed, everyone must safeguard this gift of life from its beginning up to its natural end. We, therefore, condemn all those practices that are a threat to life such as genocide, acts of terrorism, forced displacement, human trafficking, abortion, and euthanasia.”

The Pope might be thinking that because God created all men equally (a biblical view that I share with him), Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb shares his views, but just because the Grand Imam signed the document doesn’t mean that he will uphold it.

Further down, the document speaks of freedom of religion: “Freedom is a right of every person: each individual enjoys the freedom of belief, thought, expression and action. The pluralism and the diversity of religions, color, sex, race, and language are willed by God in His wisdom, through which He created human beings. This divine wisdom is the source from which the right to freedom of belief and the freedom to be different derives. Therefore, the fact that people are forced to adhere to a certain religion or culture must be rejected, as too the imposition of a cultural way of life that others do not accept.”

Here we see that the Pope is taking a pluralistic position demanding that all men respect one another regardless of their beliefs since “The pluralism and the diversity of religions, color, sex, race, and language are willed by God in His wisdom, through which He created human beings. The proverbial roads that all lead to Rome are no longer sufficient, now they all need to also lead to God. The same god for Roman Catholics and Muslims, that is!

As a matter of fact, Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb is on record for taking a position that is in direct opposition of the document he co-signed. He recently said “Those learned in Islam [al-fuqaha] and the imams of the four schools of jurisprudence consider apostasy a crime and agree that the apostate must either renounce his apostasy or else be killed. Additionally, in a 2013 interview on Egyptian TV, he said that Muslims “suffer from global Zionism and Judaism” and “You shall find the strongest among men in enmity to the believers to be the Jews and the polytheists.” Statements like that would disqualify him from even being considered as a signatory on the “Document on Human Fraternity and World Peace.”

Furthermore, he even refused to say that the Islamic State (ISIS) were not true Muslims, but in this case, I agree with him. I am under the conviction that if a Muslim were to take the words of the Qur’an literally, they would have no choice but to kill infidels and apostates…Jews and Christians alike. The vast majority of Muslims are nominal Muslims who are not necessarily well versed in the Qur’an and as a result, they “cherry pick” verses that they wish to apply. This can be said of all religions indiscriminately.

So, how can I possibly say that this might be a biblical breakthrough? Because from the standpoint of the upcoming eschatological one-world order, this is 100% in line with biblical prophecies. The one-world government is becoming more of a reality each day, and it will undoubtedly include a one-world religion (Revelation 13:11-18.)

The Pope might be blinded by wishful thinking and a pluralistic, postmodern view of religion. The immediate future looks like global dhimmitude to Islam, but the end of the age will be more tragic for many. It will only bring two options: We either worship the prince of this world and end up with him in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10), or we worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob through Yeshua the Messiah, and we spend eternity in His presence. Even the Pope isn’t exempt from making that ultimate choice. He is also responsible for leading billions to the true God. Maybe it’s time for the Pope to reset his GPS (God Positioning Satellite)!

January 23, 2019 By Olivier Melnick Leave a Comment

The Pervasiveness of BDS in American Politics!

Over the years I have tried to expose the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement known as BDS. In its modern version, BDS is only 14 years old, but the concept is much older, and it could be argued that Kristallnacht, the November 1938 “Night of Broken Glass” in Germany, was an early, rather successful attempt at BDS against the Jewish people.

I have also repeatedly stated that there is nothing wrong with boycotting, in and of itself. The concept is actually very commendable as it is an expression of one’s deep convictions against a person, place, organization or any other entity that promotes ideas one cannot support. Many of us actually boycott without necessarily calling it by that name. Some will “boycott” R movies, others will boycott alcohol, while others will boycott a specific artist for the message they spread. We all do it. The challenge rests on the integrity we display as we boycott. We shouldn’t claim to boycott R movies or a specific brand and then watch some R movies or buy some items made by that brand. Boycott is only ethical when it is done with integrity. It’s all or nothing, so let’s be careful before we commit! That is the biggest problem with the BDS movement, and it is identifiable on two levels.

First, BDS proponents are very inconsistent with what Israeli products they boycott. If a product or technology comes from Israel but doesn’t really create a huge inconvenience, BDS people will denounce and boycott with a lot of fanfare. On the other hand, if the technology is a big part of their life, like cell phone, computers, thumb drives, etc, hypocritically, there’s no boycott. Case in point, Mahmoud Abbas recent case of severe pneumonia successfully treated by an Israeli doctor.

Secondly, the very people who choose to boycott Israel will then turn a blind eye on a myriad of countries and/or entities that are blatant human rights abusers and violators such as China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Gaza, and others. BDS proponents are not interested in facts. If they were, they would actually support Israel. This in no means is an attempt at exonerating Israel from any responsibilities in the Middle East crisis, but a genuine desire for balance and fairness and an unbiased approach to the issue. Instead, we see how pervasive the BDS movement has become in the last few years, and how widespread it has developed across all segments of the population, and particularly, how it has started to infuse the fabric of US government.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the UN has looked at Israel through the biased lens of the Palestinian narrative, fueled by a postmodern approach to truth and social justice. More resolutions have been passed against Israel than any other country combined that are UN members, and this by a long shot. The UN is no different with BDS. It identified 206 companies that according to them are doing business illegally in Israel as they stated: “The violations of [Palestinian] human rights associated with the [Israeli] settlements are pervasive and devastating, reaching every facet of Palestinian life. Owing to settlement development and infrastructure, Palestinians suffer from restrictions on freedom of religion, movement and education; their rights to land and water; access to livelihoods and their right to an adequate standard of living; their rights to family life; and many other fundamental human rights.

Looking at that statement, it is blatantly lying about the Palestinian freedom of religion and education, by simply turning factual truth on its head. Palestinians do not suffer from restrictions on freedom of religion. On the other hand, try to freely and safely express yourself as a religious Jew in the “Palestinian territories” Good luck with that!

Zooming in on the US government, since the November 2018 Mid-Terms, things are not looking up as several new members of Congress are strong vocal supporters of BDS.

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib of Michigan said “I personally support BDS” and refuses to go on an organized trip to Israel for freshman members of the US government, but instead, she organizes a trip to the West Bank.

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota also supports BDS. She said, “I believe and support the BDS movement and have fought to make sure people’s right to support it isn’t criminalized.”

Then you have the newest and youngest member of the US Congress, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who also will not join the AIPAC trip to Israel. In a recent interview, she was quoted saying, “I also think that what people are starting to see at least with the occupation of Palestine is the increasing crisis of humanitarian condition. And that to me is where I tend to come from on this issue.” She has not made a clear statement in favor of BDS yet, but I fear that her disdain for Israel might soon show her true colors.

Additionally, there seems to be some kind of political infatuation between the New Democrats (read “Progressive Left”) and the woman behind the “Women’s March”, Linda Sarsour, who for several years now, has promoted radical Muslim agenda. Additionally, she has been known to show respect and admiration for the antisemitic leader of Nation of Islam, Louis Farrakhan. Miss Sarsour is very bold in her defense and promotion of the BDS movement.

The Jewish advocacy group Stand With Us produced a short document explaining what BDS is all about, titled “Explaining the BDS Movement: BDS the New Antisemitism”, well worth the read.

The BDS movement has patiently picked up momentum in fields such as entertainment, business, Academia and even Evangelicalism. Somehow, it transcends all segments of American Society and even dangerously spreads to the global community. With this new crop of Mid-Terms Representatives in the US government added to an already existing group of anti-Israel politicians, it looks like the BDS movement just entered a new phase. A government-sponsored delegitimization of Israel could be on its way and the hatred that it promotes could easily grow exponentially. Freedom of Speech allows us to reach out to our politicians and voice our disagreements…Time to speak up! Better yet, find-out who boycotts Israel and boycott them!

January 7, 2019 By Olivier Melnick Leave a Comment

Anti-Semitism in 2018: A Year in Review – Part 2

Year after year, anti-Semitism continues to rear its ugly head all over the globe with what appears to be increasing frequency and intensity. 2018 was no different as most of the world recorded an increase in the numbers of anti-Semitic incidents. In this second installment of my two-part series are some highlights from July to December 2018. (Part one here).

Haman, Hitler and BDS: We should know better!
What do the book of Esther, the Nuremberg Laws of 1933 and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement have in common? A lot more than meets the eye! There is a theme found in Esther about Haman’s disdain for the Jewish people that is quite unique in the biblical record. We find the first step in Chapter 3 where Haman puts his curse against the Jews in motion, and because of one Jew, namely Mordecai, Haman seeks to destroy all of them. We start seeing the irrational behaviors promoted by an anti-Semitic heart.

Fast forward to 1935, the Nuremberg Laws were introduced and Jewish people lost their citizenship. Marriage and/or sexual relations between Jews and Aryans were prohibited and severely punished. By 1935, Hitler was solidly established in power. His obsession with the “Jewish problem” would soon lead him to the next step in his attempt at the destruction of European Jewry. The process by which Haman sought to annihilate the Jews as seen in various verses of Esther 3 and the one used by Hitler have many similarities.

Satan, the ultimate enemy of the Jews is constantly re-inventing himself to further demonize and ostracize Israel. Ideologically, BDS is an extension of Hitler’s agenda which was parallel to Haman’s agenda. BDS is a lot more than an economic, academic or entertainment boycott. People need to dig a bit deeper to see the real motives of that sick movement.

UNHRC: Actions Speak Louder Than Words!
Recently, the United States decided to leave the UNHRC (United Nations Human Rights Council.) United Nation US Ambassador Nikki Haley shared the reason in a statement where she said: “For too long, the Human Right Council has bee a protector of human rights abusers and a cesspool of political bias.” Many have seen the move as a retreat, but Miss Haley clearly stated that the move was anything but a retreat. It was because the United State would no longer be part of a hypocritical UN organization that allows for a myriad of human rights violations, elects human rights violators to the UNHRC and has a chronic bias against Israel. In leaving the UNHRC, the United States made a bold move signifying that the days of letting Israel being accused of human rights violation while looking the other way when obvious violators act with impunity are over. Some politicians including John Kerry had spoken against the bias on occasions, but these apparently were just words. Over 50% of the governments sitting on the council are considered repeat offenders when it comes to human rights violations. Like China, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, to name just a few, they are either totalitarian regimes or “non-democracies.”

In another blow to the UN, US National Security Adviser, John Bolton just announced the United States decision to defund the UNHRC. According to John Bolton, the US pays 22% of the UN budget and it would calculate how that relates to the funds given to the UNHRC and defund them. Hopefully, the world will start taking notice of the anti-Israel bias from the UN and the UNHRC and speak up.

Can a Biblical Zionist Love the Palestinians?
Whenever one puts biblical, Zionist and Palestinian in the same sentence, definitions are in order. Unity might never be fully achieved, but it should never be because of lack of clarity. First, what I mean by biblical is “in accordance with the biblical record” that as far as I understand includes the sixty-six books of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. As far as a fair definition of Zionism, lest I’d be accused of any bias as a Jew, I prefer to give a plain dictionary definition of the word as, “a movement for (originally) the re-establishment and (now) the development and protection of a Jewish nation in what is now Israel.”

Now, for the definition of who is a Palestinian, it gets a little tricky. Again, for the sake of clarity, I will say, “any physical descendant of the various Arab inhabitants of the Land of Israel known as Palestine prior to 1948.” We must not forget that Palestine as a word was introduced by the Roman empire at the time of the Bar Kohba Revolt in AD 132 (A failed Jewish revolt against Rome.) Eventually, under the leadership of Yassir Arafat and subsequent “Palestinian” leaders, the etymology of the word was expanded to mean both a land AND a people, a political claim that cannot be proven historically, archeologically, culturally or biblically.

The biblical Zionist’s love for Israel and the Jewish people is a result of his understanding of the eternal, unconditional and unilateral Abrahamic Covenant. But the great love that biblical Zionists display for Israel and the Jewish people should not be exclusive, and it should extend to all, even those who have been indoctrinated to hate and destroy Israel. In the words of Yeshua in Matthew 5:44, we read, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. This absolutely doesn’t imply that all Palestinians today hate the Jews. So YES, a biblical Zionist not only can but should love the Palestinians. Over the years, I have found that to love Israel one doesn’t have to hate the Palestinians, but sadly, the opposite is seldom true!

All Hate Crimes are a slap in God’s Face!
It was just another peaceful Shabbat morning at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, when antisemitic Neo-Nazi Robert Bowers barged in with a semi-automatic weapon, screaming “all Jews must die!” and aimed at the crowd. By mid-day, the death toll had reached 11. It is believed that this tragedy was the largest and deadliest attack on Jews on American soil. How do you move on from such a bloody massacre?

Jewish people have been victims of hate crimes more than all other groups combined, but this is not a competition. Hate crimes are an abomination and shouldn’t happen anywhere, especially in the United States and in 2018. Beyond the tragedy that they create in communities and families, they are a slap in G-d’s face Who created man in His own image. They are also a poke in G-d’s eye who calls the Jewish people “The apple of my eye” in Zechariah 2:8 . It is because of man’s self-ruling outside of G-d’s will that hate crimes become possible.

We shouldn’t succumb to the temptation of politicizing this horrible tragedy, because it was not political but spiritual. When the enemy of G-d (Satan) is at work against the people of G-d, it is no time for political bickering, but it is time for prayer more than ever.

Let’s start by lifting up the memory of the victims (Joyce Fienburg, 75; Richard Gottfried, 65; Rose Mallinger, 97; Jerry Rabinowitz, 66; Cecil Rosenthal, 59; David Rosenthal, 54; Bernice Simon, 84; Sylvan Simon, 86; Daniel Stein, 71; Melvin Wax, 88; Irving Younger, 69) and their families. If you are Jewish, while you shouldn’t yell it on rooftops, you also cannot live in fear. Otherwise, people like Robert Bowers have won the battle.

To the Anti-Semite we are All Jews!
There is a real danger today for Jewish people everywhere except in Israel because except for the Jewish State, all foreign governments approach antisemitism differently and they are not necessarily very efficient. Definitions of what constitutes antisemitism vary from country to country and sometimes even from various organizations within the same country. That is one reason why it is difficult to fight since acts against Jewish people are often under-reported, misreported or worse…not reported, especially if it involves a Muslim. The politically correct fear of insulting a particular group is so prevalent in the United States that an antisemitic crime might simply be categorized as a violent crime in fears of reprisals. It is time for all Jews to unite against antisemitism, but unfortunately, we are far from being united, and it helps the enemy greatly. Jewish people define themselves in a variety of ways including religiosity, ethnic origins, and Zionism to name just a few. It can get confusing when one doesn’t differentiate between Jewishness (ethnic connection) and Judaism (religious affiliation). But really, one can be ethnically Jewish without practicing Judaism and one can practice Judaism without being born Jewish.

Then you have messianic Jews. Those of us who claim that you can be Jewish and believe that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah. Truly if one can be Jewish (ethnically) independently from believing in anything, one can remain Jewish (ethnically) when they believe in anything, including that Yeshua of Nazareth is the Jewish Messiah (Isaiah 52:13-53:12 ). Unfortunately, the vast majority of the Jewish community who doesn’t recognize Yeshua as Messiah also rejects the idea that once we follow His teaching we remain Jews.
Considering all the ways we can define who is a Jew, there is one fact that the antisemites are right about…We are all Jews, and as such we are a nuisance, and in some cases, as we witnessed during the Tree of Life bloody massacre “All Jews deserve to die”. My point is that to an antisemite if a Jew is Ultra-Orthodox, agnostic, Reconstructionist or even Messianic, he remains a Jew. The antisemite is an equal opportunity xenophobe. He does not discriminate. To that person…We are all Jews indeed!

Christmas with Hizbollah: There is Fake News and then there is Propaganda!
Currently, Hezbollah is digging terror tunnels on the northern border of Israel akin to those built and used by Hamas to funnel terrorists underground from the Gaza strip to Israel. The IDF has been working hard to put a stop to these tunnels, including the destruction of several of them. They also discovered that the tunnels lead to urban areas on the Lebanese side, proving once again that one of the preferred methods of the terrorists, is to use civilians as shields for their operations. On one hand, the United Nations, always eager to pass one more resolution against Israel, is doing absolutely nothing about the tunnels. They have discussed them but have not taken any actions to put a stop to them. On the other hand, Benjamin Netanyahu is determined to do all in Israel’s power to destroy them in an effort to protect the country. So it is clear that “Iran backed” Hizbollah is on a terror mission to destroy Israel, and yet they have received praise from the New York Times for their recent “Christmas spirit efforts”. In a tweet, they even stated “Even Hezbollah, the Shiite political movement and militia that the United States has branded a terrorist organization, has helped ring in the season in previous years, importing a Santa to Beirut’s southern suburbs to distribute gifts”.

Personally, I have given up the hope of integrity from the New York Times for a while now. This is not even an issue of political leanings anymore but an issue of evil propaganda. I wish I could say that the reporters and journalists at the New York Times didn’t know any better, but what would that say about the state of journalism in 2018? Well, maybe it does?

2018 was replete with acts of anti-Semitism on a global scale and 2019 doesn’t show any signs of letting down. It is incumbent upon people of good will to speak up and fight all sorts of racism, including anti-Semitism. The weed of anti-Semitism is chocking the Jews all over the world, but it will choke many more people if it is allowed to grow much further!
(Part one here).

December 27, 2018 By Olivier Melnick Leave a Comment

Anti-Semitism in 2018: A Year in Review – Part 1

Year after year, anti-Semitism continues to rear its ugly head all over the globe with what appears to be increasing frequency and intensity. 2018 was no different as most of the world recorded an increase in the numbers of anti-Semitic incidents. In this first part of a two-part series are some highlights from January to June 2018.

JANUARY: Antisemitism in classical literature: Where do we draw the line?
Literary works like “The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion“ published in 1905 by Russian writer and mystic Sergei Nilus, are openly anti-Semitic. They depict a global Jewish conspiracy as recorded in the minutes of a group of influential Jewish leaders.
Hitler’s “Mein Kampf”, first published as Hitler’s autobiography written in prison between 1925 and 1926., was virulently anti-Semitic. Mein Kampf (My Fight,) has become part of history and can be used as such to study the person of Hitler and that period of Nazi Germany with more details.
Louis-Ferdinand Céline (1894-1961), was a French novelist who introduced a new style of writing in literature. He used a more spoken style akin to the working class way of communicating. He published three very anti-Semitic essays. Bagatelles pour un massacre (Trifles for a Massacre) (1937), L’École des cadavres (The School of Corpses) (1938) and Les Beaux draps (The Fine Mess) (1941.) The French publishing giant Gallimard has been considering re-publishing these works that have been out of print for quite a few years. They have received a lot of criticism, especially from members of the Jewish community. The consensus was that these virulent essays should not be reprinted.

FEBRUARY: Should Poland’s Recent Holocaust Law be Considered Historical Revisionism?
Poland is not exactly remembered for being friendly to the Jewish people during World War II. A country that was once the home of over three million Jews, now only has about 10,000, and even they, don’t feel very safe in Poland. The once vibrant Jewish community of pre-World War II has been drastically reduced by the Nazi war machine and the Death Camps–many of them erected in Poland. The most destructive being Auschwitz-Birkenau. There is no possible way to deny that millions of innocent Jewish victims were murdered in those places, not to mention other minorities.
It is also very difficult to completely separate the Death Camps destructive agenda from Polish involvement, and yet this is exactly what a new law passed in February 2018 is attempting to do. President Andrzej Duda of Poland signed a bill that became law, making it a crime (up to three years in prison, plus a fine) to call the German death Camps built on Polish soil, “Polish Death Camps.” He has made several public speeches stating that signing the bill into law was not meant to erase or diminish the fate of the victims of the Holocaust, but that is exactly what it could achieve!

MARCH: We Will not Survive in this Irrational World of Political Correctness!
Even though French Marine Le Pen’s party is thinking of re-branding and changing its name to appeal to a broader audience, they continue to promote a highly xenophobic agenda. Although she received the most votes her party ever received in its history since the mid-1970s, Marine Le Pen lost the French presidential elections in the Spring of 2017 to “Centrist” Emmanuel Macron. These elections were upsetting on many levels. Primarily, it was horrifying to France and much of the civilized world that an Alt-Right candidate would be in the running in the second and final round of the elections. Even though she lost, she managed to garner 35% of the votes. If I were Mr. macron, I would make sure that I remember the promises made to the voters, and I try to fulfill as many as possible. Much of Europe is very unhappy with the current migrant situation and the open borders, and that includes France.
I would never vote for Miss Le Pen or anybody from Front National, but I must voice my support for her attempt at exposing ISIS for who they are while much of the Western World has its proverbial “head in the sand.” This is a slippery slope leading to slavery to an ideology opposed to Western, Judeo/Christian values, and I am convinced that we could not survive in this irrational world of political correctness!

APRIL: Is the Muslim Brotherhood Losing its Grip on America?
Many people use the name “Muslim Brotherhood” (MB) around without really knowing what it means, who is behind it AND how many people it affects and controls. The MB was founded in Egypt in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. After a while, it ended up being a powerful organization aiming at integrating Muslims all over the world. It sends two different messages to its adherents and to the West. Its motto continues to be“Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. Qur’an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.”
Its eighth Supreme Guide and current leader, Mohammed Badie recently declared in a sermon: the only way to deal with Israel is “Holy Jihad”. Some in the Middle East AND in the West see the MB as an organization responsible for Islamic terrorism. So it is very hopeful to see the current US administration cracking down on the Muslim Brotherhood. With the recent appointments of John Bolton and Mike Pompeo, we might see the beginning of a shift in US support for Muslim organizations. Before I am accused of Islamophobia, let’s be clear that not all Muslims are a threat to the West and to Israel. Those who are a threat, are connected to the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood and they must be exposed.

MAY: Are we Inching our Way Towards the Fulfillment of Zechariah 12?
The United Nations General Assembly voted 128-9 (35 abstentions) in favor of condemning an embassy move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, even though US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Hailey vowed that the United States would remember those who voted against the move. This was done in the form of an attempt at rendering the “Trump decision” null and void. The 9 countries that voted against it were: Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Togo and the US.
Then came the move to Jerusalem. President Trump chose the symbolic date of May 14, 2018, since Israel was declared a modern nation on May 14, 1948. Palestinian Authority and its close supporters declared that the move was counterproductive to any peace efforts. Simultaneously, Hamas tried to breach the Gaza/Israel border. The days leading to the move to Jerusalem were supposed to be the “Palestinian March of Return” coinciding with the date of May 14th, considered by Palestinians as the Nakba or “catastrophe.”
There is an interesting prophecy in the Jewish Scriptures found in the prophet Zechariah 12:1-9 . In it, we are told that at some point in future history, the whole world will turn against Israel. “Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah….“It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it. Bible students know that to be true. The day is coming when the whole world will turn against Jerusalem. 128 countries out of 193 is definitely a move in that direction.

JUNE: Are the Jews Poisoning the Wells Again?
With the mid-1300s advent of the “Black Death” or “Black Plague”, the world was about to experience death like never before. It was the most devastating pandemic in the history of mankind, from 1347 to 1350, that was responsible for the death of about 75 million people worldwide (25 million in died in Europe alone from a bacterium found on fleas carried by black rats from Asia onto ships sailing to Europe). As the rest of the continent appeared to be on its way to total extinction, people started to look for a cause and it was not long before the Jews were once again used as the convenient “scapegoats of humanity.”
Jewish people also died during the “Black Death”, but generally in much lesser numbers. Many reasons can be at the root of the smaller number of casualties (communal isolation, mandatory liturgical washing of the hands before meals and the strict kosher laws) resulted in less death in the Jewish communities, but it didn’t stop the masses from slaughtering and destroying over 200 Jewish communities, numbering Jewish fatalities in the tens of thousands.
Such an accusation would stick for a while, but eventually would be debunked, at least one would think. Fast forward to 2018 and the accusation is back in the news, not from a Middle Eastern country indoctrinated to hate the Jews, as one would expect, but by a Daily Mail British columnist who wrote on June 26, 2018: “ In an unequivocal breach of international law, Israeli settlers have taken much of the best agricultural land, while depriving the Palestinians of water supplies and, according to a number of respectable sources — and I have witnessed this for myself — burning their olive groves and poisoning their wells.”

To be followed by Part 2 ( July-December 2018).

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