I recently returned from the Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism 2012 North American Conference in San Diego where I had the opportunity to present a paper on “the New Antisemitism: Perpetrators and By-Standers of the 21st century”. While I made an effort to categorize the 21st Century players on the current platform of Antisemitism, I did not include one particular group either in the perpetrators or in the by-standers. That group can be described as “self-loathing Jews”. It was and still is very painful for me to admit that my own people could turn against Israel and the Jewish people. Yet, as preposterous as it is, this wouldn’t be the first time that we witness Jews turning against their own people.
For instance, last year I shared about a strange group of “Orthodox Jews” known as Neturei Karta (although in that context, orthodox needs to be redefined as opposed to the standard definition meaning a rigorously practicing Jew). This anti-Zionist fringe group started in 1938 cannot be ignored and is a disgrace to Judaism, yet for the most part it is not taken too seriously by mainstream Jews.
What causes me some grief is the section of the “self-loathing Jews” that comprises mostly members of the Jewish left who vehemently lobby against Israel, the Land and the People. The organization known as JStreet, (founded in 2008), made mostly of liberal Jews (and some non-Jews as well) promotes itself as “The political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans”. They believe in and boldly promote a “two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”. As anyone browses the JStreet website, it gives an appearance of peace seeking and reconciliation. In reality, they show contempt for anything Jewish and associate themselves with organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood and personalities so despicably to the left like Ilan Pappé (son of German Jews who escaped the Holocaust), that they end up painting themselves in a politically correct and multicultural corner, using their own antisemitic brush.
JStreet receives the support of US House of Representative first Jewish woman member, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz who was recently appointed 52nd Chair of the Democratic National Committee.
Wasserman-Schultz, who is also the Democratic Party Jewish Outreach liaison was caught in a controversial Facebook photo depicting her and other women as “Jewbags” kissing dollar bills. I sincerely doubt that mainstream Jews will have any desire to associate themselves with a “Jewish” woman ridiculing the Jewish people as lovers of money. We certainly don’t need anymore fuel added to the fiery diatribes of the last 2000 years!
“Self-loathing Jews” do not hate themselves as Jews but rather, they work hard at rejecting their customs and heritage in an effort to advance towards a more tolerant and “all encompassing” future. Mainstream Judaism appears way too narrow to leftwing Jews. They certainly wouldn’t consider themselves antisemitic but rather prosemitic (as in Jews AND arabs).
The tolerance they espouse is based on a very false premise that all groups tolerated equally reciprocate, which is hardly a fact when it comes to the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Hizbollah and the likes.
When it comes to the two-state or one-state solution including Palestinians, the outcome will inevitably be the takeover of Israeli government and institutions to the point where the annihilation of 6 million Israeli Jews would just become a simple bureaucratic move.
Dear self-loathing Jew, If you don’t want to recognize Israel’s sovereign right to the land and the Jewish people’s right to live in peace in the only democracy of the Middle East as well as the rest of the world, do the rest of us a favor, DON’T CALL YOURSELF A JEW because your are causing your forefathers to roll over in their graves!
Real Jews support Israel!
Real Jews support their Jewish Community!
And incidentally, I cannot help but proclaim that I have never felt more fulfilled as a Jew than since I have found my Messiah Yeshua (Isaiah 53:5, Romans 4:25, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Yeshua (Jesus) the Passover Lamb was sacrificed for us and any reconciliation between men will only come when men are first reconciled to God through Yeshua.
I agree with you,in everything,especially your closing paragraph.Obviously you are my twin brother!Shalom.