Bible

July 3, 2020 By Olivier Melnick Leave a Comment

Israel’s Right To The Land: Mystery Solved!

When the world struggles with a pandemic and increasing racial/cultural riots, Israel takes second place on the news. Don’t quote me wrong, there is still plenty of antisemitic rhetoric to be heard, and acts against Jews still abound. But, somehow, there had been a bit of a respite. That was until the approaching deadline for Israel’s annexation of territories from the West Bank became news. The day for the move was July 1st, but Benjamin Netanyahu decided to delay it a bit.

People have argued about the legitimacy of Israel in the land, pretty much officially since May 14, 1948, but the saga started way before. The 1917 Balfour Declaration followed by the 1920 San Remo Conference really made it clear that the land then known as “Palestine” belonged to the Jewish people. This led to the November 1947, United Nations vote to partition Palestine between Jews and Arabs. Palestine was only a name for a geographical area that comprised “Palestinian Jews” and “Palestinian Arabs” living in harmony or at the very least tolerating each other. And that was fine–not that I ever cared for the renaming of Eretz Yisrael to Palestine by the Romans in AD 135. But, for all intents and purposes, Palestine was just the name of a piece of land in the Middle East from AD 135 to 1948.

Eventually, it became a politically charged word, synonymous with the country of origin for a people known as the Palestinians. Yasir Arafat mastered that narrative to the day he died, and the baton was passed to Mahmoud Abbas who has shared the burden of promoting the same lies with Hamas. So, today, people around the world are buying into the narrative of “the Palestinian victims of occupation and ethnic cleansing by Israel.” It doesn’t matter if it is not true, it has become the new truth about the Middle East, and most people are OK with that. But, for those who really care about the truth, I would like to offer three reasons why Israel ownership of the whole Land is the only viable and legitimate solution.

Biblically, Israel owns the whole land: Going back to the book of Genesis, God made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants. At that time, it was actually more of a promise. He promised him a great multitude of descendants in Genesis 12:2, “And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing.” That promise also happened to be unconditional and eternal. The unconditionality of the Abrahamic covenant is a critical factor that cannot be ignored. In essence, there is nothing that Israel can do or should do to fulfill their part and keep the land. God simply said, “I will” and not” I will if you do”, and that is huge.

Later, God ratified the covenant in Genesis 15:18-21. In that passage, the list of people groups that God decided to turn into the “land of Canaan” (a euphemism for Eretz Yisrael) add up to a land mass that makes Israel the size of twice the state of Texas, as opposed to the current Israel that is about the size of New Jersey. These boundaries have never been fulfilled anytime that has been recorded in the Bible, and we know that it is an unconditional and unbreakable promise from God, so there is a guarantee that it will come in the future. Most Bible students believe that this will be fulfilled when Messiah (Yeshua) establishes His kingdom on earth at His return. The Jewish prophet Daniel speaks of that future time in Daniel 7:13-14 “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. “And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.

Israel’s ownership of the land never negates the fact that God Himself declared that He is the ultimate owner, passing the deed down to the Jewish people as read in Leviticus 25:23, ‘The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me.” Israel’s ownership of their ancestral, biblical land also doesn’t negate the rights of Arabs to exist and flourish in the region–not that Israel has ever been guilty of antagonizing the Arabs. They are welcome as Arabs if they opt to live in peace in Israel. The fact that many countries of origins for the Arabs that resided in pre-Modern Israel “Palestine” never wanted them back in 1948 is beyond the scope of this article.

Prophetically, Israel needs the whole land: There is an important factor that plays out in the future of the Jewish people. It is known as the Law of Return, that was passed in 1950 in the Knesset (Israeli Parliament.) It allows Jewish people from all over the Diaspora to return to the land with certain [limited] benefits. Modern Israel has experienced various waves of emigration’s over the decades. Jewish people made Aliyah from the former Soviet Union as soon as a ban on Jewish refuseniks was lifted in 1971, and they continue to pour into Israel to this day. Then you have the Ethiopian Jews known as Falashas who started their emigration to Israel in 1977. A myriad of Jews from many countries have emigrated over the years and they form the unique fabric of the Israeli people. Most of these Jewish people are not necessarily religious. Only 15% of global Jews are religious all together.

Regardless of a lack of a biblical connection, the Jewish people are also promised by God that in the future they will all return to the land, even in unbelief. In other words, a Jewish person’s spiritual connection of lack of, to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has no bearing on God’s promise to bring the Jewish people back to the land in the last days. He will do it because of His holy name. The prophet Ezekiel told us of these days in Ezekiel 36:22-28, “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went….For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land….You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.

The Jewish people have started to return in large numbers over the last 10 years. Especially from Western Europe. Now, we need to understand that Western Europe is the home of many Jewish people who have live very comfortably there for decades. They have property, investments, wealth and even some deep roots and history. Yet, this is not preventing them from selling all and moving to Israel, France being at the forefront of these Jewish communities. Why? just one word: Antisemitism! The longest hatred has been on the rise as I have been documenting for the last 20 years. It is becoming increasingly unsafe for Jews anywhere in the world except Israel. As the Jews are currently making their way back home, Israel needs every square mile of land to accommodate for their return. Now is not the time to give away more land!

Geopolitically, Israel runs the whole land better: With their proverbial head in the sand, most people do not realize how much better life in Israel can be for all people. This tiny sliver of land in the Middle East truly is a beacon of light in a very dark place. It is recognized as the only true democracy in the whole region. Not that I would agree with every move that the Israeli government makes, but it is by far the healthiest group of political leaders in the region. Start with the fact that the Israeli Parliament is made of many political parties that have to always form a coalition to legally govern. Sure, this can get complicated as we have seen in the last series of elections that ended in an odd partnership between Gantz and Netanyahu. Add to that the fact that the Knesset includes Arab members. Yes, Arab members in the Israeli government…Now you have the Israeli government!

Where else in the Middle East can you find Jews in any of the other governments? Nowhere! Let’s be real, Arabs who live and work in Israel are often better treated than in their own countries, included the “Palestinian Territories.” Women have rights in Israel. Arab women have rights in Israel. Gays have the right to live in Israel without risking their lives (Tel Aviv is home to one of the largest Pride Parade in the world.) A wonderful example of that true “coexisting” is the story of the Israeli drink company SodaStream. Until they were forced by BDS people to move their factory to the south where the “Palestinians” couldn’t go work anymore, they employed Arabs, Jews and Bedouins in the same facility. Every single day, they all came to work in perfect harmony. Even some Arabs where the very supervisors of Jewish workers. SodaStream is the perfect example of how things can work in Israel for all parties.

No matter which direction the annexation of the West Bank goes and how long it takes to accomplish it, the only viable and legitimate solution for Jews and Arabs is an Israel where Jews can live in peace. If Jews can live in peace, they are the kind of accepting people that will allow anyone to live in harmony with them. Land for peace has never worked and the Oslo Accords are dead. The corrupt “Palestinian” leadership worships death in the midst of a vibrant culture that values life. There is a serious dichotomy here that doesn’t appear solvable. But, with God everything is possible. He also promised through the prophet Jeremiah to never forsake Israel or allow for its destruction in Jeremiah 31:35-37, “Thus says the Lord, Who gives the sun for light by day And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The Lord of hosts is His name: “If this fixed order departs From before Me,” declares the Lord, “Then the offspring of Israel also will cease From being a nation before Me forever. Thus says the Lord, “If the heavens above can be measured And the foundations of the earth searched out below, Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel For all that they have done,” declares the Lord.

So, what is so compelling about Israel ‘s right to the land? Any way you look at it, Israel owns the land, needs the land and manages the land better for all people in the region. That is of course if you are interested in the truth. If you believe otherwise, I have a very large and tall steel tower in Paris to sell you!

June 18, 2020 By Olivier Melnick Leave a Comment

The Proper Way to Support BLACK LIVES, and Why it MATTERS!

Growing up as a Jew in France in the 60s and 70s wasn’t without its challenges. My own mother who had lost her dad in the Holocaust at age 15, had developed a fear about telling people that we were Jewish. So much so that she even forced me to learn German in school as a second foreign language, just in case the Germans would invade France again, so that I could get by. It was not until she was in her early forties before she was comfortable telling others that we were Jewish. But all this never stopped me from making friends of different backgrounds at school. Two of my earliest buddies were Vietnamese and African. Every time I told my mother about a new friend, this fearful question always arose, “Do they know we are Jewish?” to which I always answered that they didn’t care and neither did I. Racism never had a foothold in my life. It never made sense to me to hate somebody based on color, race or creed. It didn’t when I was a teenager and it doesn’t today as a middle age adult.

When I moved to the United States in 1985, it quickly became evident that there were racial tensions between blacks and whites on many levels. Economically, culturally, politically to name just a few. Blacks and whites were clashing. Inter racial relations have not improved, they have actually gotten worse, to the point of injustice and wrongful deaths that we have witnessed in 2020. There is a serious problem affecting America today that cannot be ignored, and that is a reason why the movement known as Black Lives Matter–founded in 2013– has gathered so much momentum and picked the interest of so many. Such a movement appears to be giving the African American community the voice and momentum that they need to push reform forward. Philosophically, this is a good thing, but practically, the BLM ideology sends a very different message–if you know where to look. To be sure, I am not saying that black lives do not matter. Of course they do, as all lives matter. I am simply saying that before we blindly join and support the BLM movement based on somewhat of a knee-jerk reaction, from a mix of compassion, rightful indignation and misplaced guilt, we should investigate who the BLM supports and promotes. It is not always the easiest thing to do as a lot of the connections are no longer evident from their website. But let’s consider the following:

To put it simply; Black Lives Matter supports BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions). I have tried my best to expose the false narrative used by BDS proponents for several years. The BDS movement (officially co-founded in 2005 by Mahmoud Abbas and Omar Barghouti), has been pushing for a total boycott (academic, cultural and economic) of Israel and those who support Israel and Israeli products and companies. It has made great strides towards convincing people across the globe that Israel was the perpetrator of crimes against humanity, oppression, invasion and persecution. The BDS movement is not interested in social justice in general or they would also call for the boycott of many other countries that truly commit crimes against humanity such as Venezuela, China, Iran, Sudan and many others, but they don’t. Their only agenda is Israel and the Jewish people worldwide. They are not even hiding it as California University Professor Asad Abu Khalil said, “The real aim of BDS is to bring down the state of Israel….That should be stated as an unambiguous goal. There should not be any equivocation on the subject. Justice and freedom for the Palestinians are incompatible with the existence of the state of Israel.” Likewise, BDS co-founder Omar Barghouti stated, “A Jewish state in Palestine, in any shape or form, cannot but contravene the basic rights of the land’s indigenous Palestinian population…definitely, most definitely, we oppose a Jewish state in any part of Palestine. No Palestinian – rational Palestinian, not a sellout Palestinian—will ever accept a Jewish state in Palestine.”

While it is challenging to find the connection between BLM and BDS, it is not impossible. BLM is part of a larger network known as M4BL (The Movement for Black Lives). Dots become a lot easier to connect once we realize that M4BL is an umbrella organization under which you can find other groups such as Black Lives Matter. Once this is established, it takes no time to find out that M4BL supports BDS. They claim that “3 billion dollars in US aid is allocated to Israel, a state that practices systematic discrimination and has maintained a military occupation of Palestine for decades.” or “The US justifies and advances the global war on terror via its alliance with Israel and is complicit in the genocide taking place against the Palestinian people.” They even propose some actions to be taken against Israel as they encourage people to “Fight the expanding number of AntiBDS bills being passed in states around the country. This type of legislation not only harms the movement to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine, but is a threat to the constitutional right to free speech and protest.”

Additionally the Movement for Black Lives cites as resources: www.BDSmovement.net and www.blackpalestiniansolidarity.com. Both these websites are clear supporters of the BDS ideology and the flawed Palestinian narrative. So, the connection between BLM and M4BL is undeniably clear, and their antisemitic slant is also very obvious. I do not want you to miss the irony here: A movement that claims to fight racism of all sorts and promotes social justice, is also promoting the destruction of Israel and the hatred of Jewish people. So before we support BLM and donate to the cause, we must examine our hearts. Is it OK to fight for justice and equality for African Americans while supporting the oppression and destruction of Israel? Whichever way you look a it, it is hypocrisy. Not to mention the global support for BLM including anti-racism gatherings in Paris where some people were shouting dirty Jews to the crowd. Again, where is the connection? So, where do we go from here?

Inequality can only be remedied by true reconciliation and true reconciliation only comes from God. The problem that seems to arise out of the BLM movement is that reconciliation is spoken of, but submission is what is meant. There are some strong similarities between the “reconciliation” promoted by BLM and the one promoted by groups like “Christ at the Checkpoint (CaTC.) claiming to seek reconciliation between Israel and Palestinians in the name of Christ. When reconciliation is simply a word spoken to force the other side to submit unilaterally, then we have a problem. Reconciliation is a two-way street that includes compromise and humility. I have seen very little of that coming from BDS promoters as well as those who defend the BLM movement. What I am even starting to see, is more and more parallels drawn between the tragic murder of George Floyd and the deaths of Palestinians. Some people are even borrowing visual elements such as the Middle East head scarf worn by Arafat and the Palestinian flag, to incorporate them into images of George Floyd. There is absolutely no foundation for this connection, but that doesn’t stop people from drawing it.

As a French/Jewish immigrant to America, I have come to realize that injustice and inequality is very real all around us, and that is a tragedy. I have been speaking and writing against antisemitism for over twenty years, and I know that it is very real, as Satan infuses that hatred daily in the heart of men. Racism will continue to exist everywhere, but it doesn’t mean that we have to adhere to it. As God’s word tells us that through the blood of Messiah, Jews and Gentiles have been reconciled into one new man, without any separation between them. Racial reconciliation is not something we have to work on, but something we need to grab hold of and believe in, in complete faith, because of what Yeshua did on our behalf; Jews and Gentiles, blacks and whites.

Ephesians 2:11-16 drives the point home better than I ever could,” 11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Messiah, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Messiah Yeshua you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Messiah. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.”

So, I support black lives today as much as I have supported them my whole life, but not through a manmade movement that has a shaky foundation at best. I support black lives because of my Messiah who supported all lives, enough to die for them. We all should support black lives and it definitely matters how we do it!

May 28, 2020 By adminoli 1 Comment

Trump, Ford and the Protocols of the Elders of Zion!

A few days ago, President Trump made a very uncomfortable comment as he was visiting a Ford factory in Michigan. As he was addressing executives about the founder of Ford Motors, Henry Ford, he said, “The company was founded by a man named Henry Ford, good bloodlines, good bloodlines. If you believe in that stuff, you got good blood.”

That statement was awkward at best and appeared possibly antisemitic. I say possibly because I am not convinced that President Trump is actually anti-Semitic. I don’t say this simply because he has Jewish family members, that would be too simplistic. Rather, Donald Trump has been a friend of Israel for a while and has shown great boldness in the last three years when it comes to proving his loyalty to the Jewish state.

Under his administration, the United States finally moved its embassy to Israel’s eternal capital, Jerusalem. Under his leadership, Nikki Haley, ambassador to the U.N., was one of the strongest advocates for Israel. He was instrumental in helping reverse policy on Jewish settlements, to name just a few of his accomplishments as they pertain to Israel and the Jewish people.

Trump knows a lot, but he is not omniscient. Is it possible that he doesn’t know some of the darkest details of history that have loomed over Henry Ford’s head and have severely tainted his legacy? Sure, it is! Frankly, unless you are looking for it, that information is not advertised. Today, Ford Motor Company is far removed from its original, founder and his xenophobic ideology. Today’s Ford is not yesterday’s Ford by a long shot, but a trip back to the 1920s is necessary to explain why President Trump’s comments ruffled many feathers in the Jewish community.

In the early 1900s, a Russian man, Sergei Nilus (1862-1929), wrote a pamphlet titled “The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion.” Sergei Nilus, a blatant anti-Semite, actually claimed that the book had been read secretly at the First Zionist Congress in Basle, Switzerland in 1897. The Protocols are the best know example of a forgery, as well as one of the earliest examples of “Conspiracy Theory.” They are filled with clichés, platitudes and ugly stereotypes on how to take over the world, while never containing any details or specifics. In the pamphlet, you could read what was appeared to be the minutes of a Jewish cabal trying to take over the world. The Protocols were a compilation of antisemitic tropes that, for a while, fueled the fires of antisemites around the world. It was quickly exposed as a hoax in 1921 and subsequently debunked. This didn’t prevent people from continuing to promote The Protocols. Henry Ford was one of them in a very strong way.

Ford was also the publisher of a newspaper known as the “Dearborn Independent.” He used that medium to reprint The Protocols between 1920 and 1927. The newspaper published The Protocols, at the same time as The Times in London discredited the pamphlet, but this did not stop Henry Ford, who was quoted saying: “The only statement I care to make about the Protocols is that they fit in with what is going on.” Ford continued to promote them for 6 years and also was responsible for the financing and distribution of 500,000 copies of The Protocols. Many of the articles published in the Dearborn Independent were reprinted in a later volume, known as The International Jew.

Hitler himself relied heavily on The Protocols and even quoted them in Mein Kampf, praising and validating them: “To what extent the whole existence of this people is based on a continuous lie is shown incomparably by the Protocols of the Wise Men of Zion, so infinitely hated by the Jews. They are based on a forgery, the Frankfurter Zeitung moans and screams once every week: the best proof that they are authentic. What many Jews may do unconsciously is here consciously exposed. And that is what matters. It is completely indifferent from what Jewish brain these disclosures originate; the important thing is that with positively terrifying certainty they reveal the nature and activity of the Jewish people and expose their inner contexts as well as their ultimate final aims.”

As Hitler was influenced by The Protocols, it greatly helped him to rationalize the destruction of European Jewry. In many ways, The Protocols were a catalyst for the Holocaust as they became part of “The Solution to the Jewish Question.” In the twenty-first century, The Protocols continue to be published and distributed by neo-Nazi fringe groups and radical Islamist groups around the world. The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion are classified under “controversial knowledge” and are even available today on Amazon.

Henry Ford didn’t care that the pamphlet was a forgery because it served his agenda of hatred. Incidentally, on his 75th birthday, Henry Ford received the Grand Cross of the Supreme Order of the German Eagle, which was the highest honor that Nazi Germany could give to a foreign person. Hitler had great admiration for Henry Ford and even mentioned him in Mein Kampf.

Ford’s antisemitism is indelibly printed in the chronicles of history. It cannot be denied, it shouldn’t be minimized and will not be forgotten. To this day, some Jewish people refuse to buy a Ford automobile, just like my own Holocaust-surviving mother refused to step foot on German soil for the rest of her life because of the day she saw her father taken in front of her eyes by the Gestapo in her Paris home. Let me reiterate that the Ford Motor Company of 2020 IS NOT the Ford Motor Company of 1920. Likewise, just because Martin Luther wrote a very caustic book against the Jewish people at the end of his life doesn’t negate his invaluable contribution as the father of the Reformation. So, we cannot hold today’s Ford Corporation responsible for the sins of its founder.

This being said, we must tread very lightly when it comes to praising Henry Ford. The proper choice of words is going to be critical. By now, most people have realized that regardless of his accomplishments, President Trump not only doesn’t mince words, but he also isn’t the most tactful person. Using a statement such as, “The company was founded by a man named Henry Ford, good bloodlines, good bloodlines. If you believe in that stuff, you got good blood” was a very poor choice of words. It definitely can be seen as antisemitic.

I do not believe that President Trump was promoting Eugenics or racial superiority in the way that Henry Ford did. Unfortunately, unless he apologizes for a very poor choice of words–and he probably won’t– his statement will be used against him by his enemies and also by those who espouse such a view, linking President Trump to a group of fringe antisemites that already are believed by some to support him.

I am reminded of some very good advice from the Bible, warning us all about misusing the tongue in James 3:8-10, “But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.”

May 20, 2020 By Olivier Melnick Leave a Comment

Can Some of Israel’s Foes Become Her Friends?

For over twenty years, I have labored ardently at exposing global antisemitism and its morphing trends. At some level, that task has become part of my daily routine within my ministry to my people. It has been emotionally, intellectually and even physically draining at times. Unfortunately, I do not see antisemitism slowing down any time soon. Everything seems to indicate that it is on the rise, now even including the deaths of Jewish people (San Diego, Pittsburg, Paris.) That is why when something positive takes place, it comes as a breath of fresh air in a suffocating world of xenophobic hatred. It recently happened through one of my reliable sources.

One of my many sources on the topic is a site called canarymission.org. They do a very thorough job of exposing those who loathe Israel publicly. They are not interested in character assassination, but simply in exposing the people by name, position and quoting their own words to illustrate their antisemitism. They let people decide what to think based on quoting Israel’s enemies verbatim and. as far as I can tell, they have always been fair. They describe their mission as follows: “Canary Mission documents people and groups that promote hatred of the USA, Israel and Jews. We investigate hatred across the North American political spectrum, including the far right, far left and anti-Israel activists.”

In April 2020, they published statements made by five “ex-canaries” as they call them. These people, whose identities are being kept private for safety reasons, have done a 180º on Israel and the Jewish people. They have recognized the indoctrination that they had been victims of, and have decided to think for themselves. Imagine that! These people were anti-Israel activists involved with groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction movement (BDS.)

They have been under a lot of pressure from these organizations and various people supporting their agendas. Courageously, they changed sides because they realized that they had been lied to. In all fairness, we must also admit that as much as the Palestinian narrative is based on a premise that is historically unsustainable, Israel is never 100% squeaky clean either. Regardless, these young people have chosen to seek the truth, not just what they think the truth is or what they are told the truth is. They went out of their way to research, compare, study and think for themselves, something that goes against what they experienced in college. Their conclusion changed them from foes to friends of Israel.

One “ex-canary” said: “I have come to renounce SJP because my experiences in the Holy Land have opened my eyes to several key points. Jewish people are not “colonists”, rather, the Jewish people are historically indigenous to Israel… Israel [is] being unfairly held to a higher standard…”

Another one stated:” although I am very visibly Muslim, the Israeli employees treated me with the utmost respect and kindness as if I was one of their own… Seeing that truly made me so ashamed that I ever thought so negatively of people who literally did nothing to deserve so much hate being aimed towards them. I am very fortunate to be among those who have realized the error of my ways and use the opportunity to better myself and better the community.”

Yet, another one spoke about BDS, “I used to be involved with the BDS movement and would boycott certain companies and support the movement at my university. I no longer support this movement because it is aggressive and preventative to creating efficient dialogue… Many people back this movement because of their antisemitism and I refuse to participate in a movement that furthers the oppression of a group of people.”

They had a lot more to say about how they were misled and indoctrinated against Israel. Their campus experience was not uncommon and continues to plague thousands of gullible college students. Equipped with common sense and honesty, these students sought the truth. As it turns out, they actually applied biblical principles to arrive at the truth.

• They did their own research (Deuteronomy 29:29; Acts 17:11)
• They stopped lying (Deuteronomy 5:20)
• They put any preconceived notion about Israel aside (Isaiah 29:20-21)
• They chose to respect all people as humans (Proverbs 25:21)
• They refused to commit character assassination (Exodus 14:14)
• They didn’t rejoice over the fate of their enemies (Proverbs 24:17)
• They ended up loving their former enemies (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 5:43-45)

We can all learn from them (and incidentally, from the Bible) and certainly hope and pray that more of Israel’s foes will seek the truth and become her friends…Israel could use a few more friends right now!

April 25, 2020 By Olivier Melnick Leave a Comment

A new Bible without “Israel” makes perfect sense!

Recently, the Danish Bible Society published a new Bible known as “The Bible 2020.” It should be called the RTV (Replacement Theology Version.) It is currently only available in Danish but has already been reviewed by a few people. I do not claim to read that language, so I have not been able to read it myself. I am always very reluctant to write a commentary on anything that I cannot source beyond the shadow of a doubt. The reason why I am making an exception is that a myriad of news outlets and ministries have already expressed their concern about the new Bible. It inaccurately replaces or even ignores the word “Israel” (73 times in the New Testament) referring to either the land or the people. This Bible is nothing but a biased treatment of the Word of God, and frankly, it is no Bible at all, and it is a very dangerous document. Here are a few reasons why:

• The original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts all contain the word “Israel”: While we do not have the original manuscripts penned by the original authors such as Moses, Isaiah, Matthew, Paul, James, etc, we have access to a plethora of early copies including the Dead Sea Scrolls and other Church documents that all include the word “Israel” without exception. So, this Bible cannot qualify as a new Danish translation because it omits an important word like “Israel.” It also cannot qualify as a new version, because it doesn’t just take a word to paraphrase it, in some cases, it just erases it altogether. I call it “Playing God”, and that is a very dangerous game!

• Its publishers are guilty of double-standards: One of the main reasons given for the new alteration is that biblical Israel is very different from Modern Israel and modern Jews are different from ancient Israelites. There is no doubt that several millennia separate the biblical days from today, and that many things have changed. This being said, modern Israel exists because of its undeniable foundation on biblical Israel. Evidently, the Jews of today are in many ways, not the Jews of yesteryear, but, by God’s grace, they still exist! Is Greece today what it was in the days of Paul? Is Egypt today the same Egypt we read about in the Bible? Of course not! Why are the words “Egypt” or “Greek” remaining in this new Bible? An obvious double-standard is being applied. This makes me think that they had an ulterior motive.

• Such a “Bible” widens the divide between Christians and Jews: At a time when antisemitism is thriving around the globe, Jewish people need to be reassured that they have Christian friends. Publishing a Bible that erases Israel is sending a clear message to the Jewish people, “We the Christians do not think that Israel is important enough to remain in the Bible.” It is a short road between a Bible without Israel and a world without Jews. This is not to say that all Christians are antisemitic, but such a document renders the relationship between genuine Christians and Jews ever so more complicated. There is apparently a Lutheran connection to this project, and that just adds oil to the fire that was started by Martin Luther at the end of His life when he wrote Of the Jews and their Lies. This doesn’t mean either that all Lutherans are antisemitic.

• Such a “Bible” emboldens the enemies of Israel: This becomes one more arrow in the quiver of Jew-hatred used by people like those in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement who aim at ostracizing, demonizing and eventually eliminating the Jewish people. If the Bible excludes Israel or at the very least redefines it, it simplifies the job of those who want to rewrite history. This “Bible” could very well become a favorite for historical revisionists.

So, a Bible like this isn’t really a big surprise since the whole world is increasingly squeezing the vise on Israel. It is just one more proof showing us how close we are from the final chapter in the “Real Bible.” That’s the one where Messiah Yeshua returns to establish his kingdom after fighting all those who went against Jerusalem (Zech 12:9.) Upon His return, He will establish His messianic kingdom with His people among which the Jews will be the head and not the tail. Additionally, according to Zechariah 8:23, we know this: “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”‘”

That is the biblical truth that includes Israel and excludes the enemies of Israel, whoever they may be!

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