By Amy Zewe
To follow up on our conversation last week (August 9, 2023) regarding the antisemitic tide that many university faculties, administrations, and associations are engaging, this week my goal is to examine a bit more of what it means to equate antisemitism with anti-Zionism. Many of those in education and politics will tell you that to be anti-Zionist is NOT to be antisemitic.
Much has been written to rebut this claim.
I share with you a recent article in The Jewish Starby Alyza Lewin that expresses quite succinctly a focused examination of the issues of antisemitism on campuses (not just in the US but in the entire Western world or dare I say, the entire world).
To summarize this article, which I strongly encourage you all to access and review carefully yourselves, we will touch on its main points (which we have also addressed in various Red Alerts over the last decade).
- Many folks don’t understand antisemitism. But people usually recognize Jew hatred when they see it. Overt forms include denying or minimizing the Holocaust and swastikas used by vandals anywhere from graffiti on gravestones to flyers on dorm room doors.
The article notes antisemitism takes various forms within any given generation. And, as such, goes unrecognized by some. The constant is that Jews are the scapegoats, and the sentiment is that the world would be better without them. Before 1948, this was directed at Jewish individuals and Jewish communities (and Jews as a race). Today, the sentiment is directed at a collective. That is, the modern state of Israel. This modern state is Jewish in its identity.
- This brings us to the notion of Zionism, and with it, anti-Zionism. You see, disagreement with the politics, policies, or activities of the government of Israel (which seems to constantly change) is indeed a valid form of debate. But to deny the state’s right to exist—which is at the core of anti-Zionist rhetoric and goals is indeed a form of antisemitism.
We don’t call for the dissolution of any other state we disagree with—North Korea, China, Iran, Canada, you name it….clearly some have more egregious policies than others all fair game for criticism. But to claim that one’s attack on Israel is not an attack on Jews, individually or collectively, is to be ignorant or willfully biased against what the term Zionist even means.
As Christian Zionists, we align ourselves with the Biblical and historical, and heretofore legal footprint the land has in its connection to the Jewish people. This includes God’s covenant with the people as well as the legal establishment of the modern state.
As those who desire to boycott Israel, wipe it from the map, or label it a colonialist state are trying to erase the history. As to why erasing the Jewish connection to the land is to engage in a blatant lie, I quote from the article:
“They do not appreciate that Judaism is an ethno-religion — a belief system inextricably connected to cultural heritage, traditions, history and land. The connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel permeates the Jewish calendar, Jewish lifecycle events, Jewish law, Jewish prayer and Jewish history. It is impossible to separate our Jewish ancestry from this land. The Jews are indigenous to Judea.”
Just like Islam has deep and historical roots in Saudi Arabia, specifically Mecca, so too can the same standard be held for the Jews as historical, archeological and even census documents connect Jews to the land of Judea–for millennia.
This brings us to point #3:
- The effort to delegitimize Israel is a direct attack not only on the nation-state status Israel legally holds, but extends to the Jewish individuals on college campuses, even those who are not Israeli or even occupy their time with issues regarding Israel.
To quote again from the article:
“The surge in antisemitism on campuses that we are witnessing today is the result of an organized, well-funded campaign to delegitimize and destroy the Jewish state. It is not about 1967 borders, settlements or even “occupation.” Those responsible for spearheading this harassment have one goal — to end Israel’s existence as the homeland of the Jewish people.”
When you see the term “well-funded,” I encourage you all to research what that means. We have reviewed that in Red Alerts before. Students for Justice in Palestine and many faculty organizations are funded by, with some obscurity, Hamas and other terrorist organization funds and founders specifically because it is a soft war against Israel as well as against all Jews.
The article goes in to give you three to-dos:
- Educate yourselves regarding modern antisemitism and understand the IHRA’s definition of antisemitism. This is indeed one of our clear objectives at the Jerusalem connection.
- Understand that “what happens in Israel does not stay in Israel”
- Since this article is written in a sense TO Jews, I will take the third point and address the Christian community The article calls for Jews to be
“…educated, proud, and confident in their heritage and identity. ‘When Jews are marginalized and excluded based on a fundamental element in their ancestral heritage, society must condemn it as harassment and discrimination.’”
Our job is to stand in solidarity and in alliance with Jews to defend against prejudice, discrimination, or hate of any kind.
- The last point in the article, again, written to the Jewish community is
“Finally, we must appreciate the richness and diversity of Jewish peoplehood. We must understand that whether you are hiloni, dati or haredi, Ashkenazi, Sephardi or Mizrahi, Yemini or Smolani — we are all Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael is our homeland.”
As Christians who combat antisemitism, cherish, and support our Jewish brothers and sisters, and stand steadfastly for the state of Israel’s right to exist and have self-determination, we must embrace all the diversity of the Jewish people in our stance of solidarity and love.
All forms of prejudice and discrimination against God’s children are evil and sinful. But the nature of antisemitism is particularly focused and demonic. It is an attempt to thwart God’s plan and is documented starting in Genesis. Over the centuries, it took on various manifestations. The consistent target of the Jewish people since their founding is revealing the spiritual battle at hand. The Jewish population can be counted as roughly between 1-2 % of the global population in Europe and the US and far less than half a percent at any given time in history, but they suffer from the only consistent form of pointed annihilation. And since 1948, Israel is a tangible target in addition to Jewish people and communities worldwide.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and comfort ye my people as we are instructed by Yahwe.
Shavua tov; have a great week.
Reference:
Call to action when facing campus anti-Semitism | The Jewish Star | www.thejewishstar.com