Antisemitism

Firstly, isn’t antisemitism just like any other form of prejudice?

  • For clarity:

    • Christianity is a religion with Christian followers from any genealogy.

    • Islam is a religion - people who follow it are Muslims and can be from any genealogy.

    • Judaism is a religion - people who follow it are Jewish. They are born to it from parents with Jewish heritage/genes; (Judaism does not seek converts. You can’t just choose to become Jewish. Converts to Judaism are extremely rare and it’s a very long process).

    • One can not be called a racist against Muslims or Christians because neither are a race.

  • Antisemitism is a murderous hatred for the Jewish gene pool people group. It is extremely dangerous when media and politicians naively confuse/conflate antisemitism as just another religious phobia.

  • Critical thinking is how we share ideas, learn and make a better world. Everything must be open to be challenged to stand the test of time. Questioning any religion’s texts and any desires to exert control over society or non-religious individuals is critical thinking; (not a phobia). Liberal civil societies flourish through open discourse with no restrictions on normal speech or thought; (outside incitement to hate/physical violence). Israel is a thriving democracy with open media and political parties that regularly criticise its government and Judaism. It is not antisemitic to challenge Israel or Judaism - Jews welcome it. Questioning is a core part of Judaism. Everyone should perform a simple analysis of religion involves a split between (1) religious text vs (2) political / corporate action text and if there is any different treatment of religious vs the non-religious within that society … of which anything political needs to be addressed (and held to a standard) as any global political movement and thereby maintain a clear separation of religion and state (politics). Click for Islam example.

  • Refer image below for visual explanation regarding how antisemitism is horrifically unique through out the ages and cannot be compared to a phobia of a religion alone.

Table 1: Antisemitism is a hatred towards Jews deeply founded in beliefs that many problems in the world come from Jews and that the world would be a better place without the Jewish race ever existing.

 

*Israel (including Judea and Samaria commonly named the “West Bank” where 80% of Jewish archaeology is located including the First BCE1000 and Second BCE516 Jewish Temples  (where Jesus was tried) and the Dome of the Rock built on top of in AD691) ^ is only 73% Jewish.  21% Muslim.  All live under the same law and have the same human rights and civil liberties.  Muslims are elected members of parliament, the judiciary and supreme court.

^ Israel proper excludes Gaza. Gaza is now is 0% Jewish after ~9K Jews were removed from Gaza in 2005 when Israel withdrew to provide the Palestinian leadership with an opportunity to autonomously govern – Israel retained Gaza from Egypt when Egypt launched the 1967 6-day war from Gaza.

Is there a ratified definition of antisemitism?

In 2021 Australia was one of the ~46 countries to adopt the IHRA** definition of antisemitism as follows:

“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

** The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) is an intergovernmental organization with 35 Member Countries and 9 Observer Countries. The IHRA unites governments and experts to strengthen, advance and promote Holocaust education, remembrance, and research worldwide and uphold the commitments of the 2000 Stockholm Declaration and the 2020 IHRA Ministerial Declaration.

The definition includes the following, which in many cases, are criminal offences:

  • Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.

  • Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.

  • Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.

  • Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust). Denying the massacre and rapes by Hamas on October 7th 2023.

  • Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.

  • Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.

  • Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.

  • Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.

  • Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.

  • Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.

  • Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.

Where can I see examples of antisemitism?

What is the ANCIENT ROOT of Antisemitism in recorded history? …why its NOT standard racial prejudice

  • Antisemitism is an ancient hatred backed by a will to deceive wider society so as to destroy the entire Jewish race; (no matter what they believe).

  • The nature of this murderous hatred of Jews is jealousy over Israel’s calling and election for world redemption, its inheritance of the Land, and the blessing passed down from Abraham to Isaac and Jacob and his twelve sons.  This spirit appears many times in recorded history and most recently on October 7th 2023 manifesting in the most brutal killings and raping of Jews since the Holocaust. It is a deeply destructive hatred of the heart of God and His love for ALL His people.

  • The first recorded attempted holocaust was around 1400BCE (~4400 years ago) after the Jews had left slavery on mass by the Egyptian Pharaohs. The Amalekites were the first people to attack Israel when they left Egypt for the Promised Land (Exodus 17:8).

  • Perhaps the most “infamous” attempted holocaust historical recording of the Jew Hate spirit of Amalek is in the book of Esther in 479BCE (~2483 years ago). Haman, the archenemy of the Jews, was an Agagite; that is, he came from the house of Agag, the Amalekite royal family (1 Samuel 15; Numbers 24:7). Haman was the Vizer (Prime Minister) to the King Ahasuerus of Persia (Esther’s husband). Haman’s scheme was the most vicious of all previous attacks, as Haman planned to ethnically cleanse Persia of all Jews – men, women and children (Esther 3:8-9).

 

 

An Australian problem that impacts us all. Stop it now.

  1. Do you believe that antisemitism (hate of Jewish people) is wrong? That it has no place in Australia?

  2. Are you concerned by the rise in public displays of antisemitism?

  3. Do you believe that Australia should be a place where all people, including Jewish people, can go about their lives in safety and security, as part of a cohesive and inclusive society?

If you answered yes to those questions, then welcome to the vast majority of our great country!

  • Did you know that since October 7th, 2023, there has been a 738% increase antisemitic incidents in Sydney? And that a Jewish person is 55x more likely to experience a hate crime than any other Australian?

Many in the Australian Jewish community, only 120,000 people across the country, feel isolated, attacked, and fearful.

We think this is unacceptable and want to stand with our Jewish friends and neighbours in this time of crisis.

Christians have a specific, biblical obligation to oppose antisemitism in all its forms:

Look at what the Rabbi Shaul, the Apostle Paul, writes in Romans 15:27, “They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.”

The good news is that Jesus, the Jew, has made the spiritual blessings of the Jews available to the non-Jewish world. Great news, isn’t it? Now what does this entail in terms of a Christian’s relationship with Jewish people?

Christians are called to stand, help (Isaiah 49:22) and comfort (Isaiah 40) reflecting God’s love (Isaiah 54:10) for his treasured possession Israel (Deut 7:6), the apple of his eye (Zech 2:8)

At the very least all Christians should ensure that all Jews are safe from persecution and discrimination, and that they are able to live their lives in safety and freedom, just like any other Australian. That’s surely not too much to ask, is it?

We want to help you make antisemitism unthinkable in Australia!

Likewise, Christians are also empathetic to Christian brothers and sisters - of who 100K-160K are persecuted and killed each year for the last few decades and many in terrorist attacks from religious regimes; (which hurt many more of their own people).