Something took place in the seaside town of Brighton, England, that will send chills down your spine. A group of pro-Palestinian activists went door-to-door, clipboard in hand, and asked if people would or would not support Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel. The group, known as the “Brighton and Hove Apartheid-Free Zone,” went around challenging people about their support for Israel.
The way the group is spinning the story is by claiming that they are activists, but this is not activism; this is intimidation. Members of the group were recording the names of the people who supported the boycott of Israel and those who didn’t, as if there could be repercussions for Israel defenders. We are again seeing the 1930s and 40s being reenacted in front of our eyes.
There is nothing new under the sun. People who helped Jews during the Nazi era risked their lives each and every day. Just like the family of simple farmers who took my mother and her two cousins in for the last two years of the war, many righteous people did the right thing, knowing that they were possibly putting themselves and their immediate family in danger. What just happened in England shows that we are seeing a repeat of history. This, added to the events of the past two and a half years since October 7, 2023, led me to refine my definition of antisemitism.
This is an adjustment that I would not have expected to make just 5 years ago. To start with, at the root of the word antisemitism, is the word Semite, which by itself describes both Jews and Arabs being descendants of one of Noah’s three sons; Shem (Genesis 6:10). Strangely, when the prefix “anti” is added to the word, it immediately excludes the Arabs and so, just like that, antisemitism only refers to the hatred of Jews.
Over the years, I have had to refine my definition several times as I realized that Satan was also adjusting his use of the oldest hatred to fit the times we live in. The progression should not be missed, especially considering how toxic antisemitism has become. I started with a simple definition 26 years ago:
“Antisemitism is the hatred of the Jews, characterized by thoughts, words, and deeds against them.“
Then the definition was progressively refined to fit the times as follows:
“Antisemitism is the hatred of the Jews and Israel, characterized by thoughts, words, and deeds against them.”
“Antisemitism is the irrational hatred of the Jews and Israel, characterized by thoughts, words, and deeds against them.”
“Antisemitism is the irrational and Satanic hatred of the Jews and Israel, characterized by thoughts, words, and deeds against them.”
Now comes the new adjustment, and this is one that will surprise you. You do not have to be Jewish to suffer from antisemitism. All you have to do is support Israel in any noticeable fashion, and you are immediately at risk. This is definitely a new development. This is what I call collateral antisemitism. So, here comes the revised definition:
“Antisemitism is the irrational and Satanic hatred of the Jews, Israel, and their supporters, characterized by thoughts, words, and/or deeds against them.”
This is not meant to scare any friend or supporter of Israel away, but this is a reality check. We have entered a new era when Christian Zionists choose to expose their true colors and accept the risk of being ostracized, insulted, or even persecuted, all because we choose to have skin in the game, for such a time as this!
Queen Esther was ready to have skin in the game (Esther 4:15-16), “Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.”
Daniel’s three friends were also ready to commit, whatever the cost, in Daniel 3:16-18, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.’”
Even Nehemiah–against procedure–fearfully went to the king to request an authorization to return to Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:7-8) and was allowed to do so by the grace of God, “And I said to the king, ‘If it please the king, let letters be given me for the governors of the provinces beyond the River, that they may allow me to pass through until I come to Judah, and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress which is by the temple, for the wall of the city and for the house to which I will go.’ And the king granted them to me because the good hand of my God was on me.”
Having skin in the game and trusting God for provision and protection will never be easy from a human perspective, but it is the biblical approach to take in confidence, especially as it pertains to our support of Israel.
This all culminates with the parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46). While that passage clearly describes a future event that we can easily place at the end of the seven-year Tribulation, there is a powerful principle that can be derived from it and applied starting today. When we love and care about the Jewish people, Yeshua declares that it is akin to loving Him! The opposite is also true, so when we ignore or hurt the Jewish people, it is as if we are rejecting Yeshua. Supporters of the Jews and Israel are taking a stand and understanding the risk in doing so.
Collateral antisemitism is a real thing. It might be the price to pay for those who stand with Israel, but knowing that standing with Israel, we stand with God, why should Christians have it any other way?
