The October 7th massacre of Jewish people perpetrated by Hamas and the ensuing war has propelled antisemitism to new heights. Even within the United States, a country that has historically been a supporter of Israel and holds a significant self-identifying Christian population, these toxic anti-Israel and anti-Jewish flames have grown significantly.
Amir Tsarfati, Founder and President of the Christian non-profit Behold Israel stationed in Galilee, addressed this trend developing in the United States.
“America has so many troublesome problems to deal with – the border crisis, uncontrolled crime in major cities, destructive colleges, and disrespect from many countries worldwide, just to name a few,” Tsarfati described. “However, I see a huge issue that is often overlooked. It is the tremendous wave of antisemitism that is afflicting ALL parts of society. This includes young and old, liberals and conservatives, Muslims and Christians, celebrities, politicians, media, and so many more.”
‘Concerning State Of Antisemitism In America’
A report from the American Jewish Committee found that almost half of American Jews (46%) “changed their behavior out of fear of antisemitism” since Oct. 7th. The survey results, published in February, showed that individuals felt compelled to hide indicators identifying them as Jewish and conversations about Israel in person and on social media. AJC CEO Ted Deutch added that the findings “should alarm everyone” and prompt immediate action.
The ADL Center for Antisemitism Research also collected troubling data showing an increase in Americans’ willingness to agree with antisemitic statements, with “just under 24% of Americans endors[ing] six or more anti-Jewish tropes.”
“Researchers found an increasingly concerning state of antisemitism in America. Anti-Jewish and anti-Israel positions are high,” the report stated. “Social networks and social norms increasingly point toward a growing acceptance of antisemitism.”
Tsarfati warned that social media has played a significant role in persuading individuals to turn on Israel. “The pro-Hamas propaganda, propelled by the mainstream media, TikTok, Twitter, and others, has produced a new nazi-style thinking,” he insisted.
Not surprisingly, the ADL highlighted that “the more likely one is to hold a negative sentiment toward Israel, the more likely they are to believe anti-Jewish tropes.”
Jews in the western world quickly discovered following Oct. 7th that hatred for Israel is often indistinguishable from the same antisemitism that has plagued the diaspora for thousands of years.
A keen example of this was recently found just above the U.S. Border in a Montreal newspaper that displayed a caricature of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a vampire ready to drink the blood of Palestinians. This image, Caroline Glick insisted in a recent column, was a blatant “blood libel” that depicts the Jews as “the enemy of humanity.”
Antisemitism Infecting The Church
One area where we would not expect to find this vitriol for Israel and the Jews is within the church. Sadly, as Amir Tsarfati explains, bad theology—which dismisses God’s ongoing promises to His chosen people, the Jews—has opened the door for this hatred to spread into numerous churches.
“[The] saddest and most concerning, in my opinion, is the poison that is spreading in churches across the U.S., which makes a distinction between Israel today and the Israel of the Bible,” he underscored. “A growing number of church-goers, mostly in the evangelical camp, are questioning modern Israel’s right to exist and to defend itself.”
“Replacement theology” insists that the execution of Jesus Christ caused the Jewish people to forfeit the promises and eternal covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Under this theology, the church replaced Israel two thousand years ago in the plan of God, the commands for Christians to pray for, bless, and stand with the Jewish State are disregarded, and the miraculous nature of Israel’s re-establishment in 1948, as prophecied in the Old and New Testament, is overlooked.
This denigration of the Jewish people and large swaths of the Bible leaves a gaping hole for anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiment to creep in.
“If anything, the church’s attitude towards Israel should be the exact opposite!” Tsarfati noted, adding that while this kind of behavior in a fallen world is unsurprising, “I do expect much better from those who describe themselves as followers of Christ!”
