In Defense: Israel and the Jews

Anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiment is on the rise. This blog will serve to address and refute those accusations, criticisms, and conspiracies leveled at Israel and the Jewish people. While you're here, check out my other blogs: The Soapbox: Political Discourse Without Excuse: Apologetics Blog First they came for the Communists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Communist Then they came for the Socialists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Socialist Then they came for the trade unionists And I did not speak out Because I was not a trade unionist Then they came for the Jews And I did not speak out Because I was not a Jew Then they came for me And there was no one left To speak out for me -Pastor Martin Niemöller

Anyone who has spent a fair amount of time on the internet has invariably encountered some form of anti-Jewish rhetoric.  In many ways, it has become fashionable to hate on the Jews again.  It’s a phenomenon that isn’t just on the right or the left, contrary to popular belief, but reaches across the entire political spectrum.  The difference now is that it’s no longer relegated to the fringes, but has gone mainstream. Anti-Semitism is certainly nothing new.  In Europe’s Middle Ages, Jews were blamed for everything from the crucifixion of Christ to spreading diseases by poisoning wells.  Blood libel accusations asserted that Jews routinely kidnapped children and murdered them to use in their blood religious rituals. According to historian Walter Laqueur, “Altogether, there have been about 150 recorded cases of blood libel (not to mention thousands of rumors) that resulted in the arrest and killing of Jews throughout history, most of them in the Middle Ages. ...

Does the modern state of Israel matter? There are a lot of opinions out there about Israel that are shaped by one's political or  eschatological beliefs. My experience is that those Christians they do not have an eschatological framework or reject it, or less inclined to support Israel. However, I want to give my eschatological perspective why I think Israel is important and provide theological reasons for supporting it. To address this properly, we need to go back in time. Ancient Israel was often compared in the Bible to the unfaithful wife who cheated on her husband, in their case, Yahweh. Time and time again, God (Yahweh) called on Israel to repent and promised that if they do, they will be forgiven: Zec 1:3 Therefore, say to the people, ‘This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: Return to me, and I will return to you , says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.’ Other scriptural support: Jer 3:12-14, Jer 31:34, Eze 18:21-22, Isa 43:25, Isaiah 44:22, Joel 2:12-13,...

I've seen this brought up a lot in my internet travels: that the Jews are not really the Jews, so that makes it okay to hate them. So, let's get into it. The Khazarian Theory postulates that a significant portion of European Jews, particularly Ashkenazi Jews, are descended from the Khazars. The Khazars were a semi-nomadic Turkic people who originated from the Central Asian region and migrated to the area north of the Caucasus Mountains, in present-day southern Russia, western Kazakhstan, eastern Ukraine, and parts of the Caucasus. As the story goes, the Khazars converted to Judaism in the 8th or 9th century, possibly for political reasons. The ruling class may have wanted to maintain neutrality between the Muslim Caliphate to the south and the Byzantine Empire to the west. However, other religions were also practiced. including Islam, Christianity, and Tengrism. This continued until the Khazar state declined and then collapsed in the 10th century. No one knows for sure what bec...

You know, there are a lot of voices out there that will say Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. You hear it on the news, you hear it on social media, and you hear it from celebrities. Israel is constantly maligned and attacked. But is it true? The short answer is no. The reality is, Israel is the underdog in all this. They are held to a double standard that no other country is held to. They are the only country that is vilified for defending itself and called genocidal when they do. You won’t hear that accusation in the Russian-Ukraine war or any other conflict. Of all the countries in the world, Israel is the only one that gets that ignominious label. So, let’s get into it. In any discussion or debate, it’s important to ask questions. My first question is, what makes it a genocide? It has never been the policy of Israel to intentionally target civilians. In fact, they have gone out of their way to avoid civilian casualties. I’ll give an example from Israel’s previous conflicts. Dur...

Benjamin Netanyahu created quiet a stir recently when he said that no Palestinian state would be created under his leadership. Many liberals will see Netanyahu as being a mean-spirited hard-liner, but in reality it's a matter of practicality. As the situation currently stands it is not in Israel's best interests for Palestinian state.  For one, a contiguous Palestinian state would come at the expense of a dis-contiguous Israel. The current proposal of merging Gaza and the West Bank would cut Israel in two. Incidentally this proposal is similar to the 1947 UN partition plan that the Arab's rejected at that time. Second, such a Palestinian state would set Israel back to pre-1967 borders, nicknamed the Auschwitz borders because they are indefensible. A return to those lines would leave Israel with a waistline just nine miles (15 kilometers) wide at its narrowest point. A "two-state solution” would be a "final solution" for Israel. Third,  as seen...