Are Those Who Criticize Political Israel Anti-Semitic?
Note: (Semitics are mostly but not limited to those who speak the Hebrew Language or are from the area where the language was spoken...Semitics came to be known primarily as the Jews.)
A growing trend is to call those who criticize political Israel anti-Semitic, meaning those having a deep hatred for the Jewish people.
Is this true?
Do those who speak critically of the Israeli government hate Jewish people?
A biblical survey of those who spoke critically of political Israel proves that speaking against political Israel does not mean someone hates the Jews.
The first one to speak critically of the people of Israel and political Israel was the creator of Israel - Yahweh.
This did not make Yahweh anti-Semitic.
Yahweh did not hate the Jewish people, he loved them.
Yet love does not overlook corruption.
Love does not support corruption.
Love highlights corruption.
Over and over in the Hebrew Bible, Yahweh sent prophets to speak...
...against political Israel for their corruptions
...against political Judah for their corruptions
...against political Jerusalem for their corruptions.
Did the 17 prophets hate Israel?
Were the 17 prophets anti-Semitics?
Did the prophets hate the Jews?
Of course not...they loved Israel.
What about John the Baptist?
He spoke against political Israel.
Was he anti-Semitic?
Then there is Jesus.
Jesus consistently criticized political Israel.
They aligned against him, arrested him, abused him, and accused him.
Jesus criticized the Sanhedrin - the ruling assembly of Israel.
Jesus said he was coming to judge them (Matthew 26:57-67).
Was Jesus anti-Semitic?
Did he hate the Jewish people?
Was Jesus anti-Semitic because he highlighted the corruption of political Israel?
Of course not...he loved the Jewish people.
He wept over them because he knew they would be judged for the corruptions perpetrated by their violations of the law of Moses.
He knew the land, people, and cities would be destroyed because of corruption.
He knew Jerusalem and the temple would be destroyed because of corruption.
So he wept...because he loved them.
Then there is Stephen.
He was arrested by political Israel.
He, like Jesus, was brought before the Sanhedrin.
Stephen criticized them.
Political Israel killed him.
Was Stephen an anti-Semitic and a Jew-hater?
No.
Yahweh, the prophets, John the Baptist, Jesus, and Stephen all highlighted the corruption of political Israel.
None were anti-Semitic.
None were Jew haters.
All loved the Jewish people and desired to see them repent of their corruption and embrace Jesus as the Christ.
So, what about this growing trend today where those who criticize political Israel are labeled anti-Semites...Jew haters?
Are they anti-Semitic and Jew haters because they call out corruption of political Israel?
Of course not.
If they are, then so is Yahweh, the 17 prophets (and there were other prophets in addition to the 17), John the Baptist, Jesus, and Stephen.
Could it be that the greatest love for Israel is demonstrated by those calling out the corruption in Israel?
How could those who truly love Israel overlook corruption in Israel?
Could it be that those who label people as "anti-Semite" for calling out political Israel's corruption are complicit in the corruption?
Based on the Biblical narrative, what are we to conclude about calling out corruption in political Israel and being called anti-Semites and Jew-haters?
We can conclude from the biblical narrative from Yahweh to Stephen that calling out political Israel's corruption does not make someone an anti-Semite or a Jew hater.
It may actually mean those calling out the corruption truly love the people of Israel.
If you found this blog helpful, you may enjoy Brad’s blog, Who Are God’s Chosen People?
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