The Normalization of Antisemitism: When the Longest Hatred Becomes the New Normal
Pre-Trib Study Group – Irving, Texas – December 4-6, 2023
Olivier Melnick – Chosen People Ministries, Rockwall, Texas
I. Introduction
The word normalization shouldn’t be too complicated to understand since it contains the word “normal.” It can refer to data, diplomatic relations, economics, biology or sociology. The sociological aspect of normalization is the one that affects antisemitism.
The Collins English Dictionary defines it as “the act or process of normalizing.”[1]
Dictionary.com defines the term as follows: “to cause (something previously considered abnormal or unacceptable) to be treated as normal.”
Satan has worked for a long time to make the irrational look rational. This is also a component of the normalization of antisemitism, but only to the extent that the words and deeds committed against the Jews move from being done by identifiable antisemites to being done by anybody without reprimand.
Normal is the opposite of abnormal, so normalization is a process that takes an abnormal belief or behavior and manages to change it or its perception so that it will be perceived as normal.
Following this logic, the normalization of cannibalism would advance from punishable by law to merely frowned upon to completely acceptable to eat human flesh. We must clearly understand the two factors at stake here: legal and societal.
Legally, any normalization exonerates one from legal ramifications for committing an act that previously was punishable by law. No arrest, indictment, lawsuit, trial, verdict or imprisonment are to be feared.
Societally, these acts go from being judged, demonized or ostracized to normal behavior. This takes these acts from being disturbing to being acceptable.
One can quickly understand that if antisemitism were ever to undergo the process of normalization, it would trigger an “open season” against Jews globally and bring us back full force into the 1930s and 1940s. It would be an irreversible tipping point.
Unfortunately, I fear that we might have reached that tipping point. While those of us who value Israel and appreciate the Jewish people are becoming a very slim minority, now is not the time to cave into the majority. We have some tough choices to make.
The overused quote attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller has now become our rallying cry: “First, 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 for me.[2]
II. Normalization on the Spectrum of Antisemitism
Antisemitism, also known as the longest hatred, didn’t happen in a vacuum. It progressively grew, morphed and reinvented itself. It has been creatively adapted to fit the times. As one surveys the history of the Jewish people, it quickly becomes evident that it has been and continues to be punctuated by acts of antisemitism.
Forced baptisms and conversions, the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Pogroms, the Holocaust and the Middle East crisis are just a few of Satan's creative ways to turn the world against the Jews. He succeeded in millions of casualties even though God promised never to forsake Israel (Jeremiah 31:35-37) completely.
He has been busy on two fronts toward the same goal: the destruction of the Jews. First, he works hard at turning the Jewish people against Yeshua by erroneously making them believe that following Him is antithetical to remaining a Jew. Second, he has turned many within the Church against the Jews throughout history and even today with the growth and influence of Replacement Theology.[3]
Some believe that antisemitism was at its apex stage during the Holocaust, and it stopped after that. If history stopped, I could agree with such a statement. Still, almost eighty years have passed, and outside of maybe slowing down a bit for two decades after the Holocaust, antisemitism is alive and well. It has been on an uninterrupted continuum since biblical days.
We can also look at antisemitism as existing on a spectrum throughout the history of the Jewish people. To understand the gravity of the current situation, we must study that spectrum. This will allow us to determine where normalization sits on the spectrum and what it means to us today.
As we study the spectrum of antisemitism, one thing will become evident: Antisemitism doesn’t vacillate through history, going back and forth on the spectrum from non-existent to full force. Instead, it keeps moving in the same direction, never looking back. It might slow down a bit when a particular historical figure appears on the world scene and sees Jewish people with favor, such as–within reason–Charlemagne (747-814) or Napoleon (1769-1821). Still, it never completely ceased, even with their favorable treatment.
So, the spectrum moves only in one direction at various speeds but never reverses direction. It is driven by Satan from one end to the other, without exception.
The starting point of antisemitism is found in the biblical record of the Old Testament. Pharaoh who didn’t know Joseph (Exodus 1), Haman in the book of Esther, the Amalekites (Exodus 17) or even the list of people groups provided by Asaph in Psalm 83. Those are obvious examples of the enemies of Israel. Still, the animosity goes back to Genesis 3:15, when the seed of the serpent (Satan) fights the seed of the woman (Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah).
At the origin, it was nothing more than biblical pagan jealousy. The people around Israel were jealous of the “chosen people” status of Israel declared by God (Deuteronomy 7:6-8; 14:2; 26:17-19; 2 Samuel 7:23-24, Psalm 105:8-15; 135:4; Isaiah 41:8). The Jewish people have been set aside by the God of Israel for His purpose, and that makes many people jealous, For You have separated them from all the peoples of the earth as Your inheritance, as You spoke through Moses Your servant when You brought our fathers forth from Egypt, O Lord God.” (1 Kings 8:53).
Moving into the New Testament, we find many passages that paint part of the Jewish leadership as antagonistic against Yeshua and His followers. This doesn’t validate the antisemitic tone that many have tried to attribute to the New Testament. That part of the Bible is not antisemitic, but it is not within the scope of this paper to address that issue.
After the closing of the Canon of Scripture, from the late 1st century forward, many of the ante-Nicaean[4] Church Fathers contributed to the building of an early anti-Jewish sentiment. Some, within the following generations of Church Fathers, continued the diatribes. This section of the spectrum could be called theological anti-Judaism. It continued throughout history with various degrees of intensity, peaking at times such as the Crusades or the Inquisition and specific recurring times on the calendar such as Holy Week as it became Classical Antisemitism.
Unbeknownst to him, Martin Luther set the stage for the Holocaust in his pamphlet “On the Jews and their lies.”[5] He never intended for the Jews to be mass-murdered, but his words carried much weight, which led to tragic consequences. Martin Luther couldn’t look forward to the future or Adolf Hitler, but Hitler most definitely looked back at Luther and chose to act upon the theologian’s every word and beyond. There was another shift, and Classical Antisemitism became Racial Antisemitism. Hitler described the Jews as vermin and sub-humans to be eradicated for the betterment of mankind. He tried to support his lethal agenda against a backdrop of science by promoting Eugenics, which was debunked soon after.
Then came the interlude—two decades of relative respite for the Jews. The words “antisemitic” or “antisemitism” became taboo after the Holocaust. To be sure, while the words were avoided, the thoughts and actions continued. Yet, it was time for Satan to reinvent the oldest hatred. So, he repackaged it in the form of anti-Israelism or anti-Zionism so that an antisemite could continue their nefarious agenda without being called an antisemite. Most scholars agree that this period, which continues to this day, is known as the New Antisemitism. It has benefited quite a bit from the advent of the Internet and social networks. People feel good about being social justice advocates while they demonize Israel and the Jews, promoting the false Palestinian victimhood narrative.
Yet, the spectrum is even broader. In 2012, in Toulouse, France, a man killed several Jewish people at a day school. In my opinion, this attack marks when Jewish people started getting killed again for being Jewish. In 2015, during the “I am Charlie” days, a man entered a kosher supermarket on the east side of Paris, took Jewish people hostages, and ended up killing four of them. The carnage continues to this day all over the world. This is what I have called End-Times Antisemitism. It is part of the new antisemitism but is a hybrid of classical antisemitism (biblical days to Holocaust) and the new antisemitism (1948 to today).
I believe that there is one more brand of antisemitism coming, and I call it Tribulation Antisemitism. It will be a time of great turmoil and destruction for the Jewish people left behind. According to Zechariah 13:8-9, two-thirds of the Jewish people living at that time will perish, and one-third will survive and become followers of Yeshua the Messiah. As difficult as it is to say and comprehend, it will be a time far worse than the Holocaust for the Jews.
While, again, this is not within the scope of this work, I believe in a pre-tribulation, pre-millennial Rapture of the Church. Believers will be taken up in the air by Yeshua before the start of the Tribulation, also known as the Time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7).
The reason why I need to clarify my eschatological position is to avoid being accused of escapism. Some who do not adhere to a pre-Tribulation Rapture feel that those who do are simply buying into a doctrine of escapism to avoid the terrible days ahead. Believing in a pre-Tribulation Rapture should encourage believers to share with the lost before we are all gone. That includes sharing with our Jewish friends who will suffer the most during the Tribulation. I truly cannot wait for Yeshua to call us home, and yet, I can wait for Him to do so, as long as I can be used to lead more people to Him. Time is of the essence as the stage is being set for the antichrist and the Tribulation a little more each day.
This is where the normalization of antisemitism comes on the spectrum. While antisemitism has existed since biblical days, there always were people to defend the Jews against the libels and the diatribes. Israel’s advocates continue to be as vocal as they can today, but we are a dying breed.
What will happen when antisemitism becomes normalized and goes mainstream? This shift must occur for the Tribulation events to occur with such intensity. When normalization occurs, it will be open season for the Jews and those who defend them. How close are we, or are we already there? Let’s look at the ten stages. Brace yourself for a surprise.
III. The Different Stages in the Normalization of Antisemitism
As I have mentioned before, normalization in and of itself isn’t necessarily bad.
For instance, the normalization of diplomatic relations between two countries formally known as enemies is a very good thing. When it comes to the normalization of antisemitism, however, there is nothing good about it. It spells disaster from every vantage point.
In a recent article in Israel Unwired, Israel’s top entrepreneur Hillel Fuld tried to give American Jews a wake-up call: “But now is the time to look around you, realize the Jews are now being beaten in the streets, antisemitism is in Congress, pop artists are going full-blown Hitler lovers, NBA players are sharing antisemitic blood libels, Netflix joined the party and is promoting a movie that depicts Jews and Israelis as a people crueler than the Nazis, and one of the most iconic TV shows in America, Saturday night live, is normalizing antisemitism.”[6]
I am not necessarily interested in the source of the different stages of the normalization of antisemitism–already knowing that one way or another, they all come from Satan– but more in their status as of 2023. I see ten stages: Apathy, lack of education, low or incorrect reporting, desensitization, lack of accountability, empowerment, demonization of the defenders, persecution of Jews and defenders, encouragement to kill and the mass murder of Jews. While I believe they feed off each other, these stages do not have to happen exactly in the order just listed; they can occur simultaneously and overlap.
A. Apathy
I have noticed for at least the last decade that there is general apathy from the public when it comes to antisemitism. People don’t seem to care what happens to their Jewish neighbors unless it affects them personally. This is true, coming from all people, but, to an extent, also true coming from the evangelical church. I recall doing an interview on a popular program with a large Internet audience. The show was on antisemitism, and the host felt like they had to prepare me and tell me that whenever they did a show specifically on antisemitism, they had significant drops in their audience numbers. People didn’t seem to be interested. We are talking about evangelical Christians who support Israel and do not adhere to Replacement Theology, and still, the topic didn’t interest them that much. The same lack of interest exists in many of the different programs I have been a part of.
The truth is that most churches today, even if they recognize the evil of antisemitism, do not do much to fight it and certainly are unaware of its tentacles reaching far and wide.
Apathy has been plaguing us for a while, and it is one of the layers necessary for the normalization of antisemitism to occur. When people don’t care, they don’t respond or react. The result is a fertile ground for further crimes, especially if the crimes are not reported correctly. Yet, how can crimes be reported if people lack the education necessary to understand antisemitism?
B. Lack of Education
This has been part of my battle for the last 23 years. At the core of it, antisemitism is too often espoused because of a lack of education. People are unaware of history’s key players: The victims, the perpetrators, the bystanders and the rescuers. History is being ignored, rewritten, or misunderstood, and as a result, roles are mixed-up. The desire to militate for social justice supersedes the need to look for the truth. The enemies of the Jewish people are blinded by the false narrative painting the Jewish people as world dominators controlling politics, the banks and even Hollywood. Even within the realm of those who love Israel and the Jewish people, the lack of education is evident. I have yet to teach a seminar on the history of antisemitism and the Church’s mistakes with the Jewish people and not get people coming to me flabbergasted by what they just heard. So many Christians have no idea how toxic the anti-Jewish writings of Martin Luther were at the end of his life. Few Christians know the meaning of the acronym BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions). Even fewer Christians have heard of the 1920 San Remo Conference, which was more of a defining moment for the birth of the modern State of Israel than the November 1947 United Nations vote for the partition of British Mandate Palestine, followed by the May 1948 Declaration of Independence. How can we fight an enemy that we cannot even correctly identify? How can we defend a friend without understanding their history?
C. Desensitization
Desensitization is closely connected to apathy and lack of education. It is because of desensitization that apathy can set in. Over time, Christians have been desensitized to the venom of antisemitism. I remember years ago speaking to a pastor friend of mine about the potentially insensitive delivery of biblical messages by Christians in relation to the Jewish people. I had just spoken to that friend about the fact that most Jewish people wouldn't step foot in a church for fear of Christian antisemitism. My friend assured me he wasn’t antisemitic, and I know he was telling the truth. He also said to me that maybe I was overreacting. We were listening to our senior pastor preaching at church on a Wednesday night. Suddenly, pacing across the platform, the preacher exclaimed, “The Jews were just finished killing Christ….” I cringed and immediately elbowed my friend, who gave me a puzzled look as he asked, “what?” He had no clue as to why I was reacting. I repeated what had just been said and sadly, told him that if a Jewish person had entered our church at that moment, their worst fears about Christian antisemitism would have been confirmed. They would have turned around and left, maybe never to come inside a church again. I knew my pastor personally, and I knew what he meant; but to that stranger, that Jewish person just walking in, it could have had a devastating effect. It could have made that person never walk into a church again. Words matter, and perception is critical. Both pastors were so desensitized that they had no idea of the harm done by their words. When Christians are insensitive towards Jews, significant damage can occur but with repentance and forgiveness, relationships can be mended.
On the other hand, when the enemies of Israel and the Jews are desensitized, irreversible harm often occurs. They are often clueless because of a lack of education; worse, they are ignorant by choice when they refuse to learn the truth. These people really exist, and they are very toxic!
D. Low or Incorrect Reporting
For the last 23 years, I have been monitoring antisemitism. I have noticed that stories are often inaccurate or under-reported. In other words, there are a lot more acts of antisemitism happening daily and globally than what is being reported. This affects the normalization of antisemitism because it waters down the problem and gives the appearance of fewer incidents.
If antisemitic incidents are under-reported, sometimes they are not even registered as antisemitism right away, like in the case of the recent hostage situation in Colleyville, Texas, in January 2022.[7] The local FBI Director initially announced that the hostage situation was not motivated by antisemitism, even though he changed his statement later.
In May 2022, a 90-year-old Jewish man was thrown out the window of his 17th-floor apartment by his neighbor. The French police immediately ruled out antisemitism and declared that it resulted from an argument between two neighbors.[8]
These are two examples among the many stories involving antisemitism around the world. They are the ones we heard about. The reality is that many other cases are not even reported because Jewish people are now at a place where they have lost hope for honest reporting, let alone for justice to be served.
Inaccurate reporting sends the wrong message. It can easily give a false sense of security. The Jewish communities are not fooled. No matter what the news reports, they know the real danger. Confidence in the news for accuracy has become very low in Jewish circles.
E. No Accountability
This is where it starts getting very scary. When people commit acts of antisemitism without fear of reprisals or having to be accountable for their actions, it will only embolden people to commit more antisemitic crimes if there is no price to pay. Possibly the worst example of no accountability is what happened in Paris, France, to Kolibi Traoré, the man who beat up and threw Jewish doctor Sarah Halimi out her apartment’s window to her death in 2017.[9] After an investigation, the French Court de Cassation (equivalent to the U.S. Supreme Court) decided not to put Mr. Traoré on trial because he was found intoxicated on cannabis and deemed not responsible for his actions. He killed a Jew, and he walked free. Not because a jury acquitted him but because he was not put on trial.
To put this in perspective and add insult to injury, mistreating/killing animals in France is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to 75,000 euros.[10]
In summary, if you kill your pet, you could go to prison, but if you kill a Jew while you are high on drugs, you walk free without a trial. It might not be accurate in all cases, but this is the message being sent. Since that tragedy occurred, French laws have been modified to avoid such nonsense, but a precedent has been set. All it takes is the desire to exonerate antisemites. I am certain additional legal loopholes will be found.
No accountability or reprimand has led to the emboldening of antisemites and more physical violence. One more brick paves the way toward the normalization of antisemitism.
In all fairness, we have indeed seen various task forces formed, like the US bi-partisan task force requested by Congress in December 2022.[11] It is not the first, nor will it be, the last antisemitism or racism task force to be formed. The problem is that they almost always consist of people discussing stats and assessing danger, but minimal action is ever taken. It is OK to admit that antisemitism is a problem and that it is on the rise, but words are cheap. Jewish people worldwide–except maybe in Israel–are disillusioned regarding what is being done to fight antisemitism. How long do we have to educate people before we pass laws and enforce them? Even when laws are passed, they often are not enforced. These various task forces often give the appearance of something being done when, in reality, bureaucratic bottlenecks and gridlocks get in the way of results, not to mention the inequality in the way antisemitic crimes are reported or ignored.
F. Empowerment
It is not just in France that people are empowered to act against the Jews. The second largest Jewish community in the world is in New York. Walking the streets of Brooklyn is a cultural experience, a very Jewish cultural experience! For the last two years, there have been more incidents than can be counted of people coming behind orthodox Jews and hitting them in the back or on the head for no apparent reason whatsoever.[12] Jewish pedestrians are being hit or have their hats kicked off their heads to intimidate and humiliate them. There were even two cases of men coming from behind and emptying a fire extinguisher on a Jewish man. [13]
It was only 80 years ago that Jews were forced to stand in public places and have their side curls or beards trimmed by Nazis and Nazi sympathizers while onlookers were watching without lifting a finger. Since very few culprits are caught, more crimes are committed daily. The numbers of antisemitic attacks are way up. The ADL noticed that in 2021, they were the highest since 1979 when they started compiling such data.
Moment Magazine Antisemitism Monitor has done a thorough job of reporting and cataloging antisemitism around the globe. They noted that Jew-haters took advantage of the Covid pandemic to spew more venom freely.[14] Jews were accused of creating both the virus and the cure to make money. The accusation of hunger for world domination is one of the oldest tropes against the Jews. It was made internationally famous in “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, " a 1904 hoax written by Russian antisemite Sergei Nilus. It pretended to be the minutes of a Jewish cabal preparing to take over the entire world, and it gave antisemites around the world more reasons to hate the Jews. The Protocols are still in print and used in many countries today.
The empowerment of antisemites is an equal opportunity evil. The oldest hatred comes from the Left, the Right, Atheists, Radical Islam, Hollywood, and many university campuses. Still, lately, Right-Wing activists have been more visible. In many cases, they are erroneously perceived as being connected to conservatives and Christians, giving true conservatives and Bible-believing Christians a bad rep.[15]
G. Demonization of the Defenders
We haven’t seen much of this yet, but it must be discussed since it is one of the components. The challenge is that we live in an era when people don’t seem to be able to agree to disagree respectfully. In the last decade, people have become highly polarized and conditioned to judge those with different views. Dialogue has been replaced with a monologue or, worse, with propaganda to further one cause and damage the other side as much and as quickly as possible. Propaganda is usually about political ideas and agendas but can extend to other areas.
One cannot speak of propaganda without mentioning Joseph Goebbels. He was the Nazi Minister of Propaganda from 1933 to 1945. He was very effective at his job of making people believe what he wanted them to believe by constantly repeating the same idea, almost like a mantra. A quote attributed to him says, “The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly - it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over.”
This polarization leaves no room for dialogue but only for finger-pointing and accusations. Historically, antisemitism has always targeted Jews and only Jews (a bit odd when one considers that “Semites” are Jews AND Arabs, but the word “antisemite” only applies to Jews).
Now, it also targets those who love Israel and the Jewish people. Christian Zionists have become a target. They are people who see God’s love for the chosen people throughout the Bible, as well as God’s promise of the Land of Eretz Yisrael (Genesis 15:18-21) to the Jewish people, their return in unbelief (Ezekiel 36:24-28) and their salvation at the end of the Tribulation (Zechariah 12:10).
Christian Zionists[16] are some of the best advocates for Israel’s right to the land. They are some of the best friends Israel can have. We will see an increase in the harassment of those who support Israel and love the Jewish people. They will be demonized and ostracized for the stand they are taking. Protecting Jewish people might become dangerous, but rest assured that if you stand with Israel, you are on God’s side (Psalm 83).
H. Increased Persecution of Jews
I have been warning people for over two decades that we were nearing levels of antisemitism comparable to the 1930s and 1940s when the persecution of Jewish people was mandated, encouraged, and even rewarded. We might even be further along than we think in a repeat of that part of history. Persecution isn’t only done physically. Verbal abuse can also be damaging. People are becoming bolder in the statements they make against the Jews. Recently on a French TV News program, a guest confronted a Jewish man because he was wearing a yarmulke (Jewish skullcap) on the set during the interview. She wanted to know why he felt it necessary to wear it in public. He answered, “For transparency, I wear it every day; I did not put it on especially for this show.” When she asked him to keep his religion and ethnicity private, his response was priceless, and it showed the stupidity of some of the requests made of Jews by some people. He answered, “My name is Cohen! Why would you want me to ‘keep my religion to myself’? I’m coming from Israel,”[17]
What about what recently took place at UC Berkeley in California? It is reminiscent of Nazi Germany's “Judenfrei” policies. When Hitler wanted the “Aryan race” to dominate Europe, he used the “science” of Eugenics. On one side of the coin was this description of the perfect race: blond hair, blue eyes, perfect size nose and ears. On the other side of the coin was the Jew, a subhuman race akin to vermin and destined for destruction to save the world of its “grip.”
Hitler was obsessed with getting rid of the Jews,not only in Germany but all of Europe and the rest of the world, if he could have. His ultimate goal was a Jundenfrei Europe, a European continent free of Jews at any cost, and six million later, he almost succeeded!
The Nazi term Judenfrei described the attempt to achieve “the final solution to the Jewish question.” At first, but not for long, the Jews were ostracized, demonized, and expelled. Eventually, when a community had gotten rid of all its Jews, it was Judenfrei or Jew-free. But this was never enough for Hitler and the Nazi regime. The complete annihilation of the Jews was the goal…One Judenrein at a time!
When looking at the concept of Judenfrei, it is crucial to consider that it didn’t happen as an isolated incident but was part of a very precise, organized and structured agenda of death. The Holocaust was a systematic willful attempt at exterminating all European Jewry. It can be divided into four main periods of a few years spanning from 1933 to 1945. Legislation from 1933-1938 (The Nuremberg Laws), Criminalization of Jewishness from 1938-1939 (Kristallnacht: The Night of Broken Glass), Isolation from 1939-1941 (Ghettos) and Annihilation from 1941-1945 (Death Camps).
Judenfrei or Judenrein didn’t come to a halt when the war ended in 1945. The concept was picked up by many Arab and Muslim countries that have made life impossible for Jews and forced them to leave. Several countries have dwindling numbers of Jews, even down to the single digits. Sometimes the Jews are forced out, and sometimes they go on their own. All this being said, there is nothing positive about Judenfrei.
So, when the University of Berkeley in California, in 2022, decided to develop “Jewish Free” zones on campus, I cringed! To be exact, nine different law student groups at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law have modified their by-laws to ensure that Jews are excluded. They want to ensure that speakers promoting Israel or Zionism are never invited anywhere or anytime on campus. It is also essential to understand that Berkeley as a school doesn’t endorse that decision.
The law groups are Berkeley Law Muslim Student Association, Community Defense Project, Law Students of African Descent, Middle Eastern and North African Law Students Association, Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, Queer Caucus, Women of Berkeley Law and Womxn of Color Initiative. How do we get the Queer Caucus and the Muslim Student Association to get along when they are on opposite sides of the ideological spectrum? Well, consider that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend!”
Additionally, Satan is very gifted at making the irrational look and sound rational.
Some of the language used in the revision of the bylaws is very concerning, as they state, “in the interest of protecting the safety and welfare of Palestinian students on campus [insert organization name] will not invite speakers that have expressed and continued to hold views or host/sponsor/promote events in support of Zionism, the apartheid state of Israel, and the occupation of Palestine.” This sounds like the pro-Palestinian students are at risk for their safety when a pro-Israel group or speaker is active on campus. It also accuses Israel of apartheid, which frankly is an outright lie that those promoting it rarely, if ever, take the time to investigate by going to the Land and observing how Arabs and Jews co-exist and work together in Israel.
They also intend to promote BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) against Israel and teach people how to properly boycott Israeli products, companies and personalities. Erwin Chemerinsky, the Dean of the Berkeley Law School, is Jewish and even a progressive Zionist. By the new standards of the Law School revised bylaws, he would be forbidden to speak at any events on campus, how is that going to work? What we need to see is genuine dialogue from both sides. There used to be a time when people with differing views could dialogue freely, agree on some and disagree on some, but keep a respectful attitude towards each other. On a university campus, when the next generation is being groomed and equipped to be the leaders of tomorrow, what is being taught to that generation when we call Jews occupiers, colonizers and human rights violators?
When Berkeley Law students call for a Jew-Free Zone, they infringe on freedom of speech and commit antisemitism and encourage others to do likewise. If this is not reversed, other schools and organizations will follow suit. This is a little spark that could rapidly lead to a forest fire. Considering how many of the current events parallel the gruesome agenda of Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 40s, when we hear that a school wants to be Jew-Free, we should be outraged, speak up and come to the defense of our Jewish friends. Remain silent; soon enough, the Jews in your town will be no more. British commentator, Melanie Phillips was spot on when she declared, “For American Jews, the writing is now on the wall in neon lights!”
As I mentioned earlier, in my book End-Times Antisemitism, I located the start of eschatological (End Times) antisemitism in 2012 when a young Muslim man entered a Jewish day school and killed a rabbi and some students in Toulouse, France. This was when I started to see a new trend in exterminating Jews, which prompted me to isolate End Times antisemitism as part of the new antisemitism, but different. The normalization of antisemitism will allow for unchecked, unpunished, unprecedented and unrelenting antisemitism. It will open the door to the final wave of antisemitism which I call Tribulation antisemitism (Zechariah 13:9.)
I. Encouragement to Kill Jews
Most people would argue that in 2023, antisemites are not quite yet “encouraged to kill Jews.” I beg to differ. The reason why I believe that there has been another shift in antisemitism is due to the events surrounding the antisemitic diatribes unleashed by Rap singer and influencer billionaire Kanye West (also known as Ye) at the end of 2022 on social networks. In defense of the networks, he was immediately blocked/restricted by Twitter and Instagram, not to mention how almost every advertiser who had a contract with him dropped him. His tweet said, “I’m a bit sleepy tonight, but when I wake up, I’m going Death Con 3 on Jewish people. The funny thing is I actually cannot be antisemitic because black people are actually Jews also. You guys have toyed with me and try to blackball anyone who opposes your agenda.” He also went on an interview with Tucker Carlson[18], where he made some serious allegations against the Jews not being Jews, insisting that blacks were the real Jews (known as black Hebrew Israelites).
Kanye West used the age-old tropes about Jewish people, claiming they control the world and love money. This was bad enough in and of itself, but it got so much worse when people started coming to his defense. Conservative commentator Candace Owens–whom I respected and appreciated until now–defended West when she stated, “If you are an honest person, you did not think this tweet was antisemitic, you didn’t think that he wrote this tweet because he hates or wants to genocide the Jewish people. This does not represent the beginning of a Holocaust.”[19]
Somebody must remind Miss Owens that Martin Luther was not planning the Holocaust when he made his discourse against the Jews.[20] He let someone else take care of that from 1933-1945. His words became actions, and those actions took the lives of 6,000,000 Jews.
The words of Mr. West were abrasive and cannot be taken as anything but antisemitic, no matter the context. West did not relent, as he went on to spew more venom on Alex Jones Show, where he praised Hitler in no uncertain terms.[21] West claims that he is now a Christian, which is not helping to rebuild the bridge between Christians and Jews that has been burned over the centuries. There is nothing Christian in Kanye West’s words, as there was nothing Christian in Luther’s diatribe against the Jews. His [Kanye] words have already been picked up and promoted by the antisemitic organization Goyim Defense League which also prints and distributes antisemitic flyers throughout the United States. It is a matter of time before these words become actions. No wonder American Jews fear for their safety again. What world do we live in when respectable people come to the defense of antisemites? Luther didn’t look forward to Hitler, but Hitler looked back at Luther. Kanye West is probably not looking forward to the next Hitler, but whoever that person turns out to be will justify their actions by looking back at people who made comments like Kanye West!
Not long after, Comedian Dave Chappelle opened a Saturday Night Live show with a 15-minute monologue laced with antisemitic tropes. The audience found it funny and didn’t seem to see the antisemitism in it. I even had people ask me to define precisely what I found antisemitic in it. The fact that some people laughed about it and others didn’t see its harm shows us how close we are to the complete normalization of antisemitism.
Words are powerful. James reminds us that we can do much damage with the tongue (James 3:1-12). Our words might be words to us, but they can quickly become encouragement and validation to those who want to act against the Jews. Free speech does not mean we can discuss any topic without repercussions.
J. Mass Murder of Jews
As of the start of 2023, I do not believe that we have reached the point when Jewish people will be mass murdered. The apex of Jewish hatred will be when the final brand of antisemitism is unleashed during the Great Tribulation when 2/3 of all Jewish people alive at that time will perish (Zechariah 13:8-9): 8 “It will come about in all the land,” Declares the Lord, “That two parts in it will be cut off and perish, But the third will be left in it. 9 “And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ And they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’” (Emphasis added).
The Bible tells us that 2/3 of all living Jews will perish during the Tribulation (also known as the Time of Jacob’s trouble). We cannot avoid that 2/3 reference, but we can reduce the number contained within that 2/3 simply by making sure that more Jewish people come to a saving knowledge of their Messiah, Yeshua of Nazareth so that they can be raptured with the rest of God’s children before the Time of Jacob’s Trouble.
IV. Conclusion
We need to focus our attention on the ten criteria that will play a part in the upcoming full normalization of antisemitism and ask ourselves the question, “How many of these were in place in the 1930s and 1940s before Hitler could introduce the ‘Final Solution to the Jewish Question’?
As a reminder, the ten stages are Apathy, lack of education, low or incorrect reporting, desensitization, lack of accountability, empowerment, demonization of the defenders, persecution of Jews and defenders, encouragement to kill and mass murder of Jews.
I would venture to say that the first nine were in place in Hitler’s days and are again in place with the End Times antisemitism. Normalization is happening every day a little more. So, what can Christians do besides pray?
A passage of Scripture in the Gospel of Matthew speaks of a future event. It is the parable of the sheep and the goats and teaches us a great truth about God’s priority and love for the Jewish people. It also teaches us a great principle that can be applied immediately and makes a difference in the lives of Jewish people, not to mention their eternal destiny.
Matthew 25:34-40 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’
The time is now for believers to go out of their way to provide for and protect Jewish people within their realm of influence. We ought to do it because of the Gospel and with the Gospel.
Endnotes
[1] Normalization definition last accessed on December 4, 2022.
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/normalization
[2] Holocaust Encyclopedia, Martin Niemöller: The Quote. Last accessed on December 4, 2022. https://tinyurl.com/23uvaw6a.
[3] Replacement Theology is the false doctrine teaching that God has transferred all promises and blessings to the Church after taking them away from the Jewish people for disobedience and rejection of the Messiah. For more on the topic, refer to Fruchtenbaum, Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology, and Andrew Robinson, Israel betrayed: The History of Replacement Theology.
[4] The ante-Nicaean or ante-Nicene period covers the Church Fathers until the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325.
[5] Melnick, End-Times Anti-Semitism, p. 101-105
[6] Hillel Fuld, Israel Unwired, American Listen up, https://tinyurl.com/yckvpmxs. Last accessed on December 11, 2022.
[7] The Algemeiner: Texas Synagogue Attack Was Motivated by Antisemitism — But Not for the New York Times and BBC. Last accessed on December 5, 2022. https://tinyurl.com/4kj4wesj
[8] The Yeshiva World: Déjà Vu? French Jew Thrown From 17th Floor By His Neighbor. Last accessed on December 5, 2022. https://tinyurl.com/ytvk7tt5
[9] The Times of Israel: French parliamentary report on Sarah Halimi murder reopens wounds it sought to heal. https://tinyurl.com/2p867rh8. Last accessed on December 6, 2022.
[10] The Local.fr: What you need to know about France’s new animal rights law? https://tinyurl.com/ycyjnpfz. Last accessed on December 6, 2022.
[11] Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Bipartisan slate of 125 lawmakers call for ‘whole of government’ approach to combating antisemitism. https://tinyurl.com/yc6wxtw2. Last accessed on December 13, 2022.
[12] New York Post, Suspect at Large in the beating of Brooklyn Orthodox man. https://nypost.com/2022/07/16/nypd-searching-for-suspects-in-beating-of-nyc-orthodox-man/. Last accessed on December 7, 2022.
[13] CNN, 2 Jewish men were sprayed with fire extinguishers in separate incidents, https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/23/us/new-york-jewish-men-attacked-reaj/index.html. Last accessed on January 4, 2023.
[14] Momentmag Antisemitism Monitor, In 2021, The Pandemic Has Spawned Anti-Semitism Around the Globe. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/26/nyregion/antisemitic-attacks-new-york.html. Last accessed on December 7, 2022.
[15] Ibid., Right-Wing Anti-Semitism Takes Center Stage in Recent Incidents. https://momentmag.com/anti-semitism-monitor-may-findings/. Last accessed on December 7, 2022.
[16] Christian Zionists support Israel in many ways. To be sure, Christian Zionism without sharing the Gospel is just humanitarian help. It is good in and of itself but refraining from sharing the message of hope with the Jewish people while helping them materially or financially is akin to sending someone to hell on a full stomach. It is not good enough.
[17] Jewish Telegraphic Agency: In viral clip, French TV host asks Jewish guest why he wears a kippah in public. https://tinyurl.com/yt5nehn2. Last accessed on December 9, 2022
[18] Motherboard, Watch the Disturbing Kanye Interview Clips That Tucker Carlson Didn’t Put on Air. https://www.vice.com/en/article/3ad77y/kanye-west-tucker-carlson-leaked-footage-antisemitism-fake-children. Last accessed on December 9, 2022.
[19] The Jerusalem Post, Candace Owens defends Kanye West, says tweet about Jews wasn't antisemitic. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-719370. Last accessed December 9, 2022
[20] Edward H. Flannery: The Anguish of the Jews, (Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1985) p. 152-154
[21] Novara Media: Kanye West’s BIZARRE Antisemitic Tirade On Alex Jones Show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmEEm6QaRdc. Last accessed on December 9, 2022.