Anti-Semitism or Not

            The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is the importance of knowing history and remembering events of the past. In particular, I would like to discuss anti-Semitism. As World War II came to an end, citizens of the world began to see and hear of the atrocities performed by Hitler’s supporters. People worldwide – and Germans in general – were astonished and appalled at the killing of millions of Jews. The cry went out, “Never again!”

            Never is a very long time, but could such a terrible event repeat itself in less than one hundred years? Arnold Ahlert recently posted an article entitled “Slouching Towards Anti-Semitism.” Ahlert suggests in his article that the Democrat Party is slowly becoming anti-Semitic. He gives several examples where Democrats voted against Israel as witnesses to his suggestion.

Why are many Democrats embracing such hostility toward Israel? According to a poll conducted by Nielsen Scarborough, 56% of their constituents back economic sanctions and other get-tough measures against Israel, and 72% believe America unfairly favors Israel over the Palestinians.

Moreover, a Pew poll released in January reveals that since 2001, the share of Democrats sympathizing more with Israel has declined 11 points, from 38% to 27%. The decline among Democrat Millennials is even more pronounced: Approximately 27% of Millennials now say they are more sympathetic to the Palestinians than Israel, compared to only 9% in 2006.

The party’s schism is best revealed by the split between supporters of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Clinton’s supporters favored Israel over the Palestinians, 47% to 27%. Sanders supporters favored the Palestinians over Israel, 39% to 33%.

            Ahlert explains that support for Israel in the Democrat Party is decreasing because the members who support the Jews are growing older. “Since Sanders supporters tend to be younger, Democrat politicians are apparently becoming more attuned to their social justice warrior sensibilities. Sensibilities increasingly align with the contemptuous notion that Israel is an apartheid state engaged in Palestinian genocide.”

            Claiming that “Israel is only part of the dynamic,” Ahlert explains that the “leftist support for Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan” is the other part. He reminds us that Farrakhan once “called Judaism a `gutter religion.’”

In a major speech on Feb. 25, Farrakhan remained true to his worldview, asserting that Jews were “the mother and father of apartheid,” and declaring that “when you want something in this world, the Jew holds the door.

CNN’s Jake Tapper sidestepped a media-imposed blackout and covered the speech, noting that despite the “inherent” anti-Semitism and anti-homosexual comments expressed by Farrakhan, “several leaders of the Women’s March are supporters of Farrakhan and have not condemned him.” He also leveled the same accusation against members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

            Ahlert says that the “proverbial shoe fits,” and he names names. There is Linda Sarsour, a long-time Farrakhan supporter, “once insisted `nothing is creepier than Zionism,’ and justified terrorism as a response to a `racist, supremacist, violent [Israeli] regime’ that views Palestinians as `less than human.’”

            While Sarsour’s comments are enough to label her anti-Semitic, Ahlert continues by naming Tamika Mallory who is another organizer of the Women’s March. He lists members of the Congressional Black Caucus – “at least seven Democrats – Reps. Maxine Waters (CA), Barbara Lee (CA), Danny Davis (IL), Andre Carson (IN), Keith Ellison (MN), Gregory Meeks (NY) and Al Green (TX) – have attended meetings with Farrakhan. The same Congressional Black Caucus that buried a 2005 photo of Farrakhan with Barack Obama.”

            It does sound as if Democrats are embracing anti-Semitism as the party ages. Anti-Semitism is not only seen in politics, but it is also found in the higher educational system. Dennis Prager, a Jew himself, points out “that many American Jews are experiencing cognitive dissonance,” 

The institution Jews most admire – the university – turns out to be the most significant source of Israel hatred in America and the rest of the West. At the same time, the people many Jews most distrust – Christians (especially evangelical and other conservative Christians) – turn out to be the Jews’ and Israel’s best friends.

            Prager says that the Jews in America “deal with this dissonance” by ignoring the hatred found in the university system and dismissing Christian support as not being genuine. They believe that Christians are supportive of Jews and Israel because they want to convert Jews and spread Christianity. He wonders why they equate support for Israel with converting Jews and if support for Israel’s enemies is to convert Muslims to Christianity.

            There is no evidence that Christian support for Israel converts Jews to Christianity according to Prager. In fact, “the Jews who most support Israel are either the most religious or the most strongly identifying secular Jews. Neither is a candidate for conversion…. So, why do Christians support Israel?”

They believe in supporting American allies and supporting countries that share their moral values. And, unlike the left, they have moral problems with Islamism, not with Zionism.

But the primary reason virtually every Israel-supporting Christian gives is the biblical verse from Genesis in which God says to Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.” These Christians believe (as does this Jew) God blesses those who treat the Jews decently and curses those who seek to harm the Jews.

            Prager continues with a reminder of the numerous nations that have been cursed. “All the Jews’ ancient enemies disappeared from history.” Spain “expelled its Jews in 1492” and “became largely irrelevant to history.” Germany “endured a staggering amount of death and suffering as a result of their support for the greatest Jew hater in history – and their country was divided in half for the next half-century." The Arab and other Muslim countries that hate Jews the most “are among the most benighted countries in the world.”

Meanwhile, the country that has most blessed Israel and the Jews is America. No country in the modern period has treated its Jews as well as America has, and no country has stood by Israel as much as America has. And America has been almost uniquely blessed.

These American Christians know something that the secular and left-wing elites do not: The day America abandons Israel will be the beginning of the end of America as we know it.

            This conservative Christian certainly has this view. There was a day when I could not see a time when the United States would not support Israel. Now I wonder how long we will be allies with them. For all our sakes, I hope forever.