Do You Stand for Truth and a Better World?

According to Star Parker, a press conference was held last week on October 7 to express solidarity with Israel and to commemorate October 7, 2023. More than 50 pastors with Michigan Lighthouse Ministries joined with Parker’s Center for Urban Renewal and Education to hold the press conference. 

The press conference was held at a church in Michigan “because the state is home to the largest Arab American population in the country.” Michigan is also home to Democrat Representative Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in the U.S. House of Representatives and “one of the nation’s most strident voices against Israel.”

The clergy, mostly black, were not there to oppose Arab Americans. They were there to support the Jewish state of Israel and its values and to express “support for the welfare and betterment of all mankind.”

Parker explained that the clergy are concerned about “the cloud of darkness spreading and enveloping so much of our world today.” She continued:

The miraculous return of the Jewish people to their historical homeland after 2,000 years in dispersion and their transformation of desert and swamp into a thriving modern state, with per capita income higher than most European countries, shines laser-like light into the thick dark cloud of evil around us.

Hamas terrorists noted the first anniversary of their Oct. 7 attack by firing missiles into Israel, saying that, given the opportunity, they would commit the same atrocities again and again.

By atrocities, we’re talking about murder, rape, beheadings, burning of babies, mutilation of corpses.

How is it that there is sympathy for this depravity?

Iran, which provides the billions financing Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terrorist organizations, had a gross domestic product of just $5,740 per capita in 2023, according to tradingeconomics.com. This is only 13.5% of Israel’s $42,674 per capita GD, despite Iran having the fourth-largest holdings of oil reserves in the world.

The difference is that Israel is about choosing life and personal responsibility and creativity, and Iran is about a government stealing the wealth of its citizens to finance a hateful, destructive ideology.

Similarly, the Hamas terrorists. The billions infused into Gaza over the years from Iran, but also from European countries and America, was used to fund terror rather than build a country and create wealth.

Parker explained that she visited Israel and saw similarities between the Palestinians and the people causing so much destruction in the inner cities of America. She noticed that both places had corrupt leaders who were “exploiting the worst tendencies in people by attributing their suffering to others, fostering a culture of blame, rather than taking personal responsibility for their own lives.

In comparison, the black clergy gathered in Michigan to “stand for truth and to stand for a better world….. The appeal of our pastors is unwavering support for the one Jewish state, for the Bible we have received from the Jewish nation, and to end, everywhere, the sick and evil culture of blame.”

 

What Is Critical Race Theory?

             Parents can strengthen their families, communities, and nations by understanding critical race theory. The theory is difficult to understand unless a person believes in left-wing ideology. Anyone that is not indoctrinated with leftism will not like it. Ellie Krasne reported on it at The Daily Signal.

Critical race theory is a popular left-wing ideology that purports to explain the societal inequalities that prevent racial and ethnic minority groups from achieving social and economic success. While it presents itself as fighting prejudice, a closer look reveals that it is the driving force behind much of today’s left-wing anti-Semitism.

            Krasne claims that Black Lives Matter as well as Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) support critical race theory by being against Jews and Israel. Omar famously claimed that “wealthy, powerful Jews manipulate our political system for their own gain and against the common good.” Other Leftists support critical race theory because they believe that they are fighting against oppression. Yet, “their ideology’s logical conclusions are stereotypes and hatred that target the Jews.”

It also suggests that race, gender, and other identities are social constructs that support larger systems of oppression. White men – by virtue of their male sex and light skin color – are oppressors twice over, while black women are twice oppressed, and white women are both oppressors of blacks and oppressed by men.

Within this system, success is possible, but only if one joins the system that critical race theorists believe oppresses people of color. Thus, if an oppressed individual achieves success, he or she becomes an oppressor regardless of their identity.

          If you are having difficulty in understanding how critical race theory works, you are not alone. One of the reasons for misunderstanding is the treatment of Jews. There is “a great ethnic variety” of Jews, including “Indian, Ethiopian, North African, and East Asian Jews, as well as those of Central European ancestry.” Supporters of critical race theory do not recognize these differences and consider all “Jews are white, wealthy, and therefore ‘privileged’ – even more than other white people.” Not even the fact that “Jews make up 60% of all religious-based hate-crime victims” changes the Leftist thinking.

          Since critical race theory is likely to come to more and more neighborhood schools, wise parents will research the ideas and prepare to fight against it. Krasne explained that “Jews are first and foremost members of the oppressor class” according to “the theory’s perverse logic.” They bear “guilt for any wrong done to any nonwhite group by any white people. Simply put, critical race theory repeatedly casts Jews as having outsized economic success, even relative to other white people, and this supposed success makes them the worst of the capitalist oppressors.”

          It sounds to this writer like critical race theory is just an expanded view of anti-Semitism.” Krasne said that Jews have long been considered to be “racially inferior and extremely clever puppet masters who surreptitiously control banks, politicians, and the media.” She reminded her readers that Nazi Germany targeted the Jews “for being an inferior race and having an outsized grip on German political, economic, and intellectual life.” She claimed that critical race theory does the same. Critical race theory coupled with anti-Semitism “both target and Jews and blame them for perceived societal ills. She said that “Jews are just the scapegoat” while Leftists use “hatred of the Jewish people” to “upend the civic order.”

          Wise parents will research anti-Semitism and critical race theory to determine if they agree with Krasne’s assessment. Racism is racism no matter which race is treated as substandard. Jews are no more inferior than any other race. Parents can strengthen their family, community, and nation by teaching their children that all races are equal.

Did you Know that January 27th Is an Important Day?

             Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It is the day when the world remembers that 6 million people were killed in the holocaust. This day was chosen by the United Nations in 2005 for this remembrance.

            Soviet troops liberated the Auschwitz concentration camp on January 27, 1945 – 76 years ago. Nazi forces killed more than 1.1 million people – mostly Jews. The Soviet soldiers were met by starving prisoners, terrible conditions, and more than a million corpses. They were horrified, just as most humans would be.

            There is little doubt that the Nazi hatred for Jews caused the Holocaust. People worldwide cried, “Never Again.” Yet, hatred for Jews is growing around the world. Nations surrounding Israel were focused on driving the Jews into the sea. Anti-Zionism is growing with members of the U.S. Congress leading the charge. Chris Gacek and Arielle Del Turco shared some of their thoughts on this topic in an article published at The Daily Signal. 

Anti-Zionism is particularly active on American university campuses, where the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions [BDS] movement singles out Israel for economic punishment.

According to U.N. Watch, Israel has received 112 condemnatory resolutions from the U.N. General Assembly since 2015, many times more that of notorious human rights abusers like North Korea, Myanmar, and Syria over that span of time. This wisely disproportionate targeting of the Jewish state indicates a prevalent anti-Jewish sentiment among world leaders.

In its annual report in 2020, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom expressed serious concern over the rise of anti-Semitism in the world, especially in Europe. It cited the examples of a 27% increase in anti-Semitic acts in France in 2019, a 7% increase in anti-Semitic incidents in the United Kingdom in 2019, and a pattern of anti-Semitic bullying in Sweden.

As the situation has grown more perilous for Jews in Europe, a 2019 survey found that 41% of young Jewish Europeans have considered emigrating from their native lands out of concern for their safety.

Many Jews are now making plans to leave for Israel as many European governments have lost control of the situation, with anti-Semitism becoming more widespread and violent. This reality would have been unimaginable 20 years ago.

            Iran remains the country with the greatest hatred for Israel and is “the only government in the world that denies the Holocaust as a matter of state policy.” With support from former President Donald Trump and his administration, Israel made peace deals with four Middle East nations during 2020. 

The historic Abraham Accord has just been signed between the United States, Israel, Bahrain and the United Aram Emirates [UAE], essentially bringing peace between Arab nations in the Middle East and Israel…

Israel, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have already been working hard on normalizing relations lately, including a recent agreement to allow Israel and the UAE to fly commercial flights through Saudi airspace. Now, with this recent agreement including the country of Bahrain, things are moving rapidly towards stability in the region.

            Later, Sudan’s new, transitional government, agreed to recognize Israel. Still later, Morocco re-established formal relations with Israel. The four countries moving towards peace with Israel are Bahrain, United Arm Emirates (UAE), Sudan, and Morocco. There was peace in the Middle East until President Trump left office. The day after his inauguration, President Joe Biden sent troops into Syria, so it looks like peace was short lived for now. 

            Anti-Semitism is growing in the United States, and its growth “has its roots in the political fringe-right” according to Gacek and Del Turco. They use the recent attacks at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the Chabad synagogue in Poway, California, as evidence of the hatred of Jews in America. They also emphasized that the attacks made it plain to other Americans that Jewish synagogues were not safe in America. Gacek and Del Turco indicated that younger Americans are not being taught about the Holocaust.

Unfortunately, studies show declining knowledge about the Holocaust among younger Americans. One survey found that 63% of American millennials and Generation Z did not know that 6 million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, and over half of those thought the death toll was fewer than 2 million.

Another article tells us that two-thirds of millennials do not know what Auschwitz stands for and what took place there. Many cannot place the Holocaust within the framework of World War II. This is a disastrous place for our nation to be.

            The rising generation has not been taught correctly about the Holocaust. Many of them have not heard the commitment “Never Again,” so how can they honor it? Parents and public education systems let down the rising generation when they did not teach correct history. How can we ever hope to have peace in the world when the truth is withheld and lies are allowed to spread and hatred to fester?

It is right that there is a day set apart to remember the Holocaust and “to recommit ourselves to protect the Jewish people” from persecution and death. They are persecuted and killed because they have “a set of unique religious and cultural beliefs that make them distinct.” They will not yield their allegiance to a “higher authority.” As Christians and Americans, we should stand with the Jews every day of every year.

Unalienable Rights of Jews

            The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday goes back to the beginning days of the United States of America. The Declaration of Independence outlined clearly what the American colonists wanted in their new country: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

            After fighting for independence for eight years, wise men raised up by God created the new government with the U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights. The First Amendment in the Bill of Rights states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; …”

            Embedded within these two founding documents are two principles that are being overlooked today. The first is that all human beings are created equal and given rights that cannot be taken away, including life, liberty, and the right to own property. The second principle is that the government will not respect an establishment of religion or prohibit anyone from exercising their religious freedom.

            Yet, there are members of Congress who seek to take these rights away from certain groups of people while allowing other groups to do and say whatever they choose. I am writing specifically about the hateful anti-Semitism of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and the support she receives from the Democrat Party, particularly the progressives and the Black Caucus.

            Omar, 37, was born in Mogadishu and lived her first years in Somalia. Her mother died when she was two years old, and she was reared by her father and grandfather. She fled with her family when civil war in Somali broke out in 1991, and they lived in a refugee camp in Kenya for four years. Her family was resettled in the United States in 1995, first in Virginia and then in Minnesota. She attended school in Minnesota and graduated from North Dakota State University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and international studies in 2011. She is a naturalized citizen. She was elected in 2016 to serve in the Minnesota House of Representatives. In November 2018 she was elected as the first Somali American to the U.S. Congress. She was sworn into office on a copy of the Quran and is the first woman to wear a hijab on the House floor. She identifies as a Democratic Socialist, is the Congressional Progressive Caucus whip, and serves on the Committee on the Budget, the Committee on Education and Labor, and on the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

            Omar is also guilty of anti-Semitism and is decidedly against support for Israel. She supports the boycott Israel movement. She made some anti-Semitic comments about a month ago, gave a weak apology, and then doubled down on them. Apparently unable to help herself, she made more anti-Semitic comments, which were threatened with a House rebuke. The Democrat Party leaders backed down on the rebuke.

            It seems that the Jews, the chosen people of God, are coming under greater threat these days. Having an anti-Jew Muslim on the powerful Committee on Foreign Affairs does not bode well for the Jews who are threatened by both the far-Left and the far-Right elements.

            Omar in particular and the Democrat Party in general do not appear to like Jews in spite of the fact that Jews overwhelmingly support the Democrat Party. The Jews are somewhat like Blacks in that they continue to support a party that cares nothing about them. Maybe the latest action will convince them that Democrats do not support Jews or Israel. Maybe there will be an exit of Jews from the Democrat Party just as there is an exit of Blacks.

Stand with Courage

The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is that we must stand with courage against evil both foreign and domestic. The evil forces of the world are gathering, and their powers are increasing. It takes courage to stand against evil, but the task becomes easier when people stand together. The task also becomes easier to those who remember that good will eventually overcome evil. The good people of the world must unite to fight against the evils of our day.

One of the evils currently raising its ugly head again is anti-Semitism. Our fathers and grandfathers fought and many died in World War II to end the killing of Jews by Nazi Germany. It appears that we must again fight this evil because Nazi swastikas have appeared in the "Arab Spring" movement in the Middle East and North Africa. Signs have been seen in Egypt saying: "We are building the gas chambers." Those who have eyes to see the evil of Nazism must be courageous enough to stand against it.

Edmund Burke is credited with the following quote: "All that is necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing." I've heard and read this quote many times, usually in Church or in literature encouraging goodness. I was very surprised to read the same quote in Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinsky. I had a most difficult time with this and other similar quotes even being in Rules for Radicals because I consider anyone desiring and working towards the overthrow of the United States to be evil. How could it be possible for this author to consider his followers to be "good men"? This discovery made me realize that almost anything can be used to put an idea across and that it only depends on your point of view.

Conservative Americans and citizens of other nations have been searching for someone to lead us out of the global problems we currently face. No politician or national leader stepped forward to accept the position of leadership. Knowing that we cannot trust everyone to lead us in a good direction, we realize that we must be careful about who we listen to and follow. I personally make it a matter of prayer because I know that God knows the intents of each heart. I know that He will not lead me astray.

When I first heard about the Restoring Courage special event put on in Jerusalem, Israel, by Glenn Beck, I wanted to attend it. I wasn't able to work out the details of the trip so I had to settle for watching it over the Internet on GBTV.com. I was amazed, impressed and moved by the entire series of program. I was very impressed by Glenn's presentations and even a little shocked by his speech on the last day of the event. When he called to us to join the global movement for rights and responsibilities, I wanted to follow. Having no desire to be led in a wrong direction, I took the matter to God and came away from my prayer with the feeling that I should follow Glenn's lead. Whether or not you like Glenn Beck, I encourage you to read his Declaration of Rights and Responsibilities and then pray for direction in whether or not you should follow his lead. Glenn's speech follows:

"As the American Declaration of Independence clearly states, when in the course of human events it becomes necessary for people to band together and collectively declare their rights and responsibilities to which the laws of nature and nature's God entitle and bind them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should disclose the causes which impel them to such.

"Therefore let us declare that we still hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal and are endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But with those rights come responsibilities.

"In order to continually experience life, liberty and happiness as promised, nature's God demands obedience to His law to protect those rights. This is where we have fallen short and therefore, in order not to lose the blessings of freedom, the people of the world must turn from the sole focus on rights, and recognize the inherent and required responsibilities that we have.

"Among the responsibilities to which we must adhere to maintain our God given rights are honor, courage and vigilance. Over time, we believe that these basic human responsibilities have been trampled, and replaced with degradation, fear and apathy.

"But when a long train of abuses of the people and conscience by the media and by other segments of society, pursuing the same path of reducing them to ridicule, scorn and even sub-human status, it is their right, it is their DUTY, to peacefully, but vehemently take a stand.

"Men want to be king, and the more we concentrate on our rights and the more we are told not to worry about our responsibilities, the more we lose our rights.

"Just as physics show, for every action there's an equal and opposite reaction. The time has come to declare that at least for the western world human rights are generally accepted and moving in the right direction; however, a new movement is required, a movement of human responsibility.

"The media, politicians and large institutions, both academic and political, have been lying to us, and we must demand the truth be told.

"With that demand, comes the responsibility that we tell the truth first, in ourselves. Too many of us delegate our responsibility to the media … and too many believe there is no personal responsibility at all.

"Political correctness has polluted our language and clouds our every discussion.

"What was once accepted as good and right is now considered bad and evil, and that which was bad and evil is now presented to the world as good and decent. Opposing thoughts or opinions are referred to as crazy, insane, non-factual and utterly without merit. Furthermore, we are told, they should not even be heard.

"Now, the time has come to take a stand by exhibiting the traits - honor, courage and vigilance.

"What is honor? It is being honest in all of our dealings. It is showing loyalty and fairness, and being a beacon of integrity in all our beliefs and actions. It is showing respect for others.

"Ruth honored Naomi when she told her that she would not leave her. That she would go wherever Naomi went, that she would live where Naomi lived and die where Naomi died. Her God would be Naomi's God.

"Courage is the ability to face danger, criticism or scorn - not without fear, but while overcoming fear to deal with that which comes our way.

"When no one else in the Kingdom wanted to face the mighty giant Goliath, young David was willing. David must have felt fear at the sight of his foe, but overcome it, and courageously vanquished his enemy.

"Vigilance is being watchful for all forms of treachery and tyranny, lies and deceit: The person in the watchtower, waiting all night, suddenly sounding the alarm that the enemy is coming. The careful observer of the markets and economies who proclaims to the world, all is not well, there is trouble ahead and the outspoken critic of the powerful, going against societies' grain, warning that all is not as we're being told. These are the vigilant.

"We implore all people to stand with these characteristics - honor, courage and vigilance.

"To that end, we must restore honor in our own lives. Seek after the truth. Declare right now, that no longer will we simply accept what is told us by the media or anyone else.

"The media has the responsibility to tell the truth; we have the responsibility to learn it.

"Stand with courage, even if it means the end of our jobs, the end of our positions in life … or even the end of our very lives. We must have the courage to be peaceful, while recognizing the courage to defend and respond to threats and/or attacks when necessary.

"Turn the other cheek when possible.

""We must be vigilant. We must think the unthinkable. The holocaust occurred because no one could imagine it, but evil never sleeps, and neither must we.

"As Edmund Burke said, "all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." We must DO something. Stand watch. Speak up. Become involved.

"Thus, we the people do hereby declare not only our rights, but do now establish this bill of responsibilities.

"1. Because I have the right to choose, I recognize that I am accountable to God and have the responsibility to keep the Ten Commandments in my own life.

"2. Because I have the right to worship as I choose, I have the responsibility to honor the right of others to worship as they see fit.

"3. Because I have freedom of speech, I have the responsibility to defend the speech of others, even if I strongly disagree with what they're saying.

"4. Because I have the right to pursue happiness, I have the responsibility to show humility and express gratitude for all the blessings I enjoy and the rights I've been given.

"5. Because I have the right to honest and good government, I will seek out honest and just representatives when possible. If I cannot find one, then I accept the responsibility to take that place.

"6. Because I have the God given right to liberty, I have the personal responsibility to have the courage to defend others to be secure in their persons, lives and property.

"7. Because I have the right to equal justice, I will stand for those who are wrongly accused or unjustly blamed.

"8. Because I have the right to knowledge, I will be accountable for myself and my children's education … to live our lives in such a way that insures the continuation of truth.

"9. Because I have the right to pursue my dreams and keep the fruits of my labor, I have the responsibility to feed, protect and shelter my family, the less fortunate, the fatherless, the old and infirm.

"10. Because I have a right to the truth, I will not bear false witness nor will not stand idly by as others do.

"Unconditionally, while maintaining my responsibility to compassionately yet fiercely stand against those things that decay the natural rights of all men. And for the support of this declaration, and with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence we mutually pledge to each other our lives, fortunes and sacred honor.

Anti-semitism

The conflict between numerous Arab nations and the nation of Israel has been much in the news. I wanted to write an article about anti-semitism, but the more I studied the issue, the more I realized that I didn’t understand it. I found that I was having more questions than answers.

I wondered about the statement of Arabic nations that they wanted to drive all Jews into the Mediterranean Sea and wipe the nation of Israel off the map. This seems to me to be a very irrational statement! What happened to cause so much hate between two groups of Heavenly Father’s children? I believe that this hate is the largest obstacle to peace in the Middle East. I went searching for answers with a great desire for understanding.

According to Wikipedia, “Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is `hatred toward Jews – individually and as a group – that can be attributed to the Jewish religion and/or ethnicity.’ …
“Antisemitism may be manifested in many ways, ranging from individual expressions of hatred and discrimination against individual Jews to organized violent attacks by mobs, or even state police, or military attacks on entire Jewish communities….
“While the term’s etymology might suggest that anti-Semitism is directed against all Semitic peoples, the term was coined in the late 19th century in Germany as a more scientific-sounding term for Judenhass (`Jew-hatred’), and that has been its normal use since then.”

Anti-semitism is not just a German problem or Middle Eastern problem or even a modern problem. Before Hitler and Nazi Germany attempted to destroy all Jews through the Holocaust, other extreme examples of anti-Semitism included the “First Crusade of 1096, the expulsion from England in 1290, the Spanish Inquisition, the expulsion from Spain in 1492, the expulsion from Portugal in 1497….”

Anti-semitism is increasing in the United States and across the world. Europe’s highest rates of anti-Semitic attacks since 2000 took place in Germany, France, Great Britain, Russia, the Netherlands, and Sweden. According to a survey taken by the Anti-Defamation League, “14 percent of U.S. residents hold anti-Semitic views.” The survey was taken in 2005 and found that “35 percent of foreign-born Hispanics” and “36 percent of African-Americans hold strong anti-Semitic beliefs, four times more than the 9 percent for whites.”

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights announced on April 3, 2006, that anti-Semitic incidents on college campuses in the United States had become a “serious problem.” The Boston Review published a 2009 study stating that Jews were blamed for the 2008-2009 financial crises by almost 25 percent of non-Jewish Americans. An interesting additional fact was that more Democrats than Republicans held this view.

Rabbi Kalman Packouz [www.simpletoremember.com] stated that “Jews have experienced more than eighty expulsions from various countries in Europe” “between the years 250 CE and 1948 CE.” He claimed that historians have given six basic reasons for why people hate the Jews: 1) “Economic - `We hate Jews because they possess too much wealth and power.’” 2) “Chosen People - `We hate Jews because they arrogantly claim that they are the chosen people.’” 3) “Scapegoat - `Jews are a convenient group to single out and blame for our troubles.’” 4) “Deicide - `We hate Jews because they killed Jesus.’” 5) “Outsiders - `We hate Jews because they are different than us.’ (The dislike of the unlike.)” 6) “Racial Theory - `We hate Jews because they are an inferior race.’”

Rabbi Packouz then proceeded to explain why none of these excuses are the real reason why people hate the Jews. 1) Even though “Jews of 17th-20th century Poland and Russia” were `dirt-poor’ and `had no influence,’ they were still hated. 2) The Jews of the late 19th century in Germany tried to deny that they were “chosen” and tried to assimilate, but the holocaust started in Germany. Christians and Moslems have also claimed to be “chosen,” but they have been tolerated until recently by people who hate the Jews for the same reason. 3) To be an “effective scapegoat,” the selected “group must already be hated.” 4) Even though Romans – with Jews as accomplices – killed Jesus, there have been no anti-Roman movements. Claims that Jesus was killed by Jews came “several hundred years” after the event. Jesus said from the cross, “Father, forgive them,” and the Catholic Church “exonerated the Jews as the killers of Jesus” in 1963. Even so, none of these facts has lessened anti-Semitism. 5) When Jews try to assimilate as they did in Germany, they are hated for trying to “infect the Aryan race with your inferior genes.” 6) Jews are not a race. Members of “every race, creed, and color in the world” have become Jews “at one time or another.”

Rabbi Packouz stated, “Every other hated group is hated for a relatively defined reason. We Jews, however, are hated in paradoxes: Jews are hated for being a lazy and inferior race – but also for dominating the economy and taking over the world. We are hated for stubbornly maintaining our separateness – and, when we do assimilate – for posing a threat to racial purity through intermarriages. We are seen as pacifists and as warmongers; as capitalist exploiters and as revolutionary communists; possessed of a Chosen People mentality, as well as of an inferiority complex. It seems that we just can’t win.”

The explanations given by Rabbi Packouz made sense to me. After reading his article I could plainly see that the basis for anti-Semitism is not economics, chosenness, scapegoat, Deicide, being different, or racial.

What causes anti-Semitism to be so unique among all the hatreds in the world? Jews have been hated for thousands of years and in almost every area of the world. Antisemitism is especially strong, and yet there is very little agreement about why Jews are so hated.

Anne Frank, a Jewish teenager killed by Nazi Germany, seemed to understand the real reason why Jews are so hated. She wrote in her diary on April 11, 1944: “Who knows – it might even be our religion from which the world and all peoples learn good, and for that reason and that reason alone do we now suffer….”

When Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt and to the Promised Land, he made an important stop at Mount Sinai. There Moses received the Ten Commandments and other instructions. The Jews learned at Sinai that there is one God and that this God demands morality from all humanity.

“A great many people simply can’t cope with the burden of being good. However, when they act in ways that are bad, they can’t cope with the resultant feelings of guilt. Try as they may, they can never cut themselves loose from the standards of absolute morality dictated by the Torah. Stuck in this `catch 22’ situation, people turn with their mounting frustrations against the Jews, whom they perceive as personifying humanity’s collective conscience.
“When the Jews entered the theological arena, they showed people all the mistakes they had been making: Pagan gods are nonsense – there is only one God for all of mankind, Who is invisible, infinite and perfect. Infanticide and human sacrifice are unacceptable. Every human being is born with specific rights. No one can live as he pleases, for everyone must surrender his will to a higher Authority” (Rabbi Packouz).

As I read these comments by Rabbi Packouz, I recognized the truth in them and then extended the understanding to Christians in general and Mormons in particular. Persecutions of Christians began while Christ was still living but increased after His death. Persecutions of those who believe in the Book of Mormon began before The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was even organized and continues to this day. Many people do not consider members of the “Mormon” church to be Christians. It appears that knowing the truths of God is a reason for hate and persecution. It seems to me that people simply have a difficult time accepting that others believe differently. It makes sense to me that religion is the reason why so many people hate Jews.

My next question was, why do most Arabs have such an intense hatred for the Jews? I've come to understand that this hatred could have started in the time of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Bible tells us in Genesis that God made a covenant with Abraham to give certain blessings to Abraham and his righteous descendants. These blessings included the land of Canaan, great posterity, and the power to act in God’s name to bless all the inhabitants of the earth. We also learn from Genesis that this covenant was renewed with Abraham’s son Isaac and Isaac’s son Jacob - whose name was changed to Israel. The covenant continued through the twelve sons of Israel and their descendants who are known as the twelve tribes of Israel or the house of Israel. One of those twelve “tribes” was Judah or the Jews; most of the other tribes are “lost.”

I understand that Islamists believe that Ishmael was the covenant son of Abraham; therefore, they believe that the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant belong to them. When the Jews were scattered during the Diaspora, many Arabs moved into the land of Canaan and claimed the land as their own even though many Jews still lived in the area. Modern-day Palestinians believe that "their" land was stolen from them when the Jews were given their ancient homeland. Palestinians want “their” land back, and other Arab nations support this desire.

I understand that ordinary Arabs and Palestinians who know Jews personally do not hate Israeli’s, but their religious and national leaders fan the flames of hatred for Jews and the nation of Israel. These leaders gain support from the young and the unknowing.

Since I personally believe the Bible to be the Word of God as far as it is translated correctly, I believe that the descendants of Ishmael are usurpers of the Abrahamic covenant. I believe that the world will know of the true covenant people sometime in the near future.

I also believe that negative emotions such as dishonestly, envy, anger, and hate are tools used by Satan to inspire his followers to do his work of destruction. If the covenant people descended through Isaac and Jacob – and I believe that they did – it makes sense that Satan would inspire his followers to destroy God’s work by destroying His covenant people. I therefore believe that the root cause for this hatred of Jews is spiritual rather than physical and that antisemitism is being used by Satan in attempt to destroy the covenant people of God.