What have Israel, Anti-Zionism, Anti-Semitism, Truth and Unity got to do with each other and why does tackling this question, I continue to struggle to find the answer to, matter? For my thoughts, read on:
I have in recent months given the subject of Israel, especially in the light of the Hamas / Gaza attacks on October 7th 2023, a lot of thought, not just the place of Israel in the world today and the rights and wrongs, whys and wherefores of what is happening in the region following the attacks and the wider escalation of tensions that may lead to all-out war, but from a Bible, especially Old Testament, perspective, and because there have been, as one would expect, developments. Folk might want read what I recently wrote on the subject and then consider further points I would like to make:
A few weeks back I attended a political event and got talking to two old friends I hadn’t seen for a while, who I will refer to as “Friend 1” and “Friend 2”. I happened to remark to Friend 1, who is a disaffected ex-Labourite, that while I was not a fan of ex-Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, that I did not believe he is antisemitic even though that was why he got kicked out of the party. This sparked off a conversation about whether or how the British government should support Israel in its war against Hamas and its forays into Gaza to root out what is widely looked on as a terrorist organisation but with huge collateral damage resulting in civilian deaths, notably children. Friend 1 felt they shouldn’t and instead try to help come up with a peace settlement but Friend 2 felt they should and Israel are right in going after the terrorists. The discussion got quite heated until I pulled the plug by telling Friend 2 to shut up because I felt the aggressive way he made his argument was inappropriate. I told Friend 1 afterward that ironically I agreed more with Friend 2.
When it comes to irony, I rub shoulders with (at least through the ether via the Internet) earnest Christians adopting the position of Friend 1 and Friend 2 in seemingly equal measure. I find that theologically speaking I tend to be more in the Friend 2 camp yet have sympathy toward those who aren’t when declaring that those that call the shots in Israel are not good people and have an agenda that goes beyond merely making Israel safe. What happens, it seems on a daily basis, that my theologically dodgy friend, who I will call Bill, regularly bends my ears about the bad stuff he argues with some conviction that the Israeli authorities are up to whilst my theologically sound friend who I will call Ben regularly posts stuff on his social media outlets that support the Israeli regime and cites the likes of Jonathan Cahn, Amir Tsarfati that are supportive of what Israel are doing, as well as Israel affirming, modern day prophets. Significantly, when it comes to understanding what is going on in the world generally and who the good and the bad guys are, Ben is usually a lot closer to the mark when it comes to getting it right than Bill and I have engaged in friendly, robust discussions with both.
As I often say, while I know what the Bible teaches and what is really going on better than most, I still don’t even know half and we can’t rely on the Unholy Trinity (media, politicians, elites) to correctly inform us. Moreover, having resisted joining either the Israel (the state) is right with few exceptions (e.g. its rejection of Jesus the Messiah and its rejection of the Covenant laid down in the Torah) camp or the Israel is wrong and the Palestinians, albeit led by dubious in character leaders, are victims of a grave injustice camp. I find myself traveling in the middle of the road, liable to be run over by traffic from either side. But as I keep reminding myself and my detractors in the two camps mentioned above, the pursuit of truth and what is right is too important an undertaking to let this be unduly bothersome. I am also mindful that researching the subject to the depth that is needed would be a huge undertaking and thus ask reader forbearance and that they too are honest and realise their views, e.g. which camp to join, may be as a result of prejudice.
Having said all that, I now ponder how to proceed and not take up too much space making the important points. I was struck by reactions to British government responses to what is going on in Israel. One of the news outlets I check out from time to time is UK Column. This is an example of media attempting to report accurately what is going on in the world where the traditional mainstream ones fail to do so. It also takes an Israel critical position. In recent episodes it has been reporting on British journalists that have been arrested and treated badly by the arresting authorities for taking a more Palestinian sympathetic position in their reporting (which is also further example on the threats on free speech I have been raising in recent blogs). Yet on the other, they have been criticised for preventing the shipment of arms to Israel by pro-Israel types such as Amir Tsarfati. It is ironic for a factor I will get to that Labour, who more than with the Conservatives, include Palestinian sympathisers within their ranks, should take that position and I am just getting news of a breakaway group from the Labour party who are sympathetic to the Palestinian “cause”.
Part of what happens as I continue to go down all sorts of rabbit holes is the increasing realisation that not all who claim to be Jews are ok people and are in fact evil and this goes back over millennia to those who decided to convert to Judaism on a basis that had nothing to do with religious conviction, the very thing that a significant section of today’s orthodox Jews have picked up on while nice Evangelical Christians, starting from the USA have decided to follow this Zionist lobby and have adopted the views of Darby (who in the main I like and share many of his views on the church and Bible prophecy) and Schofield (who I dislike) and along with others have been given financial and other inducements to do so.
And here is the thing – I come from a tradition within Christianity, called the Plymouth Brethren, that welcomed the Balfour declaration, seeing it as leading to the fulfilment of Bible prophecy with Israel returning to its historical land and becoming a sovereign nation in 1948 (a huge subject that I pick up and discuss in my book “Priests of the Bible” (see here)). What I came to realise in recent years was that Lord Rothchild, the recipient of the often cited letter that was written by Lord Balfour, where the main thrust declaring the British government intentions for a Jewish homeland, was a member of one of the family dynasties that have considerable sway (often for the worst) as to what goes on in the world.
If my conspiracy theorist folk I often check out, as much due to their profound insights, such as David Icke and Candace Owens (who both claim to have been cancelled by Zionists for expressing their views) are right they, and by that I mean the Zionist lobby, control politicians (especially in the USA, as evidenced by the recent resounding endorsement of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, when he addressed Congress, including a blood curdling attack on Iran), the mainstream media (much of it they own), leaders of corporations that I have referred to as part of the Babylon system spoken off in Revelation, the film industry, organised crime including child trafficking and much else. Among other things they have managed to get the people who have the power to grant or withheld favour to buy in to the notion that to be anti-Zionist is the same as being antisemitic and we find ourselves in a situation where those with influence over what people think and then go on to criticise Israel are ridiculed and penalised for doing so.
Before I wind up, I would like to touch on the most important question of them all, the one that gets my pro-Israel friends fired up when Israel, whether physically or verbally, comes under attack, which in a nutshell is where does Israel feature in God’s plans and designs now and in the future. For that I suggest read my book Priests of the Bible, with its deep dive into what the Bible teaches. The Bible is chiefly about God but after that it is Israel and the people associated with Israel we refer to as Jews. The emphasis starts to shift from Jew to Gentile, from Israel to the Church, following the Jewish rejection of its Messiah – Jesus. But the Covenants that God makes that I discuss both in Priests of the Bible and Prophets of the Bible are still relevant. One of these is the Covenant that God promised to Abraham to give his descendants land from the River Nile to the River Euphrates, part of which land is today’s nation state of Israel. While there is a special place for the Church, I have argued that unlike many in the church down the ages, that the Church has not replaced Israel in God’s designs and purposes. What can be said is Israel has been and is under God’s judgment just as God warned in passages of the Bible e.g. Deuteronomy 28. Of course there are good and bad Jews just as there are good and bad Arabs (and most Palestinians are Arabs) and something I have become more aware of in recent days – Israel has been infiltrated by those who come into the Synagogue of Satan category spoken off in Revelation. But the true Jews are still the special people of God in the way Gentiles aren’t although those who obey God can share God’s blessings. I am compelled to stand with Israel (true Jews who live in many different countries rather than the state) because God who always keeps His covenants does.
I will leave it there and turn to my last two points included in the title of this essay – that of unity and truth, both of which have been recurring themes in my forays into the blogosphere. Earlier I alluded to two camps that Christians fall into when it comes to things Israel related (although it is more complicated than that and a lot of Christians don’t know or don’t care). I also stated I cannot fully endorse either camp and yet I gravitate more toward those on my theological wavelength that are found in the pro-Israel camp and object to the liberal, wokeism of those who aren’t and also some of the conservative, non wokeists who are wrong on Israel and yet recognise some of the unaddressed concerns of those,often well meaning folk, that are to found in the opposing camp. The upshot is that Christians, even those I put in the real, born again, category, are disunited and this does not bode well when the Church should be leading the resistance against the evil in the world. While my heart is for true unity, it is not at the expense of truth. We should be in the pursuit of truth, without fear or favour, and regard it as a priority.
As is often the case when I touch on heavy stuff, I like to end on a positive note and invoke the Almighty. Somehow my thoughts turned to this Psalm of Ascent (up to the Temple mount) and I can at least identify with the concerns of those who at the time of the Exile and return felt they were in a dream – BUT they were able to look to the Lord and therein were able to find comfort and hope!
JRB Publications 