Standing with the Jewish People against Antisemitism

Introduction

Antisemitism is surging around the world. It is at epidemic levels throughout the Middle East where Jew-hatred is entrenched in everyday life. Europe is at pre-Holocaust levels due to Far-Right parties and an influx of immigrants from Muslim countries. After October 7, when Hamas infiltrated southern Israel and massacred more than 1,200 innocent people, protests erupted around the world in favor of the Palestinians. the United States experienced a surge of antisemitism on the internet, on college campuses, and in both the Far Right and progressive political movements.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) recorded more incidents of assault, vandalism, and harassment against American Jews in 2024 than in any year since they began tracking such incidents in 1979. An ADL survey from January 2020 found that nearly two-thirds of Jews reported feeling less safe than they did a decade ago. Most (51 percent) said they were worried about a violent attack or vandalism at their synagogue. More recently, a 2024 ADL survey revealed the number of Americans who hold antisemitic beliefs has increased to 24 percent, up from 20 percent in 2022.

The ADL reports that “27 percent of Americans would find it at least somewhat acceptable for a close family member to support Hamas, and 24 percent of Americans have a close friend or family member who dislike Jews. In total, more than 42 percent of Americans either have friends/family who dislike Jews or find it socially acceptable for a close family member to support Hamas.”

Antisemitism is not just a Jewish problem and, if unchecked, is a threat to society at large. It is often described as an early-warning system—a canary in the mineshaft—alerting us to hateful movements that can threaten all of us. When Hitler unleashed anti-Semitism and built the Nazi movement on hatred of Jews, he plunged the world headlong on a path of destruction. Not only were six million Jews exterminated, but some 50 million people died in WWII.

Christians have a moral obligation to withstand hatred and violence directed toward any group, including Jews. But our responsibility goes beyond that. Knowing the history of centuries of church-sanctioned anti-Semitism that paved the way for the Holocaust, we particularly need to stand with the Jewish people in their modern battle against this evil.

It is also the Evangelical Christian demographic in America that has the political and moral weight to push back against this evil invasion of our society. We must come against its influence vocally, politically, and prayerfully.

What is Antisemitism?

Antisemitism is hatred of or bigotry toward Jews.

The term “antisemitism” was coined in the late 1800s to refer to the opposition of the Jewish people. At the time, antisemitism was viewed positively because hatred against Jews was so widespread in society. In a post-Holocaust world, anti-Semitism is finally being seen for what it is—a dangerous ideology of hate that must be stopped.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), of which the United States is a member, adopted a non-legally binding “working definition” of antisemitism on May 26, 2016. The US State Department uses this working definition and has encouraged other governments and international organizations to use it as well.

IHRA’s working definition is: “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

The IHRA recommends using the spelling “antisemitism” rather than “anti-Semitism” to dispel the idea that there is an entity “Semitism” that “anti-Semitism” opposes. The point is important, but for the purposes of this booklet, we will spell it with the popular hyphenated form.

What Is Christian Antisemitism?

When a professing Christian uses the Christian Scriptures to denigrate Jewish people and support anti-Semitic tropes and conspiracy theories, it is Christian anti-Semitism.

Many Evangelical Christians will argue that there is no such thing as “Christian anti-Semitism.” For them, it is a contradiction of terms—an oxymoron. They do not believe a “true” Christian can be anti-Semitic.

Unfortunately, history has proven otherwise. For example, the father of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther, started out as a supporter of the Jews, but when they did not reciprocate by converting to Christianity, he turned against them. His anti-Semitic book The Jews and Their Lies called for synagogues to be burned and sacred books destroyed, and for someone to develop a solution to the “devilish burden”—the Jews.

History of Antisemitism

The evil pursuit of the Jewish people has continued for millennia, which is why historian Robert Wistrich called anti-Semitism “the longest hatred.” Every time this irrational vitriol seems to be dying out, it reinvents itself with a different look and a different name. But the goal is always the same: to rid the world of the Jewish people.

Ancient Pagan Empires

In the ancient world, anti-Semitism was a clash between pagan rulers who demanded obedient homage and their Jewish subjects who would only worship and obey the God of Israel. The Jewish people could not bow down to other gods and incurred the wrath of tyrants. The Sinaitic Law also bound them to certain behaviors and observances that set them apart as non-conformist.

This was the situation described in the book of Esther where Haman, the king’s consort, demanded the Jews bow to him, and when they would not, he turned the might of the Persian Empire against them. Hundreds of years later, the Hanukkah story took place under the rule of the Seleucid Emperor Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who attempted to make the Jews into
Hellenistic pagans. He banned their religious practices and desecrated their temple resulting in the Maccabean Revolt.

Religious Antisemitism

One would think that once paganism gave way to Christianity this problem would go away. Instead, anti-Semitism took hold in the heart of Christian Europe, and among those who persecuted and hated the Jewish people were professing Christians. Space does not permit a full treatment of this sad story, but anti-Jewish theology led to centuries of church backed denigration, persecution, forced conversions, and expulsions that actually paved the way for the Holocaust.

Martin Luther’s anti-Semitic writings were published and distributed by Hitler to justify his treatment of the Jews and their eventual extermination. When two Catholic Bishops did question him about his policy toward the Jews, he replied that he was only putting into effect what Christianity had preached and practiced for 2,000 years.

Racial Antisemitism

The form of anti-Semitism found in Nazi ideology was not based on religion, however, but on racial theories promoting the superiority of the Aryan race. In the late nineteenth century, Darwinism was infiltrating the sciences and replacing the God who created the universe with evolution and the idea that man was created in His image with the theory of survival of the
fittest. They concluded that the evolution of man was ongoing, and whereas the European people were the most developed, others were inferior and expendable.

Adolf Hitler became an enthusiastic supporter of Darwin’s evil ideas and simply applied them with fanatical zeal. The German Aryan race was, therefore, at the very top of the evolutionary process, and the Jews were at the bottom.

Whereas Christianity had sought the conversion of the Jews, and state leaders had sought their expulsion, the Nazis sought the “final solution” to the Jewish problem—the murder of all Jews and their eradication from the human race.

Political Antisemitism: Anti-Zionism

While classical anti-Semitism blames the Jews for the world’s ills, the new anti-Semitism, called “anti-Zionism,” blames the Jewish nation. UCLA Professor Judea Pearl, the father of slain journalist Daniel Pearl, gave this analogy: “Anti-Semitism rejects the Jews as equal members of the human race, anti-Zionism rejects Israel as an equal member in the family of nations.” Believing that the Jewish State does not have a right to exist, these enemies of Israel have found a politically correct and sophisticated manner in which to attempt to see the state dismantled.

Not all criticism of Israel can be considered anti-Semitic. However, criticism of Israel becomes anti-Semitic when it:

1. delegitimizes the state and questions its right to exist;
2. uses anti-Jewish rhetoric and stereotypes or compares Israelis to Nazis;
3. judges Israel by a different standard than any other nation; or
4. becomes an excuse to attack local Jewish individuals and institutions.

The danger of anti-Zionism was on display during the 2014 war in Gaza (a defensive war on Israel’s part to prevent further missile launches from Hamas) when there were attacks on synagogues and Jewish citizens in France. Refrains such as “Jews to the gas” in Germany, the use of swastikas at anti-Israel demonstrations in Latin America, and anti-Semitic caricatures in Middle Eastern newspapers clearly demonstrated the anti-Semitic
nature of anti-Zionism.

Muslim Antisemitism

While anti-Zionism is the new “socially accepted” expression of anti-Semitism, it is important to note that religious bigotry does still exist throughout the Muslim world. Muslims have held negative stereotypes regarding Jews throughout most of Islamic history based on the Quran and Hadith. This theological anti-Semitism was fertile ground for the racial and militant anti-Semitism that was transferred to the Islamic world by Nazi leaders during and after WWII and adopted by the jihadist movement birthed then by the Muslim Brotherhood.

Muslim anti-Semitism is a dangerous mix of religious, racial, and political anti-Semitism. It is responsible for the genocidal threats against Israel and the United States emanating from jihadist, terrorist groups and the Iranian regime. It is a modern-day ideology of hatred and death that must be stopped.

An Evil Virus

This brief history outlines how anti-Semitism can be likened to a virus that never entirely dies but mutates and grows again as a new strain in need of new treatments. There is no explanation for this but a biblical one. Anti-Semitism is, at its root, spiritual—the ugly face of evil.

Psalm 83:1–4 describes it as a war against God in which the Jews are the target:

1 Do not keep silent, O God!
Do not hold Your peace,
And do not be still, O God!
2 For behold, Your enemies make a tumult;
And those who hate You have lifted up their head. 3 They have taken crafty counsel against Your people,
And consulted together against Your sheltered ones. 4 They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a
nation, That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”

It is imperative that Christians understand the dangerous forces behind anti-Semitism and aggressively stand against it vocally, politically, and prayerfully.

Antisemitism and Christianity

Jews and Christians have had a history of difficult relations. What started in the first century as an internal squabble amongst Jews over the messiahship of Jesus became a split into two separate religions, both struggling to survive under the brutal Roman Empire.

A Church Severed from Its Roots

Inevitably, the church became predominantly gentile, made up of pagans who had converted to Christianity with no knowledge of, nor appreciation for, the Jewish roots of the faith or the Jewish people themselves. Several gentile church fathers began to distinguish Christianity by preaching against Judaism and warning their followers away from it.

This is how the teaching of Supersessionism, or replacement theology, took root. Replacement theology taught that the Jews had been cursed by God for their rejection of Jesus’ messianic credentials and had been therefore replaced by the church in the plans and purposes of God. This theology lead to a teaching of contempt for the Jews as “Christ-killers” and
gave sanction to their maltreatment.

Once Christianity became the official state religion in the fourth century AD, anti-Jewish theology paved the way for centuries of degrading laws and state-sanctified discrimination, persecution, forced conversions, ghettos, and expulsions of Jews. Centuries of religiously motivated and state-empowered anti-Semitism prepared the way for the Nazi Holocaust.

To be clear, Christianity did not cause the Holocaust. But Christian anti-Judaism, which led to anti-Semitism—history’s oldest hatred—made the Holocaust possible. Whereas Christianity had sought the conversion of the Jews and state leaders had sought their expulsion, the Nazis sought the “final solution to the Jewish question”: the murder of all Jews and their eradication from the human race.

In recent history, a tectonic shift has taken place within Christianity away from that anti-Semitic past, and Jewish-Christian relations have never been better than they are today. There are several reasons for this, including the exponential growth of a more Bible-based Christianity over the last several centuries, the harsh lessons learned from the Holocaust, and the exposure of millions of Christians to the Jewish people and faith through tourism to Israel.

Birth of a More Bible-Based Christianity

For most of church history, ordinary Christians did not have access to the Bible to even know what it taught. As a result, there were teachings about the Jewish people that simply were not grounded in Scripture and produced centuries of anti-Semitism. As soon as the Bible was translated into the vernacular and mass distribution made possible by the printing press, Christians could read the Scriptures for themselves, and many discovered the error of their ways.

They realized that Jesus was Jewish and that Christianity had been born out of Judaism. They also read the many promises of God to one day, regather the Jewish people back to their ancient homeland. Preachers began to teach about that return, and they prayed for and supported it as an act of justice for a people who had suffered persecution for centuries.

The Holocaust

In addition to access to Scripture, two more recent events have brought about significant change in Christian relations with the Jewish people. The first was the Holocaust, which shook the historic churches predominant in Europe.

The Catholic and Lutheran churches, in particular, reevaluated their theology and liturgy. In fact, some of the most beautiful words of Christian repentance toward the Jewish people ever written are by the Catholic Bishops of Europe. While the Catholic Church has sought a new relationship with the Jewish people they have fallen short of embracing the Jewish State.

The State of Israel

A second event that has had significant impact on the Evangelical world was the birth of the State of Israel. This fulfillment of biblical prophecy reinforced God’s covenant with the Jewish people and dispelled replacement theology. It also allowed millions of Christians to visit Israel to “walk where Jesus walked” and many, for the first time, interacted with Jewish people and came to understand the Jewishness of Jesus better. It is no coincidence that over the past four decades as Christian tourism to Israel has mushroomed so has Jewish-Christian relations.

While this generation is privileged to be part of a historic correction in the church’s relations with the Jews, we cannot take it for granted. Anti-Semitism is on the rise around the world, and dangerous trends within American churches need addressing to protect this budding relationship. It is the American church that will keep anti-Semitism from gaining more ground in the country, and it must understand the importance of doing so.

Dangerous Trends in Christianity Today

Most Christians today would never condone the religious anti-Semitism that fueled centuries of discrimination, persecution, ghettos, and expulsions in the heart of Christian Europe nor the racial anti-Semitism embraced by Hitler that led to the horrific genocide campaign known as the Holocaust. But they are vulnerable to the new form of anti-Semitism that is trying to infiltrate America and Christian churches—anti-Zionism.

Some of the more liberal protestant denominations in America have been passing anti-Israel resolutions calling for divestment from Israel and companies that do business with Israel for years. These more liberal protestant churches are losing members at such an alarming rate that their very survival is questionable.

Within Evangelical ranks, a recent movement to be “pro-Israel, pro-Palestine, pro-peace, and pro-justice” sought to “correct”—or back away—from the pro-Israel movement within Evangelical Christianity and entertain an anti-Israel narrative under the banner of “love and peace” for all. While the effects of this movement have been limited at the grassroots level, a similar reaction took place in seminaries and Christian colleges, creating a new generation of pastors and Christian leaders who do not want to be associated with support of Israel.

Two other dangerous trends in the American church are making it increasingly vulnerable to anti-Semitic narratives against Israel and the Jewish people: loss of biblical literacy and replacement theology.

Loss of Biblical Literacy

While Evangelical Christianity—and its inherent support for Israel—is mushrooming in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, it has plateaued in the United States (and Europe) and is losing its momentum. This is evident in the growing biblical illiteracy in society, not to mention prominent Evangelical voices challenging core biblical tenets and the Bible itself.

One prominent Evangelical pastor with a huge following has publicly discounted the Old Testament and blamed it for the loss of faith in the younger generation. When the Old Testament is discarded, God’s covenant with the Jewish people and the biblical significance of modern Israel go with it.

Rising Replacement Theology

In this atmosphere of questioning—even disregarding—the Old Testament, replacement theology is gaining traction under various names and guises, one of which is fulfillment theology.

Jesus said He did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). However, fulfillment theology maintains that Jesus’ fulfillment did abolish the law and, with it, God’s covenantal relationship with Israel. It also teaches that all Old Testament promises to Israel are fulfilled in Jesus, and thus they are no longer valid regarding modern Israel.

Although this view may lack the same degree of animus toward the Jews as historical anti-Jewish preaching, fulfillment theology still winds up in the same place as replacement theology—namely that God is finished with the Jewish people and has replaced them with the church.

It is important to clarify that just because someone holds a form of replacement or fulfillment theology does not mean that they are anti-Semitic. Many well-meaning pastors hold replacement views more as a theological assumption simply because they were never taught otherwise.

Replacement theology, however, robs Christians of the very root that sustains our faith and separates us from the people who represent the truth of the Bible and the faithfulness of God to always keep His word. As the apostle Paul said, it is the Jewish faith that is the very root that supports us (Romans 11:18). To be separated from that root means spiritual death.

It also leaves Christians vulnerable to anti-Israel and anti-Semitic sentiments. If we believe the Jews were bad enough to have lost their standing with God, then we might believe the worst of accusations any anti-Semite might bring forward.

The battle against this dangerous ideology is our battle. It behooves us to do everything we can to help churches recognize it for what it is and to stand against it.

Conclusion

Jewish-Christian relations have never been better, and churches around the world are standing with Israel and the Jewish people. Thankfully, Christian anti-Semites are few and far between and are largely condemned by the Evangelical world, which is the fastest-growing segment of Christianity and soon to be the largest.

However, the liberalization of Evangelical churches in America and the rise of theologies that spiritualize or discount the Old Testament is disturbing. These trends leave the Evangelical church in America increasingly vulnerable to the anti-Semitism seeping into our schools and society.

Antisemitism in the United States

A 2014 study found that 25 percent of the world’s population—1.1 billion people—holds anti-Semitic views, even though 70 percent of them had never met a Jew. Thirty-five percent of them had never heard of the Holocaust, and of those who had, one-third thought it was either a myth or greatly exaggerated. The highest percentage of populations holding antiSemitic views are found in the Middle East.

Anti-Semitism is seeping into the United States via college campuses, where Palestinian groups are mobilizing students to their cause by using anti-Israel vitriol. A frightening alliance of these anti-Israel groups with progressives and Far-Right activists has made campuses dangerous for anyone Jewish or pro-Israel.

Another frontier for the spread of anti-Semitism is the internet, where hate-filled people spew a relentless stream of paranoia and lies inciting some to acts of violence. That is how Robert Bowers was incited to take a semiautomatic weapon into the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018 to kill as many Jews as possible.

Anti-Semitic incidences rose 57 percent in the United States in 2018 and were mainly in high schools and on college campuses. Such incidents hit an all-time high in 2019 and also included increasing attacks on synagogues, Jewish individuals, and cemeteries.

Anti-Zionism

Since a Jewish nation-state is antithetical to the ruling philosophies of our day—globalism and secularism—this modern form of political anti-Semitism is finding large-scale acceptance. It is directed not at individual Jews but against the collective Jew—the Jewish State—and is called anti-Zionism.

Natan Sharansky, an Israeli politician and human rights activist who spent nine years in a USSR gulag for being a Zionist, developed the 3D test to determine when discussion of Israel is anti-Semitic. If any of the following are true delegitimization of Israel, demonization of Israel, or subjecting Israel to double standard—criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism also includes examples of anti-Semitic antiZionism”:

• “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.
• Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.
• Using the symbols and images associated with classic anti-Semitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.
• Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.
• Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the State of Israel.”

BDS Movement

The BDS—short for “Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions”—movement unfairly places blame on Israel, then calls for others to boycott, divest from, or sanction the Jewish State. A central premise of the BDS movement is that modern Israel is a racist reincarnation of apartheid South Africa. Ignoring Palestinian demands for a Jew-free state, BDS activists paint Israel as an “apartheid state” that employs “Nazi-like” policies against the Palestinian people. They boycott corporations operating in Israel, stores selling Israeli products, entertainers who plan performances in Israel, and Israeli academic institutions.

The BDS National Committee (BNC) was established in 2007 in Ramallah from where the Palestinian coordinating body manages the international campaign. Their aim has nothing to do with creating conditions on the ground where Israelis and Palestinians can finally live side by side in peace and prosperity. On the contrary, it opposes any peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians. The final solution the BDS movement ultimately seeks is the complete dismantling of the Jewish State to be replaced with a Palestinian state.

College Campuses

Hostility toward Israel’s supporters on campus has reached near-historic levels. According to a 2019 report, the AMCHA Initiative, a campus organization that monitors anti-Semitism on more than 400 college campuses, has recorded some 3,000 anti-Semitic incidents across the United States since 2015.

The AMCHA Initiative states that attempts to exclude Jewish and pro-Israel students from campus activities more than doubled, “with expression calling for the total boycott or exclusion of pro-Israel students from campus life nearly tripling.”

Another 2019 report by the Institute for the Global Study of Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) describes one of the most active anti-Semitic forces on campuses is a group named National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) whose goal is the elimination of the State of Israel.

Far Left and Far Right

Whereas the BDS movement is largely a progressive liberal movement of staunch activists involved in numerous causes such as human rights, gender equality, and abortion, these liberal activists are finding common cause with white supremacists, fascists, and the remnants of the neo-Nazi movement. That common goal is the demonization of Jews.

The growing number of young progressives taking leadership in the Democratic Party has brought anti-Semitic tropes and conspiracies to mainstream political discourse. On the other extreme, white supremacists are now adopting and promoting the BDS campaign’s anti-Semitic propaganda and imagery.

The Internet

The problem of anti-Semitism in the United States is a problem of the FarLeft and Far-Right fringes and not one of mainstream society. However, social media and communication technologies that bypass conventional media controls have allowed the fringe to have inordinate influence and to network with each other in unprecedented and alarming ways. Rumors and conspiracy theories can now spread around the globe in seconds on the internet.

Conspiracy Theories and Pandemics

Pandemics are dangerous times for Jewish communities due to the conspiracy theories they spawn. One of the greatest catastrophes to afflict the human race was the fourteenth-century bubonic plague—known as the “Black Death”—that swept through Europe. Historians estimate that up to 50 percent of Europe’s population died in the pandemic, with rates of death as high as 75 percent in Italy, Spain, and France.

Church and state had already demonized the Jewish minority, so they were an easy scapegoat. They also fared better than the general population, possibly due to their dietary and religious practices or the fact many were confined in walled ghettos. Their lower death rates, however, fueled suspicions they were behind the pandemic, and many Jews who survived the plague were then massacred in pogroms.

During the coronavirus crisis of 2020, anti-Semites spread lies that Jews developed the virus to kill a large number of people and gain power. They were also accused of using it to make money selling the antidote. The fact that the Orthodox Jewish community in New York had higher rates of infection than the general population was used as proof. The lies were propagated on all social media platforms.

We should not dismiss conspiracy theories as mere craziness. Conspiracy theories produce anger, and anger moves quickly from words into actions; verbal insults often result in physical attacks.

Holocaust Denial

Holocaust denial is any attempt to diminish or deny the established facts of the Nazi genocide of European Jews. This is a form of anti-Semitism because it perpetuates the anti-Semitic trope that Jews are dishonest and manipulative and accuses them of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust as a plot to advance “Jewish interests.”

Some common Holocaust denials include: reducing the number of Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust; denying the existence of Nazi facilities that used gas chambers to systematically murder Jews; and denying the widespread killing of Jews in all of the camps and not just in ones equipped with a means of mass extermination.

Many Americans have fathers or grandfathers who fought in WWII and may have personally witnessed the carnage the Nazis left behind in the camps. Holocaust denial is not only an affront to the Jewish people but to all those who fought to bring down the evil Nazi regime.

Conclusion

A 2019 poll by the American Jewish Committee revealed that over 80 percent of Jews feel that anti-Semitism is increasing in America. While there is a combination of reasons for the increase, there is one thing that can stop it.

One of the largest demographics in America—Evangelical Christians—must be educated to recognize anti-Semitism in all its forms and stand against its spread into society. If the Holocaust taught us anything, it is that a silent majority is an enabling majority. Christians in the United States must learn to speak out while they can.

What Can You Do?

There is much that can and should be done. While this chapter cannot provide an exhaustive list, let’s concentrate on the most obvious things that most of us can do at the community level.

• Reach out to your local Jewish community or one that has suffered an anti-Semitic attack. Let them know how sorry you are and that you are praying for them. This can be done in a card to the Rabbi or the Jewish Federation director in that city. Showing up at a local memorial service speaks louder than words. Do not come with an agenda or message other than “we are sorry.”
• Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel once wrote: “What hurts the victim most is not the cruelty of the oppressor but the silence of the bystander.” We are often silent because we do not know what to say, but your silence is deafening in times of grief. Please voice your condolence.
• If you come across ugly comments on the internet, call them out for being anti-Semitic so others who encounter this will be alerted. The first step in opposing this evil is identifying it for what it is. Learn how to combat the lies permeating the internet so that it becomes a place of pushing back against the hatred. Visit the IsraelAnswers.com website for teachings and answers to frequently asked questions.
• If you are an alumnus of a college or university, contact the school president and let them know how concerned you are about this issue, and ask what they are doing about it. Suggest they include courses against movements of hate, including anti-Semitism, monitor antiIsrael groups calling for death to Israel and Zionists, and take seriously any complaints of anti-Semitism by their Jewish students.
• Help inform and educate your church about the history and the current expressions of anti-Semitism. The ICEJ provides informative seminars that do this from a biblical perspective. These seminars are not only enlightening but also inspire churches to take a stance on behalf of the Jewish people.

These are simple steps that most of us can take. If we focus on the local level and within our sphere of influence, we can each make a small difference—and that can add up to a whole lot of good.

The ICEJ

The birth of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) in 1980 was a historic, groundbreaking moment. For the first time in history, Christians were mobilizing support for Israel on an international scale and from Jerusalem—the capital of the newborn State of Israel.

Due to the history of Christian anti-Semitism, this new philosemitic initiative was met with understandable skepticism from many in the Jewish community. While 2,000 years of history cannot be changed overnight, the ICEJ has had the privilege of confronting this history and establishing a new relationship with the Jewish people.

The ICEJ headquarters in Jerusalem carries out projects to bless Israel on behalf of millions of Christians worldwide. Our branches and representatives in over 90 countries help the worldwide body of Christ come to a greater understanding of this unique land and people.

Through the ICEJ’s partnership with Yad Vashem—Israel’s Holocaust memorial and remembrance center—we educate Christians on the Holocaust and anti-Semitism.

ICEJ provides educational tools to churches and individuals including:

• Half-day seminars designed to educate and inspire
• Speakers for churches and events
• Small group study series available at www.icej.store
• IsraelAnswers.com—the Christian community’s most extensive resource on Israel, anti-Semitism, and Christian Zionism
• American Christian Leaders for Israel (ACLI) network to educate and mobilize Christian leaders

To get involved, please contact us at: International Christian Embassy Jerusalem – USA Branch PO Box 332974, Murfreesboro, TN 37133-2974 (615)895-9830 – info@icejusa.org 

Resources

Organizations

Combat Anti-Semitism Movement—CAM is a global network of organizations and individuals committed to confronting anti-Semitism and provides excellent weekly recaps of anti-Semitism around the world.

The Anti-Defamation League—The mission of ADL is to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.

The AMCHA Initiative—AMCHA Initiative is a non-profit organization dedicated to investigating, documenting, educating about, and combating anti-Semitism at institutions of higher education in America.

Papers

• “The New Anti-Semites” by StopAntisemitism.org and Zachor Legal Institute
• “NSJP Threat to Academic Freedom” by igap.org Books
• Bernard Lewis, Semites and Anti-Semites: An Inquiry into Conflict and Prejudice, W.W. Norton & Company, 2014.
• Raul Hilberg, The Destruction of the European Jews, Martino Fine Books, 2019 Reprint of 1961 Edition.
• Dennis Prager and Joseph Telushkin, Why the Jews, Touchstone, 2003.
• Deborah Lipstadt, Antisemitism: Here and Now, Schocken, 2019.
• Eric Rozenman, Jews Make the Best Demons: “Palestine” and the Jewish Question, New English Review Press, 2018.
• Alan Dershowitz, The Case Against BDS: Why Singling Out Israel for Boycott Is Anti-Semitic and Anti-Peace, Post Hill Press, 2018.
• Stephen Norwood, Antisemitism and the American Far Left, Cambridge University Press, 2013.
• Neil Kressel, “The Sons of Pigs and Apes”: Muslim Antisemitism and the Conspiracy of Silence, Potomac Books, 2012.
• Edward H. Flannery, The Anguish of the Jews, Macmillan, 1965.
• Michael L. Brown, Our Hands are Stained with Blood, Destiny Image Publishers, 1992, Revised and Expanded, 2019.

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—by Dr. Susan M. Michael, ICEJ USA Director