ANTI-SEMITISM SYNDROME RISING

Sir,

Mr Editor allow me to express my deepest concern about the issue that recently hit global headline news, aired at CNN News channel under the topic: “Anti-Semitism is on the rise in Europe”

Please let me begin my discussion by asking few rhetorical questions like: What did the Israelis do to deserve all hatred the hell and the world has thrown at her? Can someone try to explain the sin that they have done that justify all the world’s actions of hatred and evil criminal acts against them? Is it because we think they have sinned as a nation than the rest of the nations of the world? Are the nations of the world sinless and pure and deserving to punish and hate the Jews? Are all this reactions of hatred and crimes committed towards them politically and rationally correct?

I guess you do have your own answers to these questions. In case the reader didn’t know. The Jews are descendants of Eber (Gen 10:21, 24; 11:14) from Shem one of the Noah’s three sons. Therefore, Eber is regarded as the progenitor of the Hebrews better known to us today as Israelites. Hence, in The Book of Luke 3:35 is named Heber, the ancestor of Abraham (v34), who himself was Jacob/Israel’s ancestor too.

Nomads: All this people mentioned above probably lived like any other ethnic groups that lived in the ancient world. They were perhaps nomadic and having a polytheistic kind of religion possibly until God appeared to Abraham in the Land beyond the Rivers (Jos 24:2) and said “get thee out of thy country” (Gen 12:1). It looks like from that time on Anti-Semitic hatred began to take its roots growing bit by bit to date. Biblical narratives have indicated that in later time the Jewish people were subject to hatred, torture even in Egypt in much greater proportion.

Again, after The Exodus on their way to The Promised Land they were in constant conflicts with other ethnic groups that stood on their way that may have contributed to the hatred that Jewish people encounter even today from people around Middle-East.

Take a moment and think about these. We all at some point through our ancestors lived nomadic or semi-nomadic lives, we did fight small and big wars until we became Settlers; and that is how we have the political boundaries and countries of today. The question is ‘’who then can blame the nations we have today?’’, of course no one blames anyone except blaming the Jews for reclaiming their land.

God’s choice: Did Abraham have something to do that influenced God to choose him among all other people of his time, of course not. So, why are his descendants hated specially Israel? I’m drawn to assume that the world’s hatred towards Jewish people is a way of questioning God of his divine choosing and Sovereignty.

The Conquest: The Jews began to possess and settled in Canaan around 1406 BC, they conquered the Canaanites, Ammonites, Jebusites, Philistines and Hittites etc. as you can read it in The Book of Joshua. Hence Canaan became Jewish land historically and theologically. Only those who are not acquainted with this truth can question the authenticity of Jewish claim today. The challenge is that humans have developed tendency of wanting to distort historical facts to suite their new ideologies (as I will try to show you later).

Canaan became Israel: You should note that it did not come any easier; they too like most of the nation’s today the Jews fought their wars to become the nation it is today. Likewise, being in the Land as people was no guarantee of peace and security. They fought different foreign invaders from ancient past like: Assyrians under Shalmaneser V, around 722 BC (2 Kings 17:4-6); they fought Egyptians under Necho II around 609 BC (2 Kings 23:29; 2 Chr. 35:20-24). They also were engaged with the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar around 586 BC (2 Kings 24:1ff) and the results of this battle was so devastating.

And then later they found some relief when Medo-Persia united front overthrew the Babylonians around 538BC to become the world power under Cyrus (Dan 5:30, 31); they took control over all territories that were under Babylon that includes The Promised Land. But, after some years the mighty Greeks under Alexander the Great around 331 BC defeated the Persians. And later the divided Greek Empire was overrun by the Romans, which their influence overlapped even to AD era.

Again, it is important to indicate that most of this ancient emperors showed no mercy but pure hatred toward the Jewish people, but emperors like Cyrus and Xerxes were easy in helping the Jews in time of need and also help them begin the process to return from Exile. But even after their return to their Mother Land there were constant threats aimed them.

Biblical narratives tells us about Haman’s failed scheme to exterminate the Jews under Persian Empire (Est. 3:6, 13); what is surprising is that though Haman was only in conflict with one person (Mordecai), but his hatred for the Jews made him to resolve in his heart to want to eradicate the entire Jewish ethnicity. That is what hate can do against another person.

Rev JS Ndzimandze
Nkalaneni/Mooi-Hoek

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