Here’s the first riddle. What is the difference between Jews with a State of Israel and Jews without one? That’s easy. It’s the ability to defend ourselves.
For 2,000 years, Jews, dispersed to the four corners of the earth, were at the mercy and goodwill of the host countries where they resided. It meant that if Jews were looked upon favorably, they were able to flourish and live as everyone else.
Conversely, if their hosts became suspicious of them, to the point of feeling threatened, the fate of Jews became increasingly uncertain. Zionism put an end to that perilous destiny.
By realizing the dream of returning to their ancestral homeland, the Jewish people were finally able to establish their own means of self-defense, guaranteeing their collective survival, no longer dependent upon the benevolence of fickle nations whose mood toward Jews changed like the weather.
The Jerusalem Post recently reported that pro-Palestinian activist Rasha Zaid, who is running for Windsor city council in Ontario’s 4th district, has declared that “Zionists must be locked up since they are all racists and terrorists.”
Now for the second riddle. Would Zaid like Jews more if the State of Israel didn’t exist? Here’s the short answer – NO!
Jews without Israel are at the mercy of others
That’s because the concept of Jews, without the ability to defend themselves, greatly appeals to Zaid. Take away their military and collective shield by way of the protective nation of Israel, and Jews are, once again, at the mercy of others.
Zaid, unable to expand on her libelous claims against Zionists, calling them racists and terrorists, offers no evidence to substantiate those smears. But that’s par for the course these days, when hurling defamatory charges is all that’s needed to further rile up marginal antisemites, who just need a bit more ammunition to push them over to the side of full-blown Jew-haters.
By attacking Zionism, one attacks the right of Jews to determine their own survival, and that is what sticks in the craw of people like Zaid. How dare Jews be given the chance to fight off their accusers and attackers!
It should not be made any harder to scapegoat Jews for whatever goes wrong in society. After all, if you take away the best excuse for laying blame on a group of people, personal responsibility might have to kick in, and no one wants that!
The reason that Zaid would not like Jews any better, if the State of Israel were non-existent, is because she is using the word “Zionists” as a cover for Jews. Although Zionism is wrongly termed as a political position, it really is a spiritual concept, promoted by the Almighty, who promised the land to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The return of the Jews to the land of Israel is a consistent theme throughout Scripture, believed by both Jews and Christians. It is the great hope, representing world redemption and reconciliation for all mankind.
But if you despise the thought of Jews being recognized and chosen by the creator of heaven and earth, the need to undo that honor must be swiftly challenged and removed. That is the impetus and ugly truth behind the Zionism smear, which has taken on a life of its own.
The desire to equate Zionism with the worst form of bigotry and racism is nothing more than a pathetic attempt to harm Jews throughout the world, accusing them of being identified with a dangerous ideology that threatens all of humanity.
Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. Zionism is neither exclusive nor selective. While it beckons Jews to return to the land of their forefathers, it also welcomes and celebrates the gracious support of gentiles who champion that biblical injunction, calling for the Jewish people to come home and rebuild the nation where they were intended to live.
By doing so, the prophetic period will come to pass, as foretold in Jeremiah 8:23, when “10 men out of all the languages of the nations shall take hold, even shall take hold of the garment of a Jew, saying, ‘We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”
But, in order to say that, at least two things must happen. Jews will be sought out by the nations, recognized for their holiness. That excludes all hatred, jealousy, and blame. The second is that a Jewish Israel will finally be acknowledged as the place from which God’s goodness flows.
What a reversal of today’s outlook on Jews and their homeland. It will be the complete opposite way of viewing the people who have been hated and persecuted for centuries.
Naturally, before such an epiphany can occur, a personal reckoning must take place, arriving at the realization that Zion is not a blight on mankind, but rather the eternal home of God, as well as the people whom He called to be a light to the nations.
How will that square with today’s antisemites, calling for all Jews to be locked up if they embrace the thought of a homeland that offers them safety, security, and the greatest spiritual and moral impact on all of humanity?
Undoubtedly, the people who are calling for the destruction of Israel will, at some point, find themselves fighting against the Almighty, foolishly thinking that they can subvert His plan for all creation.
The modern-day State of Israel is not an impediment preventing the Jewish people from attaining full acceptance and respectability by others. Just the opposite; it is a constant reminder that there is a divine plan that has already begun to unfold, assuring everyone that they have not been forgotten.
That begins by looking inward and examining the real reason why Jews are anathema to so many today. Once that is discovered, there can, perhaps, be a cure for the deadly disease of seeing Jews through the lens of being the biggest problem on the planet.
Jews should not be on trial for the existence of their homeland, because it’s not the real reason they are not liked. Collective hatred of a people will never result in the harmony that we must strive to attain. “Hate has no home here” should also apply to today’s toxic attitudes toward Jews.
The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.