Shattered on the point of anti-Semitism

The direction that some in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) are taking has become frightening. The anti-Semitic video, “I Am Israel” that the Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) placed on their site this last week is the ultimate example. I have a few more thoughts on the video and the anti-Semitism plaguing our denomination.

First I did send a letter to IPMN’s Moderator, Carol Hylkema explaining how offensive the video was. Her only reply was “Thanks for your input.” As a Presbyterian organization IPMN has proven to be anti-Semitic at its core.

Second one of the commenters, Dexter Van Zile, on my first posting pointed out that there is proof that the statement attributed to Ariel Sharon on the video is fraudulent. He links to a page where he has proven that it is false. That is: Syndicated Columnist Georgie Anne Geyer Uses Fabricated Sharon Quote.

Third, if you are interested in knowing how fraudulent the video’s insistence that Israel has power over the world and the United States media is, just check back to World War II and all the Nazi lies, they are the exact same lies radical Muslims and the IPMN are telling in this video. Every time I watch the video I want to gag.

May I recommend Last Days in Babylon: the History of a Family, the Story of a Nation by Marina Benjamin and Nazi Propaganda for the Arab World by Jeffrey Herf.

I have read the first book which is about the last years of the Jewish community in Iraq before they were threatened, harassed and pushed out of that nation because of the birth of Israel. The author is the granddaughter of one of those who went into exile. The second book I own, but I have not gotten to it yet accept for a skim read. It does have one recommendation that several of my readers will be very interested in. That is a recommendation by Jewish historian, Benny Morris. He writes:

“Professor Herf’s book is a thorough and important description of Nazi propaganda to the Arab world during World War II, and quite accurately and ominously highlights the parallels between Nazi anti-Semitic tenets and Islamist anti-Semitism.”

Both of those books describe how the Grand Mufti Haj Amin Husseini became an advocate for Hitler and was attempting to bring about the final solution to the Jews in the Middle East. Some of those awful stories such as the lie that the Jews control the world came out of that period. Now they are still used by radical Muslims and are showing up on a Presbyterian web site.

A good friend recently wrote “Tonight I explained to my children that we are living in a time very much like the days of Hitler's rise to power [think Iran] and his attempted destruction of the Jewish people. I told them to not fear, to plan on getting married and having children, and to know that their children will be used of the Most High to continue in the battle that has engaged us. Live well--we only get to do this once.”

Most do not know or have forgotten that there was a time before the Holocaust when some people in the United States were either ambivalent to or even for Hitler and the Nazi state of Germany. The friend I quoted above is right.

At this moment we as a denomination have so much to lose. Our integrity, our goodness, our hope, will all be shattered on the anti-Semitism among us. We will take away with one hand what God is trying to put into the other, the righteousness and holiness of God. If we spit on his ancient people we will eventually spit on God.