Understanding Antisemitism
After the indescribable horrors of the Holocaust, a large group of survivors found their ideal place of refuge: Australia. With the second-largest community of Holocaust survivors outside of Israel, Australian Jews lived their lives in relative peace and harmony. Yet even in Australia, Jewish schools, synagogues, community centres and the like routinely installed high fences, metal detectors, CCTV cameras and armed guards. All this was a precaution… just in case.
Then came 7 October 2023, and the deluge began: Antisemitism sky-rocketed in Australia. Menacing shouts of ‘F**k the Jews ‘and ‘Gas the Jews’ were chanted
two days later by pro-Hamas protestors on the steps of the iconic Sydney Opera House. University campuses became war zones for Jewish students. Graffiti, taunts, physical assaults, protests outside the synagogue and then, the unthinkable: The firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea, Melbourne. Weeks later, the Victorian police and Australian Federal Police have not—at the time of this writing—found a suspect.
Please understand: this kind of activity was unheard of in Australia until the 7 October deluge. In 2023, there were 495 antisemitic incidents; by 2024, it rose to 2,061. The deluge of 7 October 1 antisemitism reached Australia.[1]
If antisemitism is increasing in Australia—and it is by 300%—you can be sure that it is growing worldwide.Our purpose is to define, explain, and look at the causes.
Definitions
As a big phenomenon, any definition will have its limitations, but we need something to work with. Antisemitism is the irrational hatred of the Jewish people, which can lead to attempts, by word or deed, to humiliate, marginalize, and physically harm them.
Anti-Zionism is on the rise, too, and many contend that it is not necessarily ‘antisemitic.’ Space is inadequate to address this contention, but to say how opposition to the existence of the only Jewish state in the world has nothing to do with antisemitism would be a challenge, to say the least.
While antisemitism can be considered a form of racism, it is also uniquely in a category of its own. Its uniqueness includes the fact that it is universal or global in scope. It is irrational because antisemites may have had little or no direct contact with Jews. This hatred exists in nations that have no Jews at all. Antisemitism can be multi-dimensional: Ethnic, religious, political and/or theological in nature.
Its uniqueness comes from its longevity: antisemitism dates back over two millennia to the fifth century BC. A bonafide card-carrying antisemite named Haman planned to destroy all Jews in the Persian Empire simply because one Jew named Mordecai refused to bow when he passed by. His nearly successful plot—yet ultimate failure—is chronicled in the Bible book called Esther.
The current problem is that Haman may be long gone, but the murderous spirit of antisemitism still lives on.
Antisemitism can be found in a variety of sources: far left, far right, jihadist, fascist, and communist. Even in Christendom—Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants—demonstrated antisemitic thoughts and actions that were recorded throughout the centuries. This included the great reformer Martin Luther (though perhaps near the end of his life when he was not fully functional). It has been said historically that antisemitism was far greater in Christendom than in the Islamic world. That would radically change with the advent of Zionism, the nationalist movement to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
Causes of Antisemitism
- 1. Political:
- Until the rise of Zionism, it is said there was no conflict between Arabs and Jews in Ottoman Palestine. Once the Turks were gone, the Balfour Declaration was given, and the League of Nations authorised the British Mandate to prepare for the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine, the communal harmony was gone. For many, the politics of the Arab-Israeli conflict define the cause of antisemitism.
- 2. Theological:
- The great patriarch Abraham was promised by God (covenant) to have a ‘seed’ (descendant) Who would bring universal redemption and blessing. That seed was ‘Christ’(Galatians 3:16), and the chain link between Him and Father Abraham was the Jewish people. The Saviour Himself said that salvation is of the Jews(John 4:22). Being chosen and anointed by God is wonderful, but it is also like painting a target on one’s back for the devil to attack. Also, a clever Messianic author pointed out in Hebrew that the Name of God YHWH is contained in the name Judah—which means praise, and it is from this name that the word ‘Jew’ is derived’ YHWDH (Yehudah—best to see this in Hebrew lettering). His conclusion? The Jewish people thus have the imprint of God’s name in their 2 genes. And the world hates God!’[2]
- 3. Spiritual:
- The human antisemite can be ignorant of these things, but the malevolent spiritual forces in the heavenly realm are not; they know what the Bible teaches. The devil and his demons are 100% antisemitic, and for understandable reasons. The great salvation that comes from the Jewish Messiah, the continued preservation and existence of the Jewish people as a testament to the faithfulness of God(see Jeremiah 31:35-37), and finally, the indispensable role they play in end-time prophecy(Daniel 9:24-27), means the devil’s reign is finished, and his end is near. Since the devil cannot attack God directly, He attacks those who represent Him on earth: Jews and Christians. As history comes to the windup, persecution will increase. Yet the silver lining is that the Lord will regather His people as perJeremiah 16:14-16and 23:7- 8, even if He has to use ‘fishers’ and ‘hunters’ to do it.
Now that we know what the problem is and why it exists, let us press into the presence of God, who is always the solution. He can turn the deluge into rivers of living water (John 4:10; 7:37-39).
[1] The Jerusalem Post: Antisemitic incidents rose in Australia by over 300% since October 7—report by Michael Starr, December 3, 2024.
[2] Dov Chaikin, The Biblical Origins of Antisemitism, Israel Today Magazine, 1 June 2016.
