During the midterm elections of 2018, four new congresswomen were elected: Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). This group, along with others on the left, have led the way in both a rising wave of anti-Semitism against the nation of Israel and a rising wave against America’s support and alliance with Israel. Ocasio-Cortez has consistently referred to the “occupation of Palestine” by Israel and has called Israel defensive operations in the Gaza area a “massacre.” She has also praised British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, a noted anti-Semite, who once sponsored a movement to “eradicate Zionism” in the 1980s and caused three members of the Labour Party to resign after they accused the party of being “institutionally anti-Semitic.”
Omar, a practicing Muslim who wears a hijab on the House floor, has tweeted anti-Semitic statements in the past. In 2012 she tweeted, “Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.” Omar also recently accused the American Israel Public Affairs Committee of paying American officials to be pro-Israel. Louis Farrakhan, a mentor to Omar according to The New York Post, came out in support of Omar’s remarks.
Rashida Tlaib, born in Detroit to Palestinian immigrants, made headlines by accusing US senators who support Israel in any way of holding dual loyalties to both Israel and the United States, stating they are not able to be fully faithful to their work. She also called for cutting all US aid to Israel, claiming that it “doesn’t fit the values of our country.” Both Omar and Tlaib have asked for boycotts of Israel, asserting this is no different than calling for a boycott of Nazi Germany during World War 2. This is ironic given that establishment of the nation of Israel was a direct result of the Holocaust in which over six million Jews were slaughtered.
The rise in anti-Semitism has also increased outside of the United States, specifically in Europe. A new CNN poll found that more than 25 percent of Europeans say Jews have too much influence in business and finance, while 20 percent said Jews have too much influence in the media and politics. Some of this may be due to the rise of Muslim populations in these nations. This rise of anti-Semitism has led to an increase in attacks against Jews. France reported anti-Semitic attacks have increased by 74 percent in 2018, while Germany reported a 60 percent increase.
To those of us familiar with Biblical history, the rise in anti-Semitism should not be a surprise. Satan has long tried to persecute and exterminate the Jewish people through some of the strongest leaders in world history. Pharaoh persecuted the Jews in Egypt before God rescued them through Moses and the Exodus. Haman attempted to exterminate the Jews in the book of Esther. God intervened through the influence of Esther on King Artaxerxes, who then turned the tables on Haman himself. Antiochus Epiphanes persecuted the Jews and desecrated the Second Temple. The Romans, under Titus, later destroyed the Second Temple. Every time world leaders persecuted and attempted to eliminate the Jewish people, God divinely intercedes and the Jewish people continue to exist.
PRAY: Pray that God will continue to protect the nation of Israel and this increase in anti-Semitism will stop.