Europe 2014 might as well be Europe 1914, or 1414, as far as Jews are concerned, says an expert on antisemitism
By Moshe Cohen, INN
Anti-Semites in Europe (file)
Europe hasn’t changed all that much, at least in regards to its feelings about Jews, according to Dr. Manfred Gerstenfeld, former head of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
“They don’t like to hear that,” Gersetenfeld told a Haifa audience last week. “But it’s clear that anti-Semitism is a part and parcel of the culture of Europe, not just historically, but currently.”
Gerstenfeld, a historian with an expertise in European Jewish history, along with Itay Reuveni of NGO Monitor, was discussing the issue of anti-Semitism at the Midrasha Leumit in Haifa. That Europe hates Jews even now, decades after the Holocaust, he said, as is clear from the many anti-Semitic caricatures appearing in European newspapers, the ongoing anti-Semitic attacks against Jewish institutions and individual Jews, and the onslaught of legislation against Jewish lifestyle issues, such as ritual slaughter and circumcision.
Despite a secular front, Europe is still a very religious continent – at least when it comes to long-held Christian religious attitudes to Jews, said Gerstenfeld.
“They still blame us for murdering their ‘savior’, and they still see us as evil, Nazi-like ‘others’ who just don’t fit in with the ‘culture’ of Europe. The Church, for thousands of years, did its job very faithfully, preparing the groundwork for the Nazi Holocaust.
“The current denunciations of the Jewish state are preparing the groundwork for future attempts to destroy the Jews,” he added.
According to Reuveni, this anti-Semitism can be clearly seen in the funding outlays given to anti-Israeli groups. NGOs whose declared purpose is to denigrate Israel, lobby for boycotts, etc., receive huge amounts of funding, much more than organizations dedicated to other causes. The best way to fight these groups, he said, was to publicly announce where they are getting their money from – including the corporations and governments that are funding them.
The evening was organized by the Hazon Leumi student group, a new organization that is working to increase the values of Zionism among Haifa-area students.
yamit82 Said:
OY OY OY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
honeybee Said:
OUCH!!!!!
He isn’t a rabbi just a well known educator.
yamit82 Said:
You never fail me. But didn’t the Rabbi say, ” the job of the ALMIGHTY has already been filled”, so why are you always applying.
@ AbbaGuutuu:
Wasn’t AbbaGuutuu a dead Ethiopian rebel general? Do you speak Amharic?
@ honeybee:
Hi!
@ honeybee:
PBS blocked it for Israel audiences, not on You Tube either. Simon Shama is an art historian and quite a liberal semi-believer. Saw some clips and trailers for the documentary and historically full of holes… That said It was probably well done and well produced.
yamit82 Said:
Not with those horns of yours, Darlin
darlin.
@ yamit82:
Once again I recommend Simon Shama’s series on PBS “The History Of the Jews”. He narrates with just the perfect tone of controlled anger. Go to PBS.org.
AbbaGuutuu Said:
If you or anyone else wants to support Israel fine it’s up to you. If your reasons are ideological or theological then your support should not be influenced or contingent on what I or any other Jews says or thinks about you and those of other religions or those with no religions but don’t expect us to kiss your asses for that support. We don’t need it nor have we solicited it. If it’s genuine we will know by your deeds and not by your words and if by deeds we will find a way of showing recognition and appreciation after the fact.
Isolation By Rabbi Meir Kahane HY”D September 1990 Final Shiur
We are a ‘nation that dwells alone’ [Am livadad yishkon – Numbers 23:9]. People read the verse. How nice. What a nice song it makes. But it isn’t a song, and it isn’t some nice saying. It is Jewish law. The laws of isolation.”
dove Said:
You are absolutely right!!! I simply stated what I thought was an appropriate response. No offense intended!
I was not in a position to approve or disapprove anything on this website (unless making a comment is seen as such). I simply agreed with your statement. My apology to you, if I offended you inadvertently. If you want to “give” me an authority to approve or disprove a comment made on this website that is fine too (to be an assistant to the BIG Boss,Ted Bellman, as I have real respect for him)!!! 🙂
@ AbbaGuutuu:
I don’t need your permission or approval for it to be fine.
dove Said:
That is fine, dove.
@ AbbaGuutuu:
You STILL don’t get it! Been there, done that. Even had lengthy correspondence with the U.N. All my effort now goes into Jewry. Don’t have time to go thru that crap again!
dove Said:
How about trying various websites; writing to editors of various journals; and at national level using diplomatic and all other means?
yamit82 Said:
Yes, you can even write volumes and volumes of books.
It is an undeniable historical fact that so many evils were carried out against the Jews over many centuries. There are those who strongly believe in “Replacement Theology” who are supporting BDS and try to weaken Christian-Jews relations to completely isolate Israel. Is it wrong to strengthen relationship with those who have positive attitudes towards Israel (by encouraging their congregations to visit Israel in groups and as an individual and even influence the US Congress and Administration to maintain strong relations with Israel instead of siding with its enemies)?
I donot think anyone is able to reconcile Judaism and Christianity. What Judaism considers as wrong Christians believe as a fulfillment of the Tanach and the Bible make sense only when it is seen in its complete picture under the Renewed Covenant.
Here is a choice before us: 1) To embrace and encourage those who have been helpful to Israel/Jews in the past and currently even if they may not agree with Judaism 100% of the time or reject and force them to join the anti-Israel crowd; or 2) Based on what some followers of Judaism’s believe (I respect individuals’ belief) – (I do not know if this could be accepted by secularists, atheists and Jews of various convictions who love their country and ready to pay the ultimate sacrifice)to reject and drive all outside supporters and turn friends and potential friends to an enemy in the name of religious “purity”.
Is it wrong if religious faith is left to individuals so that they could make choices based on their free will? I donot currently see a powerful country in the world being run by a Christian leader. The secularists are in power. Many Christians are suffering in their own so called christian countries as well as non-christian ones with out religious freedom and expressions.
My humble opinion is: Let us try to have as many friends as possible for Israel/Jews with out limiting anti-semitism to religious only.
There are many secular European governments/political parties that are anti-semitic. The Neo-Nazis; extreme left who were brainwashed by USSR after the 1967 Six Day War,and other anti-Semites (racists)are dangerous elements to me at the current moment in Europe and some other Western countries.
By concentrating only on religious differences (as there is no way to make this world to have one religion absent a miracle), we should not overlook
the non-religious anti-Semites (numerous in numbers) who are more dangerous now than ever (especially in Europe).
AbbaGuutuu Said:
You have not advised us how we can make such distinctions. I tend to trust nominal christians and christian apostates more than fundamentalist evangelicals.
Christianity is the enemy of Judaism and the Jews. Would any Muslim still be Muslims without Shariah or Mohamed? Would christians still be christian without the NT and 2000 years of christian beliefs in their many doctrinal beliefs and dogmas? Judaism does not need christianity but christianity needs Judaism to substantiate itself. Same with the messiah, we don’t need no messiah. It’s not a primary Jewish concept.
fundamentalist christian lovers of Israel, only love the Jews in order to save them from the punishment awaiting them for not having accepted yeshu. They, as much, if not more than any other Christians today, believe that the Jew is guilty of deicide and that his Judaism is an old worn out rag which they wish to replace with their N T. Yes, I am familiar with the dual covenant beliefs which is rejected by 99% of all other christians. With over 40,000 denominations and a myriad of sub christian cults who can keep track?
Words of some christian “saints” and leaders and notice how their anti-Jewish expressions are based on N T verses:
Origen: “Their rejection of Jesus has resulted in their present calamity and exile. We say with confidence that they will never be restored to their former condition. For they have committed a crime of the most unhallowed kind, in conspiring against the saviour.”
St. Gregory: “ Jews are slayers of the Lord, murderers of the prophets, enemies of God, haters of God, adversaries of grace, enemies of their fathers’ faith, advocates of the devil, brood of vipers, slanderers, scoffers, men of darkened minds, leaven of the Pharisees, congregation of demons, sinners, wicked men, stoners and haters of goodness.”
St. Jerome: “….serpents, haters of all men, their image is Judas … their psalms and prayers are the braying of donkeys..”
St. John Chrysostom: “I know that many people hold a high regard for the Jews and consider their way of life worthy of respect at the present time… This is why I am hurrying to pull up this fatal notion by the roots … A place where a whore stands on display is a whorehouse. What is more, the synagogue is not only a whorehouse and a theater; it is also a den of thieves and a haunt of wild animals … not the cave of a wild animal merely, but of an unclean wild animal … When animals are unfit for work, they are marked for slaughter, and this is the very thing which the Jews have experienced. By making themselves unfit for work, they have become ready for slaughter. This is why Christ said: “ask for my enemies, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them and slay them before me’ (Luke 19.27).”
St. Augustine: “Judaism is a corruption. Indeed Judas is the image of the Jewish people. Their understanding of the Scriptures is carnal. They bear the guilt for the death of the saviour, for through their fathers they have killed the Christ.”
St. Thomas Aquinas: “It would be licit to hold Jews, because of the crimes, in perpetual servitude, and therefore the princes may regard the possessions of Jews as belonging to the State.”
The above is my short list and I could do pages and pages on Luther.
AbbaGuutuu Said:
No believing christian that both accept and attribute divinity to the NT can ever be a true friend of the Jews or Israel. There is always in the best cases a hidden agenda and a built in disrespect for our beliefs and existance except as it furthers christian eschatological expectations. Every christian who support conversion of the Jews is the most vile enemy of the Jewish people. Many ignorant Jews equate support for Israel politically as support for the Jews. It’s not. christians can love a certain Israel but still despise the Jews. Many good christians have murdered and persecuted many good Jews in the name of their man-god.
Not Just the Vatican:
Martin Luther viciously told his Protestant followers the method to use to get rid of “the Jews?” Read Luther’s own words and then answer this for yourself:
Luther asked his Protestant Germans; “What shall we Christians do with this rejected and condemned people, the Jews?”
“What shall we do with…the Jews?
I advise that all their prayer books and Talmudic writings…are to be taken from them.”
“What shall we do with…the Jews?
I advise that safe-conduct on the highways be abolished completely for the Jews.”
“What shall we do with…the Jews?
I advise that their rabbis be forbidden to teach on pain of loss of life and limb.”
“What shall we do with…the Jews?
Set fire to their synagogues or schools and bury and cover with dirt whatever will not burn, so that no man will ever again see a stone or cinder of them.”
Hitler liked the teachings of Martin Luther so much that he incorporated all seven points set forth by Martin Luther.
AbbaGuutuu Said:
Theological anti-Semitism is rampant in John, the fourth gospel; it is outright antisemitic. No other NEW testament writing has as great an anti-Judaic thrust as found in John. Its attack against the individual Jew, “the Jews” and the Jewish observance of the Hebrew bible all reflect the early church’s extreme antisemitic stance.
Reading the book of John shows that this unknown author deliberately placed himself and those he favorably represents as separate from the Jews. Examples are:
the unknown author of John separates Jesus and his disciples from “the Jews.” This tact encourages readers to see Jews as unfaithful and the Hebrew bible as invalid. For example, when talking to “the Jews,” John’s Jesus separates himself from them by having Jesus speak of:
1. ”Your Law” (John 7:19, 8:17, 10:34);
2. ”Your circumcision” (John 7:22); and
3. Abraham is “your father” (John 8:56).
When the Jews say, “Our ancestors ate manna in the desert” (John 6:31), John’s Jesus replies, “What Moses gave you (the Jews, not “us”) was not the bread from heaven.” (John 6:32) Later on, John had Jesus say, “Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert” (John 6:49). Why didn’t John’s Jesus use the word “our” instead of “your”? After all Jesus was supposed to be a Jew, so the proper usage would have been to say “OUR ancestors ate…”
All Jews are indiscriminately attacked in John 5:15-18, John 6:41, John 7:10-13, John 10:31, John 11:53-54, John 19:12, John 20:19. It is passages such as these that show the true target of the gospel’s malice is all off the Jews. The immediate impression conveyed by ‘the Jews’ is one of unreceptively and hostility toward Jesus. ‘The Jews’ question and misunderstand Jesus’ words (John 2.18, 20; 6.52; 7.35; 8.22); they murmur at him (6.41); they disbelieve him (9.18; 11.37); they desire to put Jesus to death (5.16, 18; 7.1) and even attempt to do so with their own hands (8.59; 10.31; 11.8). In the book of John the enemies of Jesus are simply labeled ‘the Jews.’ This generalization ? “the Jews” ? shows a calculated effort by the author of John to condemn the entire Jewish people in the hearts and minds of his audience/readers.
John’s “the Jews” is part of the author’s vicious and unrelenting campaign to convince people that the Jews are followers of the Christian devil and therefore are against, not only Jesus, but also god ? the Invisible Man in the Sky. Read it directly from the horse’s mouth (John 8:44-47 King James Version):
Indeed John’s objective was achieved; that is exactly how Christians throughout Europe have understood the contents of this gospel, exactly as it was written ? reinforced by the fire of the pulpit throughout the centuries
AbbaGuutuu Said:
Cognizant dissonance?
The NT is the most anti Jewish book ever written and is the direct cause for the violent deaths and terrible persecution of millions of Jews throughout history.
Moses Bazes, author of “Jesus the Jew, the Historical Jesus,” after examining the anti-Semitic statements in the New Testament writes:
“The children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8.12)
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold your house is left unto you desolate.” (Matthew 23.37,38) Then answered all the people (Jews) and said, “His blood be on us and on our children” (Matthew 27:25). 1 “But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you to councils, and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten” (Mark 13.9)
“He that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16.16)
“Ye are of your father the devil and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And I say the truth, why do you not believe me? He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God” (John 8.43-47)
“Stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so you do. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers” (Acts 7.51-53)
“It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing you put it from you and judge yourself unworthy of everlasting life, we turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13.45-51)
“For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake … wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.” (Titus 1.10-14).
“The Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God and are contrary to all men: forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins always: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.” (l Thessalonians 2.14-16)
“Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is an antichrist, that denieth the father and the son. Whoever denieth the son, the same hath not the father” (l John 2.22,23)
“I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan …” (Revelation 2.9,10)
“Behold I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not but do lie; behold I will make them to come and worship before thy feet…” (Revelation 3.9)
@ AbbaGuutuu:
You are pitching this on the wrong website. They aren’t going to listen to us. Your target audience should be righteous gentiles. Have fun finding them!
To vouch for all Christians as though they were/are free of anti-semitism is an intellectual dishonesty and delusional. From what I have observed today and in the past, the catholic church is still in the lead of anti-semitism crowd. Others (may not be a complete list)includes: United Methods Church; Mormons; Lutherans; Presbyterians, episcopal …; and self hating Jews.
It is an undeniable fact that anti-semitism is on the rise in Europe and other parts of the world. Denial of facts will only help the anti-Semites who would do anything possible to weaken Israel/Jews. It is good to expose them. Since Pope Francis has about 1 billion catholics under his control, he should be urged and pressured to officially apologize for past massacres and present prejudices, hatred of Israel and the Jews. That is partially the best way to persuade the rank file of catholic believers all over the world. Prominent leaders of protestant churches who believes in Replacement theology should be urged to do the same. If not, they should be exposed using mass media etc to increase the awareness of the public.
Let us face reality: anti-semitism is not something that could easily go away. The world respects power. Israel is the power to reckon with.
It should be strengthened more than ever to destroy its enemies militarily and diplomatically and economically.
My message to my Jewish friends: Please try to avoid collective guilt as your ancestors suffered over many centuries from such irrational thoughts and acts and from which you are facing hardships as a nation and individual (for the alleged crime in which you did not take part). This does not mean you should not call spade a spade (lumping enemies and friends together should be avoided).
CuriousAmerican Said:
All people, regardless of religious beliefs, should take a hard stand against anti-Semitism.
A better way of stating it.
But the hatred is secular now.
The Roman Catholic Chuch should take a hard stand against it; but no one would listen in Europe.
@ bernard ross:
I hope you’re disparagement of Caesare Borgia has creased, Yankee Boy.
honeybee Said:
It is a myth that the mebers ever died and that Europe had changed its ways. behind the doors and under the tables things advanced as usual. Now that which was covert is coming back out of the closet as the vampire bloodlust of europe leaps forth into the daylight.
they cant help it, its in their DNA, they have been bursting at their leashes to break free and feed once more on the jews.
dove Said:
CuriousAmerican Said:
But Christianity and especially Roman Christianity laid the foundation of what may now be a secular hatred. It id not take much ,ever after the Holocaust to raise the embers once again.