A Christian Response to Resurgent Antisemitism

Since the 7th October, there has been a resurgence of antisemitism in many countries around the world. In the UK it has been demonstrated by extreme calls coming from the huge demonstrations in London and other major cities. Even the most widely heard chant of, ‘Palestine will be free from the river to the sea’, has extreme undertones. It calls for the elimination of the State of Israel and removal of its Jewish citizens from the whole area that many people now call ‘Palestine’.

This has caused much fear for British Jews, as reported by the BBC at the end of October 2023, and it has become worse in subsequent months.

As discussed in Parliament in February, the Community Security Trust has published a report on antisemitic incidents in 2023, which revealed a record number of 4,103, more than 140 percent up on the previous year.

So, how should Christians respond to this surge in antisemitism?

Well, the Fellowship of Israel Related Ministries, an organisation led by Pastor Wayne Hilsden and Michael Mistretta, has published a detailed article calling for Christians to recognise the spiritual force behind antisemitism and the fact that prayer is the key weapon to fight it.

The apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4,

‘For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.
On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.’

But sadly, the article acknowledges that Replacement Theology and antisemitism in the Church have hindered the spread of the gospel down the centuries. As a result, many Jews associate Jesus with atrocities like pogroms, the Crusades, the Inquisition, and even the Holocaust. Unlikely as it may seem, this negative attitude towards the Jews is still widespread in UK churches, with many apathetic towards Jews and others even antagonistic towards them.

Thus, UK churches now face a significant challenge. Will they make any effort to turn from this ancient antagonism towards the Jews and show genuine Christian love for them?