GUEST: CHRIS KATULKA, host, Friends of Israel Today Radio
Hostility or hatred of the Jews and Israel is an age-old scourge of mankind. And it always ends badly for those who get seduced into it.
The Egyptian Pharaoh attempted to kill male Jewish babies, and his country was destroyed by God’s plagues. Haman in Persia (modern-day Iran) plotted to exterminate all Jews in the kingdom, and he and his 10 sons were executed. In the 20th century, Hitler launched an attempt to annihilate the Jewish people. He died, and Germany lost World War II.
There have been many more examples of enmity toward the Jews throughout history and yet the Jewish people continue to survive and even prosper.
Anti-Israel, anti-Jewish hostility is inspired by Satan. How so? Satan is driven to thwart God’s plan. So to exterminate the Jews before the coming of Jesus Christ, Himself a Jew, would be to foil God’s promise of a Savior. To destroy Israel now would be to derail God’s promise to save Israel and the return of Christ.
Fundamentally, the lack of peace in the Middle East is about Israel’s neighbors open hostility toward the Jewish people’s presence. The Jews did not take back Israel through force of arms in 1948 but through declarations by Britain and the United Nations. No matter, the newly established State of Israel was attacked immediately by her Arab neighbors.
This helps explain why Iran and its proxies across the Middle East, like Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, who although holding differing Islamic beliefs, are united by an unquenchable hatred and motive to destroy Israel.
But it’s not just the Middle East. The spiritual contagion of enmity toward the Jews and Israel has infected many in the West. The political and theological left, which are basically one and the same, are characterized by this. But what is troubling is that the political and theological right (i.e. conservatives) are succumbing as well. Notable influencers like Tucker Carlson, Candance Owens, and Nick Fuentes, along with many others, openly and loudly deride Israel and the Jews, asserting:
- The modern-day people in Israel aren’t Jews
- The Jews control America and the U.S. does Israel’s bidding in the Middle East
- The Jews are the great corruptors in the world and seek global dominion
- Israel is a genocidal oppressor
Even if there was any truth to these defamations, none of it would cancel God’s unbreakable promise: “God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! … From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:1, 28-29).
This weekend on The Christian Worldview, Chris Katulka, host of Friends of Israel Today radio program and Vice President of North American Ministries, joins us to discuss The Dark Spiritual Contagion of Anti-Israel, Anti-Jewish Enmity.
Be sure to join us for this important topic that explains much of what is taking place in the world.