I can confirm your point from personal experience with fellow professing Christians, and I was quite surprised when I first encountered it. In a Bible Study group I once participated in, my pointing out the actual percentage was indeed met with shock. But, sadly, I don’t believe it made much, if any, difference in the attitudes of the participants.
My participation in that particular group came about after a first ‘chance’ meeting of the leader in a restaurant. During the course of conversation, I learned we shared the same profession of faith, but had radically different views and beliefs regarding the Chosen People, Israel, and the relationship with both in regard to the G-d we claim to worship, love, and seek to honor.
As soon as he expressed obvious antisemitic views, I firmly challenged and disputed them in a manner he had never, unfortunately, encountered; I simply used the Bible he himself maintained was the Word of G-d. To my surprise, he then invited me to come present my views before the group he led, which I agreed to do. I saw it as a potential opportunity to help fellow Christians see the deceptions they had embraced that were poisoning their faith lives, rendering them complicit in serving Satan, the enemy of all mankind, rather than the true and living G-d they claimed to love and serve.
I continued meeting with them once a week for around 6 months, trying to help them see how they were caught in the grip of the dark, malevolent propaganda that has specifically targeted professing Christians.
It may be that some of the things I shared with them will ultimately prove valuable in that regard.
But, as far as I know, the main effect it had was to frustrate and aggravate the leaders, making the younger participants ‘uncomfortable’. And, claiming I was disruptive and causing confusion in the young men that were the focus of the group, I was eventually asked to leave.
The point I’m getting at, is simply that what we are dealing with is a powerful form of spiritual blindness that cannot readily be ‘cured’ by facts and truth.
Regardless of the fact that it can be very discouraging and dispiriting, every person who loves the truth must, with as much patience, gentleness, and respect as possible, continue to stand against the darkness that is now sweeping over and threatens to destroy this world; a darkness specifically focused upon the Jews and Israel.
I am fully committed to that fight. But I engage and am sustained in it only by the grace and power of the G-d of Israel, whom I love and serve with all my heart, mind, and strength through the One I believe is the promised Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world; Yeshua of Nazareth.
I thank G-d that I have been blessed to know the truth about His attributes and character, particularly His immutable qualities - such as His faithfulness to those He shares His love and plans with.
His faithfulness to the Chosen People is the guarantee of His trustworthiness and faithfulness to anyone else He commits Himself to.
There’s so much that could be said. But I’ll simply say that I would be utterly ashamed of myself for not standing up for, and doing whatever I can to support, those I know G-d so passionately loves. And it grieves me profoundly to see so many people failing so terribly in that regard - particularly those who profess to be followers of Yeshua.
How can anyone deny that God protects Israel and the Jews? Yes, the Jews have suffered in history (and there are various theological and non-theological "answers" as to why), but no other group, under such relentless pressure, has come back again and again and again--under miraculous circumstances. And thrived in ways other cultures cannot fathom and there is no other comparison to any other group in the world. The Jews brought forward the ONE GOD and established the cornerstone of Western Civilization and universal moral truths. Jesus was a Jew who preached from the Old Testament and lived as a Jew his entire life, and died a Jew. The enduring hatred of Jews, even among some Christians, is beyond my comprehension.
Everyone is entitled to their opinions and beliefs, but the only explanations that have any real explanatory significance to me are those of the Bible and are, therefore, supernatural.
I share your fascination with the enduring power of ‘denial’, and agree that it is most strikingly evidenced by historical and ongoing denial ‘that G-d protects Israel and the Jews’. To me, that phenomena is profoundly fascinating, and tragic, in regard to professing Christians. But what has disturbed me more than anything else in this regard, is the atheism I have witnessed firsthand in time spent with many Jewish Israelis.
It is hard to adequately express the sadness I have felt when encountering such obdurate disbelief. But, at the end of the day, I recognize and accept this and many other phenomenon of our day as incontrovertible evidence for the trustworthiness and supernatural nature of the Word of G-d, which prophesied of these things several millennia ago.
We must do our part, but only G-d can ultimately give life to the dead, sight to the blind, strength and power to the feeble, and wisdom to fools.
Our part, as I understand it, is primarily to submit ourselves in loving obedience to the leading of G-d, Who will then guide us in all our ways, to make the best possible use of our lives for His glory, and the glory of His Kingdom:
Mark 12:28-31 (NKJV)
“Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?”
Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: Hear, O Israel, the LORD our G-d, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your G-d with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.
And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The atheism you have witnessed among Israeli Jews--? Well, events like what we have witnessed the past year and a half have brought a lot of Jews (everywhere) to re-examine their beliefs and turn back towards Judaism. Keep in mind, the name "Israel" translates roughly to "Wrestle with God." Jews can "argue" with God, "question" God and the meaning of the Torah, and even deny that God cares about them or exists and STILL be a "good Jew." However, a good Jew must always ACT as if there is a God and follow the commandments, regardless of their inner wrestling and belief. My late husband converted to Judaism and was more *religious* than I was. It wasn't my idea that he convert; he was attracted to Judaism because he spent his entire life "wrestling with God," and this concept appealed greatly to him.
The latter-day return of the Jewish people to the Land from all over the world - largely in unbelief, the re-establishment of a unified Israel, and the turning of the people back towards G-d, were also subjects of prophecies from the Tanakh (Old Testament). For those ‘with eyes to see, and ears to hear’, there are stunning signs of prophecies in the process of fulfillment virtually everywhere you look today.
Thanks so much for trying. Must have taken courage, so I want to acknowledge you went above and beyond the call of duty in the name of truth and justice.
I don’t know if courage is the right word, but love has a great deal to do with it. And love, if true and deep enough, gives us the motivation, determination, and courage to do what’s ‘right’; to do what’s necessary; to give our best to help or protect others.
I love G-d. And, through His Spirit, I share G-d’s love for people, places, and things. It isn’t hard to have and share that love for places and things, but people - that’s often a different matter altogether.
But love, if it is true, loves even if the object of that love ignores, neglects, abuses, or rejects the one who shares it. That is the love of G-d towards all of us, and it is the love of G-d for His Chosen People.
From my perspective, Israel is the divorced and estranged ‘wife’ of Jehovah G-d; G-d the Father in Christian terms. He makes it very clear that He will always love her, and will fulfill His intentions to redeem and reunite with her in the future; the not-too-distant future, in my view.
I know enough to know that He will hold others accountable for what they do, or don’t do, in relation to her. And I grieve for those who may actually love G-d, but be caught up in what I see as ‘doctrines of demons’; evil winds of deception that cause them to work at cross-purposes to G-d, or worse.
I don’t care what others think or choose to do in this regard. I am never going to do anything to dishonor, neglect, malign, condemn, or contribute to harming, the Chosen People, or the Land of Israel.
On the contrary, I will bless and defend the Jews against calumny and harm, to the best of my ability. So help me G-d.
Excellent post. I've know philo Semites....who when it comes to Israel in particular are totally uninformed and easily swayed by the kind of selective news reporting on or from Israel that has become the routine way of portraying Israel....the bully, the "disproportionate" power, the usurper of an alleged indigenous people....people who work with Jewish colleagues, have many Jewish friends in their personal circle...yet can't put two cogent words together about the Israeli nation....or Jewish history. And would certainly never consider visiting Israel....but would love to visit Syria! What is there in Israel to see? Why couldn't Jews have continued living at peace and in perfect blissful harmony with Muslim Arabs? The Muslims who treat all with respect and dignity. Sure many Jews were "mistreated" by Nazi Germany but weren't others? Anyway that 's the past...why do we harp on it? Jews always support one another ....just look at the "Jewish voice of "peace" and see how Jews really come together for social justice. Jews will always stand up for the oppressed. See Columbia! Harvard! "JEWS SAY>>>" See the jvp again. I regret to say that many people of Jewish ancestry know ZIP about anything to do with Jewish history or the history or modern state of Israel. And don't much care to investigate for themselves (and would never deign to visit)...when the NY Times is explaining it all for them. Maddening.
Let us not forget that it is only because of God‘s providence and his promise to our ancestors and his love for Israel that we continue to exist, and that we provide a message to the world
I LOVE this post, Joshua. Brilliant way to start the discussion. I love that Jews are still ‘writing symphonies’. Speaking of which, I am a proud supporter of the Israel Philharmonic. As we support Israel, let us remember the arts organizations.
It’s sad how many conversations I’ve had with young Jews who fully believe Jews are “hateful, racist, and genocidal” but Muslims “just get a bad rap.” I just don’t even know where to start when I hear these things. There are so many evil ppl spreading this nonsense online but young ppl seem to always know a lot less than I even expect (like anything about why Islam has “a bad rap.” They genuinely believe the biggest threats to the world are white supremacy and Zionism, and if a non-Western country does something wrong (like behead ppl who disagree with them) it’s always “well it’s cause of Western wars and imperialism.” They are totally brainwashed. Feels hopeless.
Living in London, I often engage with Uber drivers. Many are from Iran or Afghanistan, and I always manage to discuss politics, which I orientate towards your very point .. ‘how many Jews do you think are in the world ?’.
When I get a ‘no idea’ response, I start by informing them that Indonesia has the largest Muslim population of around 250 million. They usually quip back ‘100 million Jews ?’ & are surprised when I tell them around 16 million.
The biggest shock of all, to everyone with whom I chat, is when I tell them that there are more Arabs living in Israel, than there are Jews in Europe. ✡️
Thank you for your prolific description of what Jews are, and what they are not. Occasionally, not often but by choice, zi engage in "dialogue" with a jew/Israel hater I bring up the 16 million. 16 million planning world control? 16 million commanding all the large security organizations of the western world? 16 million owning all the world's wealth and the banks? Do they really think 16 million Jews are so smart and powerful to be in control of the entire globe? Basically, all we do is strive to remain alive. Our human right.
Super excellent article, Joshua! It’s really quite something when one thinks about how tiny but mighty we are—in both percentage of world population and landmass on the globe, not to mention our unique and positive impact on humanity throughout our long history.
tucker carlson brand of anti-semites will acknowledge the small number of Jews in the world, and the diminutive size of Israel, and snarkily in a "just asking the question" pose say: How is it that Jews, being so small in number, have so much power? How is it that Jews have so much influence? How is it that Israel, being so small, has so much power? How is it they have so much influence over American politics and policies? By the asking they suggest something sinister is afoot, some diabolical conspiracy has been uncovered. Just asking the question, they will say, blind to the fact that "Just asking the question" suggests an evil and envious work at play, a jealosy and also fear at work, because a HIGHER POWER is at work and as in the Book of Job, where HASHEM would not allow the devil to destroy Job, so too HASHEM will not allow the devil to destroy the Jew.
I came here to make this same point about having disproportionate influence to its size, and the fact that antisemites will use this fact to reinforce their negative beliefs about Jews. You can't win with these folks and you never will. They hate you because you are lower than dogs, or, conversely because you are "chosen", "privileged", or, "clever".
I wish I knew the answer, but telling antisemites how few Jews there are in the world doesn't seem to be the key.
Excellent essay, thank you. I've been asking the question, "How many Jews" for years. Even to other Jews. The average answer I get--which is always a wild guess--is 100 million. Often enough, though, there will be a much higher number, like a billion. And the shock the respondents have when I tell them the correct number always follows. Sometimes I'm told "You can't be right. I have to look into that."
I ask what percentage of the world population is Jewish. It’s the 0.2% that really shocks people, especially when the answers are often in the 20-30% range.
I'm originally from England. Population 65 million. Jewish population 300,000. Maybe Britons vastly over estimate how many Jews live in the UK. I've heard guesses of 2 - 5 million. Probably because Jews have been very influential in Britain in the past 300 years.
I can confirm your point from personal experience with fellow professing Christians, and I was quite surprised when I first encountered it. In a Bible Study group I once participated in, my pointing out the actual percentage was indeed met with shock. But, sadly, I don’t believe it made much, if any, difference in the attitudes of the participants.
My participation in that particular group came about after a first ‘chance’ meeting of the leader in a restaurant. During the course of conversation, I learned we shared the same profession of faith, but had radically different views and beliefs regarding the Chosen People, Israel, and the relationship with both in regard to the G-d we claim to worship, love, and seek to honor.
As soon as he expressed obvious antisemitic views, I firmly challenged and disputed them in a manner he had never, unfortunately, encountered; I simply used the Bible he himself maintained was the Word of G-d. To my surprise, he then invited me to come present my views before the group he led, which I agreed to do. I saw it as a potential opportunity to help fellow Christians see the deceptions they had embraced that were poisoning their faith lives, rendering them complicit in serving Satan, the enemy of all mankind, rather than the true and living G-d they claimed to love and serve.
I continued meeting with them once a week for around 6 months, trying to help them see how they were caught in the grip of the dark, malevolent propaganda that has specifically targeted professing Christians.
It may be that some of the things I shared with them will ultimately prove valuable in that regard.
But, as far as I know, the main effect it had was to frustrate and aggravate the leaders, making the younger participants ‘uncomfortable’. And, claiming I was disruptive and causing confusion in the young men that were the focus of the group, I was eventually asked to leave.
The point I’m getting at, is simply that what we are dealing with is a powerful form of spiritual blindness that cannot readily be ‘cured’ by facts and truth.
Regardless of the fact that it can be very discouraging and dispiriting, every person who loves the truth must, with as much patience, gentleness, and respect as possible, continue to stand against the darkness that is now sweeping over and threatens to destroy this world; a darkness specifically focused upon the Jews and Israel.
I am fully committed to that fight. But I engage and am sustained in it only by the grace and power of the G-d of Israel, whom I love and serve with all my heart, mind, and strength through the One I believe is the promised Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world; Yeshua of Nazareth.
Thank you for your support for Israel and the Jewish people. That is sad that you were rejected for stating facts and truth.
Thank you for your reply Dana.
I thank G-d that I have been blessed to know the truth about His attributes and character, particularly His immutable qualities - such as His faithfulness to those He shares His love and plans with.
His faithfulness to the Chosen People is the guarantee of His trustworthiness and faithfulness to anyone else He commits Himself to.
There’s so much that could be said. But I’ll simply say that I would be utterly ashamed of myself for not standing up for, and doing whatever I can to support, those I know G-d so passionately loves. And it grieves me profoundly to see so many people failing so terribly in that regard - particularly those who profess to be followers of Yeshua.
Am Israel Chai!
How can anyone deny that God protects Israel and the Jews? Yes, the Jews have suffered in history (and there are various theological and non-theological "answers" as to why), but no other group, under such relentless pressure, has come back again and again and again--under miraculous circumstances. And thrived in ways other cultures cannot fathom and there is no other comparison to any other group in the world. The Jews brought forward the ONE GOD and established the cornerstone of Western Civilization and universal moral truths. Jesus was a Jew who preached from the Old Testament and lived as a Jew his entire life, and died a Jew. The enduring hatred of Jews, even among some Christians, is beyond my comprehension.
Everyone is entitled to their opinions and beliefs, but the only explanations that have any real explanatory significance to me are those of the Bible and are, therefore, supernatural.
I share your fascination with the enduring power of ‘denial’, and agree that it is most strikingly evidenced by historical and ongoing denial ‘that G-d protects Israel and the Jews’. To me, that phenomena is profoundly fascinating, and tragic, in regard to professing Christians. But what has disturbed me more than anything else in this regard, is the atheism I have witnessed firsthand in time spent with many Jewish Israelis.
It is hard to adequately express the sadness I have felt when encountering such obdurate disbelief. But, at the end of the day, I recognize and accept this and many other phenomenon of our day as incontrovertible evidence for the trustworthiness and supernatural nature of the Word of G-d, which prophesied of these things several millennia ago.
We must do our part, but only G-d can ultimately give life to the dead, sight to the blind, strength and power to the feeble, and wisdom to fools.
Our part, as I understand it, is primarily to submit ourselves in loving obedience to the leading of G-d, Who will then guide us in all our ways, to make the best possible use of our lives for His glory, and the glory of His Kingdom:
Mark 12:28-31 (NKJV)
“Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?”
Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: Hear, O Israel, the LORD our G-d, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your G-d with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.
And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The atheism you have witnessed among Israeli Jews--? Well, events like what we have witnessed the past year and a half have brought a lot of Jews (everywhere) to re-examine their beliefs and turn back towards Judaism. Keep in mind, the name "Israel" translates roughly to "Wrestle with God." Jews can "argue" with God, "question" God and the meaning of the Torah, and even deny that God cares about them or exists and STILL be a "good Jew." However, a good Jew must always ACT as if there is a God and follow the commandments, regardless of their inner wrestling and belief. My late husband converted to Judaism and was more *religious* than I was. It wasn't my idea that he convert; he was attracted to Judaism because he spent his entire life "wrestling with God," and this concept appealed greatly to him.
I understand and agree with your observations.
The latter-day return of the Jewish people to the Land from all over the world - largely in unbelief, the re-establishment of a unified Israel, and the turning of the people back towards G-d, were also subjects of prophecies from the Tanakh (Old Testament). For those ‘with eyes to see, and ears to hear’, there are stunning signs of prophecies in the process of fulfillment virtually everywhere you look today.
Thank you for your support. Keep up the good fight.
Thank you, and may G-d bless and keep you in all your ways!
Thanks so much for trying. Must have taken courage, so I want to acknowledge you went above and beyond the call of duty in the name of truth and justice.
Thank you Shelah.
I don’t know if courage is the right word, but love has a great deal to do with it. And love, if true and deep enough, gives us the motivation, determination, and courage to do what’s ‘right’; to do what’s necessary; to give our best to help or protect others.
I love G-d. And, through His Spirit, I share G-d’s love for people, places, and things. It isn’t hard to have and share that love for places and things, but people - that’s often a different matter altogether.
But love, if it is true, loves even if the object of that love ignores, neglects, abuses, or rejects the one who shares it. That is the love of G-d towards all of us, and it is the love of G-d for His Chosen People.
From my perspective, Israel is the divorced and estranged ‘wife’ of Jehovah G-d; G-d the Father in Christian terms. He makes it very clear that He will always love her, and will fulfill His intentions to redeem and reunite with her in the future; the not-too-distant future, in my view.
I know enough to know that He will hold others accountable for what they do, or don’t do, in relation to her. And I grieve for those who may actually love G-d, but be caught up in what I see as ‘doctrines of demons’; evil winds of deception that cause them to work at cross-purposes to G-d, or worse.
I don’t care what others think or choose to do in this regard. I am never going to do anything to dishonor, neglect, malign, condemn, or contribute to harming, the Chosen People, or the Land of Israel.
On the contrary, I will bless and defend the Jews against calumny and harm, to the best of my ability. So help me G-d.
Thanks so much for your support, work, words, & persistence.
Thank you for your encouragement. G-d bless and keep you!
Fantastic essay! Made my adrenaline spike. Thank you for posting.
Excellent post. I've know philo Semites....who when it comes to Israel in particular are totally uninformed and easily swayed by the kind of selective news reporting on or from Israel that has become the routine way of portraying Israel....the bully, the "disproportionate" power, the usurper of an alleged indigenous people....people who work with Jewish colleagues, have many Jewish friends in their personal circle...yet can't put two cogent words together about the Israeli nation....or Jewish history. And would certainly never consider visiting Israel....but would love to visit Syria! What is there in Israel to see? Why couldn't Jews have continued living at peace and in perfect blissful harmony with Muslim Arabs? The Muslims who treat all with respect and dignity. Sure many Jews were "mistreated" by Nazi Germany but weren't others? Anyway that 's the past...why do we harp on it? Jews always support one another ....just look at the "Jewish voice of "peace" and see how Jews really come together for social justice. Jews will always stand up for the oppressed. See Columbia! Harvard! "JEWS SAY>>>" See the jvp again. I regret to say that many people of Jewish ancestry know ZIP about anything to do with Jewish history or the history or modern state of Israel. And don't much care to investigate for themselves (and would never deign to visit)...when the NY Times is explaining it all for them. Maddening.
Let us not forget that it is only because of God‘s providence and his promise to our ancestors and his love for Israel that we continue to exist, and that we provide a message to the world
I LOVE this post, Joshua. Brilliant way to start the discussion. I love that Jews are still ‘writing symphonies’. Speaking of which, I am a proud supporter of the Israel Philharmonic. As we support Israel, let us remember the arts organizations.
JH hits another homerun with this post.
It’s sad how many conversations I’ve had with young Jews who fully believe Jews are “hateful, racist, and genocidal” but Muslims “just get a bad rap.” I just don’t even know where to start when I hear these things. There are so many evil ppl spreading this nonsense online but young ppl seem to always know a lot less than I even expect (like anything about why Islam has “a bad rap.” They genuinely believe the biggest threats to the world are white supremacy and Zionism, and if a non-Western country does something wrong (like behead ppl who disagree with them) it’s always “well it’s cause of Western wars and imperialism.” They are totally brainwashed. Feels hopeless.
Living in London, I often engage with Uber drivers. Many are from Iran or Afghanistan, and I always manage to discuss politics, which I orientate towards your very point .. ‘how many Jews do you think are in the world ?’.
When I get a ‘no idea’ response, I start by informing them that Indonesia has the largest Muslim population of around 250 million. They usually quip back ‘100 million Jews ?’ & are surprised when I tell them around 16 million.
The biggest shock of all, to everyone with whom I chat, is when I tell them that there are more Arabs living in Israel, than there are Jews in Europe. ✡️
🎗️🎗️
Thank you for your prolific description of what Jews are, and what they are not. Occasionally, not often but by choice, zi engage in "dialogue" with a jew/Israel hater I bring up the 16 million. 16 million planning world control? 16 million commanding all the large security organizations of the western world? 16 million owning all the world's wealth and the banks? Do they really think 16 million Jews are so smart and powerful to be in control of the entire globe? Basically, all we do is strive to remain alive. Our human right.
Nothing upsets liberals, leftists and right wing nut jobs more than a guy named, Yossi, in a military uniform.
Bravo. Beautifully stated.
Super excellent article, Joshua! It’s really quite something when one thinks about how tiny but mighty we are—in both percentage of world population and landmass on the globe, not to mention our unique and positive impact on humanity throughout our long history.
tucker carlson brand of anti-semites will acknowledge the small number of Jews in the world, and the diminutive size of Israel, and snarkily in a "just asking the question" pose say: How is it that Jews, being so small in number, have so much power? How is it that Jews have so much influence? How is it that Israel, being so small, has so much power? How is it they have so much influence over American politics and policies? By the asking they suggest something sinister is afoot, some diabolical conspiracy has been uncovered. Just asking the question, they will say, blind to the fact that "Just asking the question" suggests an evil and envious work at play, a jealosy and also fear at work, because a HIGHER POWER is at work and as in the Book of Job, where HASHEM would not allow the devil to destroy Job, so too HASHEM will not allow the devil to destroy the Jew.
Genesis 12:3.
I came here to make this same point about having disproportionate influence to its size, and the fact that antisemites will use this fact to reinforce their negative beliefs about Jews. You can't win with these folks and you never will. They hate you because you are lower than dogs, or, conversely because you are "chosen", "privileged", or, "clever".
I wish I knew the answer, but telling antisemites how few Jews there are in the world doesn't seem to be the key.
Excellent essay, thank you. I've been asking the question, "How many Jews" for years. Even to other Jews. The average answer I get--which is always a wild guess--is 100 million. Often enough, though, there will be a much higher number, like a billion. And the shock the respondents have when I tell them the correct number always follows. Sometimes I'm told "You can't be right. I have to look into that."
I ask what percentage of the world population is Jewish. It’s the 0.2% that really shocks people, especially when the answers are often in the 20-30% range.
I'm originally from England. Population 65 million. Jewish population 300,000. Maybe Britons vastly over estimate how many Jews live in the UK. I've heard guesses of 2 - 5 million. Probably because Jews have been very influential in Britain in the past 300 years.
תודה על הגאווה שגרמת לי להרגיש דרך הדברים שכתבת.
אשרינו.