MONDAY 14th MAY is ISRAEL’s 70th BIRTHDAY
The current Anti – Anti-Semitism movement in the British press and on tv news is an opportunity for the British people to recognise how the nation historically has been ambivalent and sometimes downright anti-Jewish. In modern history, the media has been biased against Israel, defending Palestinian terrorists.
Currently in British politics, the row over anti-Semitism in the Labour Party is very high profile. But I’ll come to that in a moment… Britain has a history of ambivalence to the Jewish people and a little look at 20th century history will demonstrate this.
Modern History
Historically, one man represented a movement of support for Jewish people after the turn of the twentieth century. Lord Balfour stood, as did others, for an Israeli state to be formed for the Jewish people. In November 1917, the Balfour Declaration sited the support and intention of this. The government supported this idea.
Leading up to World War II
Recognising an evil and racist Adolf Hitler was Chancellor of Germany, and anticipating the worst, many Jewish people fled Germany leading up to World War II. But of those who fled, most were turned away from free nations, such as USA and UK, and ended up in Nazi Concentration Camps within a few years.
Although Palestine, a non-sovereign territory under British rule, could have taken many Jewish people, the British government had put a strict limit on the number of Jews allowed per annum to immigrate, though there was no such limit on Arabs. Just when the Jewish people needed a haven, they were locked out of safe territory.
Late 1940’s
After World War II, the world was stunned to see what had happened to six million European Jews when the concentration camps were liberated. People turned their eyes to the notion of an Israeli state once again.
A vote was taken in the United Nations for the formation of the State of Israel. It was in 1947, just thirty years after the Balfour Declaration. But Britain abstained.
Nevertheless, the nation of Israel was formed “in a day” on 14th May, 1948.
But the next day, surrounding Arab nations attacked. Only a miracle enabled the out-resourced, out-manned, baby nation of Israel to defeat their enemies.
As I join the dots of politics and history, I realise
Britain never intended to honour the Balfour Declaration; not really.
The British never expected Israel to survive, and I purport, nor did they care. As far as the British government was concerned, the Arabs would deal with the situation as they chose, and when Israel was inevitably squashed, the British government could say, “Oh well, we tried.”
Today in British Media
The British media are not letting go of a story about the Labour Party, led by Jeremy Corbyn, mixed up with anti-Semitism. It’s a bit bazaar, given that the BBC investigated itself and admitted its anti-Christian, anti-Semitic, pro-gay bent. But it, like some other British media, seem to have persisted in drawing out Mr Corbyn and others over this racism and have not let go.
Two years ago, one high-profile Labour Party member, former London Mayor Ken Livingstone, made anti-Semitic remarks, but was not ousted from the Party. He still has not been. Since then, there have been further anti-Semitic activities. The Labour Leader shrugged his shoulders at a rally and suggested it was a private issue of conscience. He added he’d like to route out the anti-Semitism and any racism in the Party.
So what’s going on?
The current anti-anti-Semitism (no, this is not a typo) is an opportunity for British people to recognise how the nation historically, has been anti-Jewish, and the majority of main-stream media has, up until very recently, sided with the Palestinians rather than be neutral in its reporting. But as I see it, the current situation within the Labour Party has served to “convict” Sky News and the BBC, and they’ve both recently tempered their stories and their quick responses to events in Israel and with the Palestinians, seeming more ginger in their approach rather than judgmental.
We seem to be in a season of silence on Israel. Perhaps the next step is to expose the manipulation of the terrorist groups in and around Israel used to gain Western sympathy.
I believe
When will our nation look at historic reality? When will we recognise collectively and be moved to accept the Jewish people, descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and their right to exist in their country? When will we see they are not Christ-killers (the early church was founded entirely by Jews). When will British people see them, not as heinous military criminals, but as democratic allies seeking to protect their people from terrorism, and the lies and deceit of terrorist groups. When that happens, there will come a blessing upon our land.
Those who bless Israel will be blessed, those who curse Israel will be cursed. (Genesis 12:3)