There are dangerous consequences to ignoring international law and weaponizing Jewish history
We are living through one of the most dangerous moments in history. If Western leaders do not begin to honour the system of international law, we could well be entering an era of war and anarchy. As was proven on Oct. 7 in Israel, no amount of high-tech security can assure one’s safety.
Those who demand unquestioning support for Israel claim that calling for the rule of international law concerning Israel is antisemitic. In his recent address to the American Congress, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel is not a colonial enterprise and has a right to the territory it seeks to control because, in ancient times, God ordained that it belonged exclusively to the Jews. In doing so, he implied that his state is acting in the name of all Jews and is justified in using any means it deems necessary to carry out this end.
Dr. Zachary Foster, a Jewish professor of Middle East history at Princeton University, points out that this weaponization of Jewish history to manufacture consent for genocide endangers Jews all around the world. Foster states, “He (Netanyahu) is saying that all Jews are collectively responsible for Israel’s actions …. Because I was born to a Jewish mother or a Jewish father … I am therefore somehow implicated in Israel’s decision-making process? That’s deeply antisemitic! …. He is directly empowering antisemites and he is driving them to carry out antisemitic acts.”
As with any religion or ethnicity, to imply that all members of the group think the same way is racist. Many Jews, like Foster, do not support Israel’s actions, and Jews have been among the most persistent and active advocates for Palestinian rights.
It is important to note that support for Israel in the United States and throughout the Western world is not exclusively from the Jewish community; a significant portion of this support comes from Christian Zionists. According to Pew Research, there are only 5.8 million Jewish adults in the United States, and among them, one-third agree that Israel’s current actions are unacceptable. This number jumps to 42 percent for younger American Jews.
In contrast, there are more than 30 million Christian Zionists in the U.S., most of whom view the current Israeli actions as just. In other words, Christian Zionists are a major force behind the Israel lobby not only in the U.S. but in many Western countries like Canada.
It is indeed ironic to hear politicians like Speaker of the House of Congress Mike Johnson refer to Jewish protestors on university campuses speaking out for Palestinian rights as antisemitic. You read that correctly – a non-Jewish politician is telling Jewish citizens what they should and should not be allowed to say.
Leading Christian Zionists preach a message that encourages war in Israel to hasten the “end-times prophecy” and bring about the second coming of Jesus so that they can all go to heaven. They are aware of what this war will mean for those who occupy the Holy Lands and don’t seem to care that many Jews, as well as Muslims, Christians and agnostics, will be decimated. What is baffling is why many Israelis are willing to put their lives at risk by allying themselves with such a viewpoint.
In my 62 years, I have never been more terrified than I am now. The Middle East, primarily Israel, is descending into chaos. The “end-times prophecy” is not only heretical from a mainstream Christian standpoint, it is proving to be extremely dangerous.
Now more than ever, the adults in the room must step forward. We are facing a choice. We can begin to respect the international rule of law, or we can risk massive violence and destruction. Our options are really that simple.
Gerry Chidiac specializes in languages and genocide studies and works with at-risk students. He received an award from the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre for excellence in teaching about the Holocaust.
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