This weekend marks the 75th anniversary of the infamous Nazi terror unleashed against German and Austrian Jews. As retribution for the assassination of a Nazi official in Paris, Germans murdered Jews and destroyed their property—including synagogues—on the night of November 9-10, 1938. The world had already capitulated to Hitler’s insane demands, and the Jews of Europe were in the middle of reaping that whirlwind.

I fear a return to those days of open hatred of Jews is upon us again. Blood libels—accusations of Jews murdering gentiles—are reaching fever-pitch in much of the international community. The Arabs and many Europeans practice anti-Semitism, medieval-style.

Sadly, there is for the first time in modern history a trend toward marginalizing Israel…among her traditional strong defenders: Evangelicals.

One year ago on his “storylineblog” site, popular author Donald Miller (“Blue Like Jazz”) accused Israelis of murdering Palestinians. He provided zero documentation, and the blog post now is listed on the site’s most popular. I have asked several times for Mr. Miller to provide documentation, but none has been forthcoming.

It is very true that such demonizing of Israel and Jews leads directly to hostilities breaking-out against Jews. The historical record is stained with their blood.

Even Southern Baptist Convention spokesman Dr. Russell Moore has described the Church as the “New Israel,” a distinctly wrong theological view that further marginalizes modern Israel.

In the lead-up to the Nazis, the so-called “German Christian Movement” sanitized Jewish history from church teachings, and the Old Testament was virtually ignored.

Some in our world today have said that it is 1938 again. A most chilling pronouncement.

I believe they are right.

A synagogue burning during Kristallnacht, 1938.
A synagogue burning during Kristallnacht, 1938.

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