1.
"The danger is not antisemitism onthe Left. It is antisemitism on theRight. And I'm here to tell you In the last six months I have seen antisemitism rising on the Right in a way I have never seen in my entire life..... In the last year we had three prominent voices on the right, publicly news Gush: maybe Hitler wasn't that bad guy after all. I am here to tell you: The Church is asleep right now". These forceful words were spoken recently by Senator Ted Cruz at the Christians United for Israel (CUFI) conference. Cruz fits the ancient Jewish definition of a Righteous Among the Nations. His commitment to Israel, its security and its future is inspiring. We must listen to him.
2.
Cruz said he had spoken with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the phenomenon. The prime minister's first response was that "Itis Qatar, that'sIran, they paying for it, it's astroturf." Cruz said it was true that they run bots and finance the spread of antisemitic messages, but behind the phenomenon there are also real people and a young audience that listens to the toxic propaganda. "Imagine how different American political history would have been if Rush Limbaugh had been an antisemite instead of a philosemite; We would a fundamentally different country! If Rush Limbaugh had spent years spreading poison."
He was referring, of course, to hosts like Tucker Carlson, who has turned sharply against Israel and even hosted an openly Nazi guest on his program, as well as other figures on the American Right.
This antisemitic poison is seeping into right-wing youth. It includes an appealing argument that supports isolationism. "What do we have to do with Israel? That is their problem, not ours." Cruz told his listeners that supporting Israel is not charity but "aunequivocally in a national security interest of the US to support Israel! Those who hate Israel hate America; those who hate Jews hate Christians." The return the US receives for its annual 3 billion dollars in assistance is high-quality intelligence, as seen in the recent war. "If America tried to replicate that intelligence network, it would cost tens of billions of dollars! Every lunatic terrorist that Israel took out made Americasafer. And the united State of America should say to that little nation: thank you, thank you, thank you."
3.
Cruz did not rely only on the security argument; he wanted to speak as a Christian. Support for Israel among young Christians is Plummeting. In addition to the political and security lies being spread, he said, a false theological claim is being taught: "They are being taught replacement theology." This ancient early Christian claim, which fed generations of hatred and pogroms, says that once the Jews rejected Jesus' messianic role, they violated their covenant with God, and God, in turn, annulled the covenant with them and chose the Church in their place.
Cruz mocked the claim, as if "when God made a promise he did not mean the promise he made," and as if all the promises of Israel's prophets in the Hebrew Bible, which the Church in its various denominations accepts, were merely "a dead letter."
The Texas senator called passionately on the Church to understand that this antisemitism is a rapidly "growing cancer." A decade ago, he said, "when the Democrats saw it rising, they did nothing, and lost the party. I will not remainsilent!" In his view, this is the most serious danger facing those who love Israel. "The Church is being corrupted right now, and leaders in the church need to engage and say that the Bible is not silent on Israel, the Bible is cristal clear on Israel, and in the church, we will stand and fight!"
Indeed, words of sharp urgency. Thanks to Senator Cruz and to the excellent CUFI organization, led by Pastor John Hagee. But we cannot rely on others and are obligated to act ourselves. In this regard, it appears that we too are asleep.
4.
Israel must allocate resources and personnel to confront antisemitism on the American Right, especially among young Christians. This is a battlefront in every respect. A task force must be appointed that understands the issue not only politically but also theologically. The government must send its own envoys to churches and Christian communities in the US to get ahead of the threat and work on the ground in light of the troubling momentum. We do not have the privilege of losing this core base of support. These young people will be the leaders of the next generation. It is possible. The Foreign Ministry, the Prime Minister's Office and the Diaspora Affairs Ministry must break free from their fixation and address this problem with tools never used before. Our future depends on it.
