On Jews, Israel and Anti-Semites

If one is a believing Jew, it is impossible to BE such a Jew without believing in God's promise of Israel. Among the greatest acts a believing Jew can perform is known as Aliyah -- or "being called" which in the sense of Israel means to be called home.

That's Judaism, as it was believed and practiced since the Romans more or less kicked them out about 2,000 years ago. All the time Jews settled in Europe, Africa, Asia and later, the Americas -- every Jew knew that tomorrow we shall be in Israel -- that someday God would return them.

Now, some Jews only believed that this could happen under the messiah, but scholars agreed overall that God would work the Return in His own way and time.

Enter Zionism -- a largely SECULAR movement, more or less a socialist movement, to create a nation for the Jews, but Jews as an ethnic group, not necessarily religion. Either way, they went to rabbinical, Jewish religious tradition -- to decide what made a"Jew a Jew," and decided it was -- if one's birth mother was a Jew, or you were a lawful convert -- you were a Jew.

Even if your religion is Buddhist, or a Jew-Bu, as they(we) like to call ourselves, you can be admitted to Israel as a citizen -- as long as momma was Jewish. All except what I am -- a messianic Jew. Ironic, to be sure, but they don't like us Jews for Jesus much.

Now, many of us, myself included, a Jew who is not believer in Judaism, might find this whole viewpoint crazy, but different religions have different declarative statements.

To Christians (the vast majority) Christ died and rose. Crazy idea but it's what we believe.

Jews, depending upon the tradition, may or may not have certain dietary laws, keeping Kosher.

There is also have that ethnic component, a child of Jewish woman is a Jew.

Also, there is a land deal with God. This is obviously controversial to people who don't believe in this God, or people who don't believe the deal is valid for whatever reason.

Now, it certainly is possible to be anti-Zionist and NOT anti-Semitic, but it's VERY difficult. You technically are not anti Jew, but you ARE anti-Judaism. Tough stuff. A very narrow line indeed.

These are difficult issues and don't lend themselves well to snaps and one liners. That being said, just as a great deal of the people who are big in the anti-illegal immigration movement are in fact bigots, a great number of anti-Zionists are anti-Semites.

As someone who for most of his life has been Jewish, not religious, AND against the State of Israel (I am against all religious states and all religious tests for citizenship), I have pondered these issues. I DO however support the State of Israel as an ally of the United States, just as I support England, while disagreeing with the status of its Church (same with Lutheran/Germany and so on).

That being said I come to my position knowing that one can not separate the Children of Israel from Israel. It is what it is.