Martin H. van den Bergh

As Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu meets President Trump, there is hope that the end of the war is in sight. I also hope and pray that this means all our hostages will be freed and not just in stages. Yet all this hope is tempered with the rise in antisemitism. This current spike which stems from the October 7th attacks is very concerning as it condemns the victims rather than the perpetrators. This is a damning testimony on the antisemitic and anti-Zionist purveyors, their supporters and those who excuse their actions.  

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The antisemitism of today is reminiscent of the antisemitism which was promoted by Balaam. Balaam was the prophet who was hired by Balak, the king of Moab, to go and curse Israel. Yet, he was commanded by G-d to bless them.  According to Rashi, Balak sent a message to Balaam to curse Israel saying: “and that I may drive them out of the land; I want to remove them from the land.” When Balaam related these words to the Angels of God, he revealed his true intentions, that he wanted to completely destroy the Jewish People! The antisemites of today have similar intentions as exemplified by recent attacks on Synagogues in Australia and other countries. Therefore, we must not be complacent with this trend and as Rabbi Sacks stressed, it should be the concern not only of Jews, but of the entire world.

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As Jews, we must not cower in the face of antisemitism, and we must continue to be proud of our Jewish identity and support of Israel. Israel continues to show Jewish tenacity in defending itself. All this can be summed up in the one powerful and positive blessing that Balaam said, and which we say on entering our Synagogues: “ מַה טבֹּוּ אהָֹּלֶיךָ יַעֲקבֹּ מִשְׁכְׁנתֶֹּיךָ יִשְׁרָֹּאֵל - : How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, and your tabernacles, O Israel!” 

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We can do this by making our homes and our synagogues the bastions of our Jewish identity, and by placing Israel at the centre of our hearts, minds and prayers