The enemy within

"The enemy within" is still hard at work undermining the legitimate position and place of Israel.

By MALCOLM HEDDING
Hanukka shrine 311 (photo credit: Wikimedia)
Hanukka shrine 311
(photo credit: Wikimedia)
I recently watched a TV program in which the Palestinian-Israeli conflict was being discussed in the wake of Mahmoud Abbas’s request to the United Nations for unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s rebuttal-address to the UN General Assembly. The program was clearly and unashamedly biased toward the Palestinians, so I did not expect in any way a balanced approach to the issue. They were clearly out to demonize Israel and portray her as the real obstacle to peace in the conflict.
However, what shocked me was that Israelis, “sabras” at that, appeared on the program and happily went about trashing their own people, government and history! Naturally, all this was done in the name of academia and thoughtful insight. Yet actually, it was an attempt to rewrite history, debunk the Bible, deny the threat of Islamic radicalism and offer respectability to terrorist groups like Hamas. The latter were cast as well-meaning advocates for peace! In short, it was garbage. There is no other word for it.
The question is: What motivates Israelis to turn against their own people, distort the truth and collaborate with Israel’s enemies? To me it appears as if they want to be accepted so badly that they are unwilling to bear the reproach of standing with a people who are isolated and condemned by the world.
These “new Israelis” are seeking to join the world as they see it and probably hope to gain recognition and prestige by these acts of betrayal. They are the enemy within.
Some years ago, in October 2000 after the beginning of the second intifada, the ANC majority government called for a debate in the South African parliament to discuss the unfolding conflict in Israel.
Naturally, given its long relationship with PLO chief Yasser Arafat, it took a biased pro-Palestinian position, and thus the debate was one-sided and anti-Israel. To my amazement, a prominent South African Jew was then called to take the podium and condemn Israel! It was a brilliant PR move and it left me shocked.
In fact, and sadly, we read repeatedly of this problem, particularly of liberal-leaning Israeli academics exploiting the democratic freedoms of Israel to condemn their own nation and people.
This plays directly into the hands of Israel’s antagonists. I have time and again been challenged by the fact that, when defending Israel internationally, some prominent Israelis disagree with me and would seek to fold groups like Hamas into the negotiating process.
This is not helpful! This is not a new problem. Way back in the second century BCE, Jews joined forces with Hellenists (the Bible calls them the “sons of Greece” – see Zechariah 9:13) in order to undermine the foundations on which the nation was built.
Daniel, also referring to this, writes: “Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits” (Daniel 11:32).
In those days, this “enemy within” sought to drag Israel into the gentile Grecian world and thereby refashion her in the image of the world. All this required Israel to abandon her history and her biblical foundations and values. Not much has changed! The enemy within is still hard at work undermining the legitimate position and place of Israel.
Our encouragement, however, comes from the fact that the God of the Bible is not dead, is ever watching and will raise up people of faith to counter this foolishness, and they will do “great exploits” in His name and from a source of truth.
This we clearly witnessed in the conclusion to the attempt to hellenize Israel and the Jewish people in the second century BCE. God raised up a family of Hasmoneans and they began a revolt that saved Israel, enabled her to recover her independence, and retain her faith.
Great exploits were done and we celebrate this every year in December at what is called the Festival of Lights or Hanukka. God is faithful!
Rev. Hedding is vice chairman of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem; www.icej.org