Antisemitism in Amsterdam

Israeli soccer fans were attacked after a match in Amsterdam on Friday. The violence followed antisemitic rhetoric on social media, including calls for a “Jew hunt.” Both the Israeli Prime Minister and the Dutch Prime Minister condemned the attacks and called for those responsible to be held accountable. Analysis and eternal perspective: There are no two ways about it: The Jewish people have faced hatred and efforts to exterminate them since Old Testament times. This sobering reminder is one of the biblical principles we have been repeatedly referring to as we consider how to respond to the ongoing wars in and around Israel. Another of those principles is that every person has eternal value and is made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26). Violence of this fashion is intensely hostile to God’s perfect design. As Jesus followers, we should speak this truth clearly and without reservation. We should also proactively look for ways to heal the deep rifts that exist between people groups. These fissures will never fully close on this side of heaven, but we are promised a day when those from every tribe, language, people, and nation will gather as one to proclaim God’s glory (Rev. 5:9)! The following article originally appeared in Thann’s “The Equipped” Weekly Newsletter. For more information on Thann’s weekly email, click here.