The sudden surge of attacks on European Jews

First it was the Gaza war. Now it’s the Iran war. The truth is that excuses are no longer needed for attacking Jews throughout major European cities.

Just to recap, in the past two weeks, Jewish-owned ambulances were set on fire by arsonists in the Golders Green northern suburb of London, where 50% of the population are Jews.  

In Antwerp, a car was torched in a predominantly Jewish area, causing soldiers to be deployed in Brussels, Antwerp and Liege, the largest Jewish populated cities in Belgium, which house an estimated 35,000 Jews. Their mission - to protect Jewish synagogues, schools and other religious/cultural sites belonging to those particular communities.

The Netherlands was also targeted, when a Rotterdam synagogue was attacked with explosive devises on March 14. The very same day, an Amsterdam Orthodox Jewish school suffered an explosion, resulting in much damage. 

Earlier in the month, The Guardian reported that “four men had been arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran and targeting Jews in London.”

Needless to say, these Jewish communities are on heightened alert, feeling as if it’s open season on them. As if the uptick in Europe hasn’t been worrisome enough, during this month of March, a Lebanese immigrant, rammed his pickup truck into the largest Reform synagogue in North America, while opening fire, once inside. 

Each of these incidents clearly represents a newfound boldness, almost exclusively perpetrated by the local Muslim communities, within Europe, undoubtedly, feeling emboldened by an uprising of Middle East terrorists who waited and planned for just the right moment to wage jihad upon the only Jewish state in its midst.  

Foolishly thinking that they could overtake us, they risked everything in their attempt to finish the work which others have begun but were never successful in completing.  And there is a reason for that! 

Knowing, from its inception, that Israel would be constantly under siege, the Jewish homeland wasted no time developing a world-class army which would need to masterfully shield the millions of exiles who would prophetically return to the land given to them by God. 

Today, with a population that stands at 10 million, including Arabs, Christians and others ethnicities, Israel cannot afford to be inadequate or unprepared, since each war is intended to be our last, per the enemy.

Nonetheless, even with our superior military, intelligence and know-how, we are “mysteriously” aided during each conflict, to the point where no one can deny the miraculous nature of that defense.  

One recent example is the direct missile attack, of Saturday night, in the southern towns of Arad and Dimona, which left over 1,000 residents homeless after decimating many residential structures. How is it possible that no one was killed?

All of this gives us the confidence that we are not alone, and that the Almighty is fighting on our behalf, confirming His promise that we would “never again be uprooted from our land.” (Amos 9;15)

This, however, is not the case with the Jews of Europe, who sought refuge there as early as the 2nd century BCE, first arriving in Greece, Italy and then moving onto Spain and Germany in the 4th – 9th century, finally making their way to the eastern part of the continent during the 12th century. 

Meant to be a temporary escape, that would offer them shelter, it didn’t always work out well for the Jews who, in theory, never forgot their home of origin but who, oftentimes, extended their stay for generations.  

Despite the hardships felt in many of those host countries, the Jewish people sought to make a new life for themselves in European cities which came to feel more and more like their final resting place.  Striving to blend in with their local populations, they were shocked to discover, during certain dark periods in their history, that they weren’t always seen as those who belonged.

You could say that it was the old but familiar story, recorded in the biblical book of Esther, where the Jews are characterized as being different and having their own set of laws.  

Taking on the ways of their respective culture, perfecting the language and customs, would never help, because it would always come back to the pronounced differences which would eventually be recognized and detested.  

Although Diaspora Jews have had a mostly comfortable existence, over the past 80 years that followed the Holocaust, we seem to have reverted to square one, with Jews, once again being viewed as “the others,” whose presence is no longer welcomed or appreciated – that despite the many public apologies by nations who treated them poorly at a time when they should have protected them.

But when the military has to be dispatched, 80 years later, in order to guarantee the safety of their Jews, you know that it’s probably time to come to the conclusion that the good run they had is over.  

A new and threatening population has made it clear that Europe can no longer fill that “safe haven” void which most Jews probably never thought would have an expiration date. Sadly, it does. The great cities of Europe can no longer be considered a replacement home for the one which was divinely promised.

So, while the disturbing message to leave is being sent, through the surge of attacks on the Jews who reside in Europe, an invitation is being extended anew by the God of Israel to come back home – to the one place where they do belong! 

Of course, this includes other continents throughout the globe, where Jews might not yet be as threatened but where they will, undoubtedly, begin to feel the heat in the not-too-distant future. The time for the gathering of the exiles seems to have caught up with us, bringing on that final showdown with the nations.

Perhaps that is why God gave Israel the last 80 years to prepare well for this moment in time.  We remain a strong and vibrant nation, despite the many wars which have been fought in order to remain in our land. 

The surge of European attacks is truly a sad reality that has befallen the Jewish people, but only when they leave, will these European countries come to realize that they lost the greatest blessing they ever had, replaced by a scourge  which will be coming for them next.