Anti-Semitism is 'alive and well,' disguised among America's elites, Gary Bauer warns
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — American Values President Gary Bauer warned that the “ancient evil” of anti-Semitism is “alive and well” among those in powerful positions both in the United States and abroad.
During a breakfast to honor Israel at the NRB 2020 Christian Media Convention, Bauer, recently appointed by President Trump to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, said he “worries” about subtle anti-Semitism in the U.S. Often, he said, it comes disguised and “all dressed up.”
“You have people in powerful positions, people who went to all the right schools, who run the universities, who deliver us the news. The anti-Semitism is alive and well among those people,” he said at the breakfast sponsored by Combat Anti-Semitism, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem and NRBTV.
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Sometimes anti-Semitism “comes disguised as a little old lady,” Bauer said, referring to longtime White House correspondent Helen Thomas, who once said the Jews “need to go back to where they came from — Germany and Poland.” (Watch Helen Thomas' comments here.)
“Anti-Semitism has climbed out from underneath its rock,” he emphasized. Bauer pointed out that in several major European cities, mobs walked through the streets chanting, “Death to the Jews.” The Labor Party of Great Britain is also “riddled with anti-Semitism,” and in the United States, synagogues have been routinely attacked.
“We’ve had Jews beaten on the streets not only of European countries. We’ve had Jews beaten in recent months on the streets of New York City, a city that prides itself as being one of the most progressive cities in America,” Bauer said.
“We’ve got anti-Semitism in the finest universities in America. ... Normal, good Americans save all their lives to send their children to these universities, and some professor is giving them Jew-hatred in the classroom.”
Anti-Semitism is becoming so normalized in America, that when Congress tried to pass a resolution condemning the anti-Semitic comments of two of its members, “the politics got so involved that before it was over, the resolution was condemning every hatred known to man, and of course by doing that it wasn’t doing anything. They couldn’t bring themselves to simply condemn anti-Semitism by members in their ranks,” Bauer stressed.
“If you hear somebody questioning the historic presence of the Jews in the Holy Land, there’s only one motivation for that. That’s anti-Semitism. But the Palestinian Authority does it regularly. So does the United Nations,” he continued.
Christians have an obligation to fight anti-Semitism, Bauer stressed, because “an attack on the Jewish presence in their homeland is an attack on Christianity too.”
“The Jews in Israel are not visitors. They didn’t arrive yesterday. They didn’t move to Israel a few years ago. Israel is the cradle of the Jewish people. It is their past, it is their present, and it is their future,” Bauer said.
He also criticized Christian denominations that pass resolutions not condemning countries such as Russia, China, or Venezuela — countries known for severe human rights abuses — but condemn Israel.
“And they do it in the name of Christ. It’s outrageous,” Bauer said. “... These mainline denominations and their hateful resolutions do not speak for us. You cannot be a Christian and hate Jews. You simply can’t.”
Bauer said Israel is the only nation on Earth that was created by a sovereign act of God, adding, “The Jewish people don’t occupy the land. They own the land.”
Amid rising anti-Semitism, Christian United for Israel, the largest pro-Israel organization in the U.S., will be releasing an upcoming documentary, titled “Never Again?” The film engages contemporary audiences with the horrific events of the Holocaust and demonstrates why the events of 75 years ago must be understood and remembered by the coming generation.
Writer/producer Rick Eldridge told The Christian Post that the film has a “current and relevant message” for today as “we are still seeing that same sort of prejudice going on, even in America.”
“Could [the Holocaust] happen again? The answer is yes. Maybe in different ways than a concentration camp, but it’s happening on the streets of Brooklyn, in synagogues,” he said.
“It could happen again because people are indoctrinated and it all begins with words,” he added. “Words hurt. Words become actions and actions become philosophies and ways of life and before long, we have it built into us. We’ve seen it in our culture throughout history, and it’s hard to explain and understand when you see what people do to each other.”
“If we stop and look and listen and begin to evaluate, ‘Why do we feel the way we feel?’ maybe things would change,” he added. “We’ve used the word tolerance instead of love. Tolerance has limitations, love is universal. The hope is we’ll educate and understand the heart of this matter and people will leave with a better understanding and personal place of, ‘What can I do to make a difference?’ The message of the film is love, not hate. It’s an acceptance and tolerance of all people and all cultures.”
