I’m working on a television report. It’s about people who emigrate to Israel during the war, Jews who make aliyah.
Aliyah means the immigration of Jews to Israel. The Hebrew word literally means “ascent” and describes not only a geographical movement, but also a spiritual one: Those who make aliyah return to the land of the Bible. Many do so for reasons of faith, others for security, family or a new perspective on life. Since the founding of the state in 1948, aliyah has been a core element of Israeli identity – it has shaped and changed the country.

I am working on the story of a young Jewish woman from New York. She first attended orthodox schools, later switching to secular state schools.
Her love for Israel began with traveling. Deeply rooted in the Jewish faith, she said that she always felt at home when she was in Israel.

The images of war, especially the fighting with Iran, did not deter her from emigrating to Israel. Rather, she feared that it might not work out, that flights would be canceled.

Suddenly rejected

How did that happen? On the one hand, the love for Israel that awoke in her, on the other hand, the increasing rejection. Not on the street, but among friends and in the non-Jewish community.
It’s not the slogans, not the cries of masked people on the streets, but the comments from people in her immediate environment. Not tangible, but perceptible: suddenly people are different. The relationship has changed.

A week ago, I visited a Jewish friend. He is committed to shedding light on the situation in the Middle East and at the same time taking a stand against the growing anti-Semitism in the media. But he has long since had to remain unrecognized for as long as possible – in the middle of a German city. At our meeting, over a small snack, we are not allowed to speak Hebrew or reveal where we come from. There are “Free Palestine” flags hanging from some of the windows on the street and stickers in the windows. Anti-Semitism, hatred of Jews, has not only become socially acceptable, but has also become a trend for many people. On social networks, people unabashedly comment on anti-Semitic incidents or the situation in Israel with jokes and slogans about Jews. Who would have thought that it could come to this again?

Many Christians are also increasingly distancing themselves from Jews. Negative reporting on Israel contributes to this. But also a long period of alienation, the feeling of no longer having anything to do with Judaism. Many believers and congregations have long since lost touch with Israel. Many no longer even know that the end times will be fulfilled here in Israel.

With God, being outnumbered or outgunned doesn’t matter

We are outnumbered, that’s how it feels. Many Christians feel the same way, who stand up for Israel and the Jews, who go to demonstrations against Jew-hatred, who endure mockery and derision when slogans echo through the streets and “Palestine” flags are waved.
In Israel, we are moving closer together, we have to.

To all those who are standing up for Israel and the Jewish people these days, who are frustrated because they constantly have to justify themselves, who feel lonely: Let one thing be said. This is not the first time that the Jewish people and also the Christian people have been outnumbered. It is not the first time that the future looks uncertain and that a superiority of opponents appears on the horizon.

However, it is not about majorities or minorities, but about the One on whom we rely. The Bible teaches us that things often looked bad or even catastrophic in history, but that our Lord intervened and determined the outcome. Especially in the face of discouragement, it is crucial to build on God – and not on people.

The believers in the churches here in Israel therefore sing all the louder. We are strengthened by sermons, by fellowship, by praise.
We stick together. We build and trust in God’s intervention, that he will end wars and silence evil.

Therefore, a heartfelt shalom from Israel and a big thank you for all the support, prayers and the great team spirit.

Best wishes from Galilee, Benjamin Funk