Rahm Emanuel and the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism

Hey Watchmen, When a name like Rahm Emanuel gets tied to a fight over the IHRA definition of antisemitism, my friends, pay attention — because the argument itself tells you where the culture is. For years now I've said there's a huge difference between not supporting a policy of the state of Israel and hating the Jewish people, and that difference is exactly what's getting erased in real time. The moment a formal definition of Jewish hatred becomes controversial — the moment defining the sin becomes the scandal instead of the sin itself — you're watching the world talk itself out of calling evil by its name. That's not new. That's the same spirit that's animated every empire that ever set itself against the seed of Abraham. I've taught before that replacement theology is the seedbed for a lot of this — a church and a culture that forgot it was grafted in, forgot the root doesn't need the branches, the branches need the root. When that gets forgotten, antisemitism doesn't always show up wearing a swastika. Sometimes it shows up in committee rooms, arguing over definitions, dressed up as nuance and "just asking questions." Zechariah told us Jerusalem would become a burdensome stone for all people — a stone that cuts the hands of everyone who tries to move it, including the ones who convince themselves they're only handling policy. Watch how quickly the argument over a definition becomes the fight itself. So don't be lulled by the language of committees and think this is just Washington politics — it never has been just politics where Israel is concerned. Keep your eyes open, keep your Bibles open, and don't let anybody convince you that naming hatred is the real problem. Stay watching, stay ready, and stay faithful — the Bridegroom is coming, and He's watching how His people stood in days like these.