Understanding the Propaganda War Against Israel

The world has long had a problem with misinformation. As author Jonathan Swift wrote over 314 years ago, “Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after it so that when men come to be undeceived, it is too late; the jest is over, and the tale hath had its effect.”

Swift wrote this at a time when the printing press and word of mouth were the primary ways to spread ideas. Even with these slow methods of communication, the lies spread quickly. In an age with the internet, social media, television, and radio, on top of printed media and word of mouth, Swift’s words have become even more relevant. Today, it is possible to spread lies around the entire world in minutes, even seconds.

There is a long history of Jews being the victims of lies spread about them. Antisemitic libels have been prevalent since Bible times. Haman’s lies against Jews in the Book of Esther, Jezebel’s lying about Naboth in 1 Kings, and of course, Pharoah’s heart being hardened by falsehoods against Jews in Exodus.  The spirit of antisemitism has long sought the destruction of the Jews, which is why it is often referred to as ‘the world’s oldest hatred.’

In Medieval Britain lies came in the form of the ‘William of Norwich’ blood libel of 1144, when Jews were falsely accused of murdering a Christian boy and using his blood in Passover rituals; an absurd lie, fuelled by antisemitism. This lie resulted in widespread persecution of Jews throughout the country. Over one hundred years later, a similar incident took place in Lincoln, with the ‘Hugh of Lincoln’ blood libel of 1255, when again Jews were falsely accused of murder and faced widespread persecution including expulsion from the city. Clearly, this method has been effective, and Satan knows it.

When the Black Death, a form of bubonic plagued, swept Europe in the late 1300s, Jews were once again accused of being the cause. A popular anti-Jewish story depicted Jews as being recruited by the devil to poison water wells to infect Christians with the disease, despite the fact that many Jews themselves died from it. This libel resulted in thousands of Jews being massacred throughout Europe, with whole communities being wiped out in some cases.

Numerous blood libels like this have been documented throughout Europe’s history and have been an effective tool for antisemites to stir people to hate the Jews. This has resulted in pogroms, inquisitions, genocides, and of course, the Holocaust, the world’s largest genocide, where six million Jews were murdered by Hitler and his Nazis. 

The Holocaust could happen only because the population was brainwashed by blood libels pumped into popular culture by Goebbels and his Ministry of Propaganda on a scale that was unprecedented. Jews were dehumanised to the point that regular German citizens saw them as nothing but rats that needed exterminating.

Tragically, the world learned nothing from the Holocaust, and it seems Satan learned a lot, as he is now using that same tactic today to demonise Israel. In the Middle East, particularly in countries where Israel is an enemy, children are growing up with the same antisemitic propaganda that dehumanises Jews as being ‘apes and pigs’ and the ‘greatest enemy.’ This propaganda is being pumped into every aspect of their societies, with school curriculums, cartoons, songs, and more being filled with antisemitic themes that brainwash innocent children to hate Jews.

In a more subtle way, this is also happening globally. The result is that a growing number of people view the Jews as ‘the other’. Jews are increasingly being accused of controlling the media, the banks, and the world itself, by fringe groups on the far left and extreme right of politics. 

Thankfully, these antisemitic lies are not readily consumed by the majority in the West because of the anti-racism culture that exists here, but this is the reason why the enemy of God is changing his tactic.

Rational people understand it is wrong to discriminate against individuals, but disliking a country is seemingly ‘fair game’, even if the one nation you oppose is the world’s only Jewish state. Israel has become the singular target for the world’s antisemites to direct their ire, but instead of blaming ‘Jews’, they are blaming ‘Israel’. There is a growing misconception that the Middle East would be a place of peace and harmony if it weren’t for Israel. In fact, they contend, if Israel did not exist the entire world would be a better place. After all, Israel has been condemned by the United Nations not just more than any other country, but more than all other countries combined. They wrongly assume that because Israel is condemned the most, and the majority are against Israel, that the problem must be Israel.

Satan has always been able to deviously convince people that they are in the right even when what they are doing is very wrong. The subtle shift away from stirring up hatred against Jews as people to stirring up hatred against the Jewish nation has helped to dupe people into hating Jews without understanding that they are being antisemitic. 

Throughout time, anti-Israel attitudes have also been heard in the halls of power in this world. The United Nations has long been an example of organised counsel against Israel, and there is a reason why it is called the epicentre of global antisemitism.

In recent years, however, we’ve seen how the propaganda against Israel has broken free from the political realm and is now reaching the masses mainly through modern technology. Unlike times past when lies about Jews might spark antisemitism against a localised Jewish community in a town or country, the internet has helped spread antisemitic propaganda far and wide. Antisemitic blood libels against Israel have gone global, and with it, the persecution of Jews is increasing worldwide.

Gen Z, the current generation entering adulthood, is sometimes dubbed the ‘TikTok Generation’ because of its propensity to engage with more instant forms of media and entertainment. There is a thought that due to modern lifestyles and technology trends, there has been diminished attention spans within younger people and a need for constant dopamine stimulation. 

TikTok’s short video format has tapped into this to great effect and has been copied by other social media platforms in the form of Facebook Reels and YouTube Shorts. Social media companies are realising they can trap people in an endless scroll of videos that becomes very addictive. Unfortunately, TikTok as a platform is a hotbed for antisemitic, anti-Israel, anti-Christian, and anti-Western content. Young people are locked in an echo chamber and are relentlessly bombarded by bitesize propaganda videos. These young people then enter colleges and universities filled with likeminded peers coupled with the increased teaching of hard left ideologies. This results in universities becoming hotbeds of anti-Israel activism. 

Sadly, all this propaganda is working to brainwash young minds against Israel. A British poll taken in June 2024 showed that 54% of 18 to 24 year olds agreed with the statement, “the State of Israel should not exist.” By contrast, only 7% of those 65 years and over agreed with this statement. This should be a wakeup call as to where our society is heading in relation to its attitudes towards Israel and the Jewish people.

The UK is not unique in this regard. As we said before, antisemitism has gone global. The world’s attention is being drawn towards Israel as the forces of evil manipulate people against the nation and people that God has chosen. This is no surprise, however, as what we are seeing in real time helps us to understand Bible prophecy more clearly. 

“It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.” – Zechariah 12:3

Jesus warns that Satan is the father of lies. The same tactic of using blood libels to stir up hatred against Jews in the past is happening today. Israel is accused of ‘genocide,’ ‘ethnic cleansing,’ and using ‘starvation as a weapon of war.’ 

These lies are from the pit of hell, yet they are among the most widely accepted on earth. They have permeated every aspect of modern society, including the Church. Because such a strong delusion has taken hold, it is clear this propaganda campaign against Israel is spiritual, evil, and directed by Satan himself. 

“For behold, Your [God’s] enemies make a tumult; And those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, And consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”– Psalm 83:2-4

God stands with Israel. It is always shocking when we see Christians opposed to Israel or teaching Replacement Theology, the false idea that God has finished with Israel and that the Church has replaced Israel. It is an attempt to mislead Christians to remember the name of Israel “no more.”

When the body of Christ is deceived, we know the propaganda is strong. It is especially troubling as the Bible describes those trying to wipe out Israel as God’s enemies. But this is the last attempt by Satan to turn the world, and indeed the Church, against the Jewish people. The objective is to wipe Israel off the face of the earth.

As Christians, we can be assured that Satan’s plans will fail. We know this because we have read the end of the Book. This doesn’t mean we can be complacent. The Bible tells the watchmen on the walls for Israel to not keep silent. And as watchmen, it is important we understand the method of deception the enemy is using in these times. 

The best way to counter this antisemitic propaganda is to stand on the authority of God’s word. The Bible is our weapon to both defend ourselves from the lies of the enemy and to reveal the truth to those who have been deceived.