With increasing frequency, I hear from Christians who are outraged by reports of Israeli Jews spitting on Christians. “Have you seen the videos?” they ask. “And we’re supposed to support Israel?” What is striking is that many of these same Christians say little or nothing about the wholesale slaughter of Christians by Muslims worldwide. Yet they are deeply exercised over fringe religious Jews in Israel spitting at (or on) Christians, as if this were the norm throughout the Land.

To be clear, as a Jewish follower of Jesus, I am embarrassed by the ugly actions of some Israeli Jews, however fringe they may be and however strongly their behavior is condemned at a national level by both religious and secular leaders. There have even been instances of churches being vandalized by religious Jews, with hateful graffiti on their walls.

Such behavior is disgraceful and despicable—contrary to the principles of Judaism and in violation of Israeli law.

In the words of Prime Minister Netanyahu, responding to a widely publicized spitting incident in 2023,

“Israel is totally committed to safeguard the sacred right of worship and pilgrimage to the holy sites of all faiths. I strongly condemn any attempt to intimidate worshippers, and I am committed to taking immediate and decisive action against it.

He added that “derogatory conduct towards worshipers is sacrilege and is simply........

© Townhall