Yet to most people worldwide, Yom HaShoah is either a complete mystery, an irrelevant topic or a thorn in the flesh of their anti-Semitic bodies. Yom HaShoah is a day that most of the world would rather not have to remember, but the unfortunate and heavy truth is that the Shoah left a permanent scar on the Jewish people at best and an open wound at worst.

It cannot be ignored!

There are several reasons why not just the worldwide Jewish community should remember the Shoah, but the global community as well:

1)  It really happened

This might be seen by some as one of the most obvious truism, but the Holocaust really happened! Unfortunately, alongside of those who clearly know that the Holocaust is one of the worst historical events on record, there are plenty of others who are working hard at telling us that it never did. The reality of the Holocaust being indelibly stamped in the memory of many people doesn’t seem to stop “Holocaust deniers” from propagating their lies. The physical evidence left behind, as well as the copious records kept by the Nazis, don’t persuade or even intimidate those on a mission to eradicate the Shoah from the chronicles of human history.

Yom HaShoah serves to perpetuate the memory of an event that really happened. It was real enough for my grandfather, Maurice Weinzveig, who perished in Auschwitz and the family he left behind, and it was real enough for the rest of the 6 million. Any attempt at rewriting history devoid of this human tragedy should be a crime, as it is in some European countries such as Germany.

2) It happened recently

Another factor to consider is the fact that it happened recently. World War II ended in 1945, which was only 68 years ago. With Germany’s unconditional surrender came the liberation of Europe and of all the concentration and death camps of Western and Eastern Europe. While most of the survivors of the Shoah have now passed away, some still remain spread out all around the world. In other words, it is still possible for one to sit down with a Holocaust survivor and get a firsthand story of the nightmare they went through and survived. But this window of opportunity is quickly coming to an end.

The world owes it to the remaining survivors of the Shoah to perpetuate the memory of the event and to promote the important message of “Never Again” through education and testimonies. One of the few organizations serving that purpose in a most commendable way is Shadows of Shoah, a website built on the foundation of many sobering testimonies from a handful of worldwide Holocaust survivors. As the founder of Shadows of Shoah, Perry Trotter recognizes, it is important to treat the Holocaust in a way that exposes the human nature of the disaster. These are real people with real stories, not just another set of statistics. As the world becomes accustomed to hearing the tragedy of the 6 million, it also builds a certain immunity to the carnage attached to that number. While it is impossible to remember al the victims by name, Shadows of Shoah does a superb job of connecting the site’s visitor to the heart and soul of each survivor as they briefly share their story.

My mother saw her dad taken by the Gestapo while she escaped the Holocaust and was sent to the southwest of France to hide on a farm. She is still alive today, and it is very offensive and brutally insensitive to try to tell her that the Holocaust was a hoax. Sixty-eight years ago was not very long. As a matter of fact, almost prophetically, Gen. Eisenhower, after visiting the Buchenwald sub-camp at Orhdruf and ordering for photographs to document his discovery, was quoted saying:

“I visited every nook and cranny … to be in a position from then on to testify about these things in case there ever grew up at home the belief … that the stories of Nazi brutality were just propaganda.”

Little did he know that just a few decades down the road, his greatest fear would become a tragic reality.

Yet my biggest concern is that Holocaust deniers, Holocaust revisionists and even those who just ignore these events might be the catalysts for history to repeat itself. The signs are all here!

3)  It could happen again

It is ironic that the very people in the Middle East – like Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of Fatah; or even Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi – who to different degrees all deny the Holocaust, also threaten Israel with their own version of a new Holocaust. Sometimes they even accuse Israel of committing “another Holocaust” against poor, defenseless Palestinian victims. What “other” Holocaust are they talking about if the first one was indeed a myth, or even worse, a result of some “Jewish propaganda” to make the whole world feel sorry and vote for the partition of Palestine in 1947?

The level of anti-Semitism that is currently plaguing the Jews worldwide is second only to the pre-World War II era. Many scholars and experts on anti-Semitism believe that we are experiencing a time of history very similar to the 1930s in Europe as it pertains to the rise of this new hatred of the Jewish people. My own research leads me to agree with them.

This renewed hatred for my people doesn’t just come from the Middle East and/or radical Muslims; it is also fueled by the liberal left’s agenda of tolerance and multiculturalism. We, unfortunately, also see some anti-Semitism within the Evangelical church, not to mention the Roman Catholic Church that has a long and deeply rooted history of Jew hatred.

A few of us disciples of Yeshua of Nazareth are ready to defend Israel and the Jewish people at any cost, as we serve our Messiah who cares so much about the chosen people (Zechariah 2:8). God loves all people, including the Muslims. But biblically speaking, God is a Zionist.

While many around the world increasingly speak of the Holocaust with words such as “Never Before,” Followers of Yeshua have a biblical obligation to join in with the Jewish people in declaring, “Never Again!”

While it is never my intention to diminish the gravity of Judeophobia, nor of all other kinds of xenophobias for that matter, I must admit that I, along with those of us who witness and fight this kind of hatred, have grown accustomed to its various sources.

We expect it to come from Middle Eastern countries or terrorist groups like al-Qaida, Hamas and Hezbollah, as it is indoctrinated in the minds of young children at an age when their only dilemma should be about which toy to play with. It starts as a cultural indoctrination that serves as a base for a further, deeper and more hateful ideological and or religious indoctrination. It is almost as if it has become part of the DNA of certain people groups.

We also expect it from numerous European countries such as Hungary, France, Poland, Spain and England, among others. The roots of that old weed run very deep into a post-Christian soil that has been deprived of any nutrients from biblical Christianity for centuries. There was a stump of anti-Semitism left in the European soil after the Holocaust. Small and apparently insignificant shoots came out at first, but a civilized post-World War II community was determined to nip it in the bud, and so they did, at least originally. In reality, the stump became the base for the sequoia of a revived old-fashioned racial anti-Semitism.

Yet there is a new breeding ground for a new Judeophobia, and it is found on university campuses all over the United States. Cowardly hiding behind the First Amendment of 1791, many public figures borne of the leftist intelligentsia currently promote anti-Semitism from classroom to classroom across America’s campuses. Beware of your criticism of their vitriol, lest you be accused of hatred and intolerance yourself. It was only days ago that a very disturbing event took place in New York at Brooklyn College. The New York institution includes between 20 and 25 percent Jewish students who for the most part (along with many Jewish and non-Jewish supporters of Israel) were stupefied when they heard of the school’s decision to sponsor an event promoting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction movement (BDS). Two speakers were featured. Omar Barghouti and Judith Butler.

Mr.Barghouti is a founding member of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel. He is also one of the starters of the 2005 BDS movement. No stranger to American campuses, Mr. Barghouti travels extensively across our nation to promote the BDS ideology, comparing Israel to Nazi Germany and calling for the boycott of many Israeli products and companies.

His message of hate gets placated across American campuses where he can be heard making statements such as this one: “Many of the methods of collective and individual ‘punishment’ meted out to Palestinian civilians at the hands of young, racist, often sadistic and ever impervious Israeli soldiers at the hundreds of checkpoints littering the occupied Palestinian territories are reminiscent of common Nazi practices against the Jews.”

Just days before his appearance at Brooklyn College, Mr. Barghouti was at Yale, University of Pennsylvania and University of California, Irvine (UCI). He was invited to Brooklyn College in the name of “freedom of expression.” Political correctness strikes again!

Ironically, this man is currently working on a doctorate in Philosophy at – and I hope you’re ready for this – Tel Aviv University in Israel. Consider some of the Israeli-related brands an inventions Mr. Barghouti should ALSO boycott to be ethical and consistent: Intel, Windows software, the USB flash drive, IBM,Cisco, Motorola, the cell phone and Instant Messaging, to name just a few. In all honesty, a full boycott would affect Mr.Barghouti’s research and writing quite a bit. Now, isn’t that the epitome of hypocrisy from a man who promotes BDS so passionately?

As for Ms. Judith Butler, “a self-hating Jew” by any standard, her presence was also problematic from the standpoint of any honest intellectual dialogue. Ms. Butler is a professor in the rhetoric and comparative literature department at UC Berkeley. She is also on the advisory board of Jewish Voice for Peace. Ms. Butler delivered a speech at Brooklyn College that at first glance appeared to be balanced and in favor of peace in the Middle East, but the foundation of her message is so flawed that it makes it impossible to take it seriously.

Ms. Butler was unfortunately not interested in any dialogue (even though it is the message a JVP promo video clearly sends, albeit constructed on a very false premise). She clearly wanted to deliver a monologue of finger pointing and unjustified demonization of Israel.

To be sure, not all critics of Israel should be labeled as anti-Semitic, yet I see the BDS movement attempt at indoctrinating students all over America as nothing else than a catalyst for further acts of delegitimization of Israel. I do not have anything against the very concept of boycotting as long as it is done for the right cause and that it is consistent even if not always convenient.

American campuses have become very conducive to hate speech against Israel in the name of freedom of expression. It is almost always a tirade of lies built on a false foundation never checked by a quasi-intellectual leftist audience. Our campuses used to be platforms for education, dialogue and training of the next generation. Today it seems that Judeophobic propaganda has become a common thread across our nation’s university campuses. This doesn’t promise a very glorious future for American Jews unless we fight for the truth!

President Obama didn’t waste any time to congratulate Morsi, and the White House declared that Morsi’s victory is a milestone in Egypt’s transition to democracy after decades of authoritarian rule under Mubarak. Even Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement after Morsi election to power to congratulate Egypt for a move towards democracy, saying that he respected the results.

Morsi might have been freely elected, although the term freedom remains to be determined as it pertains to Egypt’s recent elections. Especially when looking at the case of the Egyptian man who beat his wife to death for not voting for Morsi.

So Egyptian Christians, Israelis and the rest of the free world shouldn’t worry, because all news reports seem to agree that Morsi was “freely” elected and is introducing a new era, a “New Egypt.” Democracy is finally here, and we should feel very safe as we all look forward to a new stability in the Middle East. Democracy can be defined as A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives. Is this what we are seeing here?

It is time to take a closer look at the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and decide if its leaders are the promoters of democracy or the enforcers of fascism. I made my mind long ago, and I will let you decide for yourself, but please consider a few facts.

Founded in 1928 by Hassan-Al-Banna as a secret brotherhood of seven people, the MB is now present in more than 75 countries in the world, basically just about wherever there is a Muslim community. They are unashamedly pro-Shariah and promote a Muslim caliphate (central global Muslim government under the supreme authority of a caliph). To that extreme, they will do just about anything to “Shariahnize” the free world, and lately they have made great strides toward Shariah because of the comatose state of liberal and post-modern secularists.

Consider the MB motto as found on its website and other materials:

Allah is our objective
The Prophet is our leader
Quran is our law
Jihad is our way
Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.

If you see democracy anywhere in that statement, you might need to have your eyes checked!

Fundamentalism? YES! Extremism? YES! Terrorism? YES!

Democracy? Absolutely not!

The MB boldly declares that the West is corrupt (especially but not only, the USA) – and while I might agree on the fact that Western civilization has indeed become corrupt to some extent, I certainly do not recognize the need to kill those we deem corrupt.

The MB current leader known as the “supreme guide” is Muhammed Badi who claimed in 2010 that jihad against Israel and the West is a commandment from Allah and cannot be ignored.

When asked about democracy, Mustapha Mashur, the group’s supreme leader in 1981, was quoted saying: “Democracy contradicts and wages war on Islam. Whoever calls for democracy means they are raising banners contradicting God’s plan and fighting Islam.”

Democracy? Absolutely not!

Most Muslim organizations worldwide are connected one way or another to the Muslim Brotherhood. Hamas, Hezbollah, al-Qaida are all connected with the MB at some level. They have the same goal, and they revere death as much as we value life.

Lesser known to the general public, the MB is also involved with CAIR (Council on American Islamic Relations) and all American universities’ Muslim Student Associations.

Visible or invisible, the MB is the backbone of most Muslim organizations worldwide. But one connection that most definitely sends chills down my spine is the one that the MB had with now defunct Nazi Germany. The Third Reich seriously influenced the Muslim Brotherhood in the ’30s and ’40s. They were in bed together on multiple occasions, and the MB continues its propaganda and acts of anti-Semitism around the world.

In his book “The Nazi Connection to Islamic Terrorism,” Chuck Morse writes:

There is a long and interesting intermingling between the faith and ideology of the Brotherhood and that of the Nazis and later the Communists. One visible result of the intermingling is a merge between the traditional victimization mythology which holds that religious Muslims are somehow under siege by the outside world with the Nazi victimology mythology which held that Germans were somehow victimized by the existence of the Jews.

Additionally, in a 2007 article in the Weekly Standard, Matthias Küntzel documented the MB desire to eliminate the “Zionists” and “all Jews,” when, in 1945, they committed one of the worst anti-Jewish pogroms in Egypt’s history, thus continuing the Third Reich legacy of Jew hatred.

Democracy? Absolutely not!

We must not miss the handwriting on the wall as Perry Trotter (founder of Shadows of Shoah) writes in his sobering article about the days we live in:

Too easily it is forgotten that 1942 did not happen apart from 1932; that the events of the 1940s happened only in continuity with the events of the 1930s. It is my conviction that what we see beginning to unfold today is in continuity with the eschatological horror revealed in the Scriptures – a biblical scenario that for many remains merely technical, faceless and impersonal.

At the end of the day, anyone believing that the Muslim Brotherhood is good news for mankind in general of even Muslim in particular must be in denial. The assassination of Egyptian President Anwar el Sadat in 1981 proves that they won’t hesitate to eliminate one of their own if he becomes an obstacle to Muslim hegemony.

The global Islamist army is marching on, and for the most part they are using the path of least resistance by having doors opened to them by tolerant Westerners infected by the virus of political correctness.

Democratic fascism is an oxymoron. There is nothing democratic about a totalitarian regime that worships death over life and wants to convert the world to Islam or kill all the infidels. We are indeed in the ’30s, and we remember what took place in the ’40s, so there is no excuse to look the other way!

Muslims are the first victims of Islam, and only the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob can take the blinders off their eyes and show them what Yeshua did for them.

If death is to be revered, it should only be the death of Yeshua the Messiah for the sins of the world, because with His death we receive eternal life (John 10:27-28; 1 John 5:13; Romans 5:8).

According to Islam, a dhimmi is a non-Muslim “subject” in a Muslim state. That person is required to pay a tax, known as the “jizya” for protection by the Muslim community. By definition, a “dhimmi subject” to Islam has fewer rights than a Muslim after they surrender to Muslim domination through a special treaty, or “dhimma.”

As Islam started to grow and conquer different parts of the world, non-Muslims were essentially given three choices: Conversion, death or dhimmitude – the latter placing them into some sort of limbo state where they were barely tolerated and certainly did not have equal rights with Muslims. The only individual treated with even less respect by “orthodox Islam” might be Muslim women.

The reality was and continues to be that all dhimmis are second-class citizens within Islam.

But the weed of dhimmitude doesn’t grow well unless it is left alone where its roots of intolerance and hatred can run deep and choke its surrounding world. As I see it, there can only be three reasons for allowing oneself to be turned into a dhimmi: ignorance, fear or stupidity. In many cases, it is difficult to determine the reason why a person, organization or even community would allow such a change to occur. But being out of fear, ignorance a bit of both or even stupidity, the status of dhimmi will undoubtedly lead to an increasing submission to Shariah law, only attainable by a simultaneous decreasing of the enjoyment of Western values and freedoms. Even though dhimmis may have benefited from some short periods of tolerance throughout the ages, they were always at the mercy of the ruling Muslims who subjugated them.

Jewish author and activist Bat Ye’or is an expert on the subject and has covered it extensively in several of her books such as “The Dhimmi: Jews and Christians Under Islam” (1985) and “The Decline of Eastern Christianity Under Islam: From Jihad to Dhimmitude: Seventh-Twentieth Century” (1996).

What Bat Ye’or almost prophetically announced to the West over 27 years ago was that dhimmitude was very real and potentially very lethal. In the preface to her book “Eurabia: The Euro-Arab Axis,” we read:

“The entire Muslim world as we know it today is a product of this 1,300-year-old jihad dynamic, whereby once thriving non-Muslim civilizations have been reduced to a state of dysfunctional dhimmitude. Many have been completely Islamized and have disappeared. Others remain as fossilized relics of the past, unable to evolve.”

To the critic of what may appear to be a witch hunt against Muslims on my part, let me clearly state that I believe that the first victims of the erroneous and hateful teachings of Islam are the Muslims themselves. Additionally, their passionate jihad against Israel and the West is nothing more than a case of “the blind leading the dumb.” Here are a couple of recent examples of 21st century dhimmitude in all its “splendor”:

• USA – February 2012: Best Buy Corporation provided CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) with its “platinum sponsorship” for CAIR’s annual banquet of their Minnesota chapter. CAIR’s link to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas led the U.S. government to remove their nonprofit status, and CAIR is currently considered an unindicted co-conspirator in criminal conspiracy to support a Palestinian terrorist group. A petition is being signedby Americans who desire to boycott Best Buy. Now, that’s a boycott I can support, as opposed to the anti-Israel BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions).
• France – May 2012:François Hollande defeats Nicolas Sarkozy in the second round of the French presidential elections. It has now been reported that between 93 and 95 percent of French Muslims voted for Hollande. The new French president was put in office by a push from the Muslim community. How much of an “dhimmi president” he will really be will be determined in the near future.Additionally, Mr. Hollande, just made a decision to never “let pork touch his lips again.” Is this dhimmitude or gratitude toward the Muslim community of France who gave him the necessary push to win the election? Time will tell! It will start small, but before you know it, the burka will be re-introduced, prayer for Muslims on Paris streets will increase, and mosques will pop up like mushrooms. How long before Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral become Notre Mosque de Paris?

But “dhimmis in deeds” are not alone; they are joined by a plethora of “dhimmis in words.” We cannot ignore that there is also dhimmitude or “politically correct cowardice” in the ongoing attempt by media outlets, political factions and even church denominations at redefining some keywords to delegitimize Israel and the Jewish people. The real meaning of words like anti-Semitism or anti-Zionism is constantly challenged by postmodernism and liberalism. Definitions based on truth must be established.

In this growing case of “the blind leading the dumb” there are still decent people left who want to share a world where all creatures are equal and equally loved by God (John 3:16). These people are found in my community. A community of Bible-believing followers of Yeshua (Jesus).

I will not succumb to Islam and become a dhimmi because I can only serve one master, and I have already pledged my unconditional allegiance to Yeshua who died for me, for you and for all Muslims as well. As a result, I am not a second-class citizen but a full citizen of Heaven.

But for as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believed in His name (John 1:12).

Jerusalem might be at the crossroads of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, but historically and biblically, it is the Jewish capital. For instance, Jerusalem is mentioned by name over 800 times in the Bible (about 75 percent of them in the Tenach and 25 percent in the New Testament), while it is possibly only mentioned once in the Quran and not even by name but simply as the place of the “farthest mosque” in conjunction with Muhammad’s “night journey” in Sura Bani Isra-il 17.1, and even then, there are no mention of the word Jerusalem at all. It is also referred to in Sura Bani Isra-il 17.7 when mention is made of the “Temple” – and that is it for the entire Quran!

So why is it that Muslims are insisting for the acquisition of Jerusalem as one of the most holy sites under Islam? Could it be simply because Jerusalem is the holiest Jewish site and by virtue of that claim both historically and biblically, Muslims must take it upon themselves to “reclaim” Jerusalem? But reclaiming requires a prior ownership, and the Bible is clear as to whom Jerusalem belongs to. Every occurrence of the word “Jerusalem” in the Bible has within its context a connection to the Jewish people, the God of Israel or the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And all of this of course, happened centuries before the A.D. 622 birth of Islam. The Jewish prophet Daniel prayed daily towards Jerusalem while in captivity (Daniel 6:10).

Additionally, a great future awaits Jerusalem and the Jewish people as we can read in Zechariah 8:1-23:

“Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; and I will bring them back, and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem, and they will be My people and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.’” (Zechariah 8:7-8)

According to Canadian lawyer and author Jacques Gauthier, it has also been proven that by international law Jerusalem belongs to the Jews. Gauthier’s 1,300-page dissertation on the topic documents the series of treaties (including the critical San Remo treaty in Italy) that established Jerusalem’s Jewish ownership beyond the shadow of a doubt.

The dejudaization of Jerusalem is simply the next step on the anti-Zionist agenda to delegitimize Israel and the Jewish people. If it can be proven to the world that Jerusalem is the Palestinian capital and, as such, must be reclaimed, then the enemies of Israel from the liberal left to radical Islam will have justified the eradication of the Jewish people. For centuries, the Jewish people were “A people without a country”; then they were historically and prophetically granted Israel back as a modern nation in 1948. From that moment on, anti-Semites and anti-Zionists around the world have worked overtime and with increasing creativity to delegitimize the Jewish people and their right to the land and to Jerusalem. The final goal being: “A country without a people”! The Jewish people that is!

Multiple attempts have been made and have attracted the world’s attention via a myriad of media outlets. The Gaza flotillas, the Durban I, II and III anti-Zionist conferences in the name of “anti-racism,” Mahmoud Abbas’ attempt at a unilateral declaration of statehood at the United Nations in September 2011, UNESCO acceptance of Palestine as its newest member, Christ at the Checkpoint “Evangelical” Conference towards “reconciliation” between Israelis and Palestinians, and the lists goes on.

And now the world appears to be uniting as 20 countries are joining hands and marching toward Israel under the banner of the “Global march to Jerusalem” to “unoccupy” the city on March 30, 2012, as they all converge on the capital. A million people are expected to invade Israel’s borders. The long list of international organizations and personalities bears witness of the agenda being furthered here. Bishop Desmond Tutu and Pastor N.T. Wright are amongst the many endorsers.

The promotional video is a mixed collage of world cities appearing to support the cause along with international personalities giving their two-thumbs up. The colors and shape of the Palestinian flag are almost on every frame, not to mention the one-sided message of a Palestinian flag layering the entire map of Israel. No two-state solution here! You can watch their promo video here.

The actual “peaceful invasion” has yet to take place, and it might be thwarted – but regardless of the outcome, Israel will be painted further in the corner of the oppressor/invader of Palestine … guaranteed!

There is a great danger here for Israel as the world community is being recruited under the false premise of a peaceful march. One is to wonder what kind of real agenda is being driven when Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is included and Iran is endorsing the event. The potential for confusion and a plethora of opportunities for the pro-Palestinian media will be limitless. Israel is about to be demonized by an international delegation of misinformed militants at best or anti-Semitic enemies at worst. In both cases, we are getting closer and closer to the day when, in accordance with God’s Word, the whole world will turn against Israel (even though He will never allow for her complete destruction). We shouldn’t be surprised!

“Behold, a day is coming for the LORD when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished, and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city.” (Zechariah 14:1-2. See also Zechariah 12:3.)

The March to Jerusalem is one more milestone being added to the destructive agenda of hatred promoted by the enemies of those God calls “the apple of my eye” in Zechariah 2:8.

May God have mercy on them as we pray for Israel’s safety and as we also pray for Israel’s enemies and their salvation.