12/16/2025
Blessings to you in the midst of the Chanukah season. 🕎
We re-post this commentary on the holiday... in light of the tragedy in Australia. I don't think there could be a better explanation of what the meaning of Chanukah is as we see the rise of antisemitism in the world... something that few of us would have expected just a few years ago.
THE BONDI BEACH MASSACRE AND THE UNMASKING OF MODERN ANTISEMITISM
Today’s horrific attack near Bondi Beach in Australia has left many grieving and shaken. At least 11 Jews were murdered. Jewish families had gathered peacefully to light the first candle of Hanukkah—a moment meant to celebrate light, resilience, and faith. Instead, it was shattered by violence. This was not a political demonstration. It had nothing to do with Israel’s government, foreign policy, or the Middle East. These were Australian Jews, targeted for being Jewish.
Yet as I opened X (formerly Twitter), the very first three comments I saw were deeply antisemitic. They claimed the attack was a “false flag operation.”
https://x.com/EylonALevy/status/2000179465880494509
For clarity, a false flag is a conspiracy theory alleging that an attack is staged by the victims themselves or by a hidden power in order to manipulate public opinion or justify some agenda. Historically, false-flag accusations against Jews have been one of the oldest tools of antisemitism—denying Jewish suffering while blaming Jews for their own persecution. To invoke this language immediately, reflexively, and without evidence is not skepticism; it is prejudice.
The Prime Minister of Australia released a statement condemning the attack, which was right and necessary. However, the statement stopped short of explicitly naming antisemitism as the motive. He didn’t even mention that the victims were Jewish, targeted for nothing other than being Jewish! This reluctance is something we are seeing globally: condemnation of violence without the moral courage to name Jew-hatred when it is plainly present.
We must be honest. Antisemitism is not an abstraction. It is real, it is resurging, and it is mutating.
And it must be said clearly: Jesus is not returning to a Jew-hating bride.
The end-time Church will love Israel and bless Israel. That does not mean uncritical agreement with every decision made by the Israeli government. As I have said many times, most Israelis themselves do not agree with everything their government does and have no problem voicing their opposition. Loving Israel is not political partisanship—it is biblical alignment.
We contend for Israel in very specific, gospel-centered ways:
• By praying for the salvation of the Jewish people
• By recognizing that the gospel came through the Jewish people
• By affirming that God has promised an end-time awakening among Israel
• By acknowledging that it was God himself who fulfilled his promises to regather Israel in her homeland.
Jesus Himself is Jewish. He remains the Son of David, from the tribe of Judah. He does not shed His Jewish identity in the age to come. Scripture tells us plainly that He returns to Israel at the request of a Jewish remnant:
“You will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord’” (Matthew 23:39).
And again,
“Every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him” (Revelation 1:7).
He returned to Jerusalem to reign as King of Israel and the nations. The Antichrist will target Israel and set up his image in the rebuilt temple, claiming to be God. The question is, with whom will you align? The antichrist spirit of antisemitism or will you contend for Israel’s salvation?
One of the most sobering developments of our time is that much of today’s antisemitism is not coming primarily from radical Islam, but from far-right pundits who claim to be Christian. These voices twist Scripture, revive replacement theology, and cloak ancient hatred in religious language. And they are having massive influence, especially online.
This is why discernment matters. This is why guarding our hearts matters. This is why we must believe what God says, regarding Israel being the apple of his eye.
Do not let outrage harden into cynicism. Do not let political frustration metastasize into theological error. Do not tolerate language that dehumanizes the people through whom God brought the Messiah.
The story of Hanukkah is one of refusing to sacrifice to false gods and standing up to the antichrist spirit that was displayed in Antiochus Epiphanes, a ruthless despot who desired worship.
The light of Hanukkah was meant to testify that darkness does not win. Our response—as believers—must reflect that same conviction. We stand against antisemitism, we bless Israel, we proclaim the gospel without compromise, and we prepare our hearts as a bride who looks like the Bridegroom.
Guard your heart. Guard your theology. And do not be silent.
Dr. Ron Cantor
Get regular teachings for Israel at roncantor.com.
https://www.roncantor.com/post/the-bondi-beach-massacre-and-the-unmasking-of-modern-antisemitism
