The Jews are attacked because they are rich. They are attacked because they are poor. They are attacked because they refused their Jewish messiah, Jesus. They are attacked because Christianity could only be spread if it were less rather than more Jewish. For this. For that. For everything. Many have tried to solve the problem but it remains. I hesitate to add my meager contribution. But there is something I will say nonetheless.

The Jews cannot win — except in the way they have been willing in their own homeland for the first time in over 2,000 years. And of course even this causes them to be attacked; not only by Palestinians but by European and American gentiles and even Jews. These seem to prefer Jews who are unarmed, threatened, and persecuted. This says nothing about Jews but much about those who criticize them. The problem is that people of more or less progressive opinion do not like the display of strength. At least not in Jews. The conclusion here for me is that Jews can only be acceptable, and only to a degree, if they are weak, pitiful, needing sympathy and care — even though these qualities are given only poorly and on only certain occasions.

Zionism was designed to make Jews like everyone else. But in succeeding in this it made Jews not what gentiles really wanted. Thus there is no Jewish problem; there is a Christian or ex-Christian problem; Muslims and Hindus and Buddhists don’t have this Jewish problem. Only Christians and former Christians, those who love Jesus and those who hate Jesus — united to dislike Jews whose role against Jesus has for 2,000 years been falsely explained and criticized. So any attitude towards Jesus becomes irrelevant.

Norman Ravitch *62
Savannah, Ga.