I'm Excited About The Sequel to the Movie God's Not Dead

 7/6/2015 STEVE STRANG  charisma news

Some of the cast members from "God's Not Dead 2," including Melissa Joan Hart, third from right.

One of the most successful Christian movies of 2014 was a low-budget film about apologetics called God's Not Dead. It was made for a little over $1 million, but grossed $100 million at the box office, including DVD sales. It now has more than 7 million fans on Facebook.

I knew about the movie before it happened because it was based on the book by the same title written by my longtime friend Rice Broocks. I knew Rice was a passionate apologist for the Christian faith and skilled at explaining complex Christian concepts in a way anyone could understand. I was also aware of the many faith films being made—most of them were mediocre. So I was skeptical when Rice called wanting coverage for the movie, especially since they were having trouble getting theaters to screen the movie. But wanting to encourage any effort to bring Christ into the wider culture, we gave the movie extensive coverage right at its release launch.   

I'm not the only one who liked the movie. When we ran our article, it was shared and reshared by our readers. The first weekend, the relatively few theaters showing the film were nearly sold out. The number of theaters showing the movie doubled the second week. Clearly something was happening. The rest is history.

I tell you this because last week I visited the set for God's Not Dead 2 in Arkansas. I was the guest of Troy Duhon, who provided the funding for the first God's Not Dead movie (which an insider told me may be one of the most successful movies in history based on return on investment).

I wasn't sure what to expect for a sequel, though. Would it be the same actors in a different setting? I rewatched the first as I flew to the set and noticed all sorts of subtleties in plot and characterization that I missed the first time I saw it.

I was impressed again by how good the movie was: the acting, cinematography, the Louisiana State University location. The film even featured a huge rock concert from the Newsboys and a scene where car struck and killed one of the main characters (but not before he accepted Christ).

The basis of the plot is how a young Christian university student defended his faith (using apologetics arguments from Rice Broocks' book) in his philosophy class before a hostile atheistic professor. Yet it had interesting subplots that somehow all fit together: a leftist reporter who discovered she was dying of cancer, and a Muslim student expelled from her home when she accepted Christ (but her father, who was a strict Muslim, was shown to be emotionally torn over losing his daughter).

Another subplot was the anguish of a Christian mother with Alzheimer's. But when she spoke with her wayward selfish son, she spoke about spiritual things with clarity as if she was being led by the Holy Spirit.  

The movie had star power: Willie and Korie Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame made two short appearances as themselves that added to the plot.

Hollywood has taken notice that clean "faith-friendly movies" are more successful than R-rated films. I'm constantly being invited to screenings where the marketers are hoping Christians will pack the theaters and fill marketers' pockets with money. I walked out of one screening recently, horribly disappointed at a movie that claimed to be faith based, but was nothing more than a Catholic priest, a couple of Scriptures and a heart-warming plot. It didn't come close to communicating the gospel or even real Christians being a light in a dark world.

But God's Not Dead filled this need—a strong Christian witness in a well-written, well-acted film. Its sequel is about a high school teacher, played by Melissa Joan Hart, who is arrested for speaking about Jesus in the classroom.

The movie climaxes with a courtroom scene in Little Rock, complete with real experts playing themselves being called to testify.

I was pleasantly surprised by what I heard and saw. The stars like Melissa Joan Hart and Sadie Robertson were likable and seemed passionate about this new movie. Everyone I talked to from Director Harold Cronk down to the extras said they believed the movie would help teach a generation of Christians how to defend their faith in an increasingly hostile environment.

It was fun watching the takes and retakes and to watch and listen on the monitors at Benton High School in Benton, Arkansas, about a half-hour outside of Little Rock. They used an actual classroom and some local teens, along with members of some Christian bands and the children of a few well-known Christian leaders as students in the school.

Troy was at my side most of the day, explaining the movie business and talking about some of the exciting things that resulted from the first God's Not Dead movie. He also gave me a play by play on what I was seeing and who was who. But when he would reel off how this actor or that actress was on some well-known network TV program, I was clueless because I don't follow those programs.

Many of the actors professed to be Christians, including Hart—who I know as a spokesperson for Wal-Mart—who told me being in the movie allowed her to "come out" as a Christian in Hollywood.

I've traveled the world, interviewed three U.S. presidents and spoken at the United Nations. But I was unprepared for how much fun this was. Even though I play the role of a CEO at the office, I think I must still be a reporter at heart, because I quickly fell back into that role as I interviewed Troy the financier, Harold the director and some of the stars.

While at the filming, I recorded numerous interviews to be used on upcoming podcasts of The Strang Report. You won't want to miss them over the next few weeks. If you haven't subscribed, click here to do so. We're excited how the number of our podcast subscribers is growing every day.

The first time around, no one knew how God's Not Dead would succeed. The promoters were starting from scratch to get an audience. This time around, they have a brand, and many people like me eager to see what is next. How many of their 7 million fans on Facebook do you think will want to see the sequel?

Leave your comments on what you thought about God's Not Dead or this trend toward faith-friendly films in Hollywood. Share this with your friends. Let's get a buzz going in anticipation of this exciting new movie that I believe will be better than the first.

Steve Strang is the founding editor and publisher of Charisma. Follow him on Twitter or Facebook stephenestrang.

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'90 Minutes in Heaven' Resurrects on the Big Screen

By Angela Zatopek

CBN News Reporter

Tuesday, July 07, 2015

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ATLANTA -- It's a story that's captured hearts around the world and addresses the question, "What happens after this life is over?"

After being translated into 46 different languages, Don Piper's best-selling book 90 Minutes in Heaven is now being resurrected on the big screen.

The movie will tell the story that began on a Texas highway in 1989. Don Piper was traveling from a conference when a truck plowed into his car head on. Piper broke every bone in his body except his right arm from the impact. His heart flatlined when the paramedics arrived.

As traffic passed, the accident scene caught the attention of passerby Dick Onarecker, who happened to be a pastor. Onarecker begged police to let him enter the car to pray for the victim. The police repeatedly dismissed the request, since Piper had no pulse.

Watch a preview and commentary from Don Piper below.

After numerous attempts, Onarecker finally got permission to enter the car. There sitting under the body tarp with Piper's lifeless body. Onarecker began to pray for a miracle.

"Dick was singing that hymn, 'What a Friend We Have in Jesus,'" Piper told CBN's Angela Zatopek. "After about an hour and a half, I apparently started singing it with him. I was back."

It's a modern day Lazarus story. But what happened in those 90 minutes?

"The moment the truck struck me, I was standing at the gates of heaven," Piper said.

He remembered his visit to heaven in vivid detail and knew he couldn't stay silent. His book has brought comfort to many searching for faith after losing loved ones.

Now the film version will bring his story to life in a whole new way.

"On a personal level, the movie is kind of a logical conclusion. People can see now what we felt. What they read about and it will be portrayed very well by some very fine actors," Piper said.

Actor Hayden Christensen from "Star Wars" plays Piper, and Kate Bosworth from "Remember the Titans," portrays his wife, Eva Piper.

"I love that he refers to her as the real hero of the story because I do believe she held it all together with such grace and patience and dignity. This is certainly a huge aspect to the success of his life and their family. I am incredibly honored to be apart of it," Bosworth said.

The film also includes singer Michael W. Smith, E! News Jason Kennedy, as well as some new faces to the big screen playing the Pipers' children.

While skeptics still debate stories of other people claiming they have gone to Heaven, Piper's story stands apart. His heart was declared flatlined by medics for 90 minutes. With the question of his death off the table, producers were careful to keep the script to the true story.

Piper described the gate of heaven he stood at much like the inside of a pearl filled with dazzling light. The gate stands ornate and large, but the entrance is narrow.

Piper said the entrance is clearly only for the entry of one.

"I saw colors I've never seen before. I heard angels, not their voices, but their wings," he said. "Hearing music, thousands of songs but it wasn't chaos. Only one song distinginguished itself ... "Holy Holy Holy"... because He is."

The film is set to release Sept. 11, 2015, as a story of hope. It aims to show the power of prayer and make audiences think, "What's important in this life?"

"I came back from heaven with a question, 'Who are you going to greet?'" Piper said. "I think that's why we're all still here… those of us who are followers of Jesus are here to help others get there."

Video: Caesarea National Park

Sunday, July 05, 2015 |  Israel Today staff

Caesarea’s antiquities park is one of Israel’s most impressive parks, housing unique buildings from various periods, bearing silent witness to the upheavals that have visited Caesarea over the past 2,300 years. Standing side by side over an area of 500 dunams (125 acres), there are architectural remains from the Hellenistic period (the 3rd century BCE) to the Crusader period (the 12th century), when Caesarea was a port city and spent many years as Israel’s capital.

Caesarea was given to King Herod as a present by Augustus Caesar and is named after him. Herod built a massive port there alongside entertainment facilities, bathhouses and temples. In the Byzantine period, the Crusader period the city was fortified with walls and gates, which were eventually destroyed by the Mamluk Conquest in the 13th century never to be rebuilt.

Caesarea National Park from Amir Aloni on Vimeo.

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Jesus (Yeshua)

I'm Feeling Like an Umbrella Salesman in a Thunderstorm - Dr. Michael Brown

I'm Feeling Like an Umbrella Salesman in a Thunderstorm

 7/1/2015 MICHAEL BROWN  charisma news

I've been speaking so much about gay activism (as well as urging the church to pray for the LGBT community and to prepare for a massive harvest of souls). (Reuters)

About 20 years ago, I was spending time with David Wilkerson in New York City when a storm unexpectedly broke out as we were leaving a building. Sure enough, in true New York fashion, there was someone right outside the door selling umbrellas, and as expected, Pastor Dave bought one to keep us dry in the showers. In fact, just about everyone seemed to buy one as they walked outside into the sudden downpour.

I feel like that umbrella salesman today, except that for years now, I've been selling these umbrellas in the desert, knowing that a massive storm was coming and that soon enough, the umbrellas would become hot items.

What exactly do I mean?

After I spoke in Jerusalem earlier this week on our calling to take up the cross and serve the Lord by life or by death, an Israeli-born American missionary to the Muslims asked me why I did not appear more concerned about the Supreme Court's disastrous redefining of marriage.

He knew I was grieved over it.

He knew that I expected hard times for the Church of America.

But he knew that I was full of optimism and confidence in the midst of the storm.

Why?

It's because I have been expecting these things for years now, and, with all my heart, I believe that I have a promise from God that, as surely as there was a Civil Rights movement in America, there will be a gospel-based moral and cultural revolution in our land.

I have lived with that promise since the late 1990's, and that's why "revolution" has been a dominant theme in my teaching, preaching, and writing since then.

That's why, every day on the radio, I'm introduced as "your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution."

That's why I've written that there must be revolution in the church – meaning radical, dramatic, sweeping change in our midst based on the Word and empowered by the Spirit – before there can be revolution in society.

That's why I wrote in 2000, "Only the life-changing power of the gospel will ultimately change a society for good. Only new hearts will bring forth the new life that the oppressed so long for and desire. Only the Spirit of God will truly liberate captives! But if we do not rise up and act, Satan will. The dissatisfaction is rising. The discontent is growing thick. Revolution is near – either heaven-sent or hell-bent – and only we have the truth that will set slaves free."

Sadly, we are currently witnessing a hell-bent, anti-God, anti-Bible, anti-Christian revolution, and it is rapidly sweeping our land.

But all hope is not lost!

As surely as it gets dark at night, if we humble ourselves and repent of our sins, if we cast off the fear of man and dead religious traditions, if we seek God earnestly and don't let go, we will see a turning of the tide. We will see a gospel-based, Jesus-exalting, Spirit-empowered, moral and cultural revolution, overcoming hatred with love, overcoming evil with good, overcoming lies with truth.

That is what I live for and that is why I raise my voice in writing and on radio and in preaching and teaching, seeking to awaken those who are slumbering and to strengthen those who are discouraged and to equip those who want to make a positive difference with their lives.

This is the day we've been expecting, and this is the hour we've been made for. The storm is here, but we have the umbrellas – and more. In fact, we have a way to bring out the sunshine again.

Last year, I wrote an article titled "I Hate to Say I Told You So," in which I documented how detail after detail of what I (and others) had predicted regarding the gay activist agenda had come to pass in shocking, almost devastating fashion.

I ended the article asking, "Do you believe me now? And would you like to know what is coming next and what we can do about it? And would you like to know why I am convinced that, ultimately, the gay revolution will fail?

"Stay tuned for more. I'm glad I have your ear."

I trust that today, in the aftermath of the massive, breathtakingly fast negative revolution that has taken place before our eyes, from the Supreme Court's lawless decision on marriage to the celebration of "Caitlyn" Jenner and so much more, you understand why I've been talking about revolution (not rebellion) and why I've been speaking so much about gay activism (as well as urging the church to pray for the LGBT community and to prepare for a massive harvest of souls).

And I trust that you'll also understand why, as heavy as the storm might be and as intense as the conflict will surely be in the coming days – you will not be able to avoid it, from the pulpit to Facebook and from the schools to your job – I am overflowing with confidence in the Lord.

We knew the storm was coming, and we've got more than enough umbrellas.

Best of all they're free.

Everything we need is found in Jesus, and if we give ourselves to Him unconditionally, saying, "Here I am! Send me, use me!" He will place on the front lines of the greatest revolution this nation has ever seen.

So . . . on with it!

 Michael Brown is the host of the nationally syndicated talk radio show The Line of Fire and is the president of FIRE School of Ministry. His newest book (September, 2015) is Outlasting the Gay Revolution: Where Homosexual Activism Is Really Going and How to Turn the Tide. Connect with him on Facebook at AskDrBrown or on Twitter @drmichaellbrown

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I Heard The Lord Say, "I Weep For This World, Yet There's Excitement In My Tears." - Bill Yount

I Heard The Lord Say, "I Weep For This World, Yet There's Excitement In My Tears." Posted: 30 Jun 2015 I have been feeling overwhelmed at the exceedingly sinful course this world has taken. A collision course with something, somewhere. But during my worship time I heard the Lord say, "I'm excited!" I said, "Lord, what did you say?" He said, "I'm excited!" I said, "How could you be excited? All I see is chaos and gross darkness." He said, "I don't waste chaos. And I don't waste gross darkness. I use them." "From your perspective the world looks like it's falling apart. From mine it's a grieving but wonderful sight. I see treasures in the darkness and greater treasures to come forth from the gross darkness. Weren't you praying for your light to shine brighter? Stay focused on Me and your light will increase to see the treasures I see."  He then said, "Son, you are right. This world is on a collision course. It's on a collision course with the greatest outpouring of My Spirit. The earth is coming into its fullness for harvest. And for that, there's excitement in My tears." Blessings, Bill Yount

Thank You Canada! ✡ "The Upright Will Remain"

For the upright will remain in the Land forever, and the wholehearted will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off from the Land, and the faithless uprooted from it. PROVERBS (2:21-22)   כִּי יְשָׁרִים יִשְׁכְּנוּ אָרֶץ וּתְמִימִים יִוָּתְרוּ בָה וּרְשָׁעִים מֵאֶרֶץ יִכָּרֵתוּ וּבוֹגְדִים יִסְּחוּ מִמֶּנָּה מִשְׁלֵי ב:כא,אב kee y'-sha-reem yosh-k'-nu a-retz u-t'-mee-meem yi-va-t'-ru ba u-r'-sha-eem may-e-retz yi-ka-ray-tu u-vog-deem yis-khu mi-me-na

Today's Israel Inspiration This Canada Day, listen to the incredible words of Prime Minister Stephen Harper: “It is a Canadian tradition to stand for what is principled and just, regardless of whether it is convenient or popular... Israel is the only country in the Middle East, which has long anchored itself in the ideals of freedom, democracy and the rule of law... Through fire and water, Canada will stand with you.” Today, we salute the strong alliance between Canada and Israel, and thank our wonderful readers from the north!   Get a "Canada Supports Israel" Bumper Sticker » Stephen Harper Inspires at the Knesset One can feel the genuine warmth and respect of two world leaders meeting on Israeli soil. Watch an inspiring welcome ceremony for Canadian PM Stephen Harper, with Netanyahu’s heartfelt speech well worth watching at the 3:15mark. Watch here » Tensions with Israeli Druze Recent events have, for the first time in Israeli history, pitted the Israeli Druze against their host country in a moral dilemma with biblical roots and life-or-death implications. Read more » Canada Stands With Israel Bumper Sticker Show the world that YOU are proud to stand with Israel! Choose the Canadian flag or your own country flag. Get this Great Bumper Sticker » Today's Israel Photo Daniel Malkiel glorious photo of a sunflower in the Land of Israel. Did you know that roasted sunflower seeds are an Israeli favorite? See more photos by Daniel Malkiel » Yesterday's Photo Trivia You got it! Yesterday's photo by Ilan Rosen featured Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee), Israel’s largest freshwater lake. In Hebrew, the root of "Kinneret" is "kinor" which means harp, referring to the lake's harp-like shape. Thank You Today's Scenes and Inspiration is sponsored by Robin Sussman in memory of her parents Sigmund and Barbara Beer. Toda Raba!   Sponsor a day in honor of a loved one » “Greetings from Canada” It’s great to hear from so many of you - stay in touch and let us know where in the world you are enjoying Israel365!   Stay in Touch » Greetings from Canada:  I so appreciate the articles, pictures and video's featuring your amazing land and peoples. Thank you for all you share about the wonders of Israel, Leslie from Cranbrook, BC Canada I have a prayer shawl, not like the one [in the photo] of the man praying in the field. One that was knitted by a person from my church! I love it and I love Israel365 and Jerusalem365! Polly, Concord, North Carolina, USA Shalom, Rabbi Tuly Weisz RabbiTuly@Israel365.com

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Israel Steps Up Efforts to Protect Christian Community

Israel Steps Up Efforts to Protect Christian Community

By Chris Mitchell

CBN News Middle East Bureau Chief

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

JERUSALEM, Israel -- Israel prides itself on protecting minorities within the Jewish state.

Still, some Christian sites have been attacked by fringe groups over the past few years, prompting government officials to take new steps to protect Israel's Christian community.

Dr. Moti Zaken, special advisor to Israel's Ministry of Internal Security on Minority Affairs, organized a series of meetings between government ministries and Christian leaders.

"We think it's very important that we will be cooperating to solve problems (and) to improve the relations because we value the Christian groups and their representatives as a very important asset to the Jewish state," Zaken told participants at the fourth meeting in the series.

David Pileggi serves as rector at Christ Church, the oldest Protestant church in the Middle East.

"Our relationship with Israel as the Christian community is good, but it can be better," Pileggi told CBN News. "What we appreciate about this meeting is that we can raise practical concerns and hear reports from different government ministries, the police, the army and find out how they are improving the situation for the Christian minority."

The government also wants to improve services to Christian pilgrims from around the world.

"It is one of the major, I would say, issues for the Ministry of Tourism to get to know how to approach the Christian world, both outside the country of course -- abroad, all over the world – and, of course, inside Israel," Ahuva Zaken with the Tourism Ministry told CBN News.

According to the Interior Ministry, that includes visas for Christians.

"We want to give a good answer to the Christian population, also to the Christian foundations in Israel, and this is also important to the State of Israel, and I am doing my job, to give every service with all my heart, whatever we can do to make things easier for the Christian population in Israel," Cesare Marjieh, director of Christian Communities for the Interior Ministry, told CBN News.

With Christians under severe persecution throughout the Middle East, Israel remains an island of refuge.

"It's the only country in the Middle East -- in the whole Middle East -- that actually has a growing Christian population so that says a lot because (in) all the other countries around this region, the Christians are fleeing as fast as they can because of the persecution, Islamic persecution," Chuck Kopp, senior pastor of Jerusalem's International Congregation, told CBN News. "So we can be happy that Christians are well represented and that they are an integral part of this country."

Pileggi believes Christians in Israel may have more freedom than their American counterparts.

"There's certainly no comparison between the Christian population here and what's happening all through the Middle East and in many places in Africa and China -- and certainly even in the United States. I would say that in many regards, we might have more religious freedom here in Israel than folks would back in the United States," Pileggi said.

Anti-Israelism: Combating the New Anti-Semitism

 7/1/2015 ISI LEIBLER/FOR ISRAELHAYOM.COM   charisma magazine

Unfortunately, the deligitimization of Israel is becoming a very real phenomenon. (Wikimedia Commons)

How does one effectively fight anti-Semitism and its newest mutation, anti-Israelism? The first ‎step must be to understand how these phenomena are manifested and who is behind them. ‎

Over the past decade, as anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism increased exponentially, many books ‎covering the subject have been published. Until now, aside from magisterial works of the late ‎Robert Wistrich and the excellent analysis by Daniel Goldhagen, The Devil That Never Dies: The ‎Rise and Threat of Global Anti-Semitism, there has not been a contemporary review of the ‎global battlefield covering the world's oldest hatred. There are other valuable studies but they ‎are of limited scope. ‎

Now a new study of considerable significance has become available. Manfred Gerstenfeld's ‎The War of a Million Cuts: The Struggle Against the Delegitimization of Israel and the Jews ‎and the Growth of the New Anti-Semitism is a compelling book that outlines the components ‎of the new anti-Semitism. The seemingly obscure title is explained in the text as referring to an ‎unlimited number of often small hate attacks from a huge number of sources. This differs from ‎the traditional anti-Semitism of concentrated attacks by major players, such as initially the ‎Catholic Church and much later Nazism and its many allies. What is radically new in this book is ‎that it presents a detailed strategy on how to fight the enemy.‎

Dr. Gerstenfeld served for 12 years as the chairman of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, ‎a leading Israeli think tank. A former international strategic business consultant to some of the ‎world's largest multinational corporations, Gerstenfeld would today, after the death of ‎Wistrich, be considered the most qualified analyst of contemporary anti-Semitism with a focus ‎on anti-Israelism. He is a prolific writer and has published 10 books on this subject, including ‎pioneering studies on anti-Semitism on campuses in a variety of countries, the anti-Israelism ‎behind the pseudo-humanitarian mask of the hypocritical Northern European societies, the ‎attitude toward Jews as an indicator of the moral decay of the Netherlands, and the ‎increasingly important role that Holocaust inversion and other distortions have assumed in the ‎efforts to demonize the Jewish state.‎

His new book is a tour de force and undoubtedly represents his magnum opus. It is a readable ‎‎500-page volume that provides encyclopedic coverage of the subject. It is probably the first ‎book that reviews the delegitimization of Israel as an entity, identifying the motifs employed, ‎the categories of perpetrators, how the hate themes enter society and the extent of damage ‎incurred by Israel and Jews.

Citing a large number of examples from many countries, the central theme of the book ‎highlights the fact that our current struggle is immensely more complex than confronting ‎classical anti-Semitism in which hatred focused on single messages, such as the killing of Jesus ‎or genetic inferiority of Jews. Today the onslaught comes from many diverse sources, applies ‎many different motifs and uses a great variety of methods and transmission channels.‎

His opening chapter is a lucid analysis of how anti-Semites have adopted and integrated anti-‎Israelism as a new mutation of traditional Jew hatred. The successive chapters discuss how ‎ancient hate motifs have been espoused and upgraded by the current enemies of the Jewish ‎people. Gerstenfeld demonstrates how Muslim anti-Semitism today has effectively adopted ‎the role of Nazi anti-Semitism and is at the forefront of the hatred and violence against Jews­--which not only emanates from Muslim countries but wherever Muslim migrants have settled.‎

He skillfully illustrates the interfacing and interaction between Muslims in Western countries, ‎politicians, the traditional media, social media activists, nongovernmental organizations, ‎church leaders, academics, trade union leaders, right-wing extremists, social democrats and ‎above all, those on the extreme Left now bolstered by Jewish self-haters who complete the ‎witches' brew from which the current onslaught of poisonous anti-Semitism has emerged. ‎

Gerstenfeld demonstrates that anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism use the same core motifs. He ‎cites a variety of studies indicating that over 150 million European Union citizens embrace ‎a satanic view of the Jewish state--where they believe the Israelis behave like Nazis or seek to ‎exterminate the Palestinians. He systematically exposes the shameless, naked anti-Semitism of ‎the majority of U.N. representatives. These include the Europeans who are increasingly ‎inclined to either abstain from or vote in favor of outrageous resolutions, often initiated by ‎rogue states, which apply double standards and single out Israel for censure. Gerstenfeld ‎demonstrates that anti-Semitism is not only part of Europe's history, but also of its culture. His ‎depiction of a new criminal Europe warrants serious debate.‎

He also analyzes the impact of the ongoing campaigns of delegitimization on Israel and the ‎ramifications for Diaspora Jews--especially in Europe--who find themselves increasingly ‎discriminated against.‎

Gerstenfeld outlines his plans to organize the fight on behalf of embattled Israel and the Jewish ‎people. He is strongly convinced that the Israeli government has failed to deal with this ‎problem for decades by mistakenly considering it a minor irritant instead of appreciating the ‎immense consequences of losing the war for the world's public opinion. He sees a desperate ‎need for the Israeli government to set up an advanced, well-staffed and amply funded anti-‎propaganda agency which will globally refute the loathsome lies and defamation and humiliate ‎and shame those responsible. ‎

The first task of this agency would be to deal with research, an important component being ‎the creation and updating of a databank of "enemies of Israel and the Jewish people." Each ‎new incident of hate-mongering could thus immediately be tracked to their combined past ‎mischief. One would also be able to identify the vulnerabilities of Israel's enemies. ‎

Gerstenfeld states that many enemies of Israel today enjoy a free anti-Semitic lunch. He ‎suggests that we could, for example, identify some of the academically weakest adherents of ‎the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and expose their professional failures ‎among their university colleagues and in their profession internationally. He claims that it ‎would not even cost much money. As most people are cowards, he believes that many would ‎think twice before joining the BDS movement. ‎

The second activity the anti-propaganda agency would deal with would be the monitoring of ‎new developments concerning hatemongering. His suggestion that this should be done in ‎three different categories is commendable. ‎

The first would be by activity, e.g., calls for violence, Holocaust inversion, BDS, etc. The second ‎would be by perpetrators, such as Muslim states, Muslims in the Western world, media, ‎politicians, liberal churches, NGOs, academics, social democratic parties, trade unions, etc. The ‎third would monitor developments in various countries. ‎

A third department of the proposed anti-propaganda agency would focus on activism, either ‎directly or indirectly. One proposal is that tens of thousands of youngsters willing to defend ‎Israel could be trained to identify how Israel's enemies work, what lies and fallacies are ‎used and how to expose them. Today the defense of Israel is chaotic. More coordination ‎would enable much more with the same means.‎

The book includes an introduction by former Spanish Prime Minister José Maria Aznar, who ‎describes the book as "an excellent contribution to better understanding the indirect attacks ‎against Israel." It also contains endorsements and commendations from Czech Culture Minister ‎Daniel Herman, former Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata, former Dutch ‎Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal, former Swedish Development Cooperation Minister Alf ‎Svensson, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, and others.‎

This book should be considered a compulsory manual for anyone engaged in public activity to ‎promote the case for Israel or combat anti-Semitism.‎

Isi Leibler is a veteran international Jewish leader with a distinguished record of contributions to the Jewish world and the cause of human rights. His website can be viewed at www.wordfromjerusalem.com. He may be contacted at ‎ileibler@leibler.com.

For the original article, visit israelhayom.com.

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