Georgia Faith & Freedom Coalition
Regarding Amsterdam
What we saw last week in Amsterdam is beyond disturbing, it is evil, and it is the same evil that led to the destruction of 6 million Jewish lives in the Holocaust. October 7, 2023 in Israel was a modern day ‘Never Again’ moment, and the violent attacks on Jewish people we saw yesterday in Amsterdam is a stark reminder of the evil we still face.
In 2018, my wife and I visited the Netherlands. On our trip, we had the solemn honor of visiting the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam and the Corrie ten Boom House in Haarlem. The Anne Frank House shows the horrors faced by the Jewish people during the Holocaust, and the Corrie ten Boom House tells the story of what Christians can accomplish when we stand up for the Jewish people.
In the 1930s, the Frank family felt and saw the demented rise of antisemitism in Germany and across Europe. They moved to Amsterdam to start a new life away from the German Nazi Regime. In the 1940s, life for the Frank family and Jewish people met a continuous assault on their movement, rights, property, and, ultimately, their very lives. Anne Frank bravely recorded her daily experience in her personal diary. Her perspective as a young teenager during the worst atrocity for the Jewish people in modern history continues to be the most widely distributed story of the Holocaust. The Frank family’s persecution and murder serves as a vivid reminder of where antisemitism leads if left unchecked.
The story of Corrie ten Boom shows the impact Christians and allies can have by standing alongside the Jewish people. Corrie was not a spy, military member, or political leader. She was simply a Christian who saw evil and did everything she could to protect the vulnerable. Over the course of the Holocaust, the ten Boom family hid and assisted hundreds of Jewish people from their home in the Netherlands. They were ultimately arrested and placed in the Ravensbruck concentration camp, leading to the death of her father, Casper, and sister, Betsie. She never wavered in her faith, nor in her commitment to stand for righteousness.
Whether it’s the atrocities of October 7 in Israel, or what we saw yesterday in Amsterdam, evil still exists. In the US, there has been an unprecedented rise in antisemitism on college campuses and numerous attacks on synagogues and Jewish institutions and individuals. Today, Christians and people of faith have a choice. Do we turn a blind eye to evil, or follow the example of the ten Boom family and so many others who have stood for good in the face of evil? As the Frank family’s story illustrates, remaining neutral to hate and injustice is not an option in order for good to triumph.
Our team works daily on public policy, growing support in churches, and raising awareness nationally. Over the past year, our organization has knocked on 9.7 million doors, including 779,534 in Georgia, with a pro-Israel message, hosted dozens of pro-Israel events, led a solidarity mission on the ground in Israel for elected officials, successfully lobbied for increased security assistance for Israel, passed meaningful legislation to combat antisemitism in Georgia with HB 30, and engaged countless pastors and churches. We ask you to stand with us for the Jewish people.
We will continue to pray and support the Jewish people and Israel at every opportunity. For many Jews, renewed attacks in Europe serve as an ominous reminder of the torment Jewish people have faced in modern history, from the Russian Pogroms, to the Holocaust, to the Munich Olympics, and more. In Israel, her people are facing dire and mounting threats from Iran and her terror proxies. There are countless reasons to stand alongside the Jewish State, but the Bible is clear: those who bless Israel will be blessed and we are commanded to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
In November of 2023, I led a solidarity mission of elected officials to Israel. The horrors and destruction we witnessed were difficult to fathom. We saw the worst of humanity but, also, the resilience of the Jewish people. Israel and the Jewish people still stand.
To our Jewish brothers and sisters, you are not alone. We will continue fighting alongside you and work continuously to ensure ‘Never Again’ is a reality, not just a slogan.
Mack Parnell
Executive Director
Georgia Faith & Freedom Coalition