Nowadays one who criticizes the Nation of Israel, its policies or its military actions is liable to be labeled as “anti-semitic”. Recognizing anti-semitic language or actions and condemning them is the mark of any religious group or community that hopes to do good in the world and be a part of its renewal and healing. As someone who has taught the Jewish Scriptures for decades, one important distinction I have learned is that there is a huge difference between anti-semitism and the criticism of Israel that is all throughout the Old Testament from the Torah to the Psalms to the Prophets. Israel being God’s Chosen People means that they must and should hold themselves to a much higher standard of righteousness and justice than the other nations of the world. From Abraham’s shameful exploitation of his wife, Sarah, and later their maid Hagar to Moses’ lament over Israel’s hard-hearted doubt of God’s plan to prophets like Samuel who criticize arrogant kings like Saul with their full chest…the Hebrew Scriptures loudly and deliberately emphasize self-criticism before pointing to the other nations of the world and their faults. If we look a little deeper at the prophet, Amos, in the Bible we can see this in loud and vivid detail.