Reverend Moon teaches that Jews are part of God’s family, sharing the blessings and responsibility that come from being chosen of God. Jews, Christians and Muslims are linked by a common heritage and common purpose. Therefore, we regard it a duty and privilege to support each other and work together.

The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification condemns anti-Semitism. Reverend Moon stated, “the Unification Movement recognizes the divine and natural right of the Jewish people to physical survival and preservation of its specific religious traditions, the marks of its distinctive historical entity.” Judaism is a living religion that is a source of blessing for all humankind.

What of the Jews and Jesus? We believe that John the Baptist, by denying that he was “Elijah” as Jesus taught (Jn 1:21), created a stumbling block for pious Jews, who would never deny the scriptural prophecy of Elijah returning before the Messiah (Mal 4:16). This left them with no choice but to doubt that Jesus was the Messiah (Exposition of the Divine Principle 126). In fact, most people of that age fell short: John the Baptist (Matt 11:3), Mary (Mark 3:31-35) and Peter (Luke 22:54-62) as well as the established Jewish and Roman authorities.

Thus it is wrong and pernicious to call the persecution of the Jews, including the Holocaust, punishment from God. God does not wish to see anyone suffer or inflict suffering, and is Himself pained beyond imagining as He experiences our suffering. It is God in His saving grace who preserved the Jews through their tribulations.

The Jews have a right to live as a free people in the land of Israel within secure borders. The founding of the State of Israel in 1948 was an act of divine providence. The United States, representing the Christian spirit, should continue to support Israel and work for the peace of Jerusalem. But the peace and security of Israel in the end can be founded only on harmonious and neighborly relations among Jews and Arabs, both within Israel and between Israel and neighboring states. A Judaism and Islam both devoted to peace can reconcile and unite the people of the Holy Land. Through faith in God, Israel can become an example of peace and reconciliation for the world.

The Jews continue as God’s chosen people. At the same time, God has raised up new “Israels”—peoples called to represent Heavenly Father’s heart of giving selflessly for the sake of the world. Today, pious believers of all religions, together with Jews, can be “Israel” and work together to bring world peace and usher in the Kingdom of God.

It follows naturally that, while affirming our obligation to “teach all nations” (Mt. 28:19-20), Unificationists do not target Jews or believers of any specific religious tradition for evangelism. In fact, we actively support mutual understanding, dialogue and alliance among believers, and are proud of our history of interfaith work.

“I want you to know that it is God's will that all religions be united into one. You know restoration takes place according to the law of indemnity, and that God's purpose is the restoration of all mankind. Some people, like Jesus, are in the position to sacrifice for the sake of the world. The Jews as well are in a position to help God restore billions of people around the world. Their sacrifices must not remain in vain; they served an important purpose in the history of God for the sake of restoring all the multitudes of people in history.

“Among the religions of the world, the Jews have suffered the most because God's loved ones are always in a position to be a sacrifice. Because God allowed such suffering to come to the Jews, God expected them to be the strongest, most understanding and most united religious people. Who shall play the central role in uniting all religions? God handpicked the Jews and trained them for that role. This is my explanation of the suffering of the Jews from the dispensational point of view; their oppression was not a punishment from God, but was the same glorious sacrificial role that Jesus was given in order to complete the restoration of mankind.”

Reverend Sun Myung Moon
Day of the Victory of Heaven
October 4, 1979
New York, NY