On Anti-Semitism: ‘Does Everybody Hate Jews?’

 

When I saw Bari Weiss’ latest substack essay in my inbox, I hesitated to read it; did I really need to write another piece for Ricochet about the increase of anti-Semitism in America? At the same time, I’m always curious to know about recent surveys or perspectives on this phenomenon, so I read the essay. And I was surprised to learn that not only did Weiss have some intriguing points to make, but she also stimulated new ideas for me on the topic of anti-Semitism in America.

In many ways, Weiss did cover familiar ground: that Jews continue to experience Jew hatred: that destructive acts, such as graffiti and physical attacks continue to be reported. But more important to me is not whether there is an increase in anti-Semitic activities, but why, in a country like America, they are happening at all. The United States of America was founded on religious principles, with no state religion and with freedom of assembly. If anti-Semitic actions are occurring, why are they happening now?

Bari Weiss does believe that the virulent acts are growing in number. She refers to a song by satirist Tom Lehrer (see video) called “National Brotherhood Week”; Lehrer probably wouldn’t have written it unless it was to be sung to a tolerant and free audience. But Weiss suggests that in today’s environment, it would be seen differently:

But these days, the idea that ‘everybody hates the Jews’ feels like less of a punchline and more like an accurate report of public sentiment. It seems every other day a new study or survey confirms what so many American Jews are feeling, as the old joke had it had it, that they are hating us more than is necessary.

I would also add that Lehrer’s song, which targets many groups including religions, would in these times not only be rejected, but he would probably be loudly condemned and cancelled. “Hate speech,” in just about any form, is forbidden.

We also live in a time when people are continually pressured to conform, to not stand out, to not speak against the Leftist status quo. Religious Jews, who are historically the most common subjects of anti-Semitic acts, tend to lay low when these incidents occur; they fear that bringing attention to these acts will incite further violence. Weiss points out that religious Jews, by their culture and beliefs, are the most likely to draw attention and be criticized:

Where liberty thrives, Jews thrive. Where difference is celebrated, Jews are celebrated. Where freedom of thought and faith and speech are protected, Jews tend to be, too. And when such virtues are regarded as threats, Jews will be regarded as the same.

The current demand for conformity — that sense that our difference is dangerous — comes at us from both political extremes. It is a familiar squeeze, even though the particular terms are American.

She states later in her essay:

For Jews, an ideology that contends that difference is anathema is not simply ridiculous — we have an obviously distinct history, tradition and religion that has been the source of both enormous tragedy as well as boundless gifts — but is also, as history has shown, lethal.

By simply existing as ourselves, by insisting on the freedom to be distinct, Jews undermine the vision of a world without difference. And so the things about us that make us different must be demonized, so that they can be erased or destroyed: Zionism is nothing but settler-colonialism; government officials justify the murder of innocent Jews in Jersey City; Jewish businesses can be looted because Jews ‘are the face of capital.’

Those factors that set us apart turn us into targets. You could say, we are the victims of our time.

Although I was still debating whether to submit this post, a post by @stad  included an article (that addressed this issue) that angered me enough to post. The key factor was reported in this way:

Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday removed $1 billion in military funding for Israel from legislation to fund the U.S. government after objections from House of Representatives liberals, setting the stage for a potential fight over the matter later this year.

Some House Democrats objected to a provision in a stopgap spending bill to provide the additional funding so Israel can replenish its “Iron Dome” missile-defense system.

Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, both known for their anti-Israel statements, introduced the resolution to halt the weapons sales. Please note that the Iron Dome is a defensive weapon used to protect Israel against hostile attacks. In addition, these are the steps we have already taken:

The United States has already provided more than $1.6 billion for Israel to develop and build the Iron Dome system, according to a U.S. Congressional Research Service report last year. This reflects perennially strong support for aid to Israel among both Democrats and Republicans.

Some liberal Democrats objected to that policy this year, citing Palestinian casualties as Israel struck back after Hamas rocket attacks in May. Israel said most of the 4,350 rockets fired from Gaza during the conflict were blown out of the sky by Iron Dome interceptors.

*     *     *     *

These are the reasons I’m focusing on the nature of the anti-Semitic attacks rather than the number of attacks. (Anyone who has read my past posts knows that I believe anti-Zionist and anti-Israel attacks are overwhelmingly anti-Semitic.) More than ever, we need to have an ally and a semblance of sanity in the Middle East. Israel has been one of our most reliable allies in that part of the world.

I also believe that when societies are under extreme stress, as ours is regarding government, the border crisis, the economy, the evacuation from Afghanistan and the controversies and fear generated by the pandemic, people will look for scapegoats; Jews have historically served that role.

Finally, when we see these anti-Israel attacks in Congress, and the very people who are supposed to represent this country overwhelmingly approve a resolution by the Democrat party, one is moved to wonder about our government leaders’ attitudes not just toward Israel, but toward American Jewry.

Their actions are not reassuring.

(The title of this post plays on the lyrics in the video above.)

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  1. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Zafar (View Comment):

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):
    The Left tried to exterminate the Jews in Germany. The Left gets no points after that.

    Yeah, the whole Nazis were on the Left thing….not a widely held view, but whatever.

    Yes, “whatever”.  But what you fail to realize is that any socialist would defend socialism from any connection to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Nati0nal Socialist German Workers’ Party.

    • #91
  2. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Zafar (View Comment):

    Django (View Comment):
    If you can call yourself a national socialist — it’s right there in the name — and be on the right wing

    It’s a mystery. Like the DDR, or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

    Yes the DDR and the  Democratic People’s Republic of Korea were formed in 1947 and 48 respectively, after WWII and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics figured to parrot western democratic language.

    The Soviet Union and the Nazi Party were early formative socialist governments and proud of their socialist heritage, and thus had no compunctions against using the word “socialist”.

    • #92
  3. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    Zafar (View Comment):

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):
    The Left tried to exterminate the Jews in Germany. The Left gets no points after that.

    Yeah, the whole Nazis were on the Left thing….not a widely held view, but whatever.

    They were Socialists. 

    It was in their name.

    But, yeah, “whatever”. 

     

    • #93
  4. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Flicker (View Comment):

    BDB (View Comment):

    The left-right distinction is rotated to an unknown but undeniable degree as well — from historic times (classical disestablishment “liberal” vs modern big gov’t welfare “liberal”), and in a smearing of that same distinction with the least similar poles being old European and new American.

    It’s not that the labels aren’t useful — just that they rapidly shift meaning with changes in context.

    A big part of this is the Communist’s application of the label “rightist” to the ever-so-slightly less leftist heresies of Socialism, including Trotskyism and Fascism. From the left pole, all impure leftism is considered rightism, and in the left’s media, that’s the song the shotgun sings.

    I think the word “liberal” has been stolen by the Left, but the Left/Right distinction remains.

    Most of the left have given the word back to us now. Left historians have, anyway.

    • #94
  5. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    BDB (View Comment):

    The left-right distinction is rotated to an unknown but undeniable degree as well — from historic times (classical disestablishment “liberal” vs modern big gov’t welfare “liberal”), and in a smearing of that same distinction with the least similar poles being old European and new American.

    It’s not that the labels aren’t useful — just that they rapidly shift meaning with changes in context.

    A big part of this is the Communist’s application of the label “rightist” to the ever-so-slightly less leftist heresies of Socialism, including Trotskyism and Fascism. From the left pole, all impure leftism is considered rightism, and in the left’s media, that’s the song the shotgun sings.

    I think the word “liberal” has been stolen by the Left, but the Left/Right distinction remains.

    Most of the left have given the word back to us now. Left historians have, anyway.

    Well I don’t want it, now that I know where it’s been. 

    • #95
  6. Manny Coolidge
    Manny
    @Manny

    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio… (View Comment):

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-immorality-of-democratic-progressives-targeting-iron-dome/

    A little By DAVID HOROVITZ too.

    I do not find this to be persuasive.

    We are under no obligation to spend a billion dollars to protect the Israelis. Israel is a wealthy and prosperous country. Let Israel pay for its own defense.

    We have little or no strategic interest in the defense of Israel. It is not in a strategically vital location, though it is relatively close to a strategically vital location (the Persian Gulf). Our pro-Israeli policy alienates just about every other country in the Middle East — no exceptions come to mine — and undermines our relations with strategically important countries in the Persian Gulf.

    Also, let’s consider the supposedly defensive nature of this Iron Dome system. How about we spend a few billion dollars to give the Palestinians an Iron Dome system, and similar anti-aircraft systems? Such weapons are purely defensive. How would everybody feel about that?

    Little or no strategic interest is ridiculous on its face. Israel is our only reliable ally within an arms reach of an oil producing region. Besides that, providing military funding to that ally is a signal to the region and the world of our commitment. Pulling money away, especially as a result of the pro-Islamists in our own Congress would send a huge terrible signal to the world and to the actual Islamists. 

    • #96
  7. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Manny (View Comment):
    Little or no strategic interest is ridiculous on its face. Israel is our only reliable ally within an arms reach of an oil producing region. Besides that, providing military funding to that ally is a signal to the region and the world of our commitment. Pulling money away, especially as a result of the pro-Islamists in our own Congress would send a huge terrible signal to the world and to the actual Islamists. 

    Not only that, people forget that the Iron Dome protects the Jews and the Palestinians.

    • #97
  8. Manny Coolidge
    Manny
    @Manny

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Al Sparks (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):
    I completely agree with you. The Latter Day Saints were also attacked and still are. I’ve never declared that Judaism is the only religion that has experienced hatred.

    Like the Puritans, they fled religious persecution, only to engage in it in their western settlements, in their early years.

    This tendency is ingrained in human nature, and no religious denomination has escaped it.

     

    Would you say that Jews have practiced religious discrimination? Certainly there are divisions within Judaism, but not discrimination that I know of. I’m not clear about whether you’re talking about attacks from within or without.

    I don’t know how far back you’re going but the Samaritans in Biblical times. And the non Jews in Israel today complain of discrimination. I don’t have a sense of how valid it is, so I’m not claiming it’s true. But they certainly voice it. 

    But yes, by and large Jews have been more discriminated against than discriminating. 

    • #98
  9. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Manny (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Al Sparks (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):
    I completely agree with you. The Latter Day Saints were also attacked and still are. I’ve never declared that Judaism is the only religion that has experienced hatred.

    Like the Puritans, they fled religious persecution, only to engage in it in their western settlements, in their early years.

    This tendency is ingrained in human nature, and no religious denomination has escaped it.

     

    Would you say that Jews have practiced religious discrimination? Certainly there are divisions within Judaism, but not discrimination that I know of. I’m not clear about whether you’re talking about attacks from within or without.

    I don’t know how far back you’re going but the Samaritans in Biblical times. And the non Jews in Israel today complain of discrimination. I don’t have a sense of how valid it is, so I’m not claiming it’s true. But they certainly voice it.

    But yes, by and large Jews have been more discriminated against than discriminating.

    I guess it depends on what you mean by discrimination. People were criticized or argued with each other for the way they practiced, but I don’t know that they were stopped or punished.  Jews have always argued with each other. I could be wrong.

    • #99
  10. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Manny (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Al Sparks (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):
    I completely agree with you. The Latter Day Saints were also attacked and still are. I’ve never declared that Judaism is the only religion that has experienced hatred.

    Like the Puritans, they fled religious persecution, only to engage in it in their western settlements, in their early years.

    This tendency is ingrained in human nature, and no religious denomination has escaped it.

     

    Would you say that Jews have practiced religious discrimination? Certainly there are divisions within Judaism, but not discrimination that I know of. I’m not clear about whether you’re talking about attacks from within or without.

    I don’t know how far back you’re going but the Samaritans in Biblical times. And the non Jews in Israel today complain of discrimination. I don’t have a sense of how valid it is, so I’m not claiming it’s true. But they certainly voice it.

    But yes, by and large Jews have been more discriminated against than discriminating.

    I guess it depends on what you mean by discrimination. People were criticized or argued with each other for the way they practiced, but I don’t know that they were stopped or punished. Jews have always argued with each other. I could be wrong.

    There is racist and then there is racist. Same with discrimination. 

    It is probably impossible for a minority to not feel othered – they are innately other. They are always in danger of being ganged-up on through numbers alone. 

    This isn’t to say that there isn’t discrimination, but rather that in a sense, there can’t be 0% discrimination in the world as it is. 

    • #100
  11. Zafar Member
    Zafar
    @Zafar

    Majorities and minorities always have different perspectives in discrimination. 

    • #101
  12. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    TBA (View Comment):
    It is probably impossible for a minority to not feel othered – they are innately other. They are always in danger of being ganged-up on through numbers alone. 

    I agree. And sometimes we can feel that being other is being different, being special. It’s how others treat us that makes a difference.

    • #102
  13. Terry Mott Member
    Terry Mott
    @TerryMott

    I give a lot of leeway to those Jews who seem to see anti-Semitism behind every rock and shrub, largely because the Jewish people have a long, tragic history of being a despised minority.  That sort of thing has to engender a hair-trigger in the threat reaction.

    But it’s tiring to hear otherwise-sensible people claim that, for instance, criticizing George Soros (or some other well-known, vaguely Jewish person) makes you anti-Semitic.

    I’m not talking about anyone on this thread, but I have heard this sort of thing from conservative Jews in the past, and it always disappoints me.

    • #103
  14. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Recently a medium to dark skin woman I know asked a medium skinned Indian sorting clothes at Macy’s where something was, and the woman gave her angry what-for because she didn’t work there.  Minorities can be, and are, asses just as anyone else.

    • #104
  15. Django Member
    Django
    @Django

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Recently a medium to dark skin woman I know asked a medium skinned Indian sorting clothes at Macy’s where something was, and the woman gave her angry what-for because she didn’t work there. Minorities can be, and are, asses just as anyone else.

    Why Do Evil, Racist Whites Seem To Treat You Better Than The Blacks Who Call Them That

    https://youtu.be/O5eTe47LcCQ

    • #105
  16. Manny Coolidge
    Manny
    @Manny

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Recently a medium to dark skin woman I know asked a medium skinned Indian sorting clothes at Macy’s where something was, and the woman gave her angry what-for because she didn’t work there. Minorities can be, and are, asses just as anyone else.

    Here’s a little story that happened to me a few weeks ago.  It’s at the supermarket I frequent and I have coupons for a pie from their bakery department and a coupon for a high end burger from their meat department.  So I verify with each department I have the right item that goes with the coupon.  So at checkout I have an African-American woman ringing  me out and the coupons don’t work.  Not only that the supermarket has recently implemented digital coupons, and if you have a paper coupon while you’ve selected a digital coupon it causes the paper coupon to have a red flag.

    So at check out there are all sorts of complications, and I’m trying to explain myself. Finally when I point out the people in the meat and bakery departments approved the coupons and the digital coupons are confusing everything, I said, “You guys are confusing everything.”  So when I said “you guys,” I was referring to the supermarket and its system and its people.  She was affronted and thought I was using it as a racial epithet.  I’m still shocked that she thought that.  There wasn’t an iota of racial thought in my mind.  I didn’t realize until later that she thought I was offending her.  What a mess.  I won’t say she’s an ass, because on other occasions she’s been a nice lady.  Sometimes one doesn’t realize what offends people.

    • #106
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