Paranoid or Prescient?

Conservatives are alarmed about the midterm election results, and they should be. They’re shocked by the election of socialists, particularly members of the radical Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). The DSA’s demands for Medicare for All, tearing down our constitutional government, addressing affordability, increasing the number of SCOTUS justices, and action on climate change will be front and center on its agenda. But one agenda item will be lurking nearby that few are discussing: targeting the Jews of America.

The DSA has already shown its true colors regarding antisemitism. Few know that Michael Harrington originally created it as a pro-Zionist organization.

However, it has abandoned those roots. Although the organization has not officially endorsed antisemitism, it has embraced anti-Zionism, and a powerful faction has advocated for anti-Semitic positions.

The DSA and its defenders insist that anti-Zionism is not antisemitism. But hostility toward Israel has repeatedly spilled over into hostility toward Jews. Since Hamas’s massacre on October 7, 2023, Jewish businesses have been vandalized with anti-Israel graffiti, Jewish students have been harassed and excluded from campus facilities, and Jewish religious institutions have been targeted by vandals invoking the Palestinian cause.

The DSA is no innocent bystander. Immediately after October 7, several DSA chapters defended or rationalized Hamas’s attack. In May 2026, Seattle’s chapter co-sponsored a demonstration at which Hamas and Hezbollah imagery appeared, and protesters called for the death of Zionists, by which they clearly meant Jews. In December 2025, Southern New Hampshire DSA organized a boycott intended to drive a Jewish-owned bakery out of business because its owner had served in the Israeli military.

Other examples show hostility spilling into attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions. In July 2024, vandals targeted Jewish institutions in Pittsburgh, spray-painting anti-Israel messages and an inverted red triangle associated with Hamas imagery. In Los Angeles, a violent confrontation outside the Adas Torah Synagogue in June 2024 led to federal hate-crime charges against a protester accused of assaulting a Jewish man. At UCLA, a federal court intervened after Jewish students who refused to renounce their Zionist beliefs were excluded from parts of campus.

The DSA has organized demonstrations that support Hamas, and some candidates openly express hatred toward Israel. There are other positions it has declared:

Through its platform, Palestine Solidarity Toolkit, and public statements, the organization falsely labels Israel’s defensive war in Gaza a “genocide,” endorses the BDS movement, calls for an end to U.S. military aid to Israel, and promotes efforts to economically and academically isolate Israel. It frames Israel not only as a human-rights violator but also as an extension of broader U.S. military and geopolitical power, portraying its existence and defense as part of an “imperial system” that advances American strategic interests in the region.

The Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) have also participated in pro-Palestinian campus protests and other anti-Zionist activities.

The distinction between opposition to Israeli policies and hatred of Jews may exist in theory, but these incidents show how readily it collapses in practice. That is why the DSA’s growing influence should concern American Jews.

At the federal level, you might assume the radicals have more important issues than antisemitism, and in some ways, you’d be correct. Some will focus on investigations and impeachments of federal leadership, consuming time that might otherwise go toward damaging legislation. They also realize that President Trump will likely veto legislation he considers detrimental to this country.

Nevertheless, several factors could trigger actions against Jews at the state and local levels, if not federally. Many policy issues originate in DSA chapters before reaching the federal level:

While an early DSA chapter listing from 2013 shows just 21 chapters, mostly in metropolitan areas, the DSA network now includes 204 distinct chapters and 45 organizing committees. The chapters appear even in redder states like Texas and Florida, but also in less populous states, such as Alabama, Idaho, and West Virginia. The only two states without a DSA chapter are Alaska and Wyoming.

If inflation, gas prices, and food prices don’t improve early next year, Democrats will want someone to blame. For example, if Trump does not end the war in Iran, they may blame the Jews for his decision, or lack thereof. The left can continue blaming Trump, but those accusations will be less credible once Democrats control Congress.

If attacks on Jews escalate, who will aid them? Antisemites exist at all levels of society, and Jews have historically been scapegoats.

Sadly, there’s no indication that Jews will switch from the Democratic to the Republican Party, despite overt antisemitism among Democrats and DSA members. Even though Trump has only two years left as president, Jewish Democrats will likely continue to hate him and support a party that despises them.

As the DSA’s power grows, it is recruiting future candidates. Some recently elected officials already have high profiles:

• Zohran Mamdani, New York City mayor, who has frequently criticized Israel;

• Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), whose criticisms have included anti-Semitic rhetoric;

• Donavan McKinney, newly elected to the U.S. House, who supports taxing the rich;

• Melat Kiros, elected to Congress from Colorado, who supports Medicare for All and ending foreign wars;

• Chris Rabb, elected to the U.S. House from Pennsylvania, who supports universal broadband and publicly subsidized grocery stores;

• Darializa Avila Chevalier, elected to Congress from New York, who criticizes AIPAC and Israel; and

• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who rejoined the DSA in August 2026 after her membership lapsed in 2019 and the organization withdrew its national endorsement in 2024.

Although some have not explicitly criticized Jews or Israel, they willingly affiliate with the DSA, which does.

An April 2026 Pew Research poll found widespread unfavorable views of Israel and its leadership among Democrats, especially younger voters. Though the poll specifically measured attitudes toward Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, we already know that, for many, dislike of Israel and antisemitism are inextricably intertwined, so these numbers matter. As one analysis observed:

According to a recent Pew Research Center Survey, 84% of Democratic voters under the age of 50 have an unfavorable view of Israel and 76% have little or no confidence that Prime Minister Netanyahu will do the right thing in the Middle East. For these voters, mainstream elected Democrats really have fallen out of step, and the progressives have stepped into the political void.

This country needs to prepare for the DSA and the political left joining forces to “transform” America. We can hope they pursue their utopian goals and spin their wheels for the next two years. And we can pray that Jewish Americans will not be in their sights.

Keep in mind, however, that if they target the Jews, they will come for you next.