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NOTE: Bold text in directly quoted material indicates my emphasis and not by
the originators of the quotations.
2020 will long be remembered as the year of the Corona virus and
the death of an unarmed Black at the hands of a white police officer. The Corona virus
pandemic is undoubtedly the biggest problem of the year and, subsequent to the death of
George Floyd, much has been said and done about the problem of latent racism in America
in 2020. But, we need to raise another issue this year -
anti-Semitism. Some may justifiably ask: Has anti-Semitism in America
become a bigger problem than the the death of an unarmed Black at the hands of a white
policeman?
“Last year {2019} saw the most anti-Semitic incidents
in the United States since at least 1979, according to the Anti-Defamation League
{ADL}.
“The 2,107 incidents recorded in 2019 reflect a 12% increase from
2018 and are more than double the 942 incidents recorded just four years earlier, in 2015.
It’s the highest number recorded by the ADL since it began tallying incidents in
1979.
“Aside from a small dip in total incidents in 2018, the ADL’s
annual statistics show that anti-Semitism in the United States has been on a
steady climb for much of the past decade.” (Ref. 1)
Now, in 2020, the problem of anti-Semitism in the United
States is only worsening with vituperative tirades against Jews and Israel coming from:
the Black Lives Matter movement, radical Islam-supporting politicians, Black athletes and
celebrities, far right extremists, Neo-Nazis, and even from left-leaning liberal
elitists.
“Last year saw a number of high-profile anti-Semitic incidents.
In April, a gunman killed one person and wounded three in a synagogue shooting in Poway,
California. In December, two shooters killed four people, including two Jews, in an attack
that ended at a Jersey City kosher supermarket. Eighteen days later, an attacker killed
one person and wounded four in a stabbing at a Hanukkah party in Monsey, New York.
{Why was there no Jewish Lives Matter movement as a consequence?}
“The year also saw a stream of anti-Semitic incidents in Brooklyn,
mostly targeting Orthodox Jews. Earlier in the year, and in a different arena,
Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar made comments widely condemned as anti-Semitic.
. . .
- - -
“A recently released study by the ADL found that the majority
of American Jews have witnessed or experienced anti-Semitism in the past five years.
Nearly two-thirds said they’re less safe than they were a decade ago.”
- - -
“Last year saw a rise in anti-Semitic physical assaults, to
61 from 39, as well as a 19% increase in acts of anti-Semitic vandalism and a 6% increase
in ant-Semitic harassment. The 1,127 incidents of harassment made up more than half the
total number of incidents in the report, which also tallied 919 incidents of anti-Semitic
vandalism, including 746 involving a swastika.
“2019 is the latest in a string of years when American Jews
suffered an attack . . . The previous year included the Pittsburgh synagogue
shooting, in which 11 Jews at prayer were killed. In 2017, at a far-right rally
in Charlottesville, Virginia, one person was killed and neo-Nazis chanted anti-Semitic
slogans.
“In 2019, New York City was hit especially hard: More than half
of the year’s 61 anti-Semitic physical assaults took place in the five boroughs. Brooklyn
felt the brunt with 25, more than a third of the total.
“New York state experienced a total of 430 anti-Semitic incidents,
the most of any state and a fifth of the total. The state is home to more than one-fifth of
American Jews.” (Ref. 1)
Anti-Semitic hate crimes have been rising at an alarming pace.
In May of 2020, “as protests raged across our nation, Los Angeles experienced an
explosion in antisemitism as kosher stores and synagogues were vandalized, looted, and
burned.
“The same has happened in cities across America as antisemitic
incidents are sadly becoming more commonplace around the United States.
“The problem is, instead of the Left condemning and
strongly opposing these attacks, antisemitism has found a home in the Democratic Party
and has become a shameful problem that the Left must confront.
“Outright antisemitic statements from Democratic members of
Congress have either been ignored or dismissed by party leaders and even if it is
condemned no action is taken. The lack of action will doubtless lead to a rise in
antisemitism in the party if Democrats continue to avoid the underlying problem.
Politicians who spout any kind of antisemitic rhetoric must be shunned by both parties
or else it slowly becomes accepted and normalized when party politics become more
important than rejecting antisemitic hatred.
“Democrat representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib,
have both come under fire during their first term in office for prejudice towards Israel,
support of the BDS movement, and outright antisemitic comments.
“Early on in her time in office, Ilhan Omar portrayed American
supporters of Israel as having been bought off by Jews . . .
- - -
" ‘The Democratic Party failed to condemn antisemitism,
and that failure sent a message which Omar and Tlaib heard quite clearly. They were given
a free pass to traffic in and promote antisemitism. ’ . . .
" ‘The Rubicon has been crossed. One of the two major
political parties in this country is openly accepting of antisemites in its midst.
. . .
“The outright hypocrisy from the Left when it comes to
antisemitism is also outright alarming.
“In June, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees . . . said
that he ‘will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of
America or our country.’ He came under unbelievable criticism for these comments as
teammates and the media alike slammed him for ‘insensitive remarks’ causing him to
retract his comments several days later.
“However, recently, openly antisemitic quotes attributed to
Hitler and Louis Farrakhan posted on Instagram by Eagles wide receiver Desean Jackson,
not only received far less backlash but were also defended on live television and by
teammates.
“Teammate . . . not only defended Jackson, but he
also defended one of the most notorious antisemitic speakers in the world, calling
Louis Farrakhan ‘honorable’ in response to Desean Jackson's post.
- - -
“Why is it okay to rip a player for respecting our flag
. . . and then just weeks later downplay antisemitism and say that it's not important?
You can’t condemn one type of hate while accepting or downplaying another.
" ‘Silence is compliance.’ That’s a popular sentence today. But
you can’t be selective with your noise. Not against hate. For all the bigoted garbage
stirred up against Jews last week, it was disturbingly quiet out there. We should think
twice about why that is.
“Where is the outrage from the media over this? Where are the
teammates coming out to slam these vile and disgusting comments? Where is the mass outrage
from the NFL? Where is the cancel culture mob who so viciously attacked Drew Brees just
weeks ago? The double standard when it comes to antisemitism versus other types
of hatred is glaringly obvious and equally atrocious.
“Apparently to the Left, it is not that big of a deal to post
outright antisemitic images online, but when you support our flag, our country, and the
people who died for it, that is unacceptable, hateful, and insensitive.
“The BLM movement also has deep roots of antisemitism in
their organization. At anti-racism protests around the country, antisemitic chants
and signs were seen and heard as antisemitism was a major theme in many of their protests.
”In Washington DC, black lives matter protesters marched while
chanting ‘Israel we know you, you murder children too’ . . . This is happening and is a
common occurrence at Black Lives Matter protests across the country . . .
“An organization that's stated goals are to fight
bigotry and hatred, has been hijacked by antisemites spewing just the kind of hate
they claim to fight, and for the most part, the leaders of the BLM movement are
silent.
“This applies to all those Democrat leaders who also support
the BLM movement without calling out the vicious antisemitic roots embedded in the
organization.
“As the Democratic Party continues to lurch to the Left,
they have a growing antisemitism problem which is no longer subtle. Although
some Democrats have come out and condemned the antisemitism in the party, as long as they
refuse to take action to eradicate it, it will continue to fester and grow. The Democratic
Party must show commitment to stand against all forms of hatred, not just the ones that
benefit them politically.” (Ref. 2)
Anti-Semitic incidents based in the Black community have been on
the rise in the U.S. despite a long history of allyship between the Jewish and Black
communities. But in recent years, there has been a sea-change. There have been several
high-profile incidents of Black athletes and entertainers making anti-Semitic remarks.
“Often, we discuss conspiracy theories as if they are kooky
yet benign tales spun by our neighbors, acquaintances, and even friends. But in America’s
current political and cultural configuration, prejudice combined with ignorance often
masquerades as legitimate thought and leads to devastating outcomes . . . And in a
society marked by incessant high-speed
information and spin, anecdotal and instinctual bias becomes the basis of bad-faith
arguments about free speech and a ‘marketplace of ideas.’ As much as social media has
brought us smart thinking by typically marginalized voices, it’s also allowed careless
people with big platforms to speak more loudly - and without the immediate intervention
of the wiser and better-informed people who may (or may not) surround them.
“Recently, big-name Black entertainers . . . and even beloved
Black author Alice Walker, have spouted age-old anti-Semitic talking points - usually by
quoting known bigot Louis Farrakhan - insisting that ‘the Jews’ run everything . . .
“On his podcast, {Nick} Cannon spoke to {a} fellow anti-Semitic
conspiracist agreeing with {the anti-Semite’s} racist view that Jewish people control
media . . . On July 4th {2020} . . . a speech by Farrakhan - a man who has praised
Hitler and repeatedly calls Jews ‘Satanic’ – {was rebroadcast} in which the Nation of
Islam leader called the Jewish head of the Anti-Defamation League . . . ‘Satan’ and
claimed that ‘those of you that say you are the Jews, I will not even give you the
honor of calling you a Jew. You are not a Jew. You are Satan, and it is my job now to
pull the cover off of Satan so that every Muslim when he sees Satan, picks up a stone
{and kills the Jews with it}, as we do in Mecca.’
“The rapper and actor Ice Cube, for his part, has shared a series
of anti-Semitic memes, and even lobbed an anti-Semitic trope at Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for
denouncing anti-Semitism in a Holywood . . . op-ed {column} . . . accusing him of
accepting ‘30 pieces of silver’ in exchange for the column.
- - -
“. . . Anti-Black and anti-Jewish racism are not interchangeable
realities, but they are related and feed upon each other, undermining the liberation of
Black and Jewish people (and, of course, Black Jewish people) alike. Like anti-Black racism,
anti-Jewish racism cannot have a place in any legitimate anti-racist liberation movement,
yet unfortunately, like with anti-Black racism, those who spout anti-Jewish ideas refuse
to acknowledge their prejudice, instead qualifying their hateful words with claims to
good intentions.
“Like anti-Black racism, anti-Jewish racism cannot have
a place in any legitimate anti-racist liberation movement.”
(Ref. 3)
In Philadelphia, the president of the Philadelphia branch of
the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Rodney Muhammad,
released an anti-Semitic meme in defense of black celebrities who had come under fire
for anti-Semitism.
On Rodney Muhammad’s Facebook page, there were pictures of
rapper Ice Cube, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson, and actor/rapper/TV
host Nick Cannon - all of whom have been accused of anti-Semitism and/or posting
anti-Semitic rhetoric - with a caricature below of a Jewish man with a long and crooked
nose wearing a kipah that is engraved on the wrist with a large, bejeweled hand pushing
down on a group of people.
Muhammad’s Facebook page included a quote: “To learn who rules
over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize,” which is attributed to
American neo-Nazi, Holocaust denier and white supremacist Kevin Strom. The page went on
to suggest that the repugnance expressed about the anti-Semitic remarks of Ice Cube,
Jackson and Cannon was part of a controversy orchestrated by Jews.[4]
Early in July of 2020, “A top US Jewish group raised the alarm . . .
about an ongoing rise in antisemitism across America.
“ ‘We are outraged by recent instances of blatant antisemitism in
America, many of which manifest in actions by anti-Israel individuals and organizations
seeking to co-opt the national reckoning with racial inequity,’ {officers} of the Conference
of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (CoP), said in a statement.
‘By taking advantage of the increased media spotlight on social justice they seek to spread
their bigoted messages of hatred toward the Jewish people.’
“ ‘To make matters worse, this comes at a time when Jews are
already experiencing sharply increased antisemitism in the US and abroad, including being
scapegoated by extremists looking to place blame for the COVID-19 pandemic,’ the CoP
leaders added.
“ ‘The horrific acts of hate-filled vandalism, destruction of
property, and flagrant expressions of Jew-hatred, including baseless charges reminiscent
of age-old canards such as the blood libel, directly threaten the safety and security of
the American Jewish community,’ the statement noted. ‘While it is clear that those
perpetrating these acts are a tiny minority whose views are rejected by the vast majority
of Americans, we are nonetheless profoundly disturbed by this surge in pronouncements of
Jew-hatred.’
“ ‘ Also troubling is the antisemitism and hate that continues
to pervade social media,’ it continued. ‘Recent vitriol from high-profile personalities,
some spreading the racist bigotry of Louis Farrakhan, is abhorrent and unacceptable.
Those who have influence should not be trafficking in or tolerating the promotion
of Jew-hatred, but rather should be vociferously condemning it.’
“ ‘No group should have to suffer indignities, threats, and
acts of violence . . . Every American must forcefully reject this dangerous incitement
and denounce these calls for bigotry.’ ” (Ref. 5)
In 2020, the relations between American Blacks and American Jews
has become strained as numerous supporters of Black Lives Matter, Black anti-Semitic demagogues,
Black sports figures and Black entertainers have voiced anti-Semitic screeds. Such are the
thanks Jews are receiving for the many years of their unstinting support of the efforts to
achieve racial equality for African Americans.
“The lengthy relationship between Jewish Americans and African
Americans is a complex and multi-faceted one. It is most profoundly defined by the
collaboration on racial justice and civil rights exemplified by the partnership between
leading figures like the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel.
This alliance can just as easily be defined by a shared enemy, such as when two Jewish
activists, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman, were murdered by the Ku Klux Klan,
alongside with their Black compatriot, James Chaney, while registering Black voters in
Mississippi in 1964.
“. . . {While} non-Jewish Black Americans are shielded from
anti-Semitism; some have spread hatred and bigotry and, in a few cases, even committed
acts of violence and other hate crimes motivated by anti-Semitism. Condemning hate,
directed at any group by a member of any group, should require no hesitation, but recent
events have proven otherwise. Thankfully, several Black thought and cultural leaders
have shown us how it should be done, and called out those who have failed to do so
unequivocally {e.g., Karim Abdul Jabbar.[4]}
Although much of this article focuses on anti-Semitic acts
by and/or in support of Afro-Americans, Anti-Semitism from the white nationalist
right - the sort of hate spewed by the terrorist who killed 11 Jews at the Tree of Life
synagogue in Pittsburgh - also poses a significant threat to American Jews.[6]
“Today, under the banner of “Black Lives Matter,” there is an attempt
to single out Jews who have achieved success either academically or financially beyond what
BLM deems acceptable.
“These days, intersectionality is in, but the Black community —
at least as far as Black Lives Matter is concerned — has no interest this time around in
allying itself with the Jewish community.
“At a time that the ‘cancel culture’ has not only caused statues to
be torn down but people to lose their jobs, the attacks on Jews being carried out in
the name of “Black Lives Matter” are a serious threat that adds to the already rising tide of
antisemitism and the physical attacks on Jews living in the US.”
(Ref. 7)
“For decades, Jews living in the diaspora have spoken about the
Jewish community as the metaphorical ‘canary in the coal mine.’ This metaphor accepts the
notion that Jews are powerless victims, sacrificed for the benefit of others. Using the
powerless canary to symbolize Jews reveals a deeply flawed mindset that paralyzes {them}
from properly taking brave action and defending {themselves}.
“The canary in the coal mine is a practice that dates back to the
early 1900s. British miners utilized the sensitive and vulnerable canary to detect high
levels of carbon monoxide and toxic fumes. If the canary, helplessly locked in a cage,
fell dead, the workers knew they were in danger and would flee the mine. In short, the
canary was a dispensable sacrifice for the benefit of everyone except for the canary
itself.
- - -
“True enough, the amplification of Jew-hatred is a warning
sign for all . . . anti-Semitism continues to intensify and suffocate our
community. . . .
“Jews throughout America experience hate and violence daily
from radical movements - the far Left, the far-Right . . . radical Islam {and today,
even from some in the Black Lives Matter movement}. It’s important to demonstrate to
all Americans that these movements not only aim to harm Jews but also threaten to destroy
our Judeo-Christian principles and our American way of life.
“Hate and violence targeted at the Jewish community
are the training fields for a larger attack on the foundations of America: our freedom
of religion, freedom of speech, equality, and pluralism.
“So as the perfect storm of anti-Semitism brews against the
Jews and Americans, {Jews} must reject {their} historical role as helpless victims,
the canaries in the coal mine.
- - -
“. . . {American Jewry must} support and expand existing
projects and platforms that fight back against Jew-haters and extremists and force
them into retreat. . .
“Like the eagle, leadership, courage, resiliency, and strength
are qualities that {are required}. {American Jews} must . . . look over the horizon to
detect threats before they occur. {They} must be visionaries of a free and bright future
and not wait for the inferno of hate to consume {them}. The future of America {and}
American Jewry depend on it. Like the young American nation adopting the biblical
eagle as its symbol, {Jews} can {continue to} serve as inspiration for {the} country,
this time to sweep back the radical forces of darkness.” (Ref. 8)
The alarming escalation of Anti-Semitism in America has been
going on since well before the recent focus on the condition of America’s Black community.
Nearly all of this upsurge of hate came from America’s far-right and far-left whites.
Midway through July of 2020, we saw the rise of a pernicious Twitter campaign directed at
Jews.
“While it began with the alt-right as yet another attack against
a vulnerable minority group, it quickly made the jump to the ‘woke’ camp of so-called
‘progressives,’ who have embraced it both loudly and publicly.
“Ironically, hating the Jews might just be one of the few areas
where the ‘woke left’ and the ‘alt-right’ have managed to find common cause. This
harkens back neatly to 1930s Germany, where Jews were singled out for censure by the
Communists for being capitalists, while the capitalists decried the Jews for being
Communists.
“Like a page out of the playbook of the Nazi propaganda minister,
Joseph Goebbels, the new #Jewishprivilege hashtag has exploded on social media. This
deliberate attempt to once again segregate the Jews by relegating them to the age-old
canard of ‘special status’ is hurtful and dangerous. . .
- - -
“To be Jewish in America today is to live in a dystopian world where
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream to ‘one day live in a nation where they will not be judged
by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character’ seemingly doesn’t extend
to {Jews}.
“. . . in 2019, according to the FBI, 64% of all hate crimes
committed in the United States were directed at the Jewish community. Is this part of
{the Jews’} privilege?
“. . . Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver DeSean Jackson . . .
used a quote that was erroneously attributed to Adolf Hitler . . . For this offense, the
Eagles gave him a slap on the wrist . . .
“These insidious attacks against Jews underscore a real problem
in our society today, where Jews are somehow expected to answer for {their} privileges as
perceived by those self-appointed arbiters of social justice on both the right and the left.
On college campuses across the country, {Jewish} students are being told {they} are not
welcome in certain conversations because of {their} Jewishness. {They} are told instead
to 'check {your} privilege.' What privilege are Jews supposed to be checking?
“Is it the fear of putting down {their} religion or nationality
as ‘Jewish’ on a college application out of fear (firmly rooted in historical precedent
for hundreds of years) that {they} won’t be admitted? Is it the fear {they} feel when
{they} walk out our door that any visible sign of {their} Jewishness could lead to a
verbal or physical attack? Is it the privilege of having to spend millions of dollars
a year for heavily armed guards to protect {them} in {their} synagogues, day schools,
summer camps and Hillel’s on campus?
“Does {their} privilege include having to hide {their} Torahs
while seeking shelter as white supremacists marched outside a synagogue in Charlottesville,
Virginia, in 2017 shouting ‘Jews will not replace us?’ Is it their ‘privilege’ that Jewish
parents have to talk to their children about how to behave in public so as not to bring too
much attention to {themselves} . . .
“{Jews shouldn’t have to} apologize for these so-called Jewish
privileges, though {they} may ask these so-called representatives of ‘wokeness’ why social
justice doesn’t include {them} too. Moreover, {Jews} roundly denounce the notion that {they},
as a people, have anything to apologize for in the first place. . . ” (Ref. 9)
Throughout the ages, those nations that have tolerated or encouraged
anti-Semitism have not fared well (See Ref. 10.)
As anti-Semitism is rearing its ugly
head here in America, so too are America’s problems. Aside from the consequences of the Covid-19
epidemic – illness, deaths and an economic nose dive – we are increasingly witnessing an
explosive increase in rioting, looting, and violence in our streets. Disrespect for law and
order is becoming the norm. And perhaps most pernicious of all, radical socialism is threatening
to replace our traditional free market system of democracy – the universal lesson of failed
socialism is being ignored. Race relations are worsening, not improving.
The trees that the anti-Semites of history planted with their seeds
of hatred produced nothing but bitter fruit. Can it be that the seeds of anti-Semitism that
are today being planted here in America are already producing the bitter fruit of discord
and destruction? For nearly four centuries, America’s Jews have lived in peace, prosperity
and harmony - and America has prospered. Is all that changing before our very eyes? Today’s
encouragement or tolerance of anti-Semitism is not an encouraging sign for America’s
future.
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References:
- 2019 saw the most anti-Semitic incidents in at least 40 years, ADL says,
Ben Sales, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 18 July 2020.
- The rise of antisemitism on the Left and in America - opinion , Matthew Wearp,
The Jerusalem Post,
31 July 2020.
- The Disturbing Rise of Anti-Semitism Among Black Celebs, Cassie Da Costa,
Daily Beast,
Accessed 17 July 2020.
- NAACP refuses to fire anti-Semitic branch president in Philadelphia,
World Israel News, 8 August 2020.
- Top US Jewish Group Urges Zero Tolerance for Antisemitism Amid Ongoing Surge
of Jew-Hatred, algemeiner,
9 July 2020.
- Every Black voice calling out anti-Semitism helps, especially when Black voices
spew the hate, Ian Reifowitz, DAILY KOD, 23 July 2020.
- About Face: The Changing Face of Black Antisemitism, Bennett Ruda,
The Jewish Press, 22 July 2020.
- Jews Must Be the Brave Eagle, Not the Sacrificial Canary in the Battle Against
Antisemitism, Adam Milstein, ADAM MILSTEIN, 13 July 2020.
- #Jewishprivilege: An ugly hashtag unites the woke left and alt-right in their
anti-Semitism | Commentary,
Aaron Weil, Orlando Sentinel,
18 July 2020.
- The Bitter Fruits of Anti-Semitism, David Burton, Son of Eliyahu;
Article 433, 1 September 2020.
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