Antisemitism Among American Youth

Have to admit. I never thought it would come to this. But antisemitism has raised its ugly head in this country to an alarming degree. Far greater than I ever imagined it would.

Please do not misunderstand. I still believe that the vast majority of the American people do not have an antisemitic bone in their body. That is certainly true of all three branches of government. There has never been a more pro-Israel executive branch than there is right now. The majority of the legislative branch is clearly not antisemitic, and the same can be said about the judicial branch. Ev ten though here are exceptions. Some obvious and some not.

It is also clear to me that the religious tolerance embedded in the U.S. Constitution ensures that we will never experience the kind of hatred that permeated Europe during the Holocaust. The kind that led ordinary citizens to eagerly hand over their Jewish neighbors to the Gestapo to be gassed and cremated. That is not going to happen here.

Still, there is an element of Jew-hatred among some Americans that existed just below the radar until October 7. After that, Palestinian students and their progressive allies began protesting what they claimed was genocide against Gaza’s civilians. Those claims were fueled by images from Israel’s defensive war against Hamas terrorists who have openly declared genocidal intentions toward the State of Israel and the Jews who live there.

But regardless of the truth, images of war often speak louder than facts. That helps explain why many Americans opposed the war in Gaza. And why many Americans started questioning U.S. aid to Israel.

The country is divided largely along party lines. Most conservative Republicans support U.S. military aid to Israel, while many liberal Democrats have begun to question it. The political division reflects divide in the population.

Still, I chalk up most popular opposition to ignorance and the power of media images. Not antisemitism. I’m not so sure that’s true about the opposition by some members of Congress. They ought to know better. I suspect there is at least a hint of antisemitism. As for Jewish Democrats who oppose Israel, some may simply feel the need to prove their ‘objectivity’ and show that being Jewish does not mean offering knee-jerk support for the Jewish state.

Ironically, it is on the Republican side where antisemitism seems to be creeping into rhetoric critical of the US-Israel war against Iran. I hear claims like: Benjamin Netanyahu is calling all the shots; that he is somehow leading Donald Trump by the nose; and that America should not be dragged into a foreign war...

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