 |
| 2024 DNC convention at the United Center in Chicago (JI) |
The October 7th Hamas attack changed everything. To be
sure, support for Israel had already been eroding on the liberal left—driven in
part by the growing influence of pro-Palestinian activism in academia and a
media increasingly sympathetic to that narrative. Still, Israel and the Jewish
people retained broad mainstream support. That included not only conservative
Republicans, but most Democrats as well.
Israel’s forceful response to Hamas, however - aimed at
eliminating the threat once and for all - accelerated an already growing
hostility. On campuses especially, where progressive faculty and activists had
long been moving in this direction, support for Israel began to collapse more
rapidly. This shift was reinforced by an underlying ideological critique: that
Israel itself had moved away from their original socially progressive ideals
toward a more market-oriented, nationalist posture.
And almost immediately after the war against Hamas began,
progressive Democrats in congress and the largely left leaning mainstream media
amplified Palestinian and UN narratives portraying Israel’s actions as
disproportionate, even genocidal. The impact of that constant narrative on
public opinion - especially among younger and more progressive audiences - has
been profound.
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s close alignment with President
Trump, and the broader geopolitical framing of Israel alongside U.S. policy
toward Iran, has only deepened partisan divides over Israel.
The result is a reality that would have been hard to imagine
not long ago: antisemitism rising to levels not seen in among mainstream
Americans since pre-Holocaust times, and support for Israel becoming
increasingly polarized. Though it is highly unlikely to pass, that the DNC is
even considering a resolution condemning
both Israel and AIPAC is something I never dreamed could happen. Meanwhile, a
small but notable number of Republicans have begun questioning continued U.S.
support—sometimes echoing rhetoric once confined to the far left.
In some quarters, the line between criticism of Israel and
hostility toward Jews has become blurred, if not erased altogether.
It is deeply distressing to witness what was once
near-universal support for Israel and the Jewish people give way to something
far more fragmented—and, at times, openly hostile. When influential voices like
that of the vice-president frame extreme rhetoric as merely protected speech,
it only accelerates that trend.
And yet, while all of this saddens me, it does not shock me...
To continue reading this post - and comment on it - click on this link: substack. You must subscribe to receive new posts. It's easy and it's free.
