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| Palestinians fleeing Gaza after being warned by Israel before they attack (NPR) |
In a Mishpacha Magazine op-ed, Agudah CEO Rabbi Chaim Dovid
Zweibel noted that when he began his career 42 years ago, his organization’s lobbying
efforts on behalf of Israel used to get enthusiastic support from both sides of
the political aisle. Today, there has been an almost total erosion of support
by Democrats, and even among Republicans it is weakening. Most concerning, this
trend is most pronounced among younger Americans. The Ivy League students of
today will become the political and social leaders of tomorrow.
Things do not look particularly bright going forward. Rabbi
Zweibel does not claim to know why this has happened, other than to suggest
that the events post–October 7th, along with the loud voices of
progressives like AOC, have had outsized influence on their colleagues and the
general public. One need not look any further than New York City to see clear
evidence of this: the city with the largest Jewish population in the world has just
nominated Zohran Mamdani for mayor. A progressive who denies Israel’s right to
exist as a Jewish state, supports BDS, and has even said he would arrest
Israel’s sitting prime minister if he visited New York.
A nomination like that in New York would have been
unthinkable just a few short weeks ago. And yet according to most polls, Mamdani
will easily be elected in the general.
With antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment so high, does
this mean we are on the precipice of antisemitism not seen since Nazi Germany?
Is it possible that we will all be rounded up and sent to concentration camps
to await the Final Solution? There may be more than a few people thinking
along those lines. Well before October 7th, some were already making
comparisons to Germany of the 1930s based just on the increased antisemitism at
the time. They may very well be feeling an ‘I told you so’ moment about their
predictions.
The temptation to think that way may be strong, especially
among those who constantly warn against people like me, who praise this country
for its full acceptance of Jews in just about every way. Does that mean I was
wrong? Are they right? Were our days here always numbered? Was it only a matter
of time before the latent, eternal antisemitism attributed to ‘Eisav’ (meaning
non-Jews) reared its ugly head? And now - “Whoops! … there it is!”
I could not disagree more with those who have come to these
conclusions. For several reasons. Starting with the fact that some of the
loudest anti-Israel voices are Jewish. And if I understand correctly, most Jews
in this country do not support Israel’s war with Gaza right now. OR its prime minister.
If the Jewish people have themselves lost support for Israel, why does it make
a non-Jew an antisemite if he feels the same way?
This sad reality speaks directly to Rabbi Zweibel’s concern.
The erosion of support in Congress for Israel is mirrored by the erosion of
support among American Jews. In no way can it be classified as antisemitic if
Jewish people themselves hold these views.
As I have said more times than I can count, these views are
based on a sincere belief that Israel’s conduct in the war is both unethical
and immoral. That its leader is a corrupt politician who does not care how many
innocent people his soldiers kill in pursuit of his selfish desire to stay in
power. That prolonging the war will surely cause the death of all the remaining
hostages, bring about many more Palestinian casualties, and cost the IDF an
untold number of casualties. Not to mention the additional trauma it will cause
soldiers who suffer from PTSD, and the heartbreak for families who lose loved
ones in battle.
When people (whether Jew or Gentile) see two years of daily
images of horror coming out of Gaza, accompanied by a media narrative that
blames Israel - especially its leader, Netanyahu - for all of it, why would anyone
not expect public support for Israel to erode?
The fact that the images and media narrative are grossly
misleading doesn’t seem to matter. I should add that I’m not even sure the
media’s anti-Israel narrative is deliberate. I do not believe the entire
mainstream media is anti-Israel. (Although surely a significant portion of it are, not
all are.) The media reports what it is presented with from anti-Israel sources
inside Gaza. In doing so, they (perhaps unwittingly) distort the truth. A distortion I have tried to
combat here constantly.
But no one has put it better than OU Executive Vice President,
Rabbi Moshe Hauer in the Fall edition of Jewish Action Magazine, where
he interspersed that truth with his biblically based Rosh Hashana message. Here
is how he begins his article:
It is infuriating. The incomplete and twisted narrative promoted by many in the media and government casts Israel’s holy and dedicated army and Jewish people everywhere as genocidal, oppressive, and hateful. How can they forget who initiated the attack on October 7, including not only the “soldiers” of Hamas but the common Gazans who joined them? How dare they preach about Israel’s humanitarian responsibilities while failing to exert maximum pressure on Hamas to unconditionally and immediately release the hostages? How do they level accusations of genocide against an army that warns its targets before launching attacks? How do they highlight the destruction of homes and hospitals while ignoring the terror infrastructure embedded within and beneath them? Don’t they understand that there is only one army in the entire region that follows a moral code and reviews its actions for compliance with international law; that one side in this conflict sees civilian casualties as a tragedy while the other cynically uses them as a strategy?
Why is the plain truth so hidden from them?
Indeed. Since the beginning of the war, I don’t believe I’ve
seen clearer thinking from a leader of a major Jewish organization than Rabbi
Hauer. He is not some radical right-winger foaming at the mouth. He is a
thoughtful, rational individual who thinks before he speaks. He studies the
facts and analyzes them, noting that in the case of Israel, facts have been replaced by emotional,
knee-jerk reactions based on images taken out of context.
There is much more to his article that should be read in
full. It is a must-read. I could not agree more.
That said, the ‘elephant’ built by the media remains in the
room. And the willful ignorance of the media persists. As does the anti-Israel
narrative in Congress. Egged on by popular progressives like AOC, and supported
by highly influential entertainment figures.
What to do about it is something I still cannot answer. We
dare not concede the truth to the prevailing lies being promoted as fact. At
the same time, I’m not sure how we can change the narrative, given the
obstacles placed in our way.
Had anyone told me that Israel would not receive continued universal
sympathy after the savagery they experienced on October 7th - I
would have never believed them. And yet, here we are. And the inability to
break through the wall of ignorance-based lies - seems more impregnable than
ever.
I could not disagree more with those who have come to these conclusions. For several reasons. Starting with the fact that some of the loudest anti-Israel voices are Jewish. And if I understand correctly, most Jews in this country do not support Israel’s war with Gaza right now. OR its prime minister. If the Jewish people have themselves lost support for Israel, why does it make a non-Jew an antisemite if he feels the same way?
ReplyDeleteBy that logic and criteria, Stalinism was anti-semitic either since it had so much Jewish support. Even the communist campaign against Judaism itself can not be considered anti-semitic since it was headed by Jews (the Yevsektsiya) For practical purposes those type of Jews are not much better and don't think much different from non-Jewish anti-semites about any Jewish communal interest.
Are you really comparing Stalin to the vast majority of either secular or heterodox Jews in this country? Seriously? I have never heard such nonsense in my life.
DeleteDid I compare them? I just pointed that Jews have sided with anti-semites before so Jewish support does not negate anti-semitism. If you want I will broaden it and make it more neutral. Historically speaking the type of very secular and assimilated Jew that most young Jewish Americans are today have almost always sided with the anti-Semites when they were in conflict with the more Jewishly connected community. Unless the antisemites themselves did not allow them to.
DeleteOne point about majority of (young) Jews supporting Hamas, the majority of Jews are completely indifferent, hence quiet and noncommittal.
ReplyDeleteIt's really the Ivies and other politically involved universities whose students and faculty (and administration) that supports Hamas
Can't forget as we get further from the Holocaust much of the passes given to Israel for their conduct disappear. Guilt has gone down.
DeleteDepending on which side of aisle some ones on determines if they are considered anti-Semites
DeleteAntisemitism
Mr. Kirk was repeatedly accused of antisemitism, including by fellow conservatives.
He was a proponent of “replacement theory,” a once-fringe conspiracy theory positing that Jews are trying to replace white Americans with nonwhite immigrants. That ideology motivated the gunman who killed 11 worshipers at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018.
Mr. Kirk also accused Jewish philanthropists of fomenting anti-whiteness by supporting liberal antiracism causes like the Black Lives Matter movement.
“The philosophical foundation of anti-whiteness has been largely financed by Jewish donors in the country,” he said on his show in 2023.
Not long after, he accused Jews of controlling “not just the colleges — it’s the nonprofits, it’s the movies, it’s Hollywood, it’s all of it.”
Allies of Mr. Kirk often sought to defend him against accusations of antisemitism by citing his support for Israel. Mr. Kirk defended Israel’s actions in Gaza. After his death, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel mourned him as “a lionhearted friend of Israel” who “stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilization.” https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/us/charlie-kirk-views-guns-gender-climate.html
Clearly Kirk not a Zaddik as FNC contributor R Mentz from Bel Air stated
Because of some of the comments you’ve made here, Some might call you an antisemite Mycroft. Do you realize that?
Deletean anti-Semite because quoting that Charles Kirk was not the pure philo-Semite that RW Conservatives state. If anything it is those trying to make a hero out of Charlie Kirk Jewishly who are ignoring potential anti-Semitism. Tolerating/encouraging replacement theory is what the marchers in Chaarlettesville who chanted Jews will not replace us-which leading politician defended those marchers? and according to you I'm the one who is anti-Semitic
DeleteI don’t think you are an antisemite. But if I cherry pick some of your comments and take them out of context, you could be painted as an antisemite too. Get it?
DeleteCharlie Kirk said some really awful things over the years. He might’ve been a powerful polemical force in MAGA, but outside of the MAGA bubble he came across as a committed white nationalist whose ideas were openly and unambiguously racist and jingoist. Only recently did he embrace Israel; before that he was notably ambiguous about Jews and Judaism.
DeleteIt’s understandable why Jews would be horrified by his assassination. It was a terrible thing. But there’s nothing antisemitic about pointing out what Kirk long stood for, in addition to his recent support for Bibi-ism.
FWIW the memorial service for Kirk had Christian nationalism elements. Not a helpful sign for Jews
DeleteErosion of support among Jews partially due to policies that organizations like Rabbi Zweibel's push-not treating those who are Jewish according to heterodox Judaism as Jewish as Jewish if Orthodox disagree. Big number between those who are affected and families. Can't expect those who you don't treat as equals to support you.
ReplyDeleteUndoubtedly, anti-Semitism has played a massive role. But, a major contributor has been Netanyahu and his embrace of Hareidim, who care not a wit about the non-religious and normative Jews in Israel or the diaspora, and the likes of Smotrich and Ben Gvir who are an anathema to a vast majority of the western world.
ReplyDeleteMuch of the world thinks that anyone with an unkempt beard (meaning wearing one for some sort of religious reason, as opposed to for stylistic reason) is charedi. As well as anyone who keeps kosher and or prays daily. And they don't understand Orthodox, Conservative and Reform.. (Tell a Catholic that Jews believe in divorce, and they're completely confused.)
DeleteThus, they see all Orthodox Jews as extremists, etc. As well as PM Netanyahu and Ministers Ben Gvir and Smotrich. Tell them PM Netanyahu eats shrimp, etc, and they can't comprehend what you are saying
1:19 was me
Deletehareidim impact jewish support among non-religious and normative jews globally; smotrich and ben gvir impact the entire world
DeleteMaybe some idea0-more important to average Jew of Israel giving money to Hareidim is Israel not accepting them and their leaders as authentic Jews
ReplyDeletePlease do not use the name ‘anonymous’. It is against the rules here. I am seriously considering deleting all future comments that do use that name. In the future, either use your real name or pick any name you like and stick with it. This way when we respond to you, we will be able to identify you by that name. Otherwise it remains too confusing because anybody can use the name anonymous and you never know who you’re responding to..
ReplyDeleteYou don’t have to be antisemitic, anti-Israel, progressive, Democratic, a slave to secular hypocrisy, a naive believer in Hamas propaganda, or be otherwise unclean to share the widespread skepticism of the Israeli government’s military strategies and tactics in Gaza. From all reports, a large chunk of Israel’s military and intelligence establishment shares this skepticism, especially now that the government has embarked on a dubious plan to conquer Gaza City and other remaining concentrations of Hamas combatants, and thereupon to rule the ruins as a way of ruining the rule of Hamas. These people fear that Israel will lose the war, at great and possibly irrecoverable cost measured in many ways.
ReplyDeleteMany American Jews share this point of view. It is with this assessment in mind that they criticize the effects of the war on Gazan civilians. Mass casualties happen in a war like this. Sometimes such casualties are unavoidable or even justifiable. But this war is being prosecuted by the Israeli government without probability of victory realistically defined, for political reasons that serve only the ambitions of government’s most entrenched right-wing supporters. Thus in the case of this war, most American Jews — and most Americans generally — are going to condemn the mass civilian casualties as a tragic result of a bad government’s venal mistakes and misdirection. There’s nothing irrational about this response.
Most antisemites today claim they're not antisemitic.
Delete(Exceptions are those like Hamas Iran UK France Germans, Southern-hicks, Kanye-West and his types, Mamdani, etc. But except for those nation-states and their type, they total a much smaller number, and rarely physically act on their antisemitism. Many Jews included.)
Correction -- Western Europeans deny they're antisemites.
DeleteThat Israel's so called security establishment opposed to invasion irrelevant. They are overwhelmingly non Bibi fans. Interesting question-Id wager might higher % of soldiers from Mercaz area are stationed in TA and they would support LW parties while most of rest of the IDF mostly support RW parties.
DeleteOf course you don't have to be any of those things, DSF to be skeptical of the war and its purpose at this point . The only question is why one comes to those conclusions. IMHO there is a lot of bias factored into it.
DeleteI should add that ii believe that Rabbi Hauer's view is the correct one. NOT the prevailing LW 'blame Netanyahu for all that's wrong in the world' view. view.
DeleteThere might be an element of bias in some people’s doubtfulness about what the Israeli government is doing in Gaza.
DeleteBut I think you exaggerate it. There isn’t anything antisemitic or anti-Israel in recognizing the extent to which the Israeli ultra right-wing is pulling Netanyahu’s strings, or the degree to which his Gaza campaign has been a military and diplomatic failure, or likelihood that Netanyahu’s war plans will destroy what’s left of the Abraham Accords and Israel’s cooperative relationship with UAE and other Gulf principalities, or the decline that will sap Israel should it become an outcast nation unable to sustain it’s trade-based economy. Netanyahu and his war are perhaps the greatest threat Israel has ever faced, one that at this point threatens its ability to survive and thrive in the world as it is.
People know the difference between Israel and its government. They know what Netanyahu stands for. They know what Smotrich and Ben Gvir, enabled by Netanyahu, stand for. Should the war continue much longer, people will start forgetting this difference and will pin Netanyahu’s actions on the Israeli people as a whole — on Jews as a whole. Then the entire post-World War II Jewish project could crash and burn. That’s where we are now headed.
Wokism is an alternative religion. People of Jewish ancestry who were brought up in that other faith, or chose it on their own, could be in a whole other category than Jews.
ReplyDelete