Everywhere we turn, antisemitism – the hatred and demonization of Jewish people – is on the rise, and that rise is both meteoric and, quite literally, deadly. It is national and global, on the political Left and Right, among the religious and non-religious, and growing exponentially on social media. Tracking this disturbing phenomenon, let alone responding to it, would require a dedicated team working 24/7, and even that would not be enough.
What, then, is the purpose of this article?
It is simply to make some general observations that help diagnose the symptoms of this infectious plague, thereby helping us combat it.
First, as is often noted, antisemitism in a society functions as the proverbial canary in the coal mine. This refers to the old miners’ practice of bringing a canary into the mines, since it was highly sensitive to toxic gases like carbon monoxide. The canary getting sick or dying was a warning sign for the miners to get out quickly, since they would be next to get sick or die.
In the same way, when something is going amiss in a society, when it becomes prone to demonizing and scapegoating others, when a particular group must be blamed for societal ills, it is highly likely that “the Jews” will be first ones singled out.
This, then, is the warning sign, the portent of worse things to come, the symptom of a much more widespread and dangerous disease.
The horrific spike in antisemitism in America, not to mention worldwide, should serve as a very serious wake up call. Something terrible is amiss!
Second, antisemitism is the mother of all conspiracy theories, portraying “the Jews” as the source of all evil and the sinister puppet masters controlling the world, to the detriment of everyone other than themselves.
In an era when conspiracy theories have gained mainstream credibility, it is no surprise that antisemitism surges.
To be sure, not all conspiracy theories prove false—as recent years showed with COVID origins linked to the Wuhan lab, once dismissed, or concerns over mask policies and vaccine mandates, once scorned.
Unfortunately, this has breathed new life into conspiracy theories, inverting suspicion so that the non-conspiracists are viewed askance, and as if, for example, Erika Kirk had to prove her non-involvement in her husband’s assassination. How sick is that?
In an environment like this, the old lies about the Protocols of the Elders of Zion resurface with a vengeance, while the nation of Israel suddenly emerges as the evil empire dominating the world. And all it takes is one Jewish name – such as “Epstein” today – to make all Jews suspect, if not guilty.
Nothing fits more like a hand in a glove than “the Jews” and conspiracy theories.
Third, antisemitism is akin to drinking the Kool-Aid. Once it is imbibed, anything becomes possible, everything can be believed, and nothing is too far-fetched. Rational people become irrational, their arguments more tenuous and convoluted, all while their obsession with “the Jews” (or, simply with “Israel,” as if representing world Jewry) continues to grow.
And, in keeping with the spirit of sensationalism, a connection to “the Jews” must be found everywhere. All roads must lead back to the evil influence of “Israel”!
This helps to explain why once-respected commentators and pundits become gross caricatures of themselves. They drank the Kool-Aid of antisemitism.
Is it always antisemitic to criticize the people of Israel or, more specifically, the government of Israel?
Absolutely not. Both the people and the government can rightly be criticized on many points. In fact, Israel itself is highly self-critical, as evidenced by the daily reporting of a major left-wing Israeli website like Haaretz.com. Their criticism of Prime Minister Netanyahu and his coalition is absolutely withering, to give one example of many.
Is it always antisemitic to criticize Jewish people?
Certainly not, no more than it is inherently wrong to criticize other people or groups.
The criticism becomes antisemitic when it demonizes the people as a whole, when it negatively caricatures them, when it repeats falsehoods about them, when it makes derogatory generalizations.
When it comes to Israel, the criticism becomes antisemitic when it denies Israel’s right to exist, when it uses double standards in judging Israel, and when it demonizes the nation as a whole, to use Natan Sharansky’s convenient three-fold definition.
Today, we can better understand global events by recognizing that antisemitism functions as the canary in the coal mine, that it is the mother of all conspiracy theories, and that it causes people to let go of their rational thinking capacities.
Is the root cause of all this spiritual? I believe it is. But that is the subject of another article.
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