Steve Kramer – Israel: How Safe Do You Feel?
Do you worry that Jew-hatred might affect your comfortable American life? Do you think that Jew-haters will ignore you because your “Jewishness” is unimportant for you? If not, why not? Does this worry – if you feel it – fall below your concern for abortion legislation, diversity and gender issues, climate change policies, etc.? With this in mind, it’s time to wake up to the “new” West.
Jew-hatred won’t recede (forget about disappear) unless the West retreats from both left and right wing authoritarianism, which manifests itself as dogmatism, snide assurances of righteousness, condescension, and often punitive attitudes toward dissenters. Jews are always prime targets for authoritarians because Jewish influence far outweighs Jewish numbers in many different aspects of society. Antisemitism (I prefer “Jew-hatred,” which includes Jews and Israel) is alive an well in countries with few Jews and even, no Jews.
Recently, Tuvia Gering, an analyst at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, wrote: “…not only has China prompted the UNSC [United Nations Security Council] to hold three meetings against Israel, it has also given Chinese state-affiliated media, diplomats, CCP [China’s Communist Party] members and nationalist keyboard warriors free rein to lash out at Israel with anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist comments.”
Gering also said, “[China] has consistently failed to empathize with Israel, acknowledge Israel’s security concerns and the fact that it is threatened by cynical and murderous terror organizations armed by Iran, to which [China] has grown closer in recent years.”
It’s essential to realize that some political parties may eventually target YOU! You may think of yourself as a ‘cultural’ Jew, but the Jew-haters see you with a black hat and a long beard, like in a Woody Allen classic, or as a machine-gun toting Israeli “settler.” Far-fetched, yes, but lately proven by reports on surging “antisemitic” crimes. Perhaps the worst of it is that Jew/Israel-hatred is flourishing in Western colleges and universities.
CNN: “The young Gen Z [born: 1995-2012] Americans are confronting hate both in person and online in ways that have surprised and alarmed them, according to organizations that help Jewish Americans and monitor anti-Semitism.” (https://edition.cnn.com/2021/05/25/us/new-york-gen-z-students-antisemitism-soh/index.html)
These attacks are becoming more and more prevalent, as Jew-haters like the “Squad” gain publicity and popularity. This “Left flank” of the Democratic Party is very worrisome. Just this past week this group and its allies succeeded to strip an important bill in the House of Representatives of its component to resupply Israel with “ammunition” for the Iron Dome anti-missile system, a key component of Israel’s military defense. However, when this item quickly came to a vote on its own, it was overwhelmingly passed. Eight members of the Democratic party (roughly 4%) voted against the bill, joined by one Republican libertarian.
Perhaps the most recognized member of the squad, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, unexpectedly voted “present” (tantamount to abstaining) when the votes were counted. Conjecture has it that she will oppose Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer, the self-proclaimed ‘Guardian of Israel,’ in the November 2022 election. If she were to win that Senate seat, AOC would be in a much more prominent position to advance her agenda, which includes a large dose of Jew/Zionism-hatred.
AOC is emblematic of the worst kind of Leftist “wokeness” which is infecting the Democratic Party and must be fought by its many Jewish adherents. Unfortunately, being “woke” is what most young people aspire to, urged on by the likes of Facebook/Messenger, Twitter, YouTube, WhatsApp, WeChat, Instagram, TikTok, mass media, woke teachers and professors, and many more.
There’s extreme right wing Jew-hatred too, which often results in deadly attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions. But right wing nationalists are rightfully excoriated by the media and have little chance of turning the country in its direction. The less violent but still lethal woke variety of Jew-hatred can, and IS CHANGING THE DIRECTION of the West and especially the US.
A personal story: When I was quite young, probably in junior high, the subject of an (unlikely) war between Israel and the US came up among friends. The obvious answer was “America” but I said, “Israel.” Why? Because it dawned on me that after the US finished with Israel, it would come after us Jews.
Phillip Roth dealt with Jew-hating federal legislation in his 2004 alternative history novel, The Plot Against America. It chillingly depicts how average Jews were first persecuted, then marginalized, and eventually transferred or even killed as the legislation passed by a fascistic president became the law of the land. In 2020 HBO produced a mini-series based on the book.
With this in mind, even Jews who disdain their religion should not take for granted that their status of Jewish parentage is immaterial. For the Jew-haters, any Jewish connection is very significant. And most of my readers, raised in the aftermath of WWII and the Holocaust, should know that those whose heritage included even one Jewish grandparent were fodder for the ovens. Not only that, Israel-haters extend their hatred to Jews automatically. (See Note below.)
Some might regard these doomsday thoughts as irrelevant, but is it really less important than the effects of climate change in the 21st century? I could go on…
If you discover legislators that are anti-democratic and foment Jew-hatred in your preferred political party, try to do something about it. Let your Congressional representatives know your objections. Be careful about whom you vote for and don’t necessarily “vote the ticket.” Try to choose a candidate to vote “for,” not one to vote “against.” Acquaint yourself with the ethos of your chosen party to make sure that it’s going in a direction you are comfortable with.
Finally, remember that Jew-haters include you (religious Jew, proud Jew, Jew by birth only, and Christian Zionists) in their schemes. Only an enlightened – not woke – population can keep the US and the West on the correct, safe path of freedom.
Note:
“Condemning Israel for its ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, occupation, apartheid, and war crimes is not anti-Semitism,” teachers claim.
The San Diego chapter of the American Federation of Teachers passed a resolution this month rejecting Israel’s legitimacy as a country and accusing the Israeli government of carrying out ethnic cleansing, apartheid, and war crimes against Palestinians.
