Apparently, the two thousand years of irrational hatred of Jews has not ended. There is no other way to explain it. Despite the prejudice, Jews have made great contributions to world – and especially to the United States. George Washington’s Continental Army of Independence was partially financed by Haym Soloman – a Jewish businessman.
America grew into the most successful and powerful engine of commerce thanks to a number of major Jewish business leaders. In the early days of the Industrial Revolution, there were Jews like Julius Rosenwald (Sears, Roebuck & Co.), mining magnate Meyer Gugenheim (think museum), Samuel Gompers (American Federation of Labor) and Jacob Schiff (financed Panama Canal), A.N. Pritzker (Hyatt Hotels). The list of modern-day Jewish business leaders includes Larry Ellison (Oracle), Michael Bloomberg (Bloomberg News), Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), Sergey Brin and Larry Page (Google) and Michael Dell (Dell Technologies).
What would Hollywood have been without the original movie moguls? Louis B. Mayer (MGM), the four Warner Brothers (Warner Brothers), William Fox (20th Century FOX), Carl Laemmle (Universal Studios), Adolph Zukor (Paramount Pictures) and Marcus Lowe (MGM and Lowe’s Theaters). And the many Jewish producers and directors, such as Steven Spielberg and Mel Brooks. Comedians like George Burns and Gracie Allen, Jack Benny – or more contemporary funny folks, such as Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David and Adam Sandler. What would American music be without George Gershwin (Rhapsody in Blue, American in Paris), Irving Berlin (White Christmas, God Bless America) and Lenord Bernstein (Westside Story).
This list could go on and on and on, but you get the point. Jews have made great contributions to the world and to America. I also wrote a commentary in the past explaining why I love Jews – from both as an American and from a personal perspective based on close friendships.
What is beyond my comprehension is why there is such a deep embedded hatred of Jews as a people throughout the world that seems to flair up periodically in the historic record.
The excuse for antisemitism today – and it is an excuse – is the conflict in the Middle East. The basic claim is that Israel is occupying land that does not belong to them – and that Israel is oppressing the Palestinian people who lay claim to the land that is now Israel.
The World War II launched by Germany was both a war of geography – with Hitler envisioning a global empire for his Aryan race. It was also a war of genocide against the Jewish people – deeming them to be inferior human stock. It was the same white supremacy nonsense that fueled genocidal actions against Black Americans by such progressive leaders as Margaret Sanger (Planned Parenthood), Dr. Clarence Gamble (Proctor & Gamble) and white supremist policies of Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt. It was Roosevelt who blocked U.S. entry of a ship filled with Jews escaping Nazi Germany.
A lot of Arabs – especially Palestinians – heated up the antisemitic hatred in response to the creation of the State of Israel after World War II. We have seen a growing acceptance of Israel among Arab states through the Abraham Accords. Israel was on the verge of entering into a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia at the time of the attack. In fact, the Iran-sponsored attack on Israel is believed to have been carried out specifically to prevent the anticipated Saudi/Israeli peace agreement.
Where conflicts have occurred in the past – or in recent times — Israel has never been the aggressor. Since its founding, the State of Israel has endured constant attacks from terrorist organizations or states, such as Hamas, Hezbollah, al Qaeda, ISIS, Iran and others. “Death to Jews” has been the battle cry.
It is damn near impossible to find a group of human beings throughout history who have been victimized to a greater extent and for a longer period of time than Jews. The suggestion that Israel’s motivations and actions in response to the Hamas attack on October 7 are genocidal is absurd.
Now we have a new wave of violent antisemitism in America – arguably the worse in American history. It has the eerie feeling of life in Germany in the 1930s. Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets to proclaim opposition to what they claim is Israel occupation, oppression and genocidal actions against Palestinians. They condone the barbaric Hamas attack on Israel – endorsing it with feint or qualified condemnation – or even praise the heinous slaughter of innocent Israelis, Americans and other foreigners at a peace concert. They chant that Israel is carrying out genocide and war crimes. They praise Hamas and describe them as “freedom fighters.” They pick up the “river to the sea” chant that means wiping out the Jewish population of Israel and ending the Jewish state.
American antisemitism has become a granular issue. Individuals and groups are committing acts of violence against Jews – some resulting in death. According to the Anti-Defamation Leage (ADL), there has been a four-fold increase in attacks on Jewish citizens and property since the October 7 attack. It is a long list, but here are some of those antisemitic events.
October 8, Clifton, New Jersey: A car with individuals waving the Palestinian flag swerved out of its lane to strike a Jewish family.
October 9, Detroit, Michigan: A Jewish student was harassed, shoved and called a “Fucking Zionist” on the campus of Wayne State University.
October 10, Los Angeles, California: A person claiming to be Hamas made death threats against patrons of a Jewish deli restaurant.
October 12, Indianapolis, Indiana: A man carrying on Israeli flag was attacked by a pro=Palestinian protestor.
October 15, New York, New York: A woman was punched in the face at Grand Central Station. When she asked why, he said “Because you are Jewish.”
October 18, New York, New York: A group of Jews were harassed and assaulted by pro-Palestinian protestors in Times Square.
And the list goes on and on.
Jewish man attacked by group shouting “Free Palestine” and “Allahu Akbar.” Student at the University of Michigan punched in the face for being Jewish.” Synagogue in Tucson, Arizona vandalized with swastikas and “Death to Israel.”
Actions have gone beyond attacks. A Jewish man died after being struck in the head at an anti-Israel protest – and a Michigan Rabbi was stabbed to death outside her home.
These are just a sampling of the hundreds of the reported criminal attacks on Jews since Hamas invaded Israel and brutally slaughtered more than 1400 people.
College campuses have erupted in antisemitic hate speech by students and faculty at some of the most prestigious schools in America without repercussions from the school administrators. High school students were allowed … encouraged … to skip school to protest Israel. The post progress leaders in the most progressive environments are engaging in unprecedent levels of hate speech – including members of Congress. Major leftwing media engage in anti-Israel reporting — giving voice to Islamic terrorist propaganda.
What these protestors are NOT doing is exercising free speech or expressing sincere concern for the Palestinian people. They are engaging in antisemitic hate speech base on prejudice and intolerance. Every one of the acts of violence and vandalism is terrorism – and those who perpetrate them are terrorists.
Those on the left rail against what they call “rightwing terrorism.” The very few examples of real rightwing terrorism pales in the face of the tens of thousands of American citizens – and foreign students and illegal aliens – who are actively engaging in antisemitic terrorism in the strongholds of the left – campuses and cities like New York.
As a first step toward recovery, actions should be taken against those who engage in terrorist activities – including criminal attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions … antisemitic graffiti … calls for the elimination of the Jewish State … embracing genocide. If the individuals engaged in such activities are students, they should be expelled and prosecuted. If they are foreign students, they should be expelled, prosecuted and deported. That should also apply to any foreigner – student or not.
Campus organizations that promote and participate in such activities should be disbanded. Faculty and administrators who promote and participate in hate speech and antisemitic terrorist activities should be terminated regardless of tenure.
In terms of the colleges and universities that have promoted, tolerated or failed to act against those engaged in antisemitic terrorism, parents should stop sending their kids to those institutions. Private donors should cut funding to schools that do not act against hate speech and terrorism. All government funding should be cut off until there is a replacement of top administrators and governing boards. In this situation, the schools are like a failing business that needs new management,
The decent people of America – most Americans – are stunned by the level of antisemitism that has flourished behind the veil of public reporting and awareness. It is a political and social cancer that must be eliminated before it metastasizes even further.
So, there ‘tis.