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“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
Versions of this sentiment are attributed to Irish politician Edmund Burke, Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. No matter who says it, be careful. The United States is experiencing record levels of anti-Semitism, and we can look to the past to understand what that means for our country today.
Anti-Semitism exposed: Cataloging hatred against Jews
Jews have a long history, mostly as a small, distinct minority. Over the centuries, Jews have been first welcomed and then violently persecuted by various societies (often the most prominent societies of the time). Ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire, and the Spanish Empire, to name a few.
Before the Holocaust, Germany was the most advanced and most cultured country on earth. Then they attacked the Jews and started a war that ultimately destroyed Germany. This is not because Jews have some demonic power over the world, as anti-Semites like Candace Owens would have us believe. No, that's because the societies that target Jews have illiberal and stagnant cultures where diverse ideas and innovation cannot flourish. Anti-Semitism is a symptom of a cancer that eats away at civilization from within.
We do not want this to happen to America, the preeminent nation on earth. This great nation was founded on religious freedom. In 1790, George Washington wrote a letter to the Hebrew congregation in Newport, Rhode Island, saying, “May the descendants of Abraham who live in this land continue to benefit and enjoy the good will of other inhabitants. like.
He will sit safely under his vine and fig tree and nothing will frighten him. ”
Today, American Jews are under attack like never before. Although the number of anti-Semitic incidents prior to October 7, 2023 was alarmingly high and proportional to our population, we were victims of more hate crimes than any other group in America. Those seem like the good old days. In my organization, stop antisemitismhas been monitoring and exposing Jew-haters for the better part of a decade. In the year since that bloody massacre, the number of cases has skyrocketed by 1,500%. We had to triple the size of our team to handle the hundreds of reports we receive each day. I'm not happy to hear that.
Sadly, anti-Semitism doesn't just infect random individuals. It has contaminated some of our most important institutions.
Instead, we became a major resource by holding haters accountable for real-world consequences. Since October 7, StopAntisemitism has identified and featured more than 300 anti-Semites, resulting in 200 concrete consequences, including termination, suspension, arrest, and expulsion.
We worked with law enforcement to identify Anas Saleh, who threatened New York City subway passengers by shouting, “Hands up if you're a Zionist. Here's your chance to leave,” and Alexander Janik, who physically assaulted passengers. He worked hard to arrest him. A rabbi outside his synagogue called him a “dirty Jew.”
Sadly, anti-Semitism doesn't just infect random individuals. It has contaminated some of our most important institutions. In academia, professors like Anne Norton deny the brutal rape and suffering of the hostages on October 7th. An alarming number of educators and health care providers are violating professional codes of conduct and spouting violent anti-Semitic rhetoric.
Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar has been a harsh critic of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Journalists like Brianna Joy Gray, actors like Susan Sarandon and John Cusack, and musicians like Kanye West and Macklemore are spewing anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. Worst of all, anti-Semites like Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar are in Congress, directly influencing national and foreign policy.
“Stop Anti-Semitism” has proudly created an environment where those who spread hatred against Jews face real-world consequences, but neither my organization nor Jewish Americans can stand alone in this scourge. You can't stop it. All Americans must join this fight. If not to save our Jewish friends and neighbors, then to save our great nation.
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If a colleague refuses to interact with a Jewish customer or client, let them know that this is not acceptable. If your child's teacher targets Jewish students, tell the administration that you will not tolerate it. We cannot simply look away and ignore the anti-terrorism demonstrations taking place in our streets. Tell the bigots that you don't appreciate what they're doing to our country, and demand action from your mayor and police.
We must all strive to make America a country where these regressive forces are met with opposition wherever they appear. If we don't, our next great nation may be consigned to the dustbin of history.
