Guest column: Resurgent anti-Semitism shows history forgotten is doomed to be repeated
In his book, “It Could Happen Here,” Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, outlines Trumpism as “creeping” authoritarianism that divides neighbors and families, often leading to violence. The evocation of age-old anti-Semitic tropes are being used to target and separate Americans. The far-right extremists, much the same as in pre-World War II Germany, are employing prejudice and hatred as a means to “Take America Back.”
The anti-vax movement and the politicization of healthcare use longstanding anti-Semitic stereotypes, such as “Jews developed the vaccines to profit off the misery of people who are suffering.” Referencing the “China Virus” takes direct aim at Chinese Americans. There are also attempts to label teachers of critical race theory (taught in a limited number of graduate schools) as anti-American.
Groups express bigotry in claiming “shadowy Jewish figures,” such as the Rothschilds or “upscale liberals,” manipulate events from behind the scenes, using “Jewish space lasers” to start western forest fires, or paying migrant caravans to cross the border and undermine democracy.
These beliefs are classic anti-Semitism and are a sign of the fracturing of civil society.
Supported by the conservative and far-right media, false narratives and conspiracies are generated and amplified in the social media echo chamber. The wealthy philanthropist, George Soros, is a Hungarian-born Jew who survived the Holocaust as a young boy. His name is falsely invoked as a source of funding for Antifa, Black Lives Matter, violent protests, illegal immigration, fraudulent voting schemes and countless other radical conspiracy theories.
Neither side of the political spectrum is immune from intolerance. From the far left, a different form of authoritarianism, cancel culture, is a bigotry that subjects people to litmus tests of beliefs and loyalty.
In 2016, the late Jonathan Sacks, former chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth in England, gave a speech describing the roots of anti-Semitism: “When bad things happen to a group, its members can ask one of two questions: ‘What did we do wrong?’ or ‘Who did this to us?’ If it asks, ‘What did we do wrong?’ it has begun the self-criticism essential to a free society. If it asks, ‘Who did this to us?’ it has defined itself as a victim. It will then seek a scapegoat to blame for all its problems. Classically this has been the Jews.”
Our democratic system of government is fragile and proving vulnerable to attack from within. If ignored, the slow creep of authoritarianism will destroy our nation. History does not have to be repeated.
Karen Adler, teacher, Jacksonville