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The New American Anti-Semitism The New American Anti-Semitism
(14 days later)
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My late father and I had a friendly running debate about anti-Semistism. He had experienced some nasty anti-Semitic teasing as a child in the 1950s. And when a high-profile incident happened in the United States during his adult life, he’d often express a concern that it signaled the start of a resurgence. My late father and I had a friendly running debate about anti-Semitism. He had experienced some nasty anti-Semitic teasing as a child in the 1950s. And when a high-profile incident happened in the United States during his adult life, he’d often express a concern that it signaled the start of a resurgence.
I’ve experienced no meaningful anti-Semitism in my life, save the occasional hateful reader email. When he expressed alarm, I would reply with optimism: Wide-scale American anti-Semitism was a thing of the past, I’d say.I’ve experienced no meaningful anti-Semitism in my life, save the occasional hateful reader email. When he expressed alarm, I would reply with optimism: Wide-scale American anti-Semitism was a thing of the past, I’d say.
I was wrong, and he was right.I was wrong, and he was right.
Social media was filled with anti-Semitism last year: Journalists who said they had never been subject to bigotry before came to expect it, usually from Trump supporters. The neo-Nazi symbol Pepe the frog was gleefully spread by Donald Trump Jr. Schools and synagogues have been defiled with anti-Semitism. More recently, Jewish community centers have received bomb threats, and a Jewish cemetery was desecrated last week.Social media was filled with anti-Semitism last year: Journalists who said they had never been subject to bigotry before came to expect it, usually from Trump supporters. The neo-Nazi symbol Pepe the frog was gleefully spread by Donald Trump Jr. Schools and synagogues have been defiled with anti-Semitism. More recently, Jewish community centers have received bomb threats, and a Jewish cemetery was desecrated last week.
In an Op-Ed today, Jennifer Weiner talks of the role that Jewish community centers have played in her life and many other lives. She also calls out President Trump’s reluctant denunciation of anti-Semitism In an Op-Ed today, Jennifer Weiner talks of the role that Jewish community centers have played in her life and many other lives. She also calls out President Trump’s reluctant denunciation of anti-Semitism.
“The president’s silence, and his day-late and dollar-short declaration, made their own statement,” Weiner writes. “They said that American Jews did not deserve his reassurance, that the threats against places where we lift weights and send our kids to finger-paint weren’t important enough to require his swift condemnation, like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s poor ratings, or that time the cast of “Hamilton” addressed Mike Pence during a curtain call.”“The president’s silence, and his day-late and dollar-short declaration, made their own statement,” Weiner writes. “They said that American Jews did not deserve his reassurance, that the threats against places where we lift weights and send our kids to finger-paint weren’t important enough to require his swift condemnation, like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s poor ratings, or that time the cast of “Hamilton” addressed Mike Pence during a curtain call.”
She’s right (and I encourage you to read the full piece).She’s right (and I encourage you to read the full piece).
Given how quick Trump is to denounce many things, and how much of the new American anti-Semitism comes from his supporters, his one denunciation doesn’t count as permanent. If the anti-Semitism continues, so must the president’s rejection of it.Given how quick Trump is to denounce many things, and how much of the new American anti-Semitism comes from his supporters, his one denunciation doesn’t count as permanent. If the anti-Semitism continues, so must the president’s rejection of it.
He, more than anyone else, has the responsibility to make everyday religious bigotry again feel like a part of the country’s past.He, more than anyone else, has the responsibility to make everyday religious bigotry again feel like a part of the country’s past.