How Republicans Echo Antisemitic Tropes Despite Declaring Support for Israel
How Republicans Echo Antisemitic Tropes Despite Declaring Support for Israel
Prominent Republicans have seized on campus protests to assail what they say is antisemitism on the left. But for years they have mainstreamed anti-Jewish rhetoric.
The Republican speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, traveled to Columbia University two weeks ago to decry the “virus of antisemitism” that he said pro-Palestinian protesters were spreading across the country. “They have chased down Jewish students. They have mocked them and reviled them,” he said to jeers from protesters. “They have shouted racial epithets. They have screamed at those who bear the Star of David.”
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Amid the widening protests and the unease, if not fear, among many Jews, Republicans have sought to seize the political advantage by portraying themselves as the true protectors of Israel and Jews under assault from the progressive left.
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Debate rages over the extent to which the protests on the political left constitute coded or even direct attacks on Jews. But far less attention has been paid to a trend on the right: For all of their rhetoric of the moment, increasingly through the Trump era many Republicans have helped inject into the mainstream thinly veiled anti-Jewish messages with deep historical roots.
The conspiracy theory taking on fresh currency is one that dates back hundreds of years and has perennially bubbled into view: that a shady cabal of wealthy Jews secretly controls events and institutions contrary to the national interest of whatever country it is operating in.
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I'm Jewish and I'm going to echo several points I made in previous threads. Apologies if you have already seen them:
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I have never in my life, until Israel started this genocide, heard any Republicans stand up and collectively speak out against antisemitism. They sure didn't give a fuck when I was watching in horror while Nazis in Charlottesville chanted "Jews will not replace us."
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The George Soros antisemitism shit is so fucking transparent. They don't even hide it. To paraphrase what Matt Gaetz said in the article because I don't want to look it back up, "not every criticism of George Soros is antisemitic." Some More News did a really good episode on this subject that just came out and does point out some legitimate criticisms of Soros, none of which Republicans make: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEZzlC3gYk8
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It is true that evangelical Christians believe that Israel has to exist for Jesus to return. This is the part they don't say out loud: Every Jew in the world has to be exiled to Israel for this to happen.
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Not all Jews are Israelis and not all Jews support Israel's genocide or apartheid. I certainly don't and never have. I feel no allegiance to Israel whatsoever. I am from Indiana and have far more things in common with a Christian from Indiana than I do practically anyone in Haifa. The entity that benefits the most from people thinking all Jews are Israelis is Israel. Do not fall for it.
Exactly. Well said. Netanyahu is also to blame for leveraging antisemitism as a defense against criticism of Israel. It muddys the waters and confuses actual messages condemning antisemitism. Many incorrectly read Biden’s condemnations of antisemitism as being critical of anti-Israel protest, for example. It now requires the listener to first determine the speaker’s understanding of antisemitism, and filter it through perceived agenda to determine their actual intent, leading to a subjective message and dilution of a two millennia plight of the Jewish people. It’s despicable.
Thank you for commenting. Your perspective is invaluable.
- It is true that evangelical Christians believe that Israel has to exist for Jesus to return. This is the part they don't say out loud: Every Jew in the world has to be exiled to Israel for this to happen.
I grew up fairly fundamentalist and just wanna point out that while some evangelicals believe this it's far from universal. (The every Jew in the world being there part, not the Israel having to exist part)
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