Schumer experiences Democrats’ ingrained antisemitism
The Rise of Antisemitism in America
On Wednesday, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer delivered a remarkable speech from the well of the Senate on the rise of antisemitism in America.
The Democratic senator from New York believed he had to make that speech. He was also surprised at having to — surprised at the antisemitism that has been growing under the surface of today’s Democrat Party.
Schumer spoke with the painful passion of a man who is beginning to understand that his world is being upended, noting, “I stand before you as the majority leader of the United States Senate, the highest elected office a Jewish person has ever attained in the history of this country. Only in America — only in America could an exterminator’s son grow up to be the first Jewish party leader in the Senate.”
Getting to the heart of the matter, Schumer explained that while “Jewish Americans represent 2 percent of the population, yet we are targets of 55 percent of all religion-based hate crimes,” with things getting worse in recent years. After Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre of Israeli civilians, “antisemitism incidents increased nearly 300 percent” with “Jewish Americans feeling singled out,” he added.
Schumer then admitted, “The solidarity that Jewish Americans initially received from many of our fellow citizens was quickly drowned out by other voices, while the dead bodies of Jewish Israelis were still warm.”
And who were those “other voices” that Schumer said “celebrated what happened, describing it as the deserved fate of ‘colonizers’ and calling for ‘glory to the martyrs’”?
That’s what must have been the most difficult part of Schumer’s speech: “Many of the people who express these sentiments in America aren’t neo-Nazis or card-carrying Klan members or Islamist extremists. They’re in many cases what most liberal Jewish Americans felt previously were their ideological fellow travelers” (emphasis added).
Schumer almost plaintively added, “Many of us marched together for black and brown lives, we stood against anti-Asian hatred and protested bigotry against the LGBTQ community and fought for reproductive justice.”
The Left Denies History
The bottom line: Schumer has evidently now discovered that, despite millennia of persecution stretching back to hundreds of years as slaves in Egypt, despite the pogroms of Eastern Europe in the 19th century, and despite Hitler’s Holocaust in the last, “those who are inclined to examine the world through the lens of oppressors versus the oppressed” see Jewish people as the oppressor.
It appears the woke left cares not for history. Their new religion requires a new good and evil. The good are always the oppressed for whom “by any means necessary” will mean violence, while the oppressors deserve humiliation, defeat, and even death. Of course, the woke clerisy get to determine who is oppressed — senior Jewish senators need not apply.
Thus, Schumer’s observation that “antisemitic conspiracy theories throughout the generations often theorize, often weaponize this very dynamic [that is, that some Jewish people have done well for themselves] by pitting the successes the Jewish people have done with their countrymen. It has happened throughout history. It’s happening now. For Jewish Americans, any strength in security we enjoy always feels tenuous — no matter how well we’re doing, it can all be taken away in an instant.”
Yes, Mr. Majority Leader, that’s why we Americans believe we have “unalienable rights” such as “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and a Constitution to make those rights more than theory — including a right to keep and bear arms, so that all Americans, including those of the Jewish faith, might protect themselves, their homes, and their places of worship. And should that somehow break down and prove an insufficient guarantor of safety, the state of Israel itself, as the world’s sole Jewish state, serves as a refuge, a redoubt where the existence of the Jewish people isn’t dependent on the sufferance of mob or majority.
Democrats’ Move Toward the Fringe
One wonders how Schumer will work through his revelation of betrayal. What path will he take? Will political expediency cause him to cut his journey short? Will the threat of the political wilderness cause him to bury his fears about the new left and its inveterate Jew hatred?
The fractures now rending the Democrat Party moved from the fringe to academia to the mainstream in a terrifyingly short span. By 2010, President Barack Obama made no secret of his antipathy for Israel’s leader Benjamin Netanyahu, who started his second stint as prime minister only two months after Obama was sworn into office. And with his subsequent rapprochement with the Islamic Republic of Iran, Obama’s tilt against Israel burst into the open. The ideological roots of that policy have now matured and are bearing a poisoned fruit. We already see its first casualty in the left’s crumbling façade, as common agreements shatter and basic survival and dignity assume greater importance than abortion and tax policy.
It’s hard to work with people who, chanting, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” are advocating for the death and diaspora of millions of your co-religionists.
The answer to the above questions might well determine America’s future, as we labor to enlist the better angels of our nature to exorcise the latest demons of hate stalking among us.
What steps can be taken to address the rise of antisemitic sentiments within political parties and foster a more inclusive and tolerant society
Eir families, and their communities when faced with the threat of antisemitism or any other form of violence.
Schumer’s speech highlights an important and troubling reality that is currently unfolding in America. Antisemitism is on the rise, and it is not just coming from the usual suspects like neo-Nazis or white supremacists. It is also emanating from within the Democratic Party itself, a party that Senator Schumer has been a part of for his entire political career.
The fact that Schumer, a prominent Jewish American and the highest-ranking Jewish official in the history of the United States, felt compelled to address this issue is significant. It shows that even someone in his position, with all his accomplishments and influence, is not immune to the rising tide of hatred and bigotry.
Schumer points out that Jewish Americans, despite representing only 2 percent of the population, are the targets of 55 percent of all religion-based hate crimes. This is a startling statistic that cannot be ignored. It is indicative of a deep-rooted prejudice that is pervasive in our society, and it is growing more pronounced with each passing year.
One of the catalysts for the recent surge in antisemitism is the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Schumer notes that after the Oct. 7 massacre of Israeli civilians by Hamas, incidents of antisemitism increased nearly 300 percent. This is deeply troubling and speaks to a troubling lack of empathy and understanding.
Perhaps even more disturbing is Schumer’s revelation that many of those expressing antisemitic sentiments are not fringe extremists but rather individuals who were once considered allies by liberal Jewish Americans. This is a stark reminder that hatred and prejudice can come from unexpected places, and it underscores the need for vigilance and education.
The left’s denial of history is also a cause for concern. Despite the long history of Jewish persecution and suffering, there are those who see Jewish people as the oppressors rather than the oppressed. This distorted worldview is dangerous and undermines efforts to combat antisemitism and promote understanding and tolerance.
Schumer’s speech serves as a wake-up call to all Americans that we must confront and address the rise of antisemitism in our society. It is a reminder that we cannot take our rights and freedoms for granted and that we must actively work to protect and preserve them.
As individuals, we can educate ourselves about the history and experiences of Jewish people, challenge our own biases and prejudices, and stand up against bigotry and hatred in all its forms. As a society, we must create an environment that is inclusive, respectful, and supportive of all religious and ethnic groups.
Antisemitism has no place in America or any civilized society. It is imperative that we come together to condemn it and work towards a future where all people can live free from fear and discrimination. Only through collective action and a commitment to understanding and empathy can we hope to overcome this troubling trend and build a more tolerant and inclusive society for future generations.
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