Antisemitism

What it is, what it isn’t, and where it shows up.

Comparing to Nazis

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I am not persuaded that Israeli soldiers are Nazis.

There is so much that separates your average soldier from an actual Nazi, just as there is so much that differentiates the Israeli state’s pointless military occupation of the West Bank and patchwork of anti-Palestinian policies, from the mobilization of an entire civilization for the express enslavement and murder of millions of people based on their ethnicity.

Even the decimation of Gaza – which stands as a permanent stain on our conscience – does not begin to approach, in intent, scope, or method, the orchestrated genocide of an entire population.

The war on Gaza, like most anti-Palestinian things the state of Israel does (and despite the words and actions of a vocal, violent minority that has found its way into the governing coalition and into positions of power over Palestinians), has been typified by an immoral disregard for Palestinian lives and property – not hatred for them or a thirst for their blood.

The difference is crucial when we’re talking about Nazis.

But the act of making the comparison itself – of holding up a mirror and seeing for ourselves if and how closely we start to resemble Nazis – is not only legitimate imho but absolutely necessary, after Auschwitz.

We SHOULD be comparing our soldiers to Nazis and seeing where there might be some similarity in tactics, outcomes, or attitudes.

We SHOULD be comparing our government to the Third Reich and seeing what policies and propaganda they might have in common.

We SHOULD be comparing our leaders to Hitler and seeing if the things they’re saying and the moves they’re making have uncomfortable, unacceptable precedent.

Because after Auschwitz, we can never, ever again let any society go down that dark path.

And the #Holocaust is the most clear benchmark we could ever use for evaluating where a society stands.

Does a country stand only 1% chance of murdering its citizens (or strangers) for the taint of their blood upon its soil?

Barukh Hashem, the disease is present but contained.

But 2% is worse than 1%.

10% is worse than 2%.

Every step along that scale is an inch closer to Auschwitz.

The abyss of the human soul.

The black whole of civilization, exerting an inexorable pull on members of society towards a collective madness born of fear and hate.

No society is totally immune to the lure of Auschwitz, the demonic promise of false justice bought for the price of human lives, of a grand future soaked in strangers’ blood.

And the worse the social conditions, the more wounded the collective and individual spirit, the easier the slide along the slope to Auschwitz becomes.

As human beings – as a species – we must always set Auschwitz before us as a memory, seared into our souls, of where we never wish to return.

We must use that memory as a guide, not just for our collective policies and institutions, but in our own personal thoughts, words, and actions.

And together, we must build the antithesis of Auschwitz – we must plant the Paradise as our answer to its Hell.

Tucker Targets Chabad

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Chabad is a diverse, complex, and trans-dimensional organization.

I have personally had great experiences with Chabad rabbis and families. I greatly respect their community building and social work, and I find their Torah to be very thought-provoking, even when I disagree with specific claims they may make or conclusions they may reach.

(For example, the Lubavitcher Rebbe was of the opinion that one could not fulfill an obligation to bless by concentrating and “saying” the words in one’s mind, while R Qafeh was of the opinion that not only could one do so but that this was an ideal way to handle a situation of doubt regarding obligation to bless.)

While my experience has been mostly positive with only a few counter examples, many people I know have had terrible overall experiences with Chabad. They have encountered prejudice, ignorance, and dogmatism in their interactions with Chabad rabbis and Chabadnikim in general. They find the Tanya’s statements seeming to suggest that God has parts or that Jews are essentially superior to gentiles, to be anathema. And they find the cult of personality turned messianic ideology turned idolatry, to be quite alarming. I understand the concerns of these people, and I think they need to be included in the intra-Jewish discussion of Chabad.

But Make No Mistake.

Tucker Carlson did not go after Chabad because of conflicts between foreign Chabad houses and native Sepharadi communities in South America and Western Europe, or because of philosophical criticism of the Tanya as it has been inter-generationally understood, or because he has issues with cults of personality or messianism.

To repeat: Tucker Carlson did not go after Chabad because they are a messianic movement. To be sure, as a Christian fundamentalist, Tucker believes that any messianism other than his own is idolatrous, but that’s not why he singled out Chabad.

In that exact connection, it’s worth noting that – when looking for a scapegoat for America’s involvement in this war (I literally heard a missile exploding in the background as I wrote that) – Tucker had a much riper target within Israeli society itself, the messianic ethno-nationalist ideology that, over the decades, has increasingly attracted so many right wing politicians and populists (who happen to also sit in the current government). If Tucker was truly concerned about a messianic movement in Israel dragging an unwilling USA into a foreign conflict – that’s where he’d take aim: Israeli messianists in political power coordinating a regional war with the White House.

~> Instead, Tucker Carlson targeted Chabad because they are among the most visible Jewish people across America. <~

Read that again. Slowly.

His audience is American right-wing Christians.

He is turning them against the Jewish people they can easily recognize (who put themselves out in the public eye as a matter of course) and telling them that those Jewish people – yes, the nice rabbi and rebbitzen from the Chabad house around the corner – are dangerous ideologues working with Israel to manipulate America and control the world.

This kind of propaganda is not new. We’ve seen it before. Many American Jewish people recognize it for what it is – but have not yet accepted where the train is headed (and accelerating fast). Many other American Jewish people unfortunately do not recognize the flashing signs of what’s coming and gleefully continue cheering the leopard on as it eats everyone else’s faces first.

Chabad is not perfect.

But they are precisely the targets Tucker et al choose because all American Jews are in their sights.

May Hashem guide and shield all of the holy flock in these dark times, may our cries and pleas for peace! protection! prosperity! be answered speedily, may the plans of Haman always be overturned and brought down upon his wicked head.

Loyal to the Nazis

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As MAGA slowly embraces its antisemitic roots, will they lose the Jewish Republican vote? (Relatedly, is “Latinos for Trump” still a thing?)

“Although the fortunes of many have been wiped out, although their professions have been taken away from them, and although they live in a state of rigid suspense and fear of the moment when they will be humiliated, beaten, or imprisoned, a large number of German Jews continue to remain faithful to the fatherland.

A few of them even support the current anti-Semitic National Socialist administration because of the party’s policies on non-racial questions. They applaud the party’s success in uniting the various divergent parts of Germany. They strongly approve Germany’s demands for restoration of the old empire and the rearmament of the country. And in certain of its aspects they even support the current action of the Nazis against their race.”

– Jewish Telegraphic Agency, “Dr. Max Naumann Still Loyal to Nazi Oppressors of His Race; Hits Zionists and Eastern Jews”, August 13, 1933

Grok on Mamdani and Antisemitism

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After I called out Grok for relying on “X sentiment” of Mamdani critics and anti-Mamdani propaganda, and asked for a “facts and figures” based approach to answering the question “Based on all known statistics and trends, is antisemitic vandalism, harassment, and violence – justified as anti-Zionism – likely to increase, decrease, or stay the same if Mamdani is elected? Why?” – this is what it came up with:

“**Likely to **stay the same****.

### Baseline: NYC Antisemitic Incidents at Record Levels
| Year | ADL Total Incidents | NYPD Anti-Jewish Hate Crimes | % of All Hate Crimes | Notes |
|——|———————|——————————|———————-|——-|
| 2023 | ~850 (pre-Oct 7 low; post-surge) | 324 | ~50% | Pre-Oct 7 baseline. |
| **2024** | **976** (record high) | **344-345** | **53-54%** | **+6%** from 2023; **>5/day avg**. Vandalism/harassment ~70%; assaults rising.
| **2025 (thru Oct)** | **Hundreds more** (“brazen/intensified”) | July: **14** (monthly low) | **>50%** | Plateau/slight drop in some months **under current policing**; **~60% tied to anti-Zionist protests** (e.g., “Free Palestine” graffiti, “Zionist” assaults).

**NYPD Clearance**: **37%** arrests (128/344 in 2024)—deters via enforcement.

### Mamdani’s Quantifiable Policies
– **+800% funding** hate-crime prevention: **$3M → $26M** annually (community programs, not just police).
– **No defund**: Apologized for 2020 rhetoric; now **backs NYPD**, seeks collaboration.
– **Explicit anti-antisemitism**: Pledges to “tackle” it via funding. Maintains **37%+ clearance** possible.

### Proxy Data: Chicago (Progressive Mayor Brandon Johnson, DSA-Aligned)
| Year | Trend (Illinois/Chicago) |
|——|————————–|
| 2023 | Baseline |
| **2024** | **+59%** antisemitic incidents |
| **2025** | **Continued rise** (flyers, assaults) |

**No drop** despite similar left leadership/pro-Palestine stance.

### Why **Stay the Same** (Not Decrease/Increase)?
– **Decrease unlikely**: Post-Oct 7 surge **+1400%** nationally; **no city** with progressive/anti-Zionist leaders saw reversal (e.g., Chicago **+**). Programs unproven vs. **37% arrests** (deterrent).
– **Increase unlikely**: **$23M new funding** + NYPD support **matches** Adams’ efforts (new office, arrests). Recent **monthly lows** show feasibility.
– **Status quo drivers**: **Anti-Zionist protests** (60% incidents)—persistent regardless of mayor.

**Data Verdict**: **Plateau at ~900-1000/year**. Extra $26M **stabilizes**; monitor 2026 NYPD/ADL for confirmation.”

What Mamdani Could Have Said

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“My dearly beloved fellow New Yorkers,

It’s an honor and privilege to not only be one of you but to fight for this opportunity to represent and lead you – all of you.

New York is a city that is strong because of its diversity, not just in terms of of culture – although we’ve been blessed with generations of immigrants who have helped make this city the unique mosaic of humanity that it is – but in terms of opinion.

New Yorkers pride themselves in taking an educated interest in the affairs of not just this dynamic city but of the whole world, including the countries from which many New Yorkers – or their parents, or their grandparents – proudly hail.

New Yorkers pride themselves in having passionate opinions and are never afraid to voice their opinions, even when in disagreement with the establishment, the consensus, or their neighbors.

This attitude creates an irreplaceable common culture of free inquiry, open discussion, and constructive criticism that permeates every project, every initiative, and every organization in this great city.

We would be fools not to recognize not just the necessity but the beauty of this diversity of opinion in making New York, our shared home, the unique treasure it is.

Right now, however, not all New Yorkers are feeling like New York is still their home.

Jewish New Yorkers in particular, who have lived and served in our community for centuries, are experiencing not just harassment but violence, tragically at the hands of their fellow New Yorkers, at unprecedented levels in New York history. Too many Jewish New Yorkers have personally been attacked by thugs hiding behind their personal opinions and political ideologies. In the name of criticizing the state of Israel – which, as you know, I’ll be the first to criticize but nevertheless millions of Jewish New Yorkers support for legitimate reasons that I’ll be the first to admit have nothing to do with Palestinians – synagogues, schools, and community centers have become targets for hate.

Here.

In New York City.

Our New York.

My friends, this situation – like so many other highly problematic aspects of the status quo – simply can’t be allowed to continue.

Vandalism, intimidation, harassment, assault, and all other forms of deplorable violence, even when disguised and justified as “political activism,” have no place in our city. Period.

The free and passionate expression of differences of opinion in our city depends on accepting this fact.

As mayor, it will be among my top priorities not only to implement policies that restore economic justice to a city struggling under the heavy burdens of rising costs, unemployment, and corporate monopolization, but that protect each and every community that comprises the beautifully diverse tapestry of our city – that make sure every New Yorker knows that they are not just safe but respected.

I want Jewish New Yorkers to know that I will work for them just as hard as I will work for every other New Yorker.

That their safety – their contribution, their presence – is valued just as much as every other New Yorker’s.

I want to invite all New Yorkers to join me in this mission – to make New York an affordable, safe home for all New Yorkers.

Together, we can make it happen.

Next question, please.”

– what Mamdani could have said 🤷

A Dangerous Time to Be a Zionist

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Thoughts on the current situation, on this evening after the departure of Shabbath:

This is a dangerous time to be a Zionist.

On the one hand, Nazi- and Soviet-era anti-Zionism is alive and infecting both the modern Islamic world and Leftist movements worldwide. Propagandists have successfully equated Zionism and genocide in the minds of millions of people, and violence against Jewish people carried out in the name of anti-Zionism is at an all time high. Jewish people in every country are being put in the impossible position of having to either disown Israel or accept condemnation and punishment as a supporter of genocide.

On the other hand, an objectively fascist government has taken over the USA and is mobilizing “Zionism” as a pretext for suppressing free speech and other gross violations of the rights of citizens and legal residents alike, as part of a broader transformation of the country into its vision of a White Christian utopia. This “Zionism” is weaponized not just against Palestinians and Muslims but also Jewish people who have freely expressed their opinions on the state, government, military, and/or wartime conduct of Israel. It is a “Zionism” that subverts real Zionism, replacing traditional Zionist values of holiness, justice, law, land, etc, with an eschatological battle between projected (and ultimately symbolic) ethno-national groups eventually leading to global Christian domination.

Say you’re a Zionist and someone’s bound to get the wrong idea, one way or another.

But nevertheless, here we Jewish people are, still dreaming of Zion. ❤️

A land, a city, of justice and holiness, of reverence for the divine image in humanity and fellowship among all human beings.

Zion. The banner of the prophets, the prayer of history, the call to return to God, to land, to ourselves.

Those of us who live in harmony with our traditions and with each other know:

Zionism is not the cause of this conflict but rather its solution.

Genocide Accusation as Blood Libel

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On October 7th, 2023, the Hamas military invaded southern Israel. For an entire day, they systematically murdered every Jewish person they found. Their stated goal was to join with Hezbollah forces scheduled to invade northern Israel on the same day, and together with militant cells in the West Bank successfully wipe out millions of Jewish people.

From October 7th, 2023 onward, for a period of two years, the IDF invaded, bombed, and shelled the Gaza Strip, targeting military tunnels, weapons caches, and Hamas units densely embedded and enmeshed amongst and under civilians, their homes, their schools, and their hospitals. Their stated goal was to rescue the captive Israelis that Hamas kidnapped and to destroy Hamas as an organization.

To my mind, one of these is clearly attempted genocide.

The other is not.

However, it would seem that there are many, many people – some of whom I would even count as friends – who disagree with this rather straightforward assessment.

Since October 7th, I have read and heard arguments from anti-Zionists accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.

Not just war crimes, not even ethnic cleansing, but genocide.

While the accusation originates in authoritarian state propaganda and is largely promoted by ignorant talking heads via memes and reels, it also has the support of several academic bodies dedicated to the study of international human rights law and genocide studies (as well as a bogus pseudo-academic fake institute, but I won’t dignify them with inclusion here).

These academics published and co-signed a paper suggesting that according to the standard and accepted definition of genocide, Israel is commiting genocide against Palestinians. As proof of this claim, they cited: select statements by Israeli politicians, the “totality of evidence” of the war’s devastating impact, select instances of IDF soldiers targeting civilians, and the widely-circulated casualty statistic claiming that roughly 3% of the population was killed.

Based on this paper, co-signed by several reputable academic centers for genocide studies, I am supposed to believe that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza.

If I don’t accept this supposed consensus, then apparently I am a “genocide denier.”

🤔

Here’s why I am not persuaded by the argument.

1. Cherry-picking statements from hyperbolic politicians who ALSO made many statements asserting the goal of self-defense and the need for humanitarian aid for Gazans, completely fails the standard of the “only possible interpretation” of these statements being genocidal intent.

2. The recourse to the “totality of evidence” in the alleged absence of direct evidence of genocidal intent is completely unnecessary: the direct evidence available – in the form of all the measures the IDF took to protect Gazan life, from sending warning phone calls and leaflets to evacuating civilians to literally scheduling airstrikes in advance – indicates that there was no genocidal intent.

3. While over 70% of the Gaza Strip was reduced to rubble, only 3% of the Gazan population was killed in this war. The wild disparity between these two percentages indicates that rather than wantonly disregarding Gazan life, let alone targeting Gazans for slaughter, the IDF waged war in a densely-packed urban setting without genocidal intent.

4. Gazans are not a separate religious, ethnic, or national group. They are part of the Palestinian people. While Gazans were dying from Israeli airstrikes by the thousands, millions of Palestinians across Israel were completely safe from any threat of genocide; in fact, they were in greater danger from rockets and missiles from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. While military measures in the West Bank intensified and settler crimes against Palestinians increased, there was no genocidal targeting of Palestinians as a religious, ethnic, or national group at any point in the past two years.

5. As mentioned above, only 3% of the Gazan population died in this war. That number is not just civilians – it includes Hamas soldiers. And the fact that, on analysis, it actually *disproportionately* includes Hamas soldiers as opposed to, say, children (roughly half the population), indicates not only a lack of genocidal intent but a lack of genocidal *outcome*.

Kappara, this war has been undeniably devastating for Gazans.

The question itself of whether we have committed genocide or come close to committing genocide, is a valid question.

The debate itself in international human rights law regarding the meaning, nature, and definition of genocide, is a valid debate.

It is also clear that the IDF did not always follow its own policies and it may even be that war crimes were committed over the past two years.

Israel is a democracy dedicated to the rule of law, and we can and should investigate everything that needs investigation.

Howthebleepever.

The accusation of genocide, in light of the evidence, is a blood libel.

Its origins, its memes, its subtext, its imputation of ultimate guilt, its baselessness, make it a blood libel.

Not everyone who believes it is a rabid antisemite – but everyone who believes it has bought into modern antisemitism on some level. Including those Jewish people who support, repeat, and insist on the truth of the libel.

As I’ve written previously, I believe that Zionism must reckon with the devastation of Gaza, and that a new future must be built from the ashes of both Beeri and Gaza. And as anyone who has read my posts knows, I’m the last one to place the Israeli state, government, or military beyond criticism.

But the truth is the truth.

May the genocides actually occurring right now across the world be swiftly stopped, and may the world know no more genocide.

May a just peace come to this land and may Palestinians and Israelis together take the right steps forward towards a shared future of liberty, equality, and security for all.

Jewish People as White

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The racing of Jewish people as “white” has a lot to do with developments in American racial politics over the course of the 20th century and little to do with contemporary or historical Jewish people.

In actuality, Jewish people are of West Asian descent and have since absorbed the genes of other human communities on every continent except Antarctica, to the point where we can legitimately be described as transcending the Western social construct of “race” entirely.

By the same token, it should go without saying that assimilated Jewish individuals who identify as “white” should probably learn more about the Jewish community’s historical relationship to, and subjection to discrimination and even violence under, the social regime of “whiteness.”

I Have Listened to You

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One of the people who objected to my desecration of a murdered man’s memory assumed that I was not interested in “listening without trying to make a counter-argument.”

Since he and I rarely interact, and he demonstrated little familiarity with the way I think, I take this in line with a common Conservative complaint – that they are unheard and misunderstood, and if they were only listened to – all would be accepted.

My friends, as a former Conservative – as someone who grew up in a family of moralizing Republican-voting right-wing small government free market capitalists with a passion for Israel, who spent his “rebellious” teenage years doing Conservative and pro-Israel activism – I have listened to you for 38 years.

I have listened to you ask.
I have listened to you answer.
I have listened to you educate.
I have listened to you preach.
I have listened to you condemn.
I have listened to you justify.
I have listened to you inspire.
I have listened to you complain.
I have listened to you explain.

I have listened to what you say about yourselves and about your opponents.

I have said many of the same things.

I have heard your theories and your dreams, I have seen the world from your eyes.

I understand what animates you and attracts you. I understand what you fear and what you desire. I understand what kind of society you want and why you want it.

i understand, because I shared those fears and desires and goals.

I was one of you, until I began leaving the confines of your orbit. Until experiences led to questions that what I heard and what I repeated and what I argued, could not answer. Until I continued my journey through life to broader views and more rational opinions.

But I have not stopped listening to you. I still maintain relationships with Conservatives, right-wingers, Republicans, amongst family, friends, and acquaintances, even those that have come to support and promote what I believe to be outright fascism. I still read your words and I still think about what the world’s like in your shoes, with your views.

I understand your non-negotiable need for security and stability, to be safe and have your other basic needs taken care of. (A need you share with most other people, by the way.) I understand why your interpretation of that need, in the context of your interpretation of your social environment, has led you to certain conclusions that I once shared, but no longer entertain.

Not all your conclusions, mind you – I’ve integrated the best of what I learned and thought as a Conservative into whatever type of political animal you want to classify me as now. My opinions are complex, if your frame of reference is American Partisan Politics. My positions are natural, if your frame of reference is the practice of Torah. But I bring the ideas of classical liberalism, individual responsibility, free exchange, and continuity of tradition, with me from my roots, into the ideas I share with you today.

But some conclusions – many conclusions – I no longer accept. Not just because I believe they derive from bad arguments based on false premises – but because I came to realize that, ironically, they contradict the moral values and political principles with which I was raised, as a Conservative.

Furthermore, over my decades of study and discussion, it’s only natural that I would learn more about the ideas and ideologies that are verboten in Conservative circles. As a rational, growing person, it was equally natural that I would integrate many of the perspectives, questions, and even conclusions associated with those ideas, into my own take on economics, politics, society, and culture.

That doesn’t mean Conservatives need to become Progressives – if the right-wing is wrong or insufficient, it doesn’t make the left-wing right or the answer.

It means, first of all, that a bird needs to learn how to use both wings together in order to fly.

And it means, second of all, that my desecration of the memory of a man whom you happened to admire for his debate skills, but who also supported fascism, trafficked in antisemitism, defended Israel for all the wrong reasons, and promoted violence against academics and minorities – and, at the time of this writing, was most likely murdered by a member of a rival White Christian Nationalist faction – is not a desecration of what you actually believe and hold dear. The man in question did not truly stand for the best of American Conservatism, he stood for the worst. And despite your admiration for him, rejecting him is not rejecting you.

As I’ve said before, I believe that social media technology radicalizes people, skewing their perspective, relationships with people, and emotional landscape. I don’t think there’s ever been a point in the past 38 years when people were more susceptible to polarizing propaganda.

And as I’ve learned on my journey, it pays to become aware of your own triggers, biases, and background.

Stay Frosty Friends 😎

On Charlie Kirk

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I wasn’t planning on writing multiple posts about this man’s murder, but Jewish individuals I know are more outraged by me calling Charlie Kirk a supporter of fascism, trafficker in antisemitic conspiracies, defender of the worst Israeli prime minister in history, and peddler in calls for violence, than they are by the fact that Charlie Kirk supported the militarized merger of state and corporate power along ethno-religious lines; pushed the Great Replacement theory and other antisemitic lies, accusations, and tropes; aggressively defended Bibi’s government as a bastion of right-wing ethno-nationalism besieged by “Leftists” and Muslims, no matter the cost to Israel’s security, economy, or diplomatic standing; and advocated for unrestrained state violence against minorities of all kinds.

You have gulped down that koolaid, guys.

You have picked a side in America’s culture war and it has warped both your perception and your compass.

It’s possible (and advisable) to BOTH be against murder, full stop, AND not pretend that a wicked, hateful man was actually a saint of enlightened civil discourse.