Antisemitism. Again. And Again. And Again.

A potent and deadly poison.

The following post was written in December of 2022. It was written in reaction to an upsurge in Antisemitism in the USA and elsewhere. Until a month ago, I had considered editing it, since the wave of Antisemitism seemed to have passed, and I had a feeling that I might have had too dire an outlook for the future of Jews in the Diaspora. Since the attacks of October 7th, my feeling is that I have not overdone it, but you the reader can be the judge of that. Present commentary in italics. I have done some editing of the original. The original post, “Antisemitism,” can be found in the archives of “A Pisgah Site.”

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This is not a post that I would have chosen freely to write. My target audience for A Pisgah Site is made up of anyone who has an affinity for my voice, as I speak about Israel, Judaism, literature and life. This audience is assumed to be favorably disposed towards Jews, Judaism and Israel, and as such is an audience to which the term “decent” applies. This audience is now facing something that many have faced before, but for which they are, as those before them were, woefully unprepared. Because they are decent. What they are facing is a moment or a place in time just before the appearance of critical-mass Antisemitism. It has now appeared. This is the definition of an indecent time, of indecency itself, and it has the power to roll over entire peoples and lead to wholesale extermination of Jews, while being celebrated by all but a select few righteous souls. I never believed that this moment could arrive in America, but here it is, in what was once the far corners of “left” and “right” mostly left it turns out, now infiltrating through the viral-like guise of Anti-Zionism, Anti-Colonialism, Anti-Westernism or Anti-Racism, what have you, into the mainstream discussion of the public square in the United States of America. And major European capitals.

Can a gentile have issues with a Jew? Hell yes. A business deal gone bad, a loan officer named Shumplunk denying your justified request, an affair of what you thought was true love but was not. If you are unlucky, several of these and or other instances. All of which would lead a decent person to say: “Shumplunk is a piece of crap” but would not lead to ascribing his injurious behavior to an entire race of people and to start to believe that that people is out to get you and that they want to control the entire world. Now I’m not saying that there might not be a small residual nugget checked-off deep in the hard drive of our minds that labels Shumplunk as a Jew, and that might color our view of the next Jew that we meet. What can we do? That is the way we are wired. And that is fine, if all it leads us to is to be extra careful when we sit down with Shumplunk’s cousin who is trying to sell us a house.

On the theological side I do not think that there are any existential issues concerning Jew-hatred coming from Christians. Jews are not about to be burned at the stake in Toledo Spain. At least not yet. Today, the worse you see from Christians is a simple and honest disappointment with Jews for stubbornly not believing in the Christian Messiah. But even then, if you look closely at those Christians, you see that they are even more disappointed with themselves for failing to convert the Jews. They will go back to their lay groups and pray for guidance on how to succeed the next time. Dear Christian friends, the Jew’s answer will always be no. It can only be no. It is not because you have failed to find a way to enter our hearts. It is because the Jews are on a mission from God. Period. The lowest handmaid at Mount Sinai saw and heard what even the greatest prophets did not see or hear. We are commanded. For all our generations. The voice from Sinai still resonates with its message of ultimate morality in the air that touches our ears, circling the Earth like the crack of Krakatoa forever. End of story until the end of time. When Christians accept that Jews are not to be converted, then we can be the best of allies against the darkness of evil.

Today, Jews are being thrown to their deaths from windows in France in an Islam-based Jew hatred.

And when the opportunity arises, children are raped in front of their parents, then beheaded, then burned beyond recognition, or burned alive in an oven, and that only a preview for a wife, after seeing this, being gang-raped in front of her husband, before being burned alive in front of him, to the soundtrack of endless Allahu Ackbars. That, a thousand times over, is the definitive definition of an existential threat to the Jews.

These Arabs have imbibed Jew-hatred from an early age. Arab refugees, beware of allies who proclaim your cause. They are more interested in your effendi or Rais—your enslavers—than in you. Those of you who have managed to break free are the harbingers of the new Arab, with civil rights and personal freedoms that are the necessary precursors of a renewed Arab Golden Age, which will surpass the previous one. A new Arab civilization that will live in peace with Jews and Christians and all others and contribute to the common good of humanity. Nothing wrong with being an optimist.

However, if you come at us with sword in hand in the Holy Land, seventy times a sword you will receive in return. You should know this by now. The Jews have not returned to their homeland to be subjugated. We are doing our best to allow non-Jews in Israel to live productive and contented lives, and the fact that the only thriving Arab middle class in the world is the two-million strong Muslim Arab community of Israel testifies to the success of that effort. It can get better. Come to terms with the fact that Israel cannot allow another failed Arab state to arise on its ancient homeland, and you will leap forward, with Jewish help and applause.

This is true.

The Coming Reality

This is what is going to happen wherever Jews are found outside of Israel. The talking heads are talking already, with millions of followers, and those followers will soon target Jews. Wherever you find a menorah or star of David, or a yarmulka, or a Jewish name you are looking at a prime target. It will be intermittent and non-lethal at first, with “Jews get out!” spray-painted on synagogues, that sort of thing. Then there will be extensive property damage, like during the Antifa riots, but targeting Jews only. At some point, a critical mass of Antisemitism will be reached, and then it will be open season on Jews. They will be attacked in their homes and in the streets, and anywhere they might be found. It will not be your once-a-year turkey shoot-up of a synagogue by some random nut. This deadly turn will be sudden and overwhelming and incomprehensible to decent peoples.

A Call for Decent Action

In general, the Jews of America and France (that’s 90% of the Jews outside of Israel) cannot protect themselves from what is coming. The police and national guard cannot be everywhere all the time, and some of them may be infected too. On a basic level, one must decide how far one is willing to go to protect Jews. I’m not talking Anne Frank. You cannot hide five or six million American Jews behind fake walls. Local, de-centralized safe havens are the way to go. Coordinated with local authorities if they can be trusted, not advertised to the general public. And if push comes to shove, there must be a willingness to stand up against the thugs. To shout them down, to push back if necessary. Anything to prevent them from harming Jews.

No new commentary.

The End Play

There is only one, and that is that the Jews must immigrate to Israel, the one and only true haven for Jews. If they leave the US under duress, then decent people must do all in their power to mitigate their hardships and suffering. For example, by paying fair prices for homes and businesses left behind. Helping the Jews pack their belongings. Subsidizing Jews of little means. Israel can absorb them all, even on short notice. At this stage decent people will be able to hold off the Antisemites by convincing them that they have won, and that soon America and Europe will be rid of their Jews.

Problem solved.