Antisemite vs. enabler?

The next presidential election will decide if American Jews have a future in the US.

"Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @ SXSW 2019" by nrkbeta is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

My new book, Self Defense: A Jewish Manifesto, is now available at Amazon via Wicked Son Books and the Z3 Project.

The precipitous rise of antisemitism on the left and in the Muslim community, as well as, more recently, the far-right, has left many American Jews wondering if they have a future in the United States.

The fact that this is even a subject of debate in the country the Jews have always regarded as the safest and least antisemitic country in Diaspora history says a great deal in and of itself. But it is a realistic possibility, and must be faced head-on.

Put simply, the rise of antisemitism on both the left and the right threatens American Jews with a pincer movement, one in which those on the commanding heights of American politics—on both sides—are a direct threat to the American Jewish future.

I believe it is quite possible that this future will be decided by the 2028 presidential election.

The Democratic nominee, judging by the almost total takeover of the party’s base by antisemitic forces, will almost certainly be, at the very least, either an apologist for antisemitism or an outright antisemite.

The former would be bad enough, but it is quite possible that the latter is more likely. If, for example, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the nominee, which is a very real possibility, American Jews will be faced with the first openly antisemitic presidential nominee in living memory.

Indeed, AOC is no mere apologist for antisemitism. She has publicly enabled it, assiduously aiding and abetting the Red-Green Alliance between radical progressives and the Muslim community that has intimidated, harassed, attacked, and outright murdered Jews over the past two years in service of their genocidal ambition of annihilating Israel and, among some, the entirety of global Jewry.

One would assume that AOC’s nomination could lead American Jews to abandon their traditional slavish fealty to the Democrats and vote for the Republican Party. Sadly, the Republican choice is unlikely to be much better.

It is all but a moral certainty that the nominee will be Vice President JD Vance. Indeed, there have been few cases in history in which a sitting vice president has been denied his party’s presidential nomination at the end of his predecessor’s term. If Vance wants it, and he does, he will be the nominee.

More than mere idolatrous dedication to the Democrats should give Jews some pause at the prospect of a Vance nomination. Vance is not openly antisemitic, but in recent months, as the antisemitic far-right has increased its decisive influence over the Republican Party, especially among younger activists, Vance has proven not only unwilling to condemn it but openly opposed to purging it.

It is quite clear what Vance’s refusal to denounce the antisemites metastasizing within his party means: He will not divide the MAGA movement under any circumstances. He is determined to maintain the Trump coalition, even as that coalition has become infected by the Jew-hatred Trump has eschewed. If the price of maintaining unity is the Jews, Vance appears willing to pay it.

Unlike among the Democrats—with a few noble exceptions—there are powerful right-wing activists and influencers who are prepared to passionately oppose the movement’s descent into antisemitism. The likes of Ben Shapiro are foremost among them, but while they are fighting the good fight, it is highly unlikely that they can prevail.

They are, after all, fighting influencers of incredible potency and power, such as Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, and Megyn Kelly. If they are also faced with the opposition of a sitting vice president, defeat is essentially inevitable.

Given all this, American Jewish concerns are more than understandable. Such an impasse threatens the Jews with a presidential election in which they will be faced with a choice between an antisemite and a man who, at best, refuses to oppose antisemitism. A Vance vs. AOC race, or indeed Vance vs. any Democratic nominee, will be the pincer movement, and could all but decide the American Jewish future for the worse.

Put simply, this will be a situation in which neither candidate can be trusted to address American Jewish concerns, let alone the causes about which American Jews care deeply, such as support for Israel—their only prospective haven if things go bad—restoring Jewish civil rights, fighting antisemitic incitement and violence, and holding systemically antisemitic institutions accountable.

I do not say that all this is inevitable. The Democrats may, at last, redeem themselves, though this becomes increasingly unlikely with each passing day. It is possible that Vance can be moved, and pressure from anti-antisemitic forces on the right may yet prevail. Nonetheless, Jews should always hope for the best and prepare for the worst. American Jews are no exception.

If the Democrats indeed complete their descent and Vance cannot be moved, then American Jews will have few options. They may choose Aliyah or simply keep their heads down and hope everything will pass.

The former would be a boon to Israel, but would also constitute a world-historical tragedy and trauma for the Jewish people, akin to the expulsion from Spain. The latter is very unlikely to work, and has certainly never worked in the past. Indeed, the entirety of Jewish history proves as much.

A third option is to resist. That is, Jews can engage in active physical, spiritual, social, cultural, and political self-defense. Like the old Black civil rights activists, they can protest, disrupt, and generally make trouble in order to demonstrate that the United States will not be permitted to function normally if their rights are not honored and protected.

I do not know if, against now-entrenched systemically antisemitic forces, American Jews will be able to prevail. But it is possible. If they are to prevail, however, the first step is for American Jews to admit to the reality they fear: If they wish to remain both Jews and Americans, they will have to fight for it.