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Two teens attack a Jewish man in Boro Park, Brooklyn, New York, yelling antisemitic slurs, then chase him into a synagogue, which they attempt to break into and enter during sabbath services.
Can Biden’s Plan Beat Antisemitism?
President Biden’s new Strategy to Counter Antisemitism got good press: But now we need courageous action to fight rising Jew hatred on our streets and campuses.
The Administration’s National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism arrived just as attacks against Jews—and especially Jewish students—are surging all over America. The question is whether Mr. Biden has the commitment to combat antisemites from all corners of American society.
Fight Jew hatred in all corners of American society
What are the facts?
A Jewish center in Detroit is vandalized. Colorado students wear body-painted swastikas after a Holocaust program. Pro-Palestinian activists beat a Jewish man on a New York street. An Illinois man threatens national Jewish organizations. A commencement speaker at CUNY Law School slanders the Jewish state—students and faculty cheer.
Though Jews are only 2.4% of the U.S. population, they are the victims of 63% of religiously motivated hate crimes. Reported antisemitic incidents rose by 36% to a new high of 3,697 in 2022. Moreover, bullying and intimidation of Jewish students on college campuses tripled last year, while attempts to censor Zionism increased 600%, according to AMCHA Initiative. Recalling Jewish persecution in Nazi Germany, some 50% of U.S. Jewish students say they hide their Jewish identity, according to a Brandeis Center study.
Will the President back his National Strategy with courageous opposition—no matter who the offenders are? The President’s National Strategy promises four pillars of action to combat Jew hatred: 1) Increase awareness and understanding 2) Improve safety and security. 3) Reverse the normalization of antisemitism. 4) Build solidarity and counter hate. In addition, the Biden Strategy adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism—endorsed by 1,116 entities worldwide, including 30 U.S. states.
While these principles establish a foundation for fighting Jew hatred, this battle demands more than inspiring words and good intentions. Will Mr. Biden have the courage to oppose antisemitism across the broad spectrum of those who practice it—whether politically right or left, no matter race or ethnicity, Republicans or Democrats? Such evenhanded justice will be the true test of the President’s commitment.
Aggressively prosecute and condemn campus antisemitism. Antisemitism on college campuses spans a range of hatred—from vandalism and “classical” slanders against Jews . . . to demonization of Israel and bias against students who support the Jewish state. Many of these offenses clearly violate Title IV of the Civil Rights Act. To increase awareness of these antisemitism forms, the Administration must prosecute them aggressively. In addition, when students or faculty deliver antisemitic speeches—such as several recent commencement addresses—members of the Administration, including the President, must condemn them.
Make American streets safe for Orthodox Jews. Though antisemitic crimes occur across our entire country, certain communities are particularly vulnerable. According to a 2022 report by Americans Against Antisemitism, Orthodox Jews in New York City are the minority group most victimized by hate crimes in the city. Shockingly, fully 97% of the crimes between 2018 and 2022 were committed by members of other minority groups. Not only must the Administration demand that policing and prosecution be escalated to protect al Jews, but it should fund education targeted to groups who perpetrate these crimes.
Reverse the normalization of antisemitism—in the classroom and in Congress.
Under the guise of “ethnic studies,” students at all levels are being indoctrinated to believe falsely that Jewish people are “white oppressors” and that Israel is a colonial state. These beliefs disregard millennia of antisemitic persecution—specifically because Jews were not considered “white”—and it ignores Jews’ 3000-year struggle against colonial powers in the land of Israel. In addition, some members of Congress increasingly stigmatize Jews with antisemitic tropes about undue Jewish influence and demonize the Jewish state with false accusations of apartheid—antisemitic under the IHRA definition. The Administration must boldly reverse such Jew-hatred—by defunding antisemitic ethnic studies programs and denouncing hateful statements by elected officials.
Build solidarity and collective action to counter Palestinian hate. The majority of American Jews—and Americans generally—support the Jewish state. Yet how can we believe the Administration opposes antisemitism when it simultaneously gives generous financial support to antisemites who teach their children to kill Jews? According to the most recent research by the Anti-Defamation League—ADL Global 100 Index—some 93% of Palestinians harbor antisemitic beliefs, the highest score of any people worldwide. No surprise Palestinians murder innocent Jews almost daily in Israel. Worse, the Biden Administration has given the Palestinians more than $1 billion—with no requirement they reduce Jew hatred. The Administration must back its commitment by defunding openly antisemitic groups.
If the Biden Administration is truly serious about combating antisemitism, it must act today against the most visible forms of Jew hatred. That means stepped up prosecution on campus and on our streets, outspoken criticism of all who commit antisemitism—no matter social, racial or political identity—plus immediate defunding of groups that actively traffic in antisemitic propaganda and behavior.
