Merchant of Menace: Trump and the Jews. The unholy alliance between history's antisemites, Netanyahu, and Trump. [View all]

https://prospect.org/politics/2025-03-25-merchant-of-menace-trump-and-the-jews/



In 1791, Russian leaders invited Jews to live in what came to be known as the Pale of Settlement, under terms that were regularly made more restrictive and often led to pogroms. It did not end well. When you find yourself love-bombed by your enemies for entirely opportunistic reasons, it seldom ends well either. Today, the menace of antisemitism is being used to restrict academic freedom at a heavily Jewish university (Columbia) and will be further used to assault the liberal professions that have historically been hospitable to American Jews.

This bizarre twist is the work of an alliance of convenience between Trump, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, all of whom find it expedient to define any criticism of Israel’s brutal actions in Gaza as antisemitism. Right-wing extremists with no love of Jews relish this ploy.

Some mainstream American Jewish congregations helped set the trap. For decades, many synagogues have displayed a sign long promoted by Zionist groups, We Stand With Israel, often festooned with U.S. and Israeli flags. Let’s see, does that refer to the biblical land of Israel, the Israel of 1948, or the Israel that is obliterating civilian Gaza? Conveniently, the slogan blurs all three. One of the ancient slanders against Jews is the charge of “dual loyalty.” Jews may pose as loyal citizens, but they really have a deeper loyalty to their tribe. Slogans like these serve to volunteer all Jews as pleading guilty to the charge of dual loyalty. But, hey, no problem. Trump is determined to root out antisemitism.This will not end well.

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This week, Netanyahu is hosting a global conference on antisemitism. His featured speakers are Europe’s worst right-wing leaders, who have no love of Jews but opportunistically embrace Israel. The whole idea smelled so bad that several of Europe’s mainstream leaders pulled out. Even the ADL bailed. But this is exactly what Trump is doing at home.

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