Opinion: Rep. Titone: Antisemitism is dangerously close to becoming mainstreamed

[Behind the Aegis]

Marginalized communities are under attack. Here in Colorado, we know that all too well. The mass shooting at Club Q which killed 5 people and injured 25 is yet another violent attack on the LGBTQ community. There is hate all around us.

Our Jewish friends and neighbors are feeling particularly vulnerable. If you haven’t noticed the frightening mainstreaming of antisemitism, you’re not paying attention. It’s coming from everywhere.

It’s in our politics. The former president dines with white supremacists and holocaust deniers.

It’s in our streets. Jews are physically attacked, verbally assaulted, and in New Jersey the FBI warned them that they may not be safe going to worship in their synagogues.

more...

[Beastly Boy]

1. What concerns me most about antisemitism going mainstream in the US is

the ever-expanding vocabulary of fallacies that are being used to obscure direct antisemitic sentiments. This concerns me most, because of the ability of social media to instantly carry these newly developing tropes far and wide and easily transform them into unchallenged conventions.

In the US, this phenomenon is observable almost daily on virtually all levels of discourse - from idle teen Tic Toc chats to the most esteemed intellectual debates, from agnostics to religious leaders of virtually all denominations, from unabashed fascists to unabashed progressives, from anonymous mobs to established influencers.

Some expressions of antisemitism are self-evident, like shooting up synagogues and drunken mobs yelling "Jews will not replace us". These make the evening news and are generally viewed as predominant expressions of antisemitism. But there are others, less violent but just as sinister: like evangelicals claiming wholesale support of Israel while neglecting to mention that Jews for them are no more than mere instruments for fulfilling their version of New Testament prophesies, or propaganda in certain Islamic countries and European progressive intellectual circles bastardizing well established definitions of terms like Zionism and apartheid, as well as using Israel as a general umbrella term to imply all Israelis and/or Jews, or Arab antisemites claiming they cannot possibly be antisemitic because they themselves are Semites, or personalities like Kanye who falsely claim that, being of African descent, they are the true Jews, and therefore cannot be antisemitic, or haters of gay Jews who claim their hatred is only directed towards gays (as if it makes any difference) and thus dismiss their implicit antisemitism. And then, there is the ubiquitous "they", the term being used in the context of a single Jew suspected of any wrongdoing.

These are the truly dangerous ones. These expressions skirt and obscure the antisemitism behind their purpose, and lend their users the aura of plausible deniability and legitimacy to act on their antisemitic impulses with no impunity. These are the instances we need to call out first and foremost.

[Behind the Aegis]

3. Well stated.

This article, Survey finds ‘classical fascist’ antisemitic views widespread in U.S., demonstrates a very disturbing trend and certainly explains how Jewish Americans in 2020 are feeling and coping and that was before the ADL published Antisemitic Attitudes in America: Topline Findings.

Of course, it doesn't help that many try to distract and dimmish the Jewish experience by 'splainin' "the reality" of the situation. Some Jews are also guilty of this and that is even more disgustingly disturbing. The intellectualization and mainstreaming of anti-Semitism is coming at us from both extremes, but our side tends to only focus on the right, just like the right does, in reverse. It seems, IMO, that something on a grand scale has to happen to the Jews before people wake the fuck up and stop trying to dictate how we react to bigotry against us. I just read a "helpful Christian" who decided the best way for Jews to fight anti-Semitism is to not make such a big deal of it and if something really bad happens, then they (the Jews) should be sure to include other marginalized groups and letting them speak at any rally about their concerns and end any marches against anti-Semitism at a BLM office or other such group. This was posted on a JEWISH site! It shows how pathetic some Jews have become when it comes to speaking out for ourselves.

I also agree with you the most dangerous ones aren't necessarily the ones "in the streets" but the ones who are respected and utilize "intellectual" anti-Semitism.

[Martin68]

2. Not very surprising considering that Obama's election made racism mainstream among conservatives,

and DeSantos has made the censorship of American history and attacks on equal rights for LGBTQ people mainstream in the Republican Party. Fortunately "mainstream" in this case by no means suggests a majority of Americans approve. It means that the rightwing media and rightwing candidates can freely express their bigoted opinions without fear of repercussions among the Trumpist base. All sane Americans must take these developments very seriously and do whatever we can to fight them in every way we can.