A Values-Based Alliance Under Threat
For generations, Jewish Americans have been a reliable part of the Democratic coalition. That support has never been about self-interest. As a generally well-off community, Jews have not needed Medicaid, food stamps, or other New Deal–style programs to get by. Instead, Jewish political loyalty has been rooted in values — the conviction, born of persecution and reinforced by history, that justice should extend to everyone. Jews were disproportionately present in the civil rights movement, marching with Dr. King and standing up for the vulnerable not because it benefited them directly, but because they believed it was right.
That long-standing bond is now under threat.
From Criticism to Scapegoating
Over the past several years, I have been alarmed at the number of blatantly antisemitic remarks, memes, and stereotypes circulating even in circles I know well. My own social media feed — filled with artists, jazz musicians, and people of many races and backgrounds — has lately been riddled with rhetoric that goes far beyond criticism of Israeli policy. Too often, outrage at the humanitarian crisis in Gaza morphs into age-old Jewish tropes.
It is critical to remember that being Jewish, being an Israeli citizen, and being Zionist are not the same thing. Jewish identity is cultural, historical, and for most also religious; it does not mean blanket support for every Israeli government action. Yet in today’s climate, those distinctions are collapsing, and Jews are once again becoming scapegoats. I reject the notion that Jewish Americans must apologize for or disagree with the actions of the Israel government because it has become a fashionable liberal rallying point. Criticism of policy is fair game, but demanding blanket condemnation as a condition of belonging is just another form of exclusion.
The Historical Reality Behind Current Conflicts
How many people that are taking sides in this conflict are even in possession of the most basic historical facts behind it?
I have written several Substacks on this subject and they are referenced at the end of this one. A good summary one for this situation is “No Going Back: What the Palestinians Must Accept Before It’s Too Late.”
The hard truth is that there are four main reasons why no Palestinian state exists today.
The United Nations and Britain (the previous overseers) completely mismanaged the original division of the land, creating confusion and instability from the start.
Neighboring Arab countries never wanted a Palestinian state; they wanted that territory for themselves and worked actively to prevent its creation. Those countries have, and continue to, discriminate against Palestinians within their borders in the most blatant ways.
The Palestinians themselves rejected the original UN mandated division and started a war against Israel along with neighboring Arab countries at the moment the mandate took effect.
Repeated wars launched against Israel — from 1948 onward — hardened borders, deepened mistrust, and closed off possibilities for peace.
The Palestinians were originally offered their own nation by the UN as England was exiting the Palestine mandate, and Israel accepted it, but the Palestinians and Arab neighbors rejected it. That offer would seem like manna from heaven compared to where the Palestinians are now. The Israelis didn’t like it either, but they pragmatically accepted it as the best they could get. The British were leaving and everything needed to be decided at that moment. The Arabs rolled the dice seeking maximalist results, started a war, and lost — a pattern that unfortunately has repeated over and over again since then.
These are political and historical realities. They are not the product of “Jewishness.” To reduce them to ethnicity, or to blame Jews collectively for the failures of international diplomacy, other peoples decisions, and the tragedies of war, is not only misguided — it is dangerous.
Nobody is walking out in the UN when all the Arab countries that have prevented a Palestinian state and treated Palestinians poorly get up to speak, nor when Iran — which funds Hamas and Hezbollah — takes the floor. And considering the UN’s fundamental history of mismanaging the original division, along with the role of Britain in creating the mess in the first place, it is almost laughable to see these same actors and their allies now perched on a moral high horse.
To call for a Palestinian state now after all that has happened and expect it to magically appear overnight on demand is just bumper sticker politics.
I would gladly support a Palestinian state, but how?
What is the plan other than to blame all of this on Israel when they in fact were a victim of this themselves and not the perpetrators of this? They accepted the UN mandate that called for a separate Jewish and Palestinian state and then have had to defend themselves against their neighbors and the Palestinians for over 75 years now.
Israel does not want another October 7th — how is that going to be enforced with Hamas next door and still armed? What is the plan other than to insist on there being a Palestinian state?
If Israel had invaded these areas then one could claim colonial aggression, but they did not instigate any of these wars. If you keep attacking someone and lose, they are not going to give you your land back. Maybe the first time, or even after the second time, but not after over 75 years of this.
I don’t excuse everything that Israel has done.
War is ugly and imperfect, and the fog of war means difficult decisions with tragic consequences, but the responsibility lies with those who start it, not those forced to defend themselves.
The uncomfortable reality is very poor decisions on the part of the Palestinians, the Arab neighbors, and the refusal now to accept responsibility and to instead blame Israel.
Liberal Hypocrisy and Historical Patterns
Democrats regularly condemn MAGA supporters for ignoring inconvenient facts and living in information bubbles. Yet many liberals show the same willful ignorance when it comes to Middle East history. They point fingers at the MAGA base for being uneducated and rejecting uncomfortable truths, but then do exactly the same thing when confronted with the complex realities of how we got to this point.
This latest wave of scapegoating fits a pattern that stretches back literally 2,000 years. Jews have been blamed for everything from economic downturns to natural disasters — they were even blamed for the bubonic plague. Throughout history, when faced with complex problems that require nuanced understanding, it has always been easier to point fingers at Jews than to grapple with uncomfortable realities.
The Gaza situation is horrible, but jumping uninformed into an old, complex conflict and taking sides based on social media posts is not going to serve any productive purpose. Hamas, which was elected by the people of Gaza, diverted relief money intended to help their population and used it instead to build an army and slaughter about 1,200 Israeli citizens on October 7th. These are well-documented realities, not opinions.
The humanitarian situation is horrible but Hamas can end it tomorrow by surrendering and disarming and instead their strategy is to hide in civilian areas and try and achieve their objectives by polarizing international opinion from the suffering they bring to the Palestinian people.
Their leaders are even more corrupt than those in the West Bank and their families live in luxury in other countries outside of Gaza skimming from international aid meant for the Palestinian people and military aid from Iran meant for weapons.
The Political Consequences for Democrats
This is a political and moral disaster for Democrats. On the political side, Republicans have already seen the opportunity. Donald Trump and the GOP are calling out antisemitism at universities not because of a sudden newfound love for Jews, but because they know it is a fracture point in the Democratic coalition. Every time Democrats fail to take antisemitism seriously, Republicans gain a new line of attack and another wedge to drive between the party and one of its most loyal constituencies.
On the moral side, tolerating antisemitism corrodes the very foundation of what Democrats claim to stand for. You cannot credibly fight racism, xenophobia, or bigotry against one group while excusing it against another. Selective morality is no morality at all.
And it may have serious political consequences. Unlike other constituencies, Jews don’t “need” liberal politics for personal survival. They support liberal causes because they believe in them. That means their loyalty can also shift.
Yet for Jews, who as a community are generally well-off, joining the GOP would not come at a material cost. It would be easy enough to cross over — and if Democrats continue to tolerate antisemitism, many will see little reason not to. Jews are influential and can help those in need, but they can ignore them too if those people are antagonistic towards them.
Now the likely future mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, feels emboldened to weigh in on this international situation which has nothing to do with New York, talking about arresting the Prime Minister of Israel.
Jewish Influence: Earned Through Contributions
This influence extends far beyond single votes and is well-deserved considering Jewish contributions to America. Jewish scientists led the Manhattan Project that ended World War II, with figures like Oppenheimer, Einstein, and Feynman. Jewish innovators created the computer architecture underlying modern technology, developed life-saving vaccines like the polio vaccine, and founded companies like Google, Facebook, and Oracle. From Hollywood studios to Broadway stages, Jewish creators have shaped American culture. Jewish justices like Brandeis and Ginsburg have advanced civil rights through the Supreme Court. The Jewish tradition of tzedakah has translated into massive philanthropic efforts, like Julius Rosenwald partnering with Booker T. Washington to build thousands of schools for Black children in the segregated South.
The Jewish contribution to the Great American Songbook is not just significant—it is foundational. Jewish-American composers and lyricists were the principal architects of this enduring canon of music. Names like Irving Berlin, George and Ira Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers, and Harold Arlen created the soundtrack for 20th-century America, from “God Bless America” to “Over the Rainbow.”
There was a time in the past where universities like Harvard had quotas for Jews, but not the kinds we see today; it was quotas to reject applicants if the percentage of Jews was too high.
A Warning Democrats Cannot Ignore
The Democratic party is becoming the party of the unwise. They have lost several elections largely because their priorities are disconnected from what voters actually care about and by taking for granted traditional supporters.
I have written a series of Israel-related op-eds on many issues, including the folly of listening to whatever goes on at the United Nations — too often a home of misinformation and double standards. This latest rise in antisemitism should be seen in the same light: a refusal to grapple with history, a willingness to twist facts, and a tendency to scapegoat the easiest target rather than confront uncomfortable truths.
Republicans know this. That is why they are amplifying stories of antisemitism on campuses, casting themselves as defenders of Jewish students, and daring Democrats to respond.
Keep up with the racist Jew-bashing, and Democrats will hand Republicans yet another reason to win elections.
The Democrats may turn out to be the party of the future — a future that never arrives.
Related Reading
For more detailed analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its historical context, see the following articles: