My disgust grows daily — not just at antisemites, but at us Jews. I'm tired of reading about Jewish victims. One-sided attacks. No resistance. No one fighting back. Antisemites love a Jewish victim. A dead Jew is even better — just ask Europe. We've become the punching bag for every ignorant coward having a bad day, and somehow that's become our identity: history's eternal victim.
Look at Israelis. They live under constant, existential, life-threatening violence — and they are not victims. They are warriors. They train, they fight, they push back hard, and anyone foolish enough to test them will not go home bragging. They will go home humbled — if they go home at all. That is what strength looks like. Now look at us here and in the diaspora. What do we have? Twelve thousand Jewish organizations worldwide dedicated to fighting antisemitism — and antisemitism is rising. The ADL writes letters. The AJC hosts cocktail parties. Federations commission surveys. Our leadership fundraises, files reports, and in the US quietly supports a political party that increasingly takes us for granted without a word of pushback. These organizations exist to protect us. What are they actually doing? When 100 antisemitic agitators showed up at that synagogue this week in Mamdani's NYC, did the ADL put out a call — every Jew, show up, stand together, show them who we are? No. Nothing. No call to action. No show of solidarity or strength. It never even occurred to them.
We are not to blame for the violence against us. That must be said clearly. The hate belongs entirely to those who commit it, enable it, and look the other way. But we are responsible for our response to it — and right now, that response is failing us. We are weak in defending ourselves individually. We are weak in defending ourselves as a community. And we have leadership that is weaker still. That has to change. Words, surveys, and fundraising dinners are not a defense! Strength is a defense! Unity is a defense! Showing up — visibly, loudly, and together — is is a defense! We've been history's victims long enough. It's time to decide we're done. We are not helpless. We are not weak by nature. We have been led to believe we are — by timid organizations more concerned with their donor lists than our safety, by a culture that confused silence with dignity, and by the false comfort of believing that if we just explained ourselves well enough, hate would eventually listen to reason. It won't. It never has. So stop explaining. Start fighting. With your voice — speak loudly, speak first, speak without apology. With your presence — show up in numbers that cannot be dismissed. With your fists — train, prepare, protect yourself and protect each other. With your guts — do the hard thing, the uncomfortable thing, the thing the ADL would send a cautious memo about. And with your bravery — the deep, earned, ancestral bravery of a people who have survived everything and are still here. We are still here. Now act like it
Agree and I add to call out self-hating Jews. I call them worse than Kapos. They will know who we mean or they will look it up. Kapos knew they there were buying time before being murdered as all other Jews. No more being polite to traitors. I will include Jews in visible and what they think are powerful positions; they are not. They’re harming all of us by doing the dirty work for antisemites.
I mostly agree, but you denigrate interfaith dialogue and education. It’s a mistake to solely rely on it, but they can plant doubts in people’s minds about the hate they’re hearing. They have the potential to slow down the spread of hate and to create allies.
You say lines must be drawn legally. There are orgs that are doing that by bringing lawsuits.
There are two types of antisemite. There are the leaders of these groups, they are the ones against whom the tactics you have put forth will work. The second group, by far the biggest btw, are idiots. They are followers, bone heads who have been convinced that this is the way to be popular and gain the interest of similarly situated romantic interests. To address this crowd, we should stress what I euphemistically call “meatheadization”. The more the followers are told that they are meat heads, the more they will eventually (everything takes a while when it comes to slow learners) begin to realize that they are being played for fools. Both approaches must be employed.
I recommend, if you don’t already follow him, Adam Louis Klein, and movementagainstantizionism.org. He wisely terms the current iteration of Jew-hate “antizionism” (without the hyphen, as it is unrelated to early Jewish debates on the value of sovereignty) and differentiates it from “classical” antisemitism, in that the tropes have changed. You may see this as simply semantics, but it’s essential to defeating it.
Agree 100%. However, nothing can be achieved until the Iranians are totally defeated. The PR war had been lost by Israel. We must be patient. Once the world sees a peace they didn’t think possible, minds will change. I am sure. But right now, not so much. Until then” it’s our land Done explaining “
Based on my own experience, I can state that—despite all the obvious and unmistakable stupidity displayed by Jew-haters and "Palestine" enthusiasts—one should never rule out the possibility of engaging in substantive debate, exchanging arguments, or challenging their largely insane assertions.
A significant portion of these individuals are very young people, and surely everyone can recall from their own lives the various follies they subscribed to in their youth.
Indeed, it is crucial to present oneself in a convincing and commanding manner; "more sophisticated" discussions—those with greater depth—become possible only after one has managed to breach or at least scratch the surface.
Frequently, one encounters hermetic, utterly absurd, and demonstrably false "certainties"—delivered with absolute conviction—simply because these individuals are entirely unaccustomed to seeking information outside their own bubble, encountering dissent, or engaging in genuine debate.
Even though the vast majority—as is typical of fascists—present a rigid, aggressive, and impenetrable front, a closer look reveals that things are often far less clear-cut and uniform than they attempt to portray.
If everyone—wherever and whenever possible—delivers repeated "pinpricks" of dissent, it will eventually have an effect; however, this will not happen unless one acts with resolve, precision, and the necessary assertiveness.
These idiots simply do not understand any other language—a language of idiocy, incidentally, that is catered to in practically indistinguishable fashion by the "left-wing" (??? Hahaha) Polanskis and "right-wing" Carlsons of this world.
Pointing out—and demonstrating—just how little, if at all, the "Left" and the "Right" actually differ -and not just in this context—after all, fascists are fascists - creates a particularly effective form of disruptive agitation.
Finally, finally thank you for elaborating on the obvious. If I see one more Jewish organization expressing “dismay “ over another Jew hatred attack, including shootings I fear for our community. Let’s start by every Jewish organization offering Krav Maga classes extensively throughout the community, then, enough with the platitudes. It makes me want to vomit.
reprint of my comment in TFP-
My disgust grows daily — not just at antisemites, but at us Jews. I'm tired of reading about Jewish victims. One-sided attacks. No resistance. No one fighting back. Antisemites love a Jewish victim. A dead Jew is even better — just ask Europe. We've become the punching bag for every ignorant coward having a bad day, and somehow that's become our identity: history's eternal victim.
Look at Israelis. They live under constant, existential, life-threatening violence — and they are not victims. They are warriors. They train, they fight, they push back hard, and anyone foolish enough to test them will not go home bragging. They will go home humbled — if they go home at all. That is what strength looks like. Now look at us here and in the diaspora. What do we have? Twelve thousand Jewish organizations worldwide dedicated to fighting antisemitism — and antisemitism is rising. The ADL writes letters. The AJC hosts cocktail parties. Federations commission surveys. Our leadership fundraises, files reports, and in the US quietly supports a political party that increasingly takes us for granted without a word of pushback. These organizations exist to protect us. What are they actually doing? When 100 antisemitic agitators showed up at that synagogue this week in Mamdani's NYC, did the ADL put out a call — every Jew, show up, stand together, show them who we are? No. Nothing. No call to action. No show of solidarity or strength. It never even occurred to them.
We are not to blame for the violence against us. That must be said clearly. The hate belongs entirely to those who commit it, enable it, and look the other way. But we are responsible for our response to it — and right now, that response is failing us. We are weak in defending ourselves individually. We are weak in defending ourselves as a community. And we have leadership that is weaker still. That has to change. Words, surveys, and fundraising dinners are not a defense! Strength is a defense! Unity is a defense! Showing up — visibly, loudly, and together — is is a defense! We've been history's victims long enough. It's time to decide we're done. We are not helpless. We are not weak by nature. We have been led to believe we are — by timid organizations more concerned with their donor lists than our safety, by a culture that confused silence with dignity, and by the false comfort of believing that if we just explained ourselves well enough, hate would eventually listen to reason. It won't. It never has. So stop explaining. Start fighting. With your voice — speak loudly, speak first, speak without apology. With your presence — show up in numbers that cannot be dismissed. With your fists — train, prepare, protect yourself and protect each other. With your guts — do the hard thing, the uncomfortable thing, the thing the ADL would send a cautious memo about. And with your bravery — the deep, earned, ancestral bravery of a people who have survived everything and are still here. We are still here. Now act like it
Agree and I add to call out self-hating Jews. I call them worse than Kapos. They will know who we mean or they will look it up. Kapos knew they there were buying time before being murdered as all other Jews. No more being polite to traitors. I will include Jews in visible and what they think are powerful positions; they are not. They’re harming all of us by doing the dirty work for antisemites.
I mostly agree, but you denigrate interfaith dialogue and education. It’s a mistake to solely rely on it, but they can plant doubts in people’s minds about the hate they’re hearing. They have the potential to slow down the spread of hate and to create allies.
You say lines must be drawn legally. There are orgs that are doing that by bringing lawsuits.
Successful lawsuits would have to include "judges" not being antisemitic. I´m far from being convinced that they are in general or even majority.
There are two types of antisemite. There are the leaders of these groups, they are the ones against whom the tactics you have put forth will work. The second group, by far the biggest btw, are idiots. They are followers, bone heads who have been convinced that this is the way to be popular and gain the interest of similarly situated romantic interests. To address this crowd, we should stress what I euphemistically call “meatheadization”. The more the followers are told that they are meat heads, the more they will eventually (everything takes a while when it comes to slow learners) begin to realize that they are being played for fools. Both approaches must be employed.
I recommend, if you don’t already follow him, Adam Louis Klein, and movementagainstantizionism.org. He wisely terms the current iteration of Jew-hate “antizionism” (without the hyphen, as it is unrelated to early Jewish debates on the value of sovereignty) and differentiates it from “classical” antisemitism, in that the tropes have changed. You may see this as simply semantics, but it’s essential to defeating it.
Fabulous article and my sentiments exactly!!!!! I have been hard hitting since October 7, 2023!!! Very well said!!!
Agree 100%. However, nothing can be achieved until the Iranians are totally defeated. The PR war had been lost by Israel. We must be patient. Once the world sees a peace they didn’t think possible, minds will change. I am sure. But right now, not so much. Until then” it’s our land Done explaining “
Based on my own experience, I can state that—despite all the obvious and unmistakable stupidity displayed by Jew-haters and "Palestine" enthusiasts—one should never rule out the possibility of engaging in substantive debate, exchanging arguments, or challenging their largely insane assertions.
A significant portion of these individuals are very young people, and surely everyone can recall from their own lives the various follies they subscribed to in their youth.
Indeed, it is crucial to present oneself in a convincing and commanding manner; "more sophisticated" discussions—those with greater depth—become possible only after one has managed to breach or at least scratch the surface.
Frequently, one encounters hermetic, utterly absurd, and demonstrably false "certainties"—delivered with absolute conviction—simply because these individuals are entirely unaccustomed to seeking information outside their own bubble, encountering dissent, or engaging in genuine debate.
Even though the vast majority—as is typical of fascists—present a rigid, aggressive, and impenetrable front, a closer look reveals that things are often far less clear-cut and uniform than they attempt to portray.
If everyone—wherever and whenever possible—delivers repeated "pinpricks" of dissent, it will eventually have an effect; however, this will not happen unless one acts with resolve, precision, and the necessary assertiveness.
These idiots simply do not understand any other language—a language of idiocy, incidentally, that is catered to in practically indistinguishable fashion by the "left-wing" (??? Hahaha) Polanskis and "right-wing" Carlsons of this world.
Pointing out—and demonstrating—just how little, if at all, the "Left" and the "Right" actually differ -and not just in this context—after all, fascists are fascists - creates a particularly effective form of disruptive agitation.
Absolutely!
I cringe every time I hear Jewish people say that antisemitism is lack of education or that they don’t know us. Stop 🛑 this nonsense!!
Finally, finally thank you for elaborating on the obvious. If I see one more Jewish organization expressing “dismay “ over another Jew hatred attack, including shootings I fear for our community. Let’s start by every Jewish organization offering Krav Maga classes extensively throughout the community, then, enough with the platitudes. It makes me want to vomit.