Trump's antisemitism agenda isn't about the Jews. I wrote about how the president and his allies are using the pretext of protecting Jews to protect their policies from criticism, while advancing an agenda that most American Jews oppose. Gift link:
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I don’t only want this scum out of our govt. I want them to be put on trial for their crimes to the US. I will vote for any Dem that promises me revenge for the last decade of my life being subjected to their terrorism
A good compliment below as this doesn’t get into the other element of Trump’s Jewish agenda; his catering to Fundamentalist Christian Nationalists who also see Jews as a necessary evil.
What a surprise. He lied about another thing. News Flash: HE LIES ABOUT EVERYTHING, TO EVERYONE, AT ALL TIMES. If the Jews were taken in by his bullshit, then they (and we) have only ourselves to blame.
"The push to purge outsiders from the homeland also explains the crude theatrics that have accompanied the administration’s actions." These theatrics are meant to desensitize us, normalize this, and acquiesce to it. We must not.
I suggest as a mental model to think of what the Trump admin is doing to academia as a lynch, with “Jews” serving the role that “white women” served for the Klan.
I understand what you’re going for, but that’s not a good mental model b/c white women in the south did actually support the lynching of Black men. As the article repeatedly says, the majority of American Jews, do not support what the Trump admin is doing to academia and w/ detentions & deportations
That’s right. What I like about my model is that it brings out how claiming to defend Jews can be antisemitic - as it is obvious to us that the Klan was not only racist but also sexist.
Excellent piece. Most days I think of this admin as being as dumb as a box of rocks, but that's my bad. Somewhere in their addled sphere is a calculating mind that doesn't blink at abusing the real concern of antisemitism for their own purposes. Thank you.
Excellent article. And let's not forget how often Dear Leader & his acolytes use "Soros" as a code word for "Jews." It's a dog-whistle that implies Jews are sinister and malevolent. In other words, as he sees it, Jewish conservatives are worthy of protection (for now). All other Jews are evil.
Yes! And similarly, we should also note how often “Zionist” is used as a code word for “Jews”—a dog whistle that implies Jews are land-thieving baby killers. In other words: “We don’t think all Jews are evil… just the 85-90% who support the continued existence of Israel.”
“Jew = zionist = evil” is what I grew up with in Russia, this notion was official in USSR, still largely remains.
I fled on foot to EU, got denied by Germany, got denied UK visa because “offense record for protesting”, US would deport me. I fled to Israel, and Americans write me “you nazi occupier”.
I really do wish that his preemptive mocking of Rabin in the 90's has ended his career permanently, as opposed to temporarily setting back like it actually did. We'd be a lot better off in retrospect.
The American obsession with individualism at the expense of human understanding create vulnerability to the evil of populists like Donald Trump.
The concentration of executive power in an individual & a “tooth & claw” economic ideology that creates underclass misery, are America’s Achilles heel.
I’m really surprised that nobody is calling out the fact that this horribly antisemitic administration is 100% not using this to fight antisemitism, but to destroy higher education. It’s so blatantly obvious, but mainstream media just keeps pushing administration propaganda.
we are. A lot of Jewish orgs have been from day one like @ncjw.bsky.social. ADL is finally coming around but screw em until they do an internal overhaul.
"Jews are caught in the middle—used by the White House to shield its agenda from criticism, yet attacked by Trump’s critics as enablers of that agenda due to their advocacy for themselves and against anti-Semitism."
Many here have missed the second half of this statement. #AntiZionismIsAntisemitism
It’s a similar thing with Andrew Cuomo: he recently accused a *jewish* candidate (Brad Lander) of being anti-Semitic because he opposed the illegal West Bank settlements
Most Zionist Jews I know oppose the West Bank settlements. I’m very supportive of Israel, but its conduct in the West Bank is a travesty.
Besides, we already have an antisemitic candidate in this race, in the form of a pro-Hamas socialist. Cuomo needs to keep the Jews out of his fucking mouth.
Understated. White House Groypers are especially targeting colleges with more Jewish students, like Columbia and Brown. That they can do it with accusations of anti-Semitism is an extra layer of delicious trolling for the young neo-Nazi staffers.
Most disappointing, American Jews are getting it from both sides.
“Some partisans on social media have demanded that American Jews answer for Trump’s policies—a good example of how Jews, like other minorities, are often scapegoated for majority decisions most of them opposed.”
I've never understood why it's so easy to stir up antisemitism here where, although a tiny fraction of our population, Jews contribute at the highest levels of business, entertainment, law, etc.
A Jewish friend blames it on Christians' belief that Jews killed Christ, but he was a Jew, right? 🤔
Antisemitism is old and slippery. It takes on many forms but ultimately puts Jews in the crosshairs when things go wrong for and individual or a group.
Interestingly, the idea of a scapegoat comes from ancient Jewish religious practice.
This op-ed from the inimitable Rabbi Wolpe is instructive…
Still "slippery" to me. But as a child of the `60s, Jews continue to be my ethical north star.
"Jews introduced the idea of ethical monotheism — the moral demands that one God makes on human beings ... Jews represent conscience and conscience is a disruptive and painful partner in our lives."
I mean how the hell do you think I feel, we Jews have spent decades trying to make America a better place and the entire country decided to commit national suicide on a huge scale.
So you better believe I'm bitter as hell at the idiots who voted to put this atrocity in the White House.
He's using the same scheme to justify deporting people -- to save "black jobs," and erasing trans people to "protect women," while simultaneously defunding grants and educational programs, erasing gov websites, and blocking civil rights suits that include or benefit women and black people.
Trump cynically inflames & uses existing divisiveness in US culture. Here, campus protests that often sunk into anti-Semitic talk and tone-deafness to mounting carnage in Gaza.
Not mentioned here: Betar US giving 'thousands of names' to Rubio for deportation, including Khalil and possibly Ozturk.
Betar US and similar groups represent a 'minority within a minority' that seems to be awfully influential at the moment - in ways that are quite corrosive to our emerging Police State.
None of this negates the articles main points, but the reality is a bit messier than is portrayed here.
Betar US is a far-right anonymous Twitter account that appeared out of nowhere less than half a year ago, with little to no real world organization or footprint. I'd be very wary of taking them at face value, and think some of the attention to them has been credulous and sometimes irresponsible.
Like many far-right anons, the account seems to exist solely to troll anyone that isn't far-right like them (in this case, on Israel) with deliberately unhinged provocations to draw attention and sow public fear. They have every incentive to exaggerate their influence, none of which has been proven.
Hard to say - this administration itself excels at trolling more than transparency. But it seems entirely logical that such groups would have influence, if Laura Loomer can get national security leaders fired. Where are all of Rubio's 300+ names coming from, if they're not outsoucing it?
It's notable that major media outlets are broadcasting Betar's claimed influence - NYT, Guardian, CNN, others.
No rational person would claim Betar speaks for the American Jewish population - but seeing such claimed influence connected to Trump student deportations is very bad optics.
I’m waiting for it to pivot from “antisemitism” to “anti-Christian” and see the response when citizens are disappeared or detained without due process.
Serious question. Have any Jews or Jewish organizations at these universities attacked by Trump released a collective statement condemning Trump’s shakedown?? Not in my name? Maybe I missed the article.
yes, Jason Stanley said something to the effect: ‘ the admin is using anti-semitism as a sledgehammer to chip away at free speech..’ Next there will be murals of Trump on the sides of buildings and *anyone* could be arrested for throwing eggs at it.
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I’m just wondering why you’re using the outdated spelling of antisemitism (using a hyphen).
This is actually the 2nd recent Atlantic article I’ve seen use this spelling.
Why isn’t the Atlantic following the AP stylebook?
https://bsky.app/profile/yair-rosenberg.bsky.social/post/3llykhtaz6h2v
As a grandson of Holocaust survivors, it’s intimately disturbing.
Who would have known that Nick Fuentes and others are not pro Jewish..
A good compliment below as this doesn’t get into the other element of Trump’s Jewish agenda; his catering to Fundamentalist Christian Nationalists who also see Jews as a necessary evil.
The klan being sexist is sort of secondary here.
We all understand the first part and have been screaming it from the rooftops for quite a while now.
Make America, so hostile to us that we are forced to flee for our safety
I fled on foot to EU, got denied by Germany, got denied UK visa because “offense record for protesting”, US would deport me. I fled to Israel, and Americans write me “you nazi occupier”.
In this polemic, it's important to remember that the greater number of American Zionists are Christian nationalists and their fellow evangelicals.
That's what this is all about.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/04/trump-anti-semitism-agenda/682285/?gift=Y5UOGK3oJJO3esRHvDP7odDzJVD9YLu9eORiTwwMuYE&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
The concentration of executive power in an individual & a “tooth & claw” economic ideology that creates underclass misery, are America’s Achilles heel.
Many here have missed the second half of this statement. #AntiZionismIsAntisemitism
Besides, we already have an antisemitic candidate in this race, in the form of a pro-Hamas socialist. Cuomo needs to keep the Jews out of his fucking mouth.
I appreciate your courage in writing about the betrayal head-on. ✊
“Some partisans on social media have demanded that American Jews answer for Trump’s policies—a good example of how Jews, like other minorities, are often scapegoated for majority decisions most of them opposed.”
A Jewish friend blames it on Christians' belief that Jews killed Christ, but he was a Jew, right? 🤔
Interestingly, the idea of a scapegoat comes from ancient Jewish religious practice.
This op-ed from the inimitable Rabbi Wolpe is instructive…
"Jews introduced the idea of ethical monotheism — the moral demands that one God makes on human beings ... Jews represent conscience and conscience is a disruptive and painful partner in our lives."
So you better believe I'm bitter as hell at the idiots who voted to put this atrocity in the White House.
I worked hard for Kamala Harris, did everything I could to block Trump and his evil minions from victmizing Jews and whatever their targets du jour.
Please stay safe. 💔
Not mentioned here: Betar US giving 'thousands of names' to Rubio for deportation, including Khalil and possibly Ozturk.
None of this negates the articles main points, but the reality is a bit messier than is portrayed here.
No rational person would claim Betar speaks for the American Jewish population - but seeing such claimed influence connected to Trump student deportations is very bad optics.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/hillel-ceo-expresses-concerns-over-anti-israel-campus-deportations-urges-due-process/
https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/4/1/miller-harvard-trump-funding-review-antisemitism/