For David Bernstein, this right-wing surge of anti-Semitism inspired by Donald J. Trump is surprising.<\/p>\n
David Bernstein must lack commonsense. If gentiles get stronger in their national, racial or religious identities, they are more likely to have negative feelings towards out-groups including Jews, just as when Jews get stronger in their national, racial or religious identities, they are more likely to have negative feelings towards out-groups. That’s it. It really is that simple.<\/p>\n
What is good for Jews (strong identity and cohesion and nationalism) is often bad for competing gentile groups and what is good for goyim (strong racial, national and religious identity) is often bad for Jews. Different groups have different interests. What is good for blacks is often bad for non-blacks. What is good for Muslims is often bad for non-Muslims. What is good for Jews is often bad for non-Jews. Having lots of Jews on the U.S. Supreme Court is probably good for Jews and bad for non-Jews because these Jewish Supreme Court justices invariably side with the coalition of the fringe against the core (pro-black, pro-gay, pro-minorities, pro-integration). America’s massive support for Israel may well be good for Jews and for Israel but it is terrible for the United States (9\/11 would not have happened without this<\/a>). A multicultural, multiracial society is probably more user-friendly for Jews and other minorities but it is bad for Christians. <\/p>\n Accusations of bigotry and racism and anti-Semitism are kneejerk ways of avoiding the cold hard reality that different groups have different interests. If a non-black walking down the street at night hurries to avoid young black men, is that bigotry or is that commonsense? If a taxi driver declines to pick up blacks, is that bigotry or commonsense? If a homeowner declines to rent to blacks, is that bigotry or is that commonsense? If a particular hotel in a particular time and place declines to host Jews, is that bigotry or is that in the rational self-interest of the owner? <\/p>\n From David Bernstein at the Volokh Conspiracy hosted by the Washington Post<\/a>:<\/p>\n Ben Shapiro<\/a>:<\/p>\n I\u2019ve spent most of my career arguing that anti-Semitism in the United States is almost entirely a product of the political Left. I\u2019ve traveled across the country from Iowa to Texas; I\u2019ve rarely seen an iota of true anti-Semitism. I\u2019ve sensed far more anti-Jewish animus from leftist college students at the University of California, Los Angeles, than from churches in Valencia. As an observer of President Obama\u2019s thoroughgoing anti-Israel administration, I could easily link the anti-Semitism of the Left to its disdain for both Biblical morality and Israeli success over its primary Islamist adversaries. The anti-Semitism I\u2019d heard about from my grandparents \u2014 the country-club anti-Semitism, the alleged white-supremacist leanings of rednecks from the backwoods \u2014 was a figment of the imagination, I figured. I figured wrong. Donald Trump\u2019s nomination has drawn anti-Semites from the woodwork.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Unlike Shapiro, I\u2019ve never doubted the persistence of right-wing anti-Semitism. Way back when (but not that<\/i> long ago), I volunteered for the Jack Kemp presidential campaign. As a lowly intern, I got to open a good bit of mail from donors and potential donors, many identified from rented mailing lists belonging to right-wing direct-mail gurus. The volume of overtly anti-Semitic mail was quite remarkable, especially since Kemp was not Jewish, nor did any \u201cJewish\u201d issue play a significant role in his campaign.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, when I\u2019ve blogged about anti-Semitism at the VC, I have focused on left-wing anti-Semitism, for two reasons. First, American Jews and their \u201cdefense\u201d organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League tend to be exquisitely attuned to real or potential anti-Semitism emanating from the right, much less so from the left. For example, in January, before the Iowa caucuses, Ted Cruz attacked Trump for having \u201cNew York values\u201d; Hillary Clinton suddenly opened up about her Christian religious beliefs<\/a> while fending off a challenge from a Jewish candidate; and Bernie Sanders was busily attacking<\/a> \u201ca handful of people on Wall Street [who] have extraordinary power over the economic and political life of our country.\u201d Only Cruz\u2019s comment received attention as an alleged anti-Semitic dog whistle, even though Clinton\u2019s and Sanders\u2019s statements were objectively at least as open to that charge. (For the record, I don\u2019t think any<\/em> of these incidents involved anti-Semitism, though they all might have pleased anti-Semites.) Meanwhile, surveys show<\/a> that Jews significantly overestimate the level of anti-Semitism among Republican-leaning constituencies such as conservative evangelicals and underestimate it among Democratic-leaning constituencies, such as Hispanics.<\/p>\n Second, as a public political matter, at least until the Trump campaign, anti-Semitism was largely and increasingly marginalized on the mainstream conservative right. This was in significant part due to the efforts of the late William F. Buckley, who throughout his career made an effort to rid conservatism of its anti-Semitic fringe, including such former allies as Patrick Buchanan and Joseph Sobran<\/a>, and more recently due to the efforts of evangelical Christian leaders, including a theological emphasis on God\u2019s statement in Genesis, \u201cI will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse,\u201d as requiring being nice to the Jews. Not only has anti-Semitism on the right diminished significantly, but Jews, especially orthodox Jews, have of late become a significant presence in \u201cmainstream\u201d conservative organizations. I attended the Conservative Political Action Committee conference briefly this year and was surprised to see advertised prominently on the agenda the Fifth Annual CPAC Shabbat dinner, and there were quite a few kippot among the attendees.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the left has gone in the other direction, increasingly tolerating anti-Semitism so long as its dressed up as criticism of Israel or \u201cZionists.\u201d As good an example as any involves an essay written by Steven Salaita for the Nation in November<\/a>. Rabbi Jill Jacobs, a prominent left-wing rabbi and strong critic of Israeli policy, took exception in a letter to the editor<\/a>, arguing that \u201cSalaita resurrects some of the most vicious anti-Semitic tropes, protecting himself by assigning these slurs to Zionism and Zionists, clear stand-ins for Judaism and Jews.\u201d She then elaborated, quoting statements \u201cwhich do not even pretend to be about criticism of Israeli policy, [but] summon the well-known bogeyman of a Jewish conspiracy that controls banks, governments, and other seats of authority.\u201d The editors\u2019 response<\/a> failed to address her specific charges, amounting instead to, \u201cit can\u2019t be be anti-Semitism if you purport to be attacking Zionism.\u201d And speaking of Shabbat dinners, recently a large group of activists at the National LGBTQ Task Force\u2019s Creating Change conference shut down a Shabbat dinner and discussion hosted by left-wing American Jewish and Israeli groups, via a demonstration that was described by eyewitnesses as as both anti-Semitic and physically threatening<\/a>.<\/p>\n Unfortunately \u2014 and somewhat surprisingly, given that Trump has many Jewish friends, a Jewish daughter (via conversion), and claims to be a proud supporter of Israel \u2014 Trump\u2019s campaign has brought the anti-Semitic \u201calt-right\u201d out of the woodwork, lately attacking \u201cNever Trump\u201d as a Jewish conspiracy. David Horowitz recently fanned the flames, arguing that Bill Kristol\u2019s opposition to Trump made him a \u201crenegade Jew.\u201d<\/a> Horowitz\u2019s point was stupid but not anti-Semitic \u2014 he apparently believes the Jewish apocalypse is at hand if Hillary Clinton isn\u2019t defeated \u2014 but his Breitbart.com commenters seem to have missed the subtlety. Trump himself seems indifferent to this<\/a>, as he has been to many other manifestations of bigotry emanating from his supporters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For David Bernstein, this right-wing surge of anti-Semitism inspired by Donald J. Trump is surprising. David Bernstein must lack commonsense. If gentiles get stronger in their national, racial or religious identities, they are more likely to have negative feelings towards … Continue reading \n