The challenge for the Jewish community is to ensure that Judeophobia does not go unpunished in the US in 2025

By: Ricardo Israel - 06/01/2025

It should be everywhere, but it is not realistic to ask for it everywhere, but in the US, because if not there, then where? There is no doubt that last year's events were unexpected, and even more so was the fact that it took hold in some of the best universities, often with the complicity of authorities. On the other hand, the fact that it was encouraged by professors was as surprising as discovering that there was as much indoctrination as teaching.

It was doubly unexpected that it was happening in the United States and that there was passivity on the streets from local, state and federal authorities. This was not just any country, but one that seemed special to Jews and which has the largest population outside of Israel. Of course, the glass half full shows many displays of understanding and affection, but it was worth worrying about, since in the millennia-old history of the Jews there had also been tragedies when Jews felt safe, as in Spain in 1492 and Germany before the Holocaust.

It was not only the traditional media or social media, nor the passivity of the FBI or the Department of Justice, as it is also the community itself that must ask itself if it was prepared for the level of Judeophobia that appeared in 2024, and also if it could have reacted better, although, of course, victims should never be blamed for the actions of those who hate them. However, as an illustration, it should not have happened that, in the face of their fear of returning to school, some leader said that the students should do everything possible to go unnoticed, when in reality they should have been told that the community was going to prepare them so that they would feel safe enough to confront the protesters with arguments, and if there were aggressive acts, it was the community that was going to support them, bringing those situations to justice.

I think that what should be done is that the majority of young people who feel that the community and Israel are their own should be prepared to go to every assembly to oppose those who hate them simply for being what they are.

Despite what happened last year, the United States remains a special country for Jews, and I can share my own case with you, as I am one of those proud Jews who, starting October 8, 2023, decided to publicly show it by wearing a kippah for all daily activities. I have only had good experiences, highlighting the warmth of those who come to greet and give good wishes, in places as public as supermarkets.

Ultimately, what I wish and ask for is that anti-Semitism does not go unpunished. I see it as the unfinished business of the American Jewish community, heir to a magnificent tradition. What do I miss? At least in my opinion, a more determined reaction from the community, its leaders and some of its institutions whose mission was precisely to combat the oldest phobia in the world, and I use both anti-Semitism and Judeophobia on purpose, although I prefer the latter because it is more precise.

I have said before that I expected a more decisive reaction on a collective level, since the US is the world standard for Jews outside Israel, and I am convinced that it remains so. However, what happened was unexpected for North America (including Canada), and added to the violent attacks that took place at random, sometimes simply because of the way the victims were dressed. Because of this, I have always had the impression that there was a shock of such magnitude that even today, after a year, the full magnitude of it has not yet sunk in.

It always seemed to me that neither the community nor its leaders were prepared for the level of Judeophobia that arose (who was? I wasn't), but the problem would be if surprise and pain still predominated in the face of a reality where there was also disappointment with friends of so many years who appeared to applaud what was happening, and in many other cases, remained silent.

Therefore, I believe that the task is for the community to look in the mirror in 2025, and whether it likes what it sees or not, to organize itself in such a way that there is no impunity, that is, no tolerance for manifestations of hate, wherever they may be, as well as no pressure in the face of the inaction of federal and local authorities, including intelligence and police institutions, starting with the FBI.

In other words, doing more than what has been done, precisely because it is the United States, in the name of its freedoms, and honoring institutions that not only make it possible, but, above all, in their legal aspect, stimulate action. To which must be added a characteristic that should be visible to all, which is a collective seal, which is the community that, through its leaders and national institutions, acts as such, and in a coordinated manner. It is also a way of honoring previous generations that achieved a special place of respect for Jews, overcoming attitudes even worse than those that have appeared today. Hence, the importance of this collective seal, starting with the judicialization that brings activists of Judeophobia to court, something more than the actions of individual people who, however important or well-intentioned they may be, do not overcome the fact that the community as such appears through its leaders and in the name of all American Jews.

If history teaches us anything, it is that it is difficult for anyone to do for the Jews what they are not prepared to do for themselves. And so the request is that we react in accordance with the level of the threat, which has not disappeared, so we must be prepared for it to get worse before it gets better. Today, I am convinced that part of the solution is to set a goal, not the impossible of a world without anti-Semitism, but achievable one, that there is no impunity and that, for example, the path of the courts is used for those who have committed acts of hatred or have allowed/tolerated them, and that is the meaning of the title of this column.

The “globalization of the intifada” that followed Israel’s invasion on October 7th broke the mold in which Jews felt comfortable in the United States and elsewhere. That reality has already changed dramatically and the question is how the community and its leaders have adapted, and whether the institutions that connect with the community are still efficient in their dual mission: to be both a channel and a dam, a channel for all those who want to contribute and a dam to keep at bay the manifestations of hatred and those who commit or permit such acts.

Specifically, what am I thinking of? First of all, not only in national courts, but also in the little-explored path of international courts, for example, those of human rights. In addition to acting as a community, always moving forward to hold haters accountable, no matter how much they hide their faces, in addition to knowing who has been behind it when it comes to institutions. And if we are talking about platforms, those who have stood out by spreading hatred and lies through social networks are added.

That is to say, this information should be known when those who have gone unpunished today are looking for a job or aspiring to a position of power, in short, the moral and ethical issue is that actions must always have consequences. And if we talk about the courts it is because in the US there is legislation that both allows and encourages it, in addition to the fact that a trial is always the best possibility for everything to be known, including connections and financing. Where, in addition, lying has long-lasting consequences.

The courts have the additional advantage of being a great sounding board for the names of those who have become professionals in these attitudes to become known, and another advantage is that the dissemination of the sentences can serve as a stimulus and protection for communities with fewer resources, a track record or experience in other countries.

I believe that those who have committed acts of hate should at least be shamed, as well as those who have gone relatively unnoticed despite having been behind them, and I would also like to see the community demanding not only the application of the law, but also promoting the good examples of those who have fulfilled their duty, as is the case of the State of Florida, where it has been possible to notice that its authorities, both Republican and Democrat, have complied with the issue of timely police protection, and also in its universities there has simply not been the type of threatening actions that have appeared in other places.

I would very much like to see more public pressure on the FBI and intelligence institutions to respond or explain themselves, as what has taken place on the streets of cities like New York and in university classrooms is without a doubt a matter of national security, to prevent the creation of a generation of jihadists as happened in Europe. It is also a matter of domestic politics, demonstrated by the fact that what we have witnessed in Europe, Canada, Latin America or the US has simply not been noticed in the universities of Sunni Arab countries.

It is possible that everything that is indicated has been tried, but the problem is that, if it has been done, the results are not encouraging, so it is necessary to ask whether the community has obtained the expected result or whether it is necessary to adapt the institutions to this new reality, where there are also many foreign resources to buy wills, with Qatar, for example, standing out in this task. This makes it necessary to look in the mirror and review the functioning of the institutions that the community has within it, to know if it is essential to adapt to the new reality where Judeophobia has unfortunately acquired a kind of normality. Adaptation is necessary because of what we know since Darwin, that it is not the strongest or most intelligent who survive best, but those who have been able to best adapt to changes, especially sudden ones.

I think that we have a good example to follow in the case of the African-American community, which, overcoming very difficult situations, today responds with great force, with unity and automatically to those who attack them, showing what should be done. This is how there is deterrence when those who have acted with hatred are taken to court, and sometimes it is not even necessary, since there is an immediate public reaction that affects their professional career and has consequences of all kinds, starting with employment. In fact, on more than one occasion I have heard their leaders or communicators say something that I have not heard anyone else say, that, despite racism, what happened to them as a group or with attacks on the street would not have happened to them. And they are right, so it is appropriate to draw lessons from the case.

Such a path also requires seeking alliances at all levels, always adding wills, even without complexes, taking advantage of the election period. And if there is a request from outside, with greater reason it should be looked at within the community, and with the same objective, that is, that those who say or define themselves as Jews in politics, also assume their identity by confronting those who make Judeophobia a distinctive mark, and that the case of the "squad" not be repeated, which was very weakly confronted, and which in a few years became a factor of power within the Democrats, and which in the House of Representatives rose from 4 to more than 20 supporters.

That it is possible to act was demonstrated by the fact that there were electoral consequences in some primaries and elections on November 5, where those affected attributed their defeat to the Jewish mobilization. Perhaps exaggerated, perhaps few cases, but enough to demonstrate the real power at hand and that, above all, the will is needed to use it.

A new attitude also requires another step, which has been little attempted so far, namely, to polemicize with those who call themselves Jews and who cause enormous confusion by appearing in the streets and universities to support those who call for the disappearance of Israel. Of course, it is not a question of questioning their freedom of opinion, but simply telling the truth, that they do not represent anyone but themselves, since many times, they have no community roots, whether religious or secular. This is of vital importance, since these people are paraded as trophies by anti-Semites who claim that their presence would prove that they are not.

Finally, an important aspect is the reform of institutions, in the sense of reducing bureaucracy, simplifying access for those who wish to collaborate and so that situations of lack of support and interest for those who have sought support for essential tasks, such as preparing youth in the best possible way to deal with what happens in universities, do not repeat themselves.

In other words, the community must review itself, at the local and national level, review its functioning, since what worked for other stages is perhaps insufficient for the current one and since the issue is outside the community, there should be the necessary resources to support those who want to have an active role, whether in the media or in politics, as well as identify community leaders with a vocation to act, both within and outside institutional frameworks, representing the community.

As is well known, this interest must be complemented by the decision that there is always a political cost when decisions are made in politics that harm Israel's right to exist, both at the highest federal and local level, which also means supporting and encouraging those who want to participate as Jews at the local level as well as in Boards of Education, where there were agreements that showed a lot of ignorance about the Middle East. In other words, no institution, large or small, should be left without the necessary presence of those who represent important positions for the community.

Finally, a word of warning, since in many of these tasks one cannot expect much support or help from Israel, as some of the issues are precisely those where it does not do well and fails.

Ultimately, it all serves as a reminder that the only thing the community really controls is itself, and I personally refuse to believe that sooner or later there will be no reaction to the level of threat to Israel and to Jews around the world. And if Israel has been advancing step by step towards military victory, but not politically, against its many adversaries, I hope that the Jewish community in the United States will advance in the best possible way in the struggle that lies ahead.

Such is the importance of the American community that moving forward and hopefully overcoming those who threaten it is also a good support for Israel, which continues to prove to be the strongest and most prosperous Jewish majority society that has ever existed in history.

Without a doubt, the Jewish community has learned something that was unthinkable on October 6, 2023: that in the not-too-distant future, not only an anti-Semite could arrive at the White House, but also someone who is proud of being one. Perhaps I am influenced by the fact that I am Chilean, but today Gabriel Boric is the first president to show his Judeophobia in the history of Chile, and I am also convinced that the best way to discourage this possibility in the United States is to work from now on against it materializing.

In conclusion, perhaps everything I ask for has been done, but if so, it is not sufficiently noticeable, which should also be a matter of healthy concern. The core fact that remains is the existence of a threat, so the reaction must be at least equal, and hopefully greater, to generate deterrence.

@israelzipper

Master and PhD in Political Science (University of Essex), Bachelor of Laws (University of Barcelona), Lawyer (University of Chile), former presidential candidate (Chile, 2013)

«The opinions published herein are the sole responsibility of its author».