By the time this column appears, you will probably know the result of the election for Mayor. But even before the results are in, and viewing the situation from thousands of miles away, there are already some observations I want to make.
Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the Democratic Primary was a wake-up call to the Jewish community. Over the last few months, our community has organized politically as never before. No matter the result of the election, that must continue, as we face serious political challenges in the future.
We have already seen how the radical antisemitic left is on the ascendance in the Democratic Party. Even supposed friends have openly embraced Mamdani.
But we are facing a crisis in the right wing and Republican Party as well. Senator Ted Cruz, a leading Republican conservative and friend of Israel, recently told the Republican Coalition, “In the last six months, I have seen more right-wing antisemitism on the right than I had in my entire life. This is a poison. And I believe we are facing an existential crisis in our party and our country.” To his credit, Cruz made the same remarks at a megachurch in San Antonio.
Tucker Carlson recently invited Nick Fuentes, who has consistently proclaimed the need to take down “Zionist Jews,” to his talk show. Carlson himself said Republican supporters of Israel suffer from a “brain virus.” Kevin Roberts, the president of one of the most influential conservative think tanks, defended Carlson and denounced the “venomous coalition” that has criticized him. Antisemitism has found a home in both the Democratic and Republican parties.
Even longtime friends of Israel are wavering in their support. President Trump has made clear that he is calling the shots in the Middle East and that Israel will lose all American support if it annexes the West Bank.
At a recent Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi, a questioner asked Vice President JD Vance why the United States supports Israel “ethnically cleansing Gaza… considering the fact that not only does their religion not agree with ours, but also openly supports the persecution of ours.” The question was greeted with applause. Vance did not push back against the outrageous assertion that Jews persecute Christians. He responded, “That Israel sometimes they have similar interests to the United States, and we’re going to work with them in that case.”
Such stalwart supporters as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina have called the “two-state solution” the only viable option.
Donald Trump is a friend of Israel, but he will not be President forever. There will be future Democratic and Republican Presidents. There are friends of Israel and critics of Israel in both parties. Jews are more endangered than at any time since the Holocaust. Israel has come under intense pressure to make dangerous concessions to its enemies for the sake of “peace.” We need to remain engaged as never before in supporting our friends in both parties.
One of the most disturbing things about the recent election is the large number of Jews, especially young Jews, who supported Mamdani. Recent polls show that 40% of American Jews believe that Israel is committing “genocide” in Gaza and 60% believe that Israel is guilty of “war crimes” and “apartheid.” We are losing the hearts and minds of the next generation of Jews.
A large part of the problem is that many of our young people are products of a higher education system that teaches that both the United States and Israel are “racist” and “colonial” societies that oppress the righteous victims, and that Jews are the beneficiaries of “white privilege.” This problem will only grow worse, as we realize that this toxic education is making its way into elementary and high schools throughout the United States.
We also need to realize that the way we sometimes teach “Jewish values” sometimes undermines the Jewish people. We have promoted Holocaust education, emphasizing the need to stand up for oppressed people around the world. It is understandable that many of our young people understand this as a call to rally behind those whom the media and academia celebrate as the most oppressed people of all — the Palestinians.
Many Jews have rejected Torah and mitzvos, while proclaiming that “social justice” is the ultimate Jewish value. Social justice is, in fact, an important Jewish value. The term tzedakah in Hebrew does not mean charity; it means justice. We believe in fighting poverty and discrimination. But when supporting Black Lives Matter and fighting climate change become the exclusive focus, it is not surprising that many of our youth seek to win acceptance into “progressive” circles by disavowing Zionism. Thus, we see too many of our youth proclaim their “Jewish values” by shouting “From the river to the sea” and “Globalize the intifada.”
There is a wealth of excellent material being put out by groups like the Jewish News Syndicate and the Tikvah Foundation. But the consumers of that material are those who are already committed to the future of Israel and the Jewish community. In a world in which people’s opinions are formed by sound bites, how can we get our message across?
We have many intertwined challenges ahead of us. Among them are: How do we revive bipartisan support for Israel and win the hearts and minds of the next generation at a time when antisemitism has been mainstreamed, and real Jewish values are under assault? That is the work for the day after — and probably for a long time to come.
