Anti-Zionism comes out of the closet: This is what the new antisemitism in the Democratic Party looks like
The anti-Israel discourse crosses borders and party lines, and is already turning American Jews into a target. Within the Democratic Party, this is a deep process infiltrating the progressive center of gravity. The October 7 massacre revealed how intertwined anti-Zionism and antisemitism are.
It only gets worse and worse. If Rahm Emanuel was just repulsive and pathetic in his tone-deaf preaching to Israelis during his historic visit to Tel Aviv University, what can we say about the man close to him who is President Obama's super-strategist, David Axelrod?
Usually, Jews recruited for the anti-Zionist/anti-Israel struggle begin their remarks by introducing themselves "as Jews." "As a Jew, I say..." "And I say this as a Jew." In his appearance a few days ago on CNN, Axelrod came with improvements: "I am speaking here as the son of Jewish refugees."
In the flood of discussions following the victory of the antisemitic Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed in the Michigan primaries, Axelrod dedicated a few verses to the "power of money." In doing so, he presented the Jewish supporters of various candidates as "agents." Agents of Israel.
The fault line in the party
"Are agents of a foreign government — like Israel — is it healthy for them to spend 30 million dollars in such a race to influence its results? I think that is a legitimate topic for discussion." He presented the support for Haley Stevens and other candidates as a mission directed from Israel.
Axelrod, Emanuel, and even Stevens herself are now skipping over what Melanie Phillips calls "the suicidal significance of the Michigan elections." It is impossible to ignore any longer that the attitude toward Israel and Zionism is the fault line in the Democratic Party and in large parts of American society.
Are the 30 million that funded Stevens' campaign more important than El-Sayed himself and what he represents? He demands a total embargo on military aid to the "evil state" of Israel. He said on the television program "Morning Joe" that "the Jewish state is bloodthirsty," and that it practices an "illegal apartheid regime." He has a constant excuse to downplay terror against Jews in the USA and Western countries: "Hurt people hurt other people." And of course, "Israel is committing genocide in Gaza."
Received support from Harris
Kamala Harris has also already aligned herself in support of El-Sayed. His victory serves as a starting point for attacks on Jews who will not interfere in the election system, as Axelrod did, and also for the alignment of most of the Democratic Party establishment behind the jihadist candidate.
The worrying development is that the hatred for the State of Israel and Jews has become the engine of progressive politics. Progressivism is now dictated by the social-democratic party, which is taking over the center of gravity of the Democrats. But this is only a description of the situation. What is the source of such an anti-Zionist wave that is shaping large parts of politics in Western countries? One could say that Muslims have infected the Western societies to which they immigrated with their basic antisemitism.
Felt for generations
There are historians who say this. But since until recently antisemitism was a taboo that those infected with this virus did not break, the more accurate assessment is that social conditions have been created that release antisemites from their shackles. Anti-Zionism, which presents Israel as a colonialist remnant that has no right to exist, has become a pseudo-science in universities, including in our regions. And this in itself is a result of the war of communism against Zionism — a war declared almost 75 years ago.
Even the distinct leftist Uri Avnery wrote in 1953 in "HaOlam HaZeh": "The declaration of war by the communist camp on the Zionist idea will give a new direction to Jewish history. Its influence will be felt in the future for many generations."
These are deep processes in American society that was influenced by the red-green alliance, until the mass massacre on October 7 truly turned parts of it into persecutors of Jews.
