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When It Comes to Antisemitism, People Can’t Handle the Truth
Police officers gather on Pearl Street in front of the Boulder County Courthouse, the scene of an attack that injured multiple people, in Boulder, Colorado, US, June 2, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mark Makela
At a recent event at the Center for Jewish History in Manhattan, Jewish historian and Holocaust expert Deborah Lipstadt said she has had to explain to people that antisemitism is real. It’s quite ironic, considering that she had to have a court battle with Holocaust denier David Irving that was made into the film Denial.
There are many Jews in denial about antisemitism, because they think if they lie and claim it doesn’t exist, all the problems will go away. This has been proven false time and time again throughout history.
Sadly, some are in another kind of denial — they claim that antisemitic attacks are preventable by combating “misinformation.” This is simply not true.
Was the antisemitic attack in Colorado preventable by the Egyptian terrorist who was residing in the US illegally? Only if he’d been deported — or never let in to begin with. It also perhaps could have been prevented if he’d told anyone about his plans, and they reported him to police.
The sad truth is that the majority of antisemitic attacks, or violent attacks against anyone, are not preventable. But that truth doesn’t make anyone feel good. Instead, people would like to promote a false sense of security that is actually dangerous. Just as people wanted to tell Lipstadt that antisemitism wasn’t a real problem, people like Professor Cynthia Miller-Idriss of American University want to claim that the Colorado attack was preventable by equipping people against misinformation.
In her article on MSNBC.com, titled “Boulder, Colorado terror attack victims deserved better from Trump-and Biden,” Miller-Idriss conveniently neglects to mention the attacker was in the country illegally. Nor does she mention what former President Joe Biden or President Trump should have done/should do to combat misinformation. I have interviewed numerous experts on antisemitism in my more than two decades of covering the topic, and there is no magic bullet. That’s why Miller-Idriss has nothing specific that Biden or Trump should have done/do.
I don’t like the term “misinformation” because something is either true, it’s a lie, or a person is spreading information without caring if it is true or not. The term “misinformation” lets the liar get away with it.
Zionism is the right for a self-determinate Jewish State. But there are many who learn that Zionism means Jewish supremacy over any other person — because they are taught that lie by their professors, their parents, podcasters, or so many others. Those who believe antisemitic tropes are not going to simply unlearn it in 30 seconds.
But wait! According to Miller-Idriss, “There is strong evidence that people can be dissuaded from believing in harmful online propaganda and conspiracy theories in as little as 30 seconds, just by learning about the manipulative tactics of persuasive bad actors and becoming more skeptical.”
Maybe this is true of a tiny amount of people, but not in any real numbers — and certainly not someone who has decided he is ready to kill Jews. Jews need to learn self-defense and be armed as much as possible. Kumbaya idealism is suicidal. But have no fear — Miller-Idriss lays out in the article that the solution is “upstream prevention,” a nonsense term meant to pacify uncritical eyes. When schools barely teach the Holocaust and many believe Israel woke up one day in 1948 and decided to simply steal someone else’s land, authors like this professor miss the point entirely.
The author correctly writes that people blame American Jews for the actions of Israel. But why? Russia invaded Ukraine unprovoked, but no American Russians fear getting attacked.
No Chinese Americans fear being attacked for what has been done to the Uyghurs.
The reason is that they aren’t Jews.
Even if it was only “misinformation” there is no way to combat it to a significant degree. It would be like trying to dry the ocean with a paper towel. It is about long-taught hatred, and not relegated to what is currently happening in the Middle East. That is simply used as the inspirational flashpoint to claim it has nothing to do with antisemitism and is anti-Zionism.
We are either serious about combating antisemitism or we are not. If we are, it involves calling out major outlets that spew antisemitic bile. If the professor wanted to criticize Biden, she should have rebuked his staff for barely responding to people who called him “Genocide Joe.” His lack of a response to this did irreparable damage to American Jews that will be felt for decades to come.
Either Biden or one of his representatives should have once a day for a week explained why Israel is not committing a genocide and rebuke professors teaching that it is.
There is no more “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” and it is time to stop living in the land of make-believe.
The author is a writer based in New York.
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Ritchie Torres Says Netanyahu Has Done ‘Irreparable’ Harm to Democratic Party Relationship With Israel
US Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) standing at the US Capitol in February of 2023. Photo: Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), one of Israel’s most vocal supporters in Congress, delivered pointed criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, saying the longtime leader has “done harm” to Israel’s relationship with the Democratic Party and called for an end to the war in Gaza.
“If you’re a Democrat, and if you’re a Democrat of color and if you’re a Black Democrat, you take immense pride in Barack Obama. He represents one of the greatest achievements in politics. We take great pride in his presidency,” Torres said in an interview with . “To see a foreign leader visibly disrespect him in the manner that Bibi Netanyahu did, I feel did irreparable damage to the relationship with the Democratic Party.”
Torres offered a gloomy assessment of Netanyahu’s relationship with the Democratic party, arguing that “the damage may be irreparable.” He also cautioned that support for the Jewish state is rapidly “eroding” according to various polls.
Furthermore, Torres stated that despite his strident support for Israel, he does not “consider myself having a good relationship with the Israeli government.”
Torres said that Netanyahu “made a terrible mistake” in establishing a cozy relationship with President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, arguing that the Israeli premier politicized the US-Israel relationship. The progressive lawmaker said that there is a “legitimate perception that the present Israeli government is just aligned with the Republican Party.”
The remarks represent a notable shift from Torres, a New York Democrat who has historically defended Israel amid bipartisan divisions over the war. While maintaining his commitment to Israel’s security, Torres said Netanyahu’s government has failed to articulate a clear endgame in Gaza and warned that the ongoing military campaign is undermining both humanitarian values and strategic interests.
“There’s a real need to end the war, secure the release of the hostages, bring humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in distress.”
Torres cited prominent Israeli journalists and media figures that have warned that Gaza has approached “catastrophic” levels of hunger and that famine might be looming without a rapid policy shift.
Torres’s comments come amid growing pressure from the Democratic base on centrist and progressive Democrats alike to take a firmer stance on Israel’s military operations, which have resulted in the deaths of more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. Israel launched its campaign following the October 7 Hamas attack that killed approximately 1,200 people and took over 200 hostages, according to Israeli officials.
Torres’s comments underscore a growing divide within the Democratic Party over the U.S.-Israel relationship. While the party remains broadly supportive of Israel’s right to defend itself, a significant faction ,including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) condemned the war in Gaza and called for a suspension of U.S. military aid to Israel.
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Israeli Defense Firm Lands Huge Deal With Germany
An Elbit Systems Ltd. Hermes 900 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is seen at Elbit’s drone factory in Rehovot, Israel, June 28, 2018. Photo: REUTERS/Orel Cohen
On Monday, Elbit Systems Ltd., a military contractor based in Israel, announced it had received a $260 million government contract from Germany to spend six years installing Directional Infrared Counter Measures (DIRCM) self-protection systems for defending Germany’s A400M aircraft fleet.
The contract is just the latest in a string of blockbuster deals between Israeli defense firms and international militaries. Israeli defense exports to Europe jumped to 54% of overall defense exports last year, up from just over 33% in 2023, according to the Israeli media outlet Globes.
Elbit’s defense system works to counter infrared-guided missiles, with a focus on mobile anti-aircraft weapons. It offers the ability to track missile threats as they happen and also provides automatic protection without needed human action.
Other countries which have deployed the system include Israel, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Brazil. In February, Morocco announced plans to purchase 36 Atmos 2000 self-propelled artillery systems from Elbit, making Israel the country’s third largest weapons supplier.
“This contract further strengthens Elbit Systems’ position as a leading global provider of DIRCM solutions,” Elbit president and CEO Bezhalel Machlis said. “Our systems are already trusted by numerous air forces and defense organizations around the world, and we are proud to support Germany in enhancing the protection of their strategic air assets. Our successful collaboration with Airbus DS on this important program is highly valued, and we are pleased that our advanced self-protection systems will contribute to the safety and operational readiness of the German A400M fleet.”
The announcement prompted Elbit’s share price to jump 1 percent on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE).
Since Israel’s 12-day war against Iran, Israel’s financial markets have been buoyed by significant foreign investment and renewed investor confidence. Over the past year, the TASE has repeatedly broken past its all-time highs, despite Israel’s multi-front wars.
On Friday, Germany announced that it would not join France in recognizing a Palestinian state. A government spokesperson said “Israel’s security is of paramount importance to the German government” and that “the German government therefore has no plans to recognize a Palestinian state in the short term.”
On Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the country had no plans to sanction Israel and that “for now, we want to await the foreign minister’s trip and the talks that will be held with the Israeli government in the coming days.”
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Israel Says Brazil’s Exit From IHRA Shows ‘a Profound Moral Failure’
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reacts after meeting with Brazilian citizens, who were repatriated from the Gaza Strip, upon arrival at the Air Force base of Brasilia, Brazil, Nov. 13, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino
The Brazilian government has not yet confirmed its reported decision to withdraw from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), however both Brazilian media and the Jewish state have have done so.
On Thursday, Israel’s Foreign Ministry stated on X that “Brazil’s decision to join the legal offensive against Israel at the ICJ [International Court of Justice] while withdrawing from the IHRA, is a demonstration of a profound moral failure. At a time when Israel is fighting for its very existence, turning against the Jewish state and abandoning the global consensus against antisemitism is both reckless and shameful.”
On Wednesday, reports emerged of Brazil’s plans to join South Africa in charging Israel with genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). South Africa has argued the case against Israel since December 2023.
The Combat Antisemitism Movement’s Shay Salamon, Director of Hispanic Affairs, condemned Brazil’s withdrawal from IHRA in a Friday statement.
“The Brazilian government’s move is not only irresponsible, but also deeply alarming at a time of rising antisemitism worldwide,” Salamon said. “Denying the importance of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) and abandoning its Working Definition of Antisemitism minimizes the Holocaust and disregards the history of a people who have been victimized by hatred for ages.”
Salamon stated that “Brazil is home to the second-largest Jewish community in Latin America, including many descendants of Holocaust survivors, and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has now turned his back on them. This decision, on top of his constant attacks on Israel, further confirms what was already clear — President Lula has normalized antisemitism in his official discourse. His approach represents neither neutrality nor diplomacy — rather, it’s complicity.”
Fernando Lottenberg, who serves as Organization of American States (OAS) Commissioner for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism, offered his analysis of Lula’s move in a thread of posts on X, saying that “this is a step in the wrong direction.”
“Although Brazil has not adopted the [IHRA antisemitism] definition nationally, it has been adopted in 12 Brazilian states so far, as well as in the cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo,” Lottenberg wrote. “The IHRA’s working definition of antisemitism is an important tool that, although not legally binding, has been adopted by more than 45 countries and 2,000 institutions around the world to help inform, identify, and combat antisemitism.”
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