Illusions and Delusions

Those Jews who survived the Second World War were under no illusion that the world cared about them.

No nation went to war to defend us. No one came to our defence. A few lone individuals did, bless them. The only question really was who hated us less or more. One could argue that the overweening responsibility for getting rid of Nazism was a greater priority than saving 6,000,000 Jews. But I do not want to focus on the Holocaust, controversial as it is, but rather on the long history of Jew hatred.

Antisemitism was part of the world culture we grew up in. We should not forget that much of the English aristocracy supported Hitler. In America, Henry Ford poured millions into anti-Jewish propaganda and lies. Father Coghlin commanded the airwaves with equal hatred. And the aviator Lindbergh became Hitler’s spokesman. The opposing forces of the Enlightenment and the particularism of nationalism both saw the Jews as outsiders and inevitably scapegoats.

There was a sense of revulsion after the war, when people were able to see for themselves the horrors that had been perpetrated against the Jews. But by the sixties, this soon turned into a desire to accuse Israel of aggression to salve the consciences of those who had once supported Nazism but now wanted to expunge their guilt.

Jews were always at a disadvantage.  With prejudice in clubs, societies, and educational institutions. Either reluctant to admit Jews or actively blocking them from advancing. And Marxist/socialist anti-religious bias extended to Jews too.  The Soviet Union discriminated against Jews.

Yet of all places, America seemed to offer the best hope and the mirage of equality. The myth of the Goldene Medina, the wonderful United States of America that had allowed millions of Jews to escape the hatred of Russia and seek refuge from European hatred for a while, helped us forget the extent to which America and Britain later shut the doors on Jewish immigration.

Over the years, as America grew stronger and Europe grew weaker, it became fashionable for young Britons and Europeans to look to America for new opportunities. In London, there was still a tendency to be reserved about one’s Jewish identity. One would certainly not brag about it. Whereas in America, and particularly in New York, there was a sense of it being a Jewish city where Jews were welcomed and could succeed and flourish. One hears Ivrit spoken on the streets of Manhattan every day. Certainly, when I first came to America in the late 1990s, this was the euphoric mood one felt living in New York, where, of all places, we were safe, and antisemitism was a thing of the past. Even more so as Holocaust memorials sprang up around the country. Yet awareness has not had the desired effect. “Never again” seems to exclude Jews.

Politically, America was the strongest ally that Israel had. But all the time, America was holding Israel back and naturally enough putting its own interests over those of Israel. Even if, for geopolitical reasons, it had a vested interest in having a loyal base in the Middle East. Both Republicans and Democrats had a majority of those who saw the value of a Jewish state and a cultural if not religious ally in the Middle East.

We are now seeing a dramatic change. The seeds were sown during Obama’s era. A dramatic shift in anti-Israel sentiment, particularly amongst the younger. But it was the appearance of Donald Trump, an unreserved supporter of Israel at the time, more committed to Israel’s survival than any other previous president, who heralded a divisiveness in American Society and at the same time, the Muslim Brotherhood and its allies poured billions into Western universities and schools to monopolise the narrative of the Middle East. Precisely because he supported Israel, the change of attitude in much of the country has become as much a repudiation of Trump, as support for a Jihadi desire to eliminate Israel.

The left has now become openly committed to the destruction of Israel. The fascists have bought into Holocaust denial and a desire to make America Juden Frei. Both accuse Jews of running the country. And wonder if Trump will tolerate their hatred to keep their votes.

All this is worrying on two levels. The possible withdrawal of military support for Israel. And the loss of Jewish support in the Democratic electorate. If the rapid growth of Muslims and their influence in the USA were to result in support for their internal interests, I would have no quarrel whatsoever. But if it is to foster Jew hatred, then I fear for the future.

I sense disillusion and anxiety. Scaremongering abounds. Will Jewish schools in New York be banned for teaching Zionism? Synagogues shut down for discussing Aliyah? Israel Day Parade banned? Maybe, maybe not. Will the Governor overrule the pro-Jihadi Mayor? Certainly, the checks and balances will be felt. There will be court cases, appeals and the Supreme Court.

Emigration to Israel is one solution. But not the only one. Anxiety does not mean we will or must give up the fight. Only that now, as it polarises, we must protect and preserve our interests. That is the American way. And I pray it will overcome hatred.

Rabbi Jeremy Rosen lives in New York. He was born in Manchester. His writings are concerned with religion, culture, history and current affairs – anything he finds interesting or relevant. They are designed to entertain and to stimulate. Disagreement is always welcome.