Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2024
Abstract
The traditional narrative of American Jewry emphasizes American exceptionalism with respect to antisemitism. But there have been clear signs of a resurgence of public antisemitism in the United States even before the massive rise in antisemitic expression and incidents associated with the Israel-Hamas war of fall 2023.
One of the notable aspects of the rise and normalization of antisemitic expression is the deployment of antisemitism as a political tool. For example, in addition to Democrats and Republicans accusing each other of complicity in antisemitism, both federal policy since the Trump era and state anti-antisemitism legislation have targeted campus antisemitism in a conservative attack on progressive ideology in education. This Article argues that the campus-focused federal anti-antisemitism initiatives are not likely to be particularly effective in practice in reducing antisemitism and could well backfire generating objections from both free speech libertarians and progressives. As for state laws prohibiting antisemitism in the educational context, the Article shows-through an analysis of Florida legislation-not only how much more extensive such enactments can be than their counterparts in federal policy, but also how easily critical Jewish studies can be swept into the illiberal prohibitions on antiracist education that states have adopted. Thus, state-based turns to educational censorship can blunt, undermine, and eclipse anti-antisemitism initiatives.
Ultimately, viewing antisemitism through a purely political lens de-historicizes it and risks leaching it of its moral valence. Even on the political front, though, the current debates between Republicans and Democrats on antisemitism ignore the elephant in the room. Conservative politicians should stop legitimizing white supremacy through expression and association, and progressive leaders should acknowledge the critical role of antisemitism in organizing an insidious and increasingly confident white nationalist movement. That a Trump victory in the 2024 presidential election is even conceivable is an object lesson in why it is necessary to face up to the role of antisemitism in weaponizing white power extremism in America-and why democracy requires us to set aside political partisanship to combat it.
Recommended Citation
Lili Levi, Politicizing Antisemitism amidst Today's Educational Culture Wars, 27 Lewis & Clark L. Rev. 1185 (2024).