Anti-Zionist Jews are fringe voices – it’s time we ridicule them

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This article was originally published in the Jerusalem Post on February 18th, 2024, written by Adam Milstein

Since the Soviet Union, the Arab League boycott, and the Iranian Revolution, antisemites have tried to hide their anti-Jewish bigotry behind politically acceptable “anti-Zionism.”

Get two Jews in a room, get three opinions. True of most things, but one thing most Jews agree on is that Israel is the indigenous homeland of the Jewish people and that their connection to it is a core tenet of their Jewish identity. Despite this majoritarian view, there is a loud minority of radical anti-Israel Jewish voices. Although unrepresentative of the broad Jewish community, our detractors and the media weaponize them, turning them into “token Jews” used to attack Israel and sow division within the Jewish community. It’s time we ridicule them.

From the Soviet Union to the Arab League Boycott, from the Iranian Revolution to October 7th and anti-Israel protests today, antisemites attempt to hide their anti-Jewish bigotry behind politically acceptable “anti-Zionism”. Jews who support this charade willingly provide political cover for this generation’s loudest and proudest antisemites.

The normalization of anti-Zionist Jews in public life has three glaring issues:

1. Israel-hatred doesn’t exempt you from the Jewish collective future

Jewish life in the diaspora is directly dependent on the continued survival and flourishing of the Jewish state. Groups like Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), and If Not Now (INN), deploy and weaponize their Jewish identity in their anti-Israel activism. The effect? The re-assurance of non-Jewish groups that anyone can target Israel without fear of alienating the “Jewish community”. JVP and INN are a collection of radical left, mostly Jewish ideologues who use their ancestry to leverage attacks against Israel. They cite Jewish ritual, reference texts, and use our people’s language to validate their radical attacks against the homeland of the Jewish people, the state of Israel.

What they fail to realize is that their misplaced activism allows virulent antisemites to turn them into useful idiots. They’re ephemeral political fronts weaponized by antisemites until they no longer serve their purpose. Antisemites hate all Jews – “good Jews” or “bad Jews”, those from the right and from the left alike. So, if Israel ceases to exist, as JVP and INN desire, where will these Jews turn when antisemites inevitably turn on them? By normalizing and validating the progressive movement’s exclusion of Zionist Jews (most Jews) they are essentially digging their own graves.

JVP and INN should forever be contextualized properly and referred to for what they are – useful jesters for Jew haters around the globe. And once contextualized, they should be ridculed.

2. Institutions empowering “token” Jews endanger all Jews 

Radical leftist orthodoxy continues to permeate American institutional life. This ideological capture is perhaps most obvious throughout American universities. Since October 7th, university leadership keen to balance the appearance of caring about antisemitism while maintaining their progressive bona fides,  use token Jews as proof that their progressive agendas are not antisemitic. For example, recently, Stanford named Ari Kelman, a Jewish professor aligned with anti-Israel groups, and who concluded antisemitism wasn’t a problem on campuses in 2017 paper, as the Co-Chair of their Committee on Antisemitism.

In an effort to redefine what constitutes antisemitism, Kelman alongside Jewish Voice for Peace, argued that the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism is “flawed and overly expansive” and “silences Palestinian voices.” Deborah Lipstadt, the US Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism called IHRA “one of the most fundamental tools we have to combat [antisemitism].” Stanford selected someone to combat antisemitism whose views are directly at odds with the State Department’s pre-eminent defender of the Jewish people. And after Kelman essentially offered his Judaism as political cover to defend San Francisco State University’s (SFSU) antisemitism, the school admitted to allowing antisemitism on its campus.

More recently, Harvard selected Jewish professor Derek Penslar, a known anti-Israel proponent, to lead an antisemitism task force on campus. In August, Penslar signed an open letter accusing Israel of running “a regime of apartheid” and employing “Jewish supremacism”. And following Claudina Gay’s resignation, Penslar downplayed the antisemitism on campus, telling JTA that outsiders had “exaggerated” the issue. As Larry Summers wrote, “Could one imagine Harvard appointing as head of anti-racism task force someone who had minimized the racism problem,” as Mr. Penslar has done with antisemitism at Harvard.” The double standard glaring.

When selecting leadership and given the centrality of Israel for most Jews, institutions would be wise to listen to the fears and concerns of Zionist Jews. Committees, task forces, and organizations are constantly formed to combat “Muslim, Palestinian, and Arab hate” – lumping in ethnicity, religion and state-based hatred. But Jews aren’t afforded this same protection. Institutions who solely elevate Jews with anti-Israel views perpetuate this double standard.

3. Anti-Israel views are not pro-peace. They’re anti-Jewish future.

Since 10/7 it’s hard to find a “pro-Palestinian” rally that isn’t drenched in antisemitic rhetoric, anti-Jewish venom, or stereotypical tropes. Anti-Israel Jews, aligned with radical leftist ideology, have taken part in many of these rallies. They have joined the growing numbers who view the world through over-simplified binaries and hypothetical pyramids of power and oppression. These activists enthusiastically point to Israel as a unique perpetuator of oppression.

But JVP and INN activists have no interest in peace. One of their allies, Omar Barghouti, the co-founder and co-leader of the BDS movement, explains: “You cannot reconcile the right of return for refugees with a two-state solution. . . A return for refugees would end Israel’s existence as a Jewish state.” And he makes clear that this is precisely his goal. “Most definitely we oppose a Jewish state in any part of Palestine.” And he hails JVP as a “key partner in the BDS network.”

Sunlight is the greatest disinfectant, thus JVP and INN should be exposed as radical, fringe, and anti-peace. They harbor views that not only fail to represent the broad Jewish consensus, but they also directly endanger the Jewish people.

Since 10/7, what many Jews have feared for a long time has been made crystal clear–our place in the world is tenuous, our footing is fragile, and there aren’t many of us. Jews who openly call for the destruction of Israel threaten our future as a people, and we must see them as who they really are –tools that are used by the hands of our enemies.

This op-ed is published in partnership with a coalition of organizations that fight antisemitism across the world. Read the previous article by Roi Yanovsky

Progressives don’t deserve the Jewish vote

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This article was originally published in the Washington Times on February 13th, 2024, written by Adam Milstein

It is no secret that Jewish Americans have historically skewed left politically. We have long been considered an important voting bloc for Democrats, and our involvement in the Democratic Party dates as far back as the early days of the labor movement.

In recent years, however, radical progressives have begun to take over the Democratic Party. These progressives are proud anti-Zionists who frequently cross the line into antisemitism. Their takeover of the party has unsurprisingly alienated Jewish voters. But this has never been more apparent than in the aftermath of Hamas‘ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

When Hamas terrorists attacked Israel, they set out to kill as many Jews as possible, to exterminate our people, and abolish the Jewish state. It was the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust — this was the goal, and Hamas was clear about that.

The United States has always been an important ally to Israel, so we expected our allies to stand with us. As American Jews, we expected an unequivocal condemnation of these horrific acts of violence from leaders across the political spectrum. But that did not happen. Instead, when pro-Hamas protesters flooded the streets chanting for the destruction of Israel, the progressive left turned a blind eye.

This came as a shock to some because liberal American Jews have long supported progressive causes. From supporting the civil rights movement in the 1950s and ‘60s to fighting for LGBTQ rights to supporting critical race theory and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in education, liberal American Jews have often been at the front lines of promoting progressive causes. By and large, we have fought for, supported, and voted for civil rights, women’s rights, gay rights, racial equality, and religious freedom.

As a result, many of us felt blindsided and even betrayed when our political leaders and fellow activists turned their backs on us. Instead of condemning the terrorists who slaughtered, tortured, and kidnapped our people, they called us colonizers. Instead of mourning with us, they callously blamed Israel for the bloodshed.

In the weeks after the Oct. 7 attack, antisemitic incidents reportedly increased by 400% in the United States. This concerning surge in antisemitism has not subsided over the last two months; it has only gotten worse. Progressive leaders and activists not only refuse to speak out against this, but many of them are actively involved.

Unsurprisingly, American universities have become hotbeds of antisemitism. At two universities, pro-Hamas protesters called for “glory to the martyrs.” At the University of California, Berkeley, a professor offered students extra credit to attend a protest hosted by an antisemitic organization. At Harvard, students notoriously wrote a letter blaming Israel for the violence perpetrated by Hamas. And all the while, faculty and university leaders turned a blind eye or worse, encouraged this behavior.

In theory, the CRT and DEI initiatives that many of us supported were supposed to foster inclusive environments that welcome those of all racial and religious backgrounds. These initiatives should encourage a variety of beliefs and diversity of thought. Instead, DEI and CRT have been used by the radical left to create an “us vs. them” mentality and promote victimhood. DEI and CRT adherents welcome minorities, but only “the right kind” of minorities.

What many liberal Jews failed to realize is that we do not fall into that category. From a DEI perspective, Jewish people are not oppressed; they are the oppressors. They are not marginalized or persecuted; they are colonizers. This line of thinking has allowed antisemites to come out of the shadows under the guise of righteousness, and it sets an incredibly dangerous precedent.

Just last week, Democratic Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Cori Bush of Missouri voted against a bill to bar all Hamas members and anyone involved in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel from entering the United States. They said the bill was “anti-Arab,” “anti-Palestinian” and “anti-Muslim.” They made no mention of the Jewish people, whom this bill was written to protect.

A November poll found that 70% of American Jews reported feeling less safe since the start of the Israel–Hamas war. Yet the progressives in Congress continue to turn their backs on the Jewish people.

American Jews are now refusing to support or donate to academic institutions that refuse to condemn antisemitism. A number of wealthy, high-profile donors have pulled funding from Harvard and other well-known universities. So far, we have seen some results, with a number of failed university presidents stepping down.

But this is just the beginning. We need to continue to fight the DEI programs that allowed antisemitism to take root in the first place, and we need to take the fight to the political arena. As the 2024 elections approach, American Jews will have an opportunity to take progressive politicians to task for their failure to support the Jewish community. No longer can the Democratic Party blindly count on the Jewish vote. The left has taken us for granted for too long. This is the year we say, no more.

 

Adam Milstein is a business investor and a venture philanthropist. A native of Israel, he served in the Israeli Defense Forces during the Yom Kippur War and immigrated to the U.S. in 1981, earned an MBA from the University of Southern California and began a career in commercial real estate. He is a co-founder and board member of the Israeli-American Council and served as its national chairman from 2015 to 2019, as well as the Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation.

As Liberal Jews Feel abandoned by the Left — What’s next?

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This article was originally published in the Jerusalem Post on January 10th, 2024, written by Adam Milstein

All Jews agree on one thing…that all Jews never agree. At any Jewish gathering around the world, you’ll hear heated debates on food, religion, culture, and everything in between. Politics are no different, but the debate is louder.

James Baker once said “F*** the Jews, they don’t vote for us.” While perhaps untrue, Baker’s sentiment reflected a historical American Jewish political truism – the Jewish community votes Democrat. Since the early 1990’s, a growing number of Jews have shifted rightward, but the majority of the Jewish-American community reside in the “liberal” camp.

After the October 7th terrorist attack, prior to Israel’s ground operation in Gaza, the true sentiment of the left towards Jews was exposed. Protests on college campuses, airports, freeways, bridges, outside synagogues, and Holocaust museums forced Jewish Americans to face a stark reality. Leftist and their Muslim allies were exposed not only as anti-Israel but as plainly anti-Jewish groups. Mobilizing under a guise of liberation (“From the River to the Sea”), and civil rights (“justice” in Palestine), one thing became increasingly clear – for a large coalition of leftists and Muslims in America, Jews have no right to self-determination in their ancestral homeland and deserve no safety anywhere.

Liberal Jews’ residence among American leftists is now in peril.

The Shock 

Historically and for good reason, Jews have been fixated on the antisemitism from the far right as our greatest threat. This focus on antisemitism’s political affiliation left us vulnerable. We have virtually ignored the growing warning signs of antisemitism from the Islamo-leftist camp. After all, Jews were an integral part of the left. In the name of Tzedek (Justice), we’ve marched with every marginalized community throughout American history. Yet, on October 7th, 2023, we marched alone. As our women had blood dripping down their legs, women’s rights groups didn’t express any outrage. They stood silent. As our children were identified by their ashes, children’s rights organizations were nowhere to be found. And as our civilians were brutalized, all human, civil, and LGBTQ+ rights didn’t march, didn’t organize, and didn’t protest. On the contrary – they stood with the attackers.

In the wake of October 7th, American Jews were left speechless. The wakeup call has been loud. The Jewish political home, the American left, turns a blind eye to war crimes and to the sexual mutilation of women, children and men when the victims are Jews. It has become evidently clear that in leftist spaces, the American Jew is dehumanized as a mere “oppressor”, an “Occupier”, a “Colonialist”, “White privileged”, and “Apartheid” supporter. Compassion for the deep trauma Jews sustained was nowhere to be found.

One must wonder, if killing Jews and raping women in Israel is ‘just’ and legitimate under the guise of a victim using ‘resistance by any means necessary’, what prevents our enemies from committing the same crimes in America? And where can liberal Jews find a political home?

The Evolution 

Jewish-Americans, motivated by our people’s values, traditions and history, gravitated to the political left in America. With an emphasis on Tikkun Olam, American Jews embraced a critical role in social justice movements throughout history. Our commitment to ‘repair the world’ found common cause with social movements on the left, solidifying the Jewish liberal alignment.

We memorialize female ancestors like Deborah, who personified courage as the “woman of torches”. And we lionize Esther who taught of female strength and resilience and Ruth who embodied integrity and diligence. Guided by these matriarchs, Jews across the nation fought for women’s rights and Jewish women like Betty Friedan and Bella Abzug led the feminist movement.

Our scripture mandates us to advocate for the marginalized – “what is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor” (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 31a). Embedded in Jewish tradition is the notion that all man is “created in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27). Just as Abraham didn’t turn anyone from his tent, Jews fought for the rights of Black Americans. Jews helped establish the NAACP in 1909. And in 1965, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel embodied the Jewish community’s collective support for civil rights as he marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma.

In 1967, Rabbis joined Cesar Chavez and urged Kosher communities to only support union grapes as the non-union grapes were forbidden as Oshek. The Jewish community continued its activism throughout the 2020 marches for Black lives and then again in 2021 to stop Asian hate.

Jewish Americans have served as indispensable allies, leaders, and activists on issues of human dignity, civil rights, and progress throughout American history. This allyship with the left was presumed to be reciprocal. October 7th changed everything.

The Reality Check

In recent years, Critical Race Theory (CRT), Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) ideology and the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement carved out large pieces within the left’s agenda. Many liberal Jews have supported these developments believing that they’re the next phase of a long tradition of liberal activism. They were mistaken, no allyship with CRT, DEI, and BLM will protect them. Jews who tirelessly fight for acceptance and admittance in the intersectionality coalition will remain disappointed. We are not welcome.

Enamored with the seemingly laudable goals of DEI: to promote the representation, participation, and fair treatment of historically marginalized groups, liberal Jews ignored DEI promoters, and CRT advocates, as they advanced a radical agenda to fundamentally undermine American values. For years they have been promoting equality of outcome over equality of opportunity, collective identity (race, gender, etc.) over individual character, censorship of opposing viewpoints over freedom of speech, and a “victimhood Olympics” culture that crudely bifurcates society into oppressors and oppressed.

Liberal Jews failed to recognize how CRT and DEI initiatives, and intersectional theory would be weaponized against them. And today, we see how Jewish students are maliciously portrayed as wanton oppressors and colonialist abettors. American universities who fully adopted these doctrines are now hotbeds of antisemitism due to embedded leftist orthodoxy.

The Next Steps

So, where do liberal Jews go from here?

The “October 8th Jew” as Bret Stephens coined it, recognizes their home as a centrist. The October 8th Jew knows that the extreme left, like the extreme right before it, is no political home. The October 8th Jew is united in the mission to fight enemies of America, who always come first for the Jews. “Never again” must be backed by action and Jewish unity.

First, no more blind voting for Democrats or Republican for the sake of historical precedent. All Jews, including liberal Jews, must adopt a litmus test for candidates and support only those determined to fight antisemitism and support the U.S.-Israel alliance.

Second, pull support from organizations and academic institutions that promote the erasure of Jewish suffering and tacitly endorse Jew-hatred.

And finally, unite and support American organizations that protect and promote equality and inclusion rather than division and an ideology that aims to destroy Jewish life and American values.

Adam Milstein is an Israeli-American “Venture Philanthropist.” He can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter @AdamMilstein, and on Facebook www.facebook.com/AdamMilsteinCP.

This op-ed is published in partnership with a coalition of organizations that fight antisemitism across the world. 

Podcast: “Antisemitism is not a Jewish problem but an American one” Adam Milstein Interview with Maayan Hoffman from the Jerusalem Post

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Adam Milstein speaks out on antisemitism: ‘We need to be aware, awake, stand up and fight back’

Maayan Hoffman, Deputy CEO – Strategy & Innovation of the Jerusalem Post Group, speaks with Adam Milstein, renowned Israeli-American investor and philanthropist, about the sources of the recent upsurge of antisemitism and what the Jewish community must do to counter this disturbing trend. The Jewish people, says Milstein, need to be aware, awake, stand up, and fight back against antisemitism.

Milstein, who regularly shares his views on Israel and antisemitism in the pages of the Jerusalem Post, says that antisemitism should not be presented as a Jewish problem. It is, in his words, “an American problem. This is not about the Jews. We’re just the canary in the coal mine. This is about America and the West.”

Unlike classic antisemitism, says Milstein, this new form of antisemitism is being led by the Islamo-leftist alliance, an alliance between the radical left and secular Muslims that together created an alliance against the West, against Judeo-Christian values, and against Israel. The ultimate target of this alliance, he adds, is not the Jews but, rather, Western civilization and the United States.

Milstein notes that social media is also a significant factor in the promotion of antisemitism around the world. “The number of people getting the news from social media,” said Milstein, “is increasing every day. The problem is that the information distributed by social media is not checked or validated. It is misinformation and disinformation. Propaganda is not only allowed on social media, but it’s actually being promoted. The more hate you spew, the more attention the algorithms will give you.”

Milstein cautioned that the massive spike in antisemitism will be followed by even greater acts of violence against America and the West. “This is a sign for the future.” When any kind of resistance is justified against oppressors and occupiers, he says, America should watch out.

Attacks on Jews are an attack on the West

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This article was originally published in the Jerusalem Post on December 2nd, 2023, written by Adam Milstein

On October 7, Hamas attacked Israel, massacring 1,200 Israeli civilians in cold blood, and wounding thousands, including women, children, and the elderly. 240 people – including infants and Holocaust survivors – were kidnapped and taken to Gaza.

What was the response from the world?

Jewish institutions have been vandalized. Jews have been murdered on the street and attacked in their homes. Crowds have called for the annihilation of the Jewish state and to clean the world of Jews on college campuses.  Celebrities and influencers have openly supported Hamas. The horrific list of unimaginable reactions goes on and on.

Is this just about the Jews?

Jews are history’s “canary in the coal mine.” Where Jews have faced persecution and expulsion, it is usually a sign that darker forces are taking hold that will degrade, diminish, and often, destroy the broader society.

While classical antisemitism drove the persecution and murder of Jews for centuries, the largest force behind the recent wave of hatred stems from the “red-green alliance” – an unholy coalition between Islamists and radical leftists.

Although Jews are a major target of these Islamo-Leftist groups, their ultimate target has always been America and Western civilization. The wave of antisemitism flooding America since October 7 is a stark reminder that Antisemitism is first and utmost an American problem, it’s a danger to America – and the core values that have been the bedrock of this country’s rise.

It’s not a coincidence that every “pro-Hamas” march and rally – disguised as “Pro-Palestinian” – is drenched not only in antisemitic imagery and rhetoric, but also in anti-American vitriol. American flags are burnt alongside Israeli flags. Calls for the destruction of Israel are followed by Anti-American chants. When Israel and the Jewish community are assaulted, American civil liberties and values like freedom of speech and freedom of religion are also being attacked.

For the first time in a long time, the Jewish community is waking up to recognize what I’ve long warned. Our community is not safe even in America. My experience in the Yom Kippur War, fighting for Israel’s existence, cemented my belief that for the Jewish people to survive, we’d have to take our fate into our own hands. The world will not ensure it for us.

But we must also recognize that we can’t do it alone.

While Israel is waging a war to eliminate Islamist terror groups, we as Americans must stand beside her. Because all of us have a big stake in the outcome of this war between radicalism and the humanistic values that underly the best of our society.

We must do several things.

First, we must inform the American people about the nature of this threats and empower all of us to act.We must expose the Islamo-Leftist radical movements that fuel the spread of this hatred against Jews and America. This means supporting research and organizations that identify these networks and uncover the money trails exposing their ideology, agendas, and Modus operandi.

This research will wake up Americans to the danger of these radical movements and encourage them to stand up and fight back.

Second, we must stop the indoctrination of our next generation.

College campuses in America, once bastions of intellectualism, education, tolerance, and Jewish upward-mobility, are sadly now ground zero for American and Jewish hatred. Hiding behind concepts, often funded by foreign nations, like “CRT,” “Intersectionality,” “DEI,” and other progressive doctrines, K-12 schools and universities have been co-opted, infected, and poisoned by radical activists that paint Israel and America as “colonialists” and “racist” and the Jewish and American people as “oppressors.”

In response, parents must inform and prepare their children for the propaganda they’ll face. They need to learn the true history of America and the Jewish people, the importance of the Israel-US alliance. And they need to do so in an unbiased environment.

In addition, fostering a strong sense of Jewish identity in Jewish children is an investment in their connection to their roots, a commitment to the principles of justice, and a dedication to securing the Jewish people and States future.

Third, we must get serious about the information war.

There is a well-funded, organized campaign being waged on digital platforms across the globe. Bot armies, cyber-attacks, and fake avatars are driven by one mission – to obfuscate the truth, bend public opinion against America and Israel and stir animosity against Christians and Jews. In addition, TikTok and other social media platforms where teens spend hours every day are infested with hate and anti-Jewish propaganda.

It’s imperative that philanthropists’, foundations’, and individuals’ work not only focuses on exposing these tactics, but on combatting them on the digital battlefield. We must use social networks the same way our enemies do. And we must invest in organizations that hold the media accountable to the standards of a fair and free press.

Our numbers are small, and our enemies are many. To be successful, the organizations on the front lines must work together and create synergies to create a force multiplier effect of their efforts.

Fourth, we must support policymakers to take action and pass legislation that curbs the influence of hate movements in our institutions – from K-12 institutions to colleges to workplaces to the government. Finally, we must stop apologizing.

Immediately after October 7, much of the world demonstrated their support for Israel. We knew this sentiment wouldn’t last, and it hasn’t. As the war continues, and by all accounts, it will continue for a long time, Jews must remain steadfast, resilient, and collectively embody the mindset of stubborn sabras.

Regardless of the measures Israel takes to make peace, independent of their herculean efforts to avoid civilian casualties, and to abide by international law (even though its enemies never do), it will never be enough. We must accept the fact that the world will never tolerate a Jewish state that defends itself.  We must stop equivocating. Stop justifying. And stop explaining. To ensure the future of Jews in Israel and the Diaspora, and that of all Americans who care about our core values, all of us need to stand strong and united.

The road ahead for the people Israel will not be smooth, but it never has been. Since October 7, behind the horror, the tears, the fear, and the anger, there’s a clarity of conscience. Our enemies have never been more exposed, their intentions for our destruction have never been more obvious, and our collective determination for survival has never been more resolute. If we remain steadfast and strategic, we will win.

Adam Milstein is an Israeli-American “Venture Philanthropist.” He can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter, and on Facebook. 

This op-ed is published in partnership with a coalition of organizations that fight antisemitism across the world. 

Guilty for Associating with Antisemites?

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This article was originally published in the Jerusalem Post on September 28th, 2023, written by Adam Milstein

Yes, associating with antisemites should be unacceptable.

We live in an age in which ideas, including extreme ones, spread instantly. This allows hate and bigotry, including antisemitism, to flourish both online and in person. In this digital age – where legacy media, politicians, and corporations no longer shape the collective consciousness as they once did – the responsibility of holding antisemites accountable has broadened.

This responsibility now falls on the shoulders of each one of us. We must involve American leadership, and civil society institutions to condemn and call out this hatred whenever we encounter it.

Why should we care? The Hate that Starts with Jews Never Ends With Jews said Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. Antisemitism threatens not only the Jewish community, but all Americans. Sooner or later, antisemites also peddle racial, ethnic, and religious hatred against other communities.

As antisemitism is being normalized in America, time is of the essence to identify antisemites and hold them accountable.

We Must Establish and Enforce Clear Norms. 

To effectively combat antisemitism, we must not only confront those who directly promote this ideology, but also those who indirectly associate with anti-Semites.

There is no doubt in our mind that associating with known antisemites should be unacceptable, regardless of any excuse or explanation. To properly adjudicate what is and what is not acceptable, we must establish the following guardrails:

Ignorance is No Excuse.

In 2015, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now a presidential candidate, visited Louis Farrakhan, one of the most infamous antisemites of our times, and lauded Farrakhan as a “truly great partner” for his critical views on vaccines. He continued his associations with members of Farrakhan’s Nation of Islam until at least 2021. When challenged on the encounter, Kennedy claimed ignorance about Farrakhan’s history of antisemitism.

Kennedy also interacted with other promoters of antisemitism, such as Ice Cube and Roger Waters. It’s hard to believe he was not aware that these individuals have perpetuated bizarre conspiratorial antisemitic beliefs and actions, but even if he did, he should have condemned them immediately, which he did not.

Kennedy claimed he was he misunderstood, and that he is a strong champion for Israel. However, his decision to join forces with these antisemites effectively giving their history a pass, is unacceptable.

Self-proclaimed innocence is not innocence

Accountability extends to even the highest echelons of power. Last year, former president, Donald Trump, hosted Kanye West and Nick Fuentes for dinner – both of whom publicly expressed vicious antisemitism. By hosting them, Trump not only validated, but elevated them.

In response to the backlash, Trump claimed “not to know about Fuentes”. However, alleging ignorance in response to public backlash is not a valid excuse. Trump’s pro-Israel policies do not grant a free pass for platforming blatant antisemites. He too should be condemned for these associations.

Antisemitic Patterns Matter

Patterns of behavior cannot be ignored. For example, antisemitism has been a problem on CUNY campuses for years. Numerous incidents, including an anti-Israel commencement speech by known antisemite Nerdeen Kiswani in 2021, as well as a survey revealing high levels of antisemitism among CUNY students demonstrate CUNY’s tolerance of antisemitism.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission even cited CUNY in 2021 for failing to protect a Jewish professor from discrimination based on his faith. The decision in 2013 to host Fatima Mohammed – a radical anti-American and antisemitic – as commencement speech was the cherry on top.

Many Jewish leaders, including Ronald Lauder, called for the law school dean to be fired after she was among the faculty on stage who applauded Mohammed’s speech, but were ignored.

CUNY’s association with antisemites and pattern of behavior is undeniable, and we should not shy away from calling, condemning and sanctioning the University for its support of antisemitism.

What Can Each of Us Do:

  1. Be Firm in Condemnation: We must encourage American leaders, institutions, the media, and any other establishment that has a stance in the public domain to hold antisemites accountable for their hate by refraining from associating with them. Excuses like “but I am not antisemitic” should not suffice.
  2. Engage in Discourse: Don’t solely condemn someone based on associations. It is also essential to engage in thoughtful dialogue. Understanding perspectives, intentions, and values can lead to more productive conversations on the dangers of antisemitism to our common values.
  3. Encourage Accountability: Individuals should be held accountable for their associations and actions. If someone knowingly associates with antisemites, even if they don’t espouse direct antisemitism themselves, should acknowledge their mistake openly, apologize if necessary, and demonstrate a commitment to change. We must hold ourselves and the ones we associate with in the highest regard and not make excuses.
  4. Promote Education: Fostering an environment of education and open discussion is crucial for recognizing the signs of antisemitism and other forms of hate and bigotry before they manifest. We must call antisemites out in public and educate others about the hate that is underlying their views. Antisemitism often serves as a disguise for anti-American sentiments and a threat to democracy. This connection should be made explicitly. Education helps inform individuals to make informed decisions about their association

Confronting those who openly espouse antisemitism is often easier than standing up against those who validate or provide platforms for this hate. Association with antisemites emboldens them to continue in their hateful course of action. To combat hate, bigotry and antisemitism effectively, we must collectively establish clear norms and hold individuals accountable not only for their actions, but for the unavoidable results of their actions as well. By doing so, we can work towards a more tolerant society where antisemitism has no place.

Adam Milstein is an Israeli-American “Venture Philanthropist.” He can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter, and on Facebook. 

This op-ed is published in partnership with a coalition of organizations that fight antisemitism across the world. 

Elon Musk, The ADL, And The Weaponization Of Antisemitism

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This article was originally published in the Daily Caller on September 11th, 2023, written by Adam Milstein.

Many in the Jewish American community have their fair share of disagreements with the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) approach to fighting antisemitism. As others have pointed out, the legacy Jewish organization, which was established in 1913 to combat antisemitism, has become increasingly partisan over the last decade, hurting its ability to confront Jew-hate as effectively as it once did.

However, this past couple of weeks, the ADL has become the target of a vicious campaign of blatant antisemitism. And that is a problem. Following X (formerly Twitter) CEO Elon Musk’s allegation that the ADL is responsible for the bulk of the platform’s loss in advertiser revenue, the ADL is being strategically targeted by antisemites around the world.

Any frequent user of Twitter (and now X) has undoubtedly encountered the hashtag, #BanTheADL. Initially popularized by far-right figures, the hashtag’s prominence recently skyrocketed after Musk engaged with posts containing it.

But the hashtag, posted over 400,000 times between August 31 – September 6, isn’t just an attack on the ADL; it’s an attack on all Jews.

A quick glance at its usage reveals it to be nothing more than a thinly veiled assault on Jews, invoking virtually every single age-old antisemitic trope, canard, and outright lie to portray Jews as shadowy puppeteers manipulating global events, child molesters, Christ-killers, fake Jews, and racial supremacists. (RELATED: SHOSHANA BRYEN: Here’s What Really Lies Behind The Biden Admin’s Icy Israel Relationship)

For instance, one post alleges the ADL was “Birthed to defend a murdering child rapist, financed by mass murdering terrorists and organized crime, narcotic peddling, gun running, psychopaths.” Another post featuring the hashtag claims that “Zionism is the default ideology of the ruling class. It is a violent ethno-supremacist ideology.”

These narratives aren’t new, but their widespread acceptance today is alarming.

Whether Musk’s allegations against the ADL are true or not, one thing is crystal clear: antisemites are capitalizing on this quarrel to unabashedly spew hatred toward Jews. And Elon Musk, with his vast influence and 156,000,000 followers on X, has inadvertently given a platform to these poisonous voices, amplifying their incitement and reach.

Yet, while the far-right’s antisemitic agenda is evident, it’s essential to recognize that they aren’t the only culprits capitalizing on the Musk/ADL feud. In attempts to delegitimize Israel and the Jewish right to self-determination, far-left and Islamist activists have long targeted the ADL using the hashtag #DropTheADL.

This #DropTheADL Islamo-leftist campaign, which garnered a measly 1,600 posts and 17,000,000 potential views in the past year, seeks to demonize pro-Israel Jews by blaming the ADL for, among other evils, police brutality against the Black community and general oppression of minorities.

When the #BanTheADL hashtag gained traction in the past weeks, far-left and Islamist activists saw an opportunity to revitalize their dwindling antisemitic campaign. For example, on September 4th, notorious British academic and commentator for Iranian state-owned TV, David Miller, posted that the ADL is a “spy agency” targeting Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian activism since before Israel’s establishment. Another post claimed that “the FBI [is] being trained to represent the interests of Israel instead of the United States.”

As evidence that anti-Israel activists are trying to exploit the Musk/ADL controversy, a social media analysis shows that over 15,000 posts with the right-wing #BanTheADL hashtag also reference Palestinians, Zionism, and Israel – topics usually addressed by Islamo-leftist antisemitism, the promotors of the new “acceptable” form of 21st-century antisemitism. These posts have amassed over 800,000,000 potential views in just 6 days.

This highlights the widespread nature of antisemitism. And it clearly demonstrates how far-left, Islamists, and far-right ideologies unite in their hatred against the Jewish community. The horseshoe theory has never been clearer.

Many may not always agree with the ADL’s approach, but all Jews should realize that the motives behind the #BanTheADL and #DropTheADL hashtags are merely using the legacy Jewish organization as a proxy for attacking the Jewish people. As countless grassroots organizations combatting antisemitism have repeatedly underscored, antisemites, regardless of their political alignment, will exploit any chance to target Jews, masking their motives behind seemingly valid criticisms. (RELATED: JACOB OLIDORT: Here’s What The Left Gets Wrong About Benjamin Netanyahu’s Vision For Israel)

We must unite as a community and encourage Musk to recognize this unfortunate truth.

While Musk’s relationship with the ADL may be strained beyond repair, there are many other organizations combating antisemitism that can provide him with insights into the deep-rooted and multifaceted nature of this age-old prejudice. By engaging with various voices, Musk can gain a deeper understanding of the various manifestations of antisemitism and the importance of addressing it responsibly.

As we navigate these troubling times, it’s essential to be able to differentiate between legitimate criticism and veiled hatred, whether against a Jewish organization or the Jewish state, to ensure that the Jewish people remain safe and resilient in the face of this ever-growing threat.

Adam Milstein is an Israeli-American “Venture Philanthropist.” He can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter, and on Facebook

Effective Fundraising without Compromising Impact – Opinion

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This article was originally published in The Jerusalem Post on July 27th, 2023, written by Adam Milstein and Elena Yacov.

Nonprofits across the wide-ranging Jewish philanthropic spectrum face a common challenge: fundraising effectively without compromising their impact.

 

In the philanthropic world, driving and tracking results is difficult. The Jewish nonprofit community is no different. This challenge is particularly painful for small and medium-sized nonprofits – many of which cannot afford professional fundraising teams yet must stay laser-focused on achieving their missions in an insecure financial environment.

In the United States, the work of these organizations is more important than ever. Antisemitism is on the rise, Jewish communities struggle to engage the next generation, and organizational legacy models are failing.

The constant pressure to fundraise often distracts the leaders of the small and medium sized nonprofits. The time and resources needed to endlessly fundraise takes priority and redirects the necessary work required to drive change towards their actual missions.

Without the resources to hire professional fundraisers, talented executives are forced to spend more and more time calling and engaging with donors, when they should be running operations, building their teams and executing their action plan. This problem is only compounded by the abundance of Jewish nonprofits across the country whose missions overlap, crowding out access to donors.

This current fundraising paradigm creates three major challenges for Jewish nonprofits:

First, the constant need to appeal to donors leads to mission creep. When it comes to fundraising, focus drifts as nonprofit leaders feel pressured to appeal to different donors, to make promises they cannot keep and take stances misaligned with their organization’s core mission.

For nonprofits to be more productive and efficient, they must remain focused on their mission and their leaders must remain results-oriented to create meaningful and long-lasting impact.

Second, the focus on fundraising in Jewish nonprofit management causes operational issues. Fundraising efforts carry high administrative costs. And they require nonprofit staff to spend ample time and resources on galas, fancy marketing materials, and travel – each with excessive costs. This diverts time and money away from each organization’s key focus—driving impact for the Jewish community.

Nonprofit leaders tend to get caught in a vicious cycle. Their continuous focus on fundraising merely to sustain operations diverts from their organizational missions. Too many philanthropic endeavors have transformed from impact-focused entities to cyclical fundraising operations.

Third, nonprofits with aligned goals end up competing for the same donors’ dollars. This competition strains relationships between groups that should be collaborating. The fight for donors and dollars not only incentivizes wasteful inter-organizational pettiness, but it can also lead to conflict.

Too often, donors prioritize PR “victories”, and competing organizations claim false successes to appeal to donors and supporters. Organizations won’t collaborate for fear of losing their donors in favor of their partner organizations, and zero-sum frameworks prevail.

Underlying these challenges is an unfair reality: It’s often not the organizations with the most impact that get the funding, but those with professional graphic designers and the glitziest marketing. Organizations with meager impact but impressive PR capabilities thrive, despite doing little to advance their cause.

Meanwhile, nonprofits that strategically work behind the scenes or those who focus resources on their programming rather than on marketing struggle to make ends meet. All too often, funding in the Jewish nonprofit world comes down to a popularity contest.

A New Paradigm 

To make a real impact and combat antisemitism in America, we need a new fundraising model. One that empowers Jewish nonprofits and encourages them to spend more time on their missions and less on fundraising. The new paradigm should also create financial incentives for Jewish nonprofits to work together.

This new paradigm can be based on the vision of the Impact Forum, a network of likeminded philanthropists who come together to vet, select and support nonprofits who align with the mission of fighting antisemitism, supporting the State of Israel, and championing American democracy.

At the Impact Forum, selected small and medium-sized organizations are provided with a platform to fundraise, network with donors, and create lasting relationships allowing them to focus on impact rather than on fundraising. For many organizations this platform is a lifeline.

In return, the Impact Forum philanthropists urge nonprofits to work together, collaborate, build synergies, and execute joint campaigns.

Success Stories

One organization that presented at the Impact Forum a few years ago secured major financial support and created a long-lasting relationship with a donor who provided six figure grants over several years.

In another case, Impact Forum philanthropists invested in an early-stage nonprofit that fights antisemitism using cutting edge technologies, fully funding the groups’ first year operational budget.

The Impact Forum also runs a Venture Fund program, through which donors can support a group of 10 vetted and selected organizations with one single donation. Funding to the selected nonprofits is provided specifically for capacity building and collaboration amongst the group. Funding collectives rather than singular organizations enhances the capabilities of each organization individually and creates a multiplier effect with greater impact for the Jewish community.

Jewish and pro-Israel nonprofit professionals, visionaries and supporters are essential to the Jewish future. But effective campaigns need more than just goodwill. It takes money to achieve big wins for the Jewish community. To secure these victories for Jews and for Israel, we need to free nonprofits and their leaders from the burden of fundraising and allow them to maximize their time on causes like combating the delegitimization of Israel (BDS), antisemitism, and extremism.

By incentivizing nonprofits to work together and using solutions like the Impact Forum network to help relieve the fundraising burden, we can help make this a reality.

Adam Milstein is an Israeli-American “Venture Philanthropist.” He can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter, and on Facebook

Elena Yacov is the Executive Director of the Milstein Family Foundation and the TalkIsrael Foundation. She can be reached at [email protected]

This op-ed is published in partnership with a coalition of organizations that fight antisemitism across the world. Read the previous article by Shawn Eni.

Antisemitism is a Threat to Europe and the Freedoms it Took Centuries to Achieve.

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This article was originally published in The Jerusalem Post on July 27th, 2023, written by Adam Milstein. 

Normalized and tolerated antisemitism is both a catalyst and warning sign.

The late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks famously said, “Antisemitism isn’t a threat just for Jews, it’s a threat first and foremost to Europe and the freedoms it centuries to achieve.” The recent social breakdown in France provides yet another example of an age-old historical truth: untreated antisemitism is both a catalyst and warning sign of a broader sickness in society. Antisemitism is the canary in the coal mine – and when unchecked, it’s followed by broad social upheaval, economic destruction, and cultural stagnation – throughout history and today.

Over the last several decades in France, a pattern has played out that is familiar across history.

Antisemitic violence has proliferated in French society, often going unpunished by the judicial system, unaddressed by the political establishment, and unabated by the public. Hate crimes, muggings, terrorism, and intimidation have targeted the small Jewish community. 74% of French Jews were victims of antisemitic acts during their lifetime and 61% of anti-religious acts in France have been directed at Jews.

Although Jews represent less than 1 percent of the French population, 40 percent of all violent hate crimes in France are antisemitic. Due to “political correctness” France has not done nearly enough to combat antisemitism. And like many western nations, France’s antisemitism is not confined to one political camp. It comes mostly from growing hostile Muslim population, but also from the far left and the far right.

The appeasement of vicious antisemitism in France, as Jews have been killed in high-profile terror attacks and hate crimes, has allowed the seeds of social unrest to fester. This tolerance of hatred has resulted in French Jews emigrating in record numbers, ultimately leading to the situation today in France – rioting, lawlessness, and political violence.

Elected leaders must protect France from repeating the mistakes of the past. If they don’t, you can find many other examples in history to see where the country may be headed.

Throughout History, the hate that began with Jews never ended with Jews

For thousands of years, Iraqi Jews constituted one of the world’s oldest and most historically significant Jewish communities. In 1941, a pogrom, known as the Farhud, was carried out on the Jewish population. Hundreds of Jews were murdered, thousands were injured, and looting overtook Jewish businesses. The pogrom began a decade of severe persecution, leading to the ultimate Jewish exodus of Iraq in the early 1950’s after the establishment of a safe homeland for the Jewish people in Israel. What followed was the cultural, societal, and economic downfall of Iraq. The throughline is clear. Iraq persecuted, attacked, and dispossessed their vital Jewish community – leading to a decline in intellectual and cultural diversity, and a tarnished reputation on the international stage – leading to diminished foreign investment, trade, and diplomacy.

Like Iraq, the Soviet Union was home to a significant Jewish community for decades. But under Josef Stalin’s reign, antisemitism became normalized and embraced. Jewish intellectuals, professionals, and political dissidents were targeted by the state. Widespread discrimination, purges, and executions targeted Jews throughout the county. The Soviet Union’s embrace of antisemitism contributed to an overall climate of fear, leading to the stifling of intellectual progress and a weakening of the social fabric of society. Following years of persecution, Jews left the Soviet Union in droves, landing in mainly Israel and the United States. The Soviet Union was left with major brain drain of a productive chunk of their society – and ultimately collapsed within decades.

France’s path forward is not inevitable. To slow its direction towards social breakdown, it should focus on two priorities:

First, Protect liberalism and second, bolster institutions.

At its best, liberalism’s commitment to the principles of equality, human rights, and the rule of law provides a strong foundation for protecting Jewish communities. Ongoing vigilance, robust legislation, and community engagement help ensure the continued safety, security, and well-being of Jewish individuals and communities within these democracies. Liberal democracies grant Jewish communities the right to practice their faith without persecution or fear. When synagogues are targeted, or Jews are attacked for being Jews, liberal democracies use the rule of law to punish perpetrators. When religious targeted crime goes unpunished, the public loses faith in the rule of law, and public confidence in the state erodes.

Around the world, we’re seeing institutions weakened. Media, government, elected leaders, corporations, etc. have all lost the trust of the public. Mission creep corporations becoming political actors and skewed incentives, such as politicians being rewarded for “hot takes” and fundraising ability vs. effectiveness, have eaten away at institutional authority and societal health.

Yuval Levin writes how institutional decay has led to collective societal anomie and division in A Time to Build, stating: “”We trust an institution when we think that it forms the people within it to be trustworthy — so that not only does it perform an important social function, educating children or making laws or any of the many, many goods and services that institutions provide for us, but it also at the same time provides an ethic that shapes the people within it to perform that service in a reliable, responsible way.”

Weakened democratic institutions struggle to protect minority rights, including those of Jewish communities. In the absence of reliable institutions, extremist ideologies, including antisemitism, flourish. Weakened educational institutions may fail to provide accurate historical context, perpetuating stereotypes, and biases. Compromised journalistic institutions enable conspiracy theories to thrive and go unchecked. And a crisis of leadership enables antisemitic narratives to exploit societal grievances.

In conclusion

Antisemitism’s destructiveness cannot be overlooked when analyzing a nation’s demise. From social divisions to economic setbacks and cultural losses, antisemitism plays a significant role leading to societal breakdown.

It is essential for France to acknowledge the historical, destructive power of antisemitism, and work to bolster its institutions and confront its internal strife. Only through such efforts can France prevent the recurrence of history’s tragic mistakes and forge a path forward for liberalism, western democracy, and pluralism.

Adam Milstein: Redefining Diversity – The Case for Including Jewish Identity

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This article was originally published in Space Coast Daily on July 24th, 2023, written by Space Coast Daily.

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) movement is ostensibly intended to promote a deeper understanding and fairer treatment of those from historically marginalized communities.

However, in practice, DEI threatens to undermine core American values and the right of Jewish Americans to live securely within their Jewish identities.

That’s the argument made by Israel-American philanthropist and community leader Adam Milstein, an immigrant to the United States who built a successful business and now acts as a venture philanthropist. His focus, including his work with the Milstein Family Foundation, which he runs with his wife, Gila Milstein, is to strengthen American democracy, support the U.S.-Israel alliance, and combat antisemitism, hatred and bigotry in all forms.

Adam Milstein fears the current approach to DEI is harmful to Jewish Americans, including university students.

In an opinion piece written for the Jerusalem Post, he writes that DEI “has been deployed to advance a radical agenda that undermines fundamental American values by promoting equality of outcome over equality of opportunity, collective identity (race, gender, etc.) over individual character, censorship of opposing viewpoints over freedom of speech, and a victim culture that crudely bifurcates society into oppressors and oppressed.”

Who Is Adam Milstein?

Adam Milstein was born in Israel and moved to the U.S. in 1981 to pursue an MBA degree at USC. He served in the Israeli Defense Force during the Yom Kippur War. Once he arrived in the U.S., he built a successful career in commercial real estate in California, where he still lives.

Through the Milstein Family Foundation, Adam and Gila support tens of nonprofit organizations that strengthen U.S.-Israel ties and fights antisemitism. Some of the programs of these nonprofits support the Jewish community and the wider community, including people from a wide variety of backgrounds.

For example, the foundation supports organizations that combat antisemitism on college campuses and support numerous organizations that work to strengthen American democratic values

The Prevalence of DEI in the United States

In a relatively short amount of time, American universities, as well as the government and many corporations, have embraced DEI. For example, one study that looked at the staff for 65 universities in the five major collegiate athletic conferences found that, on average, staff hired to focus on DEI outnumbered history professors.

The study also found that, on average, the DEI staff at these universities outnumbered, by a factor of 4.2, the number of people on staff focused on helping disabled students. The average number of people each university employs to focus on DEI has reached 45.

However, rather than bring people together, many DEI programs seem to have divided people into different social identity groups that constantly remain at odds with each other, Adam Milstein wrote in the JPost, especially the groups identified as “oppressed” vs. those identified as “oppressors.”

As the number of people dedicated to DEI has grown, so have troubling instances of antisemitic beliefs. In perhaps the most well-known case, Google had to remove the leader of its diversity team after a social media post surfaced in which he wrote that the Jewish people “have an insatiable appetite for war.” He also wrote that Jews have an “insensitivity” toward the suffering of others.

Unfortunately, the Google case is far from the only one. A Heritage Foundation study of the social media accounts of 741 DEI personnel from 65 American universities found that “the overwhelming pattern” is that they pay great attention to Israel and nearly always attack Israel.

At the same time, antisemitic incidents have reached an all-time high, according to the Anti-Defamation League, including a 50% increase in these incidents on college campuses and in schools in 2022 alone.

“Rather than promoting diversity and inclusion, universities may be contributing to an increase in anti-Jewish hatred by expanding DEI staff and power,” the Heritage Foundation study stated.

The Destructive Power of “Erasive Antisemitism”

Adam Milstein argues that the rise of DEI, its ties to critical race theory, and the increase in antisemitic acts all signal a trend that threatens to harm the Jewish people but also undermines American values.

“Erasive antisemitism is destructive because it denies the ability of Jews – a people from geographic Asia, some of whom were forcibly exiled to Europe by the Roman forerunners of Western Civilization, who against all odds persistently maintained our own unique Jewish Civilization through two thousand years of statelessness – to claim and celebrate our own identity,” he wrote in the Jerusalem Post.

He notes that some have incorrectly compared the DEI movement to the cultural change that happened in the U.S. in the 1960s. Adam Milstein noted that in the 1960s, “There were still strong feelings of sympathy for the Jewish people who had survived the Holocaust and other terrible acts of persecution, such as the expulsion of nearly one million Jews from Muslim countries after the independence of Israel.”

He continued, “These led Jews to be early and prominent leaders in the Civil Rights movement, like Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. Rabbi Heschel was a close confidant of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. and marched alongside him in Selma in solidarity.”

That same sense of solidarity does not seem present in the modern DEI movement. Milstein noted that college students who work in DEI call for killing “Zionists” but are not reprimanded by their university. In another case, a college professor reportedly harangued Jewish students in a DEI class about their supposed power and privilege during DEI classes and also brought in antisemitic speakers.

Weaponizing DEI Against Jewish Students

Adam Milstein particularly voiced concern about the impact DEI is having on students. Noting what DEI staffers at universities say about Israel on social media, he voiced concerns about the harm caused to Jews on campus.

“The average university now employs is close to 50 45 DEI staffers. These small armies rarely celebrate Jewish identity or work towards our inclusion; far more often, they exclude and marginalize Jews on campus and label them as white privilege, whether or not this matches their self-identity,” he wrote.

University staff have also started raising warning flags about what is happening on campus. Two Stanford University employees filed state and federal complaints, alleging that the university’s DEI program created a hostile environment for Jewish employees. Their attorney noted that while the program’s stated intent was to support diversity and inclusion, “What happened, in reality, is that those goals were undermined and perverted because what they did instead promoted prejudice and bigotry against one group.”

Adam Milstein noted that some of those involved in DEI programs voice ideas that fall under the working definition of antisemitism from the widely-adopted International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. That definition includes: “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor”; “Applying double standards by requiring of [Israel] a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation”; “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis”; and “Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.”

“College DEI staffers have demonstrated all of these – establishing college campuses as unfriendly and unwelcoming spaces for young Jews,” Adam Milstein wrote. He added, “A generation of college students is being governed by an ideology hostile to Jews that are inculcating ideas about our community that are very different from the principles that our faith embodies, and the United States purports to champion.”

A Call to Reevaluate DEI

Teaching cultural diversity and inclusion through a method that excludes an entire sector of the population is harming both Jewish students and the American people as a whole, Adam Milstein wrote. He called for people at the highest levels of government, education, and the corporate world to reevaluate the current approach to DEI.

“As I have repeatedly warned… antisemitism is not just a Jewish problem – it is an American problem,” he wrote. “DEI policies may disproportionately target and harm Jewish students, but the DEI agenda ultimately seeks to undermine and replace fundamental American values and replace it with its own radical vision. As we’ve seen before, what starts with elites quickly spreads to society as a whole.”

He called for changes that allowed people from all cultures to live safely within their identity, including the Jewish people. He also called for an end to the public comments by DEI leaders that disparage support for Israel. He listed the establishment of the Jewish state as “one of the integral aspects of Jewish Civilization.”

He said the alternative to reevaluating DEI means continuing down a troubling path that leads to harmful actions and, at the extreme, a continued rise in antisemitism.

“If American institutions continue to adopt and reflect extreme DEI ideologies, Jews will suffer,” Adam Milstein wrote. “For as George Orwell presciently wrote, “Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.”