Antisemitism Has To Stop! Now!

Is This Our "Ein Reich, Ein Welt, Ein Fuhrer" Moment?

“No President has done more for Israel than I have. Somewhat surprisingly, however, our wonderful Evangelicals are far more appreciative of this than the people of the Jewish faith, especially those living in the U.S. U.S. Jews have to get their act together and appreciate what they have in Israel- Before it is too late.” - Donald Trump, 10/16/22

Just when you thought it couldn’t go any lower, it has gone lower.

First it was Kanye West’s antisemitic comments. Then it was silence, and in some instances, tacit approval (see Republican senate candidate Eric Schmitt’s since deleted Twitter post calling for a Kanye West tour).

Then we have a former President of the United States saying this. Once again, listen to the silence of Trump’s supporters and defenders.

This cannot stand. It just can’t.

When I was stationed in Germany in the mid 1970s, I made it a point to visit the Dachau concentration camp site located outside of Munich. It was one of the most sobering experiences of my life. I had spent years reading about World War II, the rise of Hitler, and the Holocaust, but this visit brought it home for me, it made it real. Of all of the memories that I have of the visit, the one that still sticks with me 45+ years later, is the smell- no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t eliminate the stench of death.

Over the years, I have met a number of survivors of the death camps who made it to the United States after the war. Most were children at the time, but they still carry the identification number that the Nazis tattooed on their arm upon arrival at the camp. Every time I met one of the survivors, tears would well in my eyes and I would apologize for what had been done to them. Despite everything, these survivors were still filled with hope about life. Almost to a person, they would comfort me!

Have we forgotten this evil, despicable chapter of history?

Apparently we have because from the chants of “the Jews will not replace us” at Charlottesville, Virginia to the synagogue shootings in Pittsburgh and California, to the desecration of Jewish cemeteries in St. Louis, to the comments of Kanye West and Donald Trump, and the silence of their supporters, antisemitism is once again rearing its ugly head in this country, just like it did during the 1930s and 40s when Jews were seeking entry into the United States to escape persecution by the Nazis (see Ken Burns’ latest film The U.S. and the Holocaust for a detailed treatment of this history).

Have Jews become the latest target of blame for all of the perceived grievance, victimhood, and hate that has manifested itself in American politics over the past several years? By the look of things, it sure appears to be the case.

Is this going to be our Ein Reich, Ein Welt, Ein Fuhrer moment?

Given the current trend of events and the escalating rhetoric, is it impossible to think that some group of thrill crazed loons might try to storm and burn down the National Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC? Given the current political environment, anything is possible.

Remember, most never thought the crazies would storm the Capital on January 6th, either. We know how that ended.

And oh, by the way, in case you forgot, Donald Trump’s rhetoric on social media was a major contributing factor to that whole episode (“Big protest in D.C on January 6th. Be there! It will be wild!”).

There is a scene in the movie The Hunt for Red October that sums up the current situation. The scene takes place aboard an aircraft carrier as the crisis with the Soviet Union over the rogue submarine Red October is escalating in the north Atlantic. An American fighter jet has been damaged during a collision with a Russian aircraft. The damaged aircraft is trying to come aboard the carrier, but crashes. The admiral, played by the late Senator Fred Thompson, reacts by saying, “this is going to get out of control and nobody will be able to stop it!”

This really describes the current situation concerning this current overt escalation of antisemitism. It is going to get out of control and nobody will be able to stop it.

It could be January 6th all over again.

Or worse.

Does Kristallnacht ring a bell?

If we condone, support, or utter antisemitic language or lash out against Jewish citizens in our country, or reinforce, by something that we say in passing, negative Jewish stereotypes, we are complicit in antisemitism and are spitting on the graves of those who died fighting the Nazis.

I would implore people who are ignorant about the history, or question/deny the history of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust, to go back and study that history. It is frightening to see the similarities between the language used to defend Nazi policies and actions against the Jews, and the current antisemitic rhetoric of grievance, hate, and victimhood in the United States. If you believe that what happened during this time is no big deal, watch Bruns’ current film (PBS).

We seem to be headed down that road again.

If you need further proof concerning the consequences of the evil of antisemitism, I invite you to visit the Twitter site @AuschwitzMuseum, the site for the Auschwitz Memorial located at the site of the Auschwitz-Burkenau death camp in Poland. Each day, the Memorial posts photos (most of the photos from the prisoners personnel file) of those who were incarcerated and died at the camp. They post the person’s name, date of birth, prisoner number, date incarcerated, date of death at the camp, and how they were executed.

After looking at the photos of the men, women, children, and yes, babies murdered by the Nazis, please tell me that antisemitism doesn’t have a human cost, that the current antisemitic speech in the U.S. is just political speech that does no harm, that it’s Kanye being Kanye or Trump being Trump.

Look into the eyes of the men, women, and children in those photos and remain unmoved.

I ‘effin dare you!

We, as Americans, are at a “crossing the Rubicon” moment. We, as Americans, in light of all that we claim to stand for, need to look deep into our souls and consciences and ask the question that needs to be answered.

Is this going to be our Ein Reich, Ein Welt, Ein Fuhrer moment?

If the answer is yes (deep down, I think its 60-40 that it will be), then all of those members of the Greatest Generation, our fathers and grandfathers, who fought in World War II in Europe, all of the Americans who died in North Africa, Italy, and on Omaha and Utah Beaches, the Army Rangers who died securing Pointe du Hoc, the paratroopers who died securing St. Mere Englise, and those who died during the Battle of the Bulge (and those American prisoners of war who were slaughtered by the SS at Malmedy), all of those Americans who were killed flying bombing missions over Germany, and those who were killed and wounded in little known skirmishes and fire fights, who endured the stress and craziness of day to day combat, with death tugging at their elbow each second, all of them, will have suffered in vain, their sacrifice worthless and forgotten (or as Trump called them, “losers” and “suckers”).

The other question that needs to be asked is whether a candidate who supports Trump, at either the national, state, or local level, supports the antisemitic language used by West and Trump in their posts on social media. No redirection, no “whataboutism”, no evasion, no hemming and hawing.

Yes or No.

NEVER FORGET

If we condone, support, or utter antisemitic language or lash out against Jewish citizens in our country, or reinforce, by something that we say in passing, negative Jewish stereotypes, we are complicit in antisemitism and are spitting on the graves of those who died fighting the Nazis.

That’s the fact, Jack! There is no getting around that, no finessing it, no redirecting it, no “whatabouting” it.

It is what it is.

As I stated at the beginning of the piece, my visit to Dachau was formative. As a result, I will continue to speak out against antisemitism strongly and forcefully.

I will not be silenced on this.

Prejudice is prejudice, whether its ethnic, gender based, racial, cultural or religious. It has no place in our society and I will continue to be a voice in the struggle to eliminate it, even though at times, I have not been perfect myself.

Antisemitism needs to end!

Now!

NEVER FORGET