Israel and American Jews in a State of High Anxiety

Creator: Jeenah Moon | Credit: Getty Images

A host of trends are placing Israel and American Jews in a state of high anxiety.

• Incidents of antisemitism are on the rise in the U.S, from violent attacks such as at the Pittsburgh synagogue to survey reports of increased physical, in- person and online attacks.
• New surveys show “widespread belief in antisemitism conspiracy threats and tropes” have nearly doubled from the antisemitic prejudice found in 2019. One- fourth of Americans “agree” with more than half of anti-Jew statements asked on a recent survey. For example, “Jews have too much power, are more loyal to Israel than the U.S. and only care about themselves”.
• In the American right there is a growth in Christian nationalism that wants to affirm the U.S. is a Christian nation. Historically, such movements have antisemitic rhetoric, policies and adherents. A few deny Israel’s right to exist. On the left, many don’t approve of the Israeli government and its treatment of Arabs.
• A new, right-wing government in Israel is facing increased opposition from domestic liberal groups. The uptick in violent exchanges with Arabs is being heavily criticized internationally.

These trends have raised anxiety amid attentive people and point to a period of increased antisemitism in the U.S.