Coming from the Right, coming from the Left
- Karen Levi
- Nov 22
- 4 min read
The messages about antisemitism are confusing. Recently Tucker Carlson interviewed Nick Fuentes, a self-described Nazi and Jew hater. Carlson did not disagree with Fuentes' incendiary stance regarding Jewish people and Israel, in particular. In addition to disparaging Jews as part of an international group of financiers and conspirators, Fuentes also repeated a belief--also uttered by Trump--that Jews are not loyal to the United States. Carlson did not object to Fuentes statements regarding Christians who support Israel. Carlson called out Christian Republicans who "have been seized by this brain virus," referring to support of Israel.
Kevin Roberts, the head of The Heritage Foundation, defended Tucker Carlson for interviewing Fuentes. At the same time, Mr. Roberts said he "abhors" what Nick Fuentes has to say. Amidst this swirl of opinions, longtime Republican Conservative Ted Cruz has criticized those who condone antisemitism. To complicate matters, JD Vance overlooked a series of bigoted messages--including references to gas chambers-- in group chats, as "edgy, offensive jokes," by members of the Young Republicans During another interview, Vance said it was a shame "young boys" couldn't tell "stupid, offensive" jokes. The young people involved were leaders and activists of a well known Republican organization, hardly kids or young boys.
Strangely, this rhetoric is similar to the voices of the progressives and more radical leftists. The tropes are commonplace--Israel is committing genocide in Gaza; Israel has created an apartheid society; Israel was created by and for Zionist capitalist colonizers. Representative Rashida Tlaib, in the most recent action against Israel, introduced a resolution on November 14, 2025, "Recognizing the Genocide of the Palestinian People in Gaza." It is clear that the left wing of the Democratic party has moved closer to complete denunciation of Israel. I am not referring to "disagreeing" with Israel's policies but a hostility to the state, the people, and the purpose of Israel.
Certainly, Israel must cease hostilities; however, the anti Israel movement continues to omit the role Hamas plays in this conflict. Before October 7, on that date, and after, critics of Israel have failed to place the long term hostilities in a historical context. Anti Israel bias has permeated colleges and public school systems around the country. Left wing groups devoted to domestic, economic, and social issues have aligned with the anti-Israel movement. Antisemitic epithets can often be heard at pro Palestinian rallies around the world. An example is a protest last night at a synagogue in New York. While questionable to have a group that encourages emigration to Israel present a program at a large, well-known synagogue in New York City, the ugliness that ensued is emblematic of the current problems.
What is most dangerous is that these views, often in snippets and shortened form, are repeated on social media, in chat groups, among students, and in the traditional media. Evidently a high school trend are student created skits, shown on social media, about hostages. This phenomenon occurred recently in the Fairfax Public Schools, in Virginia. When caught, the students and their defenders claimed they were just fooling around, though they were clearly pro Palestinian students. Young people cannot interpret the nuances. I could not do so if I were young today and lacked knowledge of the region. Even more perplexing for the young, these voices are coming from the right and left, like dueling stereo speakers from different sources. What remains is a clear message that Israel and Jews must be bad.
Clearly what Israel is doing in 2025 looks awful, but the news is slanted in favor of the Palestinians. Both sides are entrenched in mutual hostility and hatred; extremists who have power refuse to give up arms; no clear political process has been created to form a viable government in Palestinian areas; Hamas is still armed and active; and Israel maintains a strong military presence in Gaza.
We lost an intelligent, reasonable advocate for understanding antisemitism in Deborah Lipstadt. She lost her job as Special Envoy on Antisemitism when the Trump administration came to power. There is no special envoy for antisemitism now. Trump has nominated an Orthodox Jewish rabbi who has not been confirmed. Those opposed to him do not question his knowledge; however, they do wonder why he has not been more outspoken against Trump's often bizarre statements regarding Jewish people, their votes, Israel, and the resolution of the Gaza war. So instead of a scholar, we probably will get a hard core Maga supporter and enabler. This will not help the cause of eliminating antisemitism in the United States.
The scary rhetoric will continue to the detriment of all people. If hatred towards Jews is permitted to fester, the atmosphere is perfect for racism, sexism, and anti-LGBTQ to grow rapidly.
As a postscript, yesterday the Coast Guard reduced the severity and penalties for displaying certain symbols, including the swasika. Today they reversed their decision due to pressure from somewhere. This is an ongoing story.
©Karen Levi 2025
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