Antisemitism can’t be rebranded as a difference of opinion

Don’t think of the anti-Israel activists, who have shown up by the thousands at the Democratic National Convention, being held in Chicago this week, as being Jew haters.  No, because as one person put it, “I think people really need to see it as the equivalent of the 1968 DNC in Chicago. There are a lot of parallels. This year, the convention will be in Chicago again. And this year, demonstrators will again mass to protest the nominee’s support of a war abroad.” In other words, these protesters will actually be no different from the protesters back in 1968 who were expressing their opposition to the Vietnam War.

What we are witnessing, at the moment, is the rebranding of antisemitism, downgrading it from a despicable and unforgivable bigotry to a mere difference of opinion. It was a predictable calculation which had to be executed prior to the Democratic Convention, because by doing so, it would make some sort of accommodation for the tens of thousands who were expected to arrive from many different states, to loudly voice their disapproval of support for the Jewish state which has been under siege since October 7th. 

This rebranding of something loathsome is nothing new, though.  We’ve been watching it happen in real time. It first occurred back in 2020 with the candidacy of Joe Biden.  Despite a less than enthusiastic endorsement from Barak Obama, who knew his ability to foul things up, actually said, “Joe, you don’t have to do this.” In the end, with the help of others, especially the media, Biden was rebranded as the promised Messiah who would unite the country, put an end to the dreaded Covid epidemic and return life to normal, as well as usher in prosperity and opportunity for all.

Instead, America got a president in rapid decline, whose gaffes and obvious moments of forgetfulness and brain freezes became so glaring that he had to be whisked off the ticket for another four-year term. His lack of political intuition, as evidenced by a disastrous pull-out of Afghanistan, culminating in the avoidable deaths of 13 servicemen and women, as well as the treasure trove of equipment and weapons left behind by an inept administration, became a major embarrassment and still remains the object of scorn.  

But no better was his vice-president, Kamala Harris, chosen for checking off the political boxes in order to placate the far left, who made it clear that they wanted a woman of color. Tasked with many different areas of responsibility, including Border Czar, Harris failed to make any dent into the very challenging projects set before her. Incapable of speaking skillfully in public, usually injecting her inappropriate cackling, it defied logic that she would end up being the heir apparent to Biden. But with the helpful rebranding of the media, Kamala Harris went from cringeworthy to strong and formidable, supposedly polling neck in neck with Trump.

It is this kind of remarkable rebranding which is nothing more than the gaslighting of the public to believe whatever it is that they need you to believe. The same thing is taking place at Democratic headquarters where the majority of Jews have been the strongest proponents of a party over nearly a century. But now, a significant segment of that party has turned against them, causing them to be faced with the decision to make an exit or stay, albeit with some needed modifications.  

But if it’s not possible to stop the flood of anti-Jewish sentiment, which began with progressives but is now becoming more mainstream, then their only alternative is to provide new definitions and new comparisons in the hope of defusing a toxic trend which has the potential to completely blow up the party which has turned against one of its staunchest backers.

And that’s where the 1968 Viet Nam protesters, at the Democratic Convention, come in as a handy parallel.  These protests are nothing to get excited about, you’ll hear – because they’ve already happened in the past, and they simply represent another side of the coin. After all, what could be more democratic than allowing for diversity of opinion?

But don’t fall for it!  Jew hatred is not diversity of opinion. It is an insidious prejudice which seeks to represent an entire ethnicity as unworthy, unsavory and a collective body of individuals who must be shunned, rejected and excoriated. But it doesn’t end with those intolerant opinions. From there, it further develops into the need to disenfranchise Jews from fully taking part in society. It doesn’t even stop there, because once the shaming has been accomplished, there must be a plan to rid the world of these undesirables.  

Of course, none of this progression can be disclosed by a party which is still supported by so many Jews who refuse to believe that, in time, they will be cut loose in order to placate the larger constituency which will not tolerate an association with an ethnic bloc whom they despise. If you think it will never come to that, just give it a little more time.  It absolutely will!

But for now, it’s just so much easier to make the equivalence between the deep period of unrest in 1968 and the progressives of 2024 who are now championing Hamas terrorists and advocating for Palestinians who they claim are the victims of the genocidal aspirations of Israel, even if an actual genocide was perpetrated on Israel on October 7th, captured on film for all to see. 

Yes, definitions and meanings can be changed, and inept, untalented people can be rebranded once they undergo an image makeover. But when it comes to antisemitism, no media blitz campaign will ever be able to fully cover up the noxious sentiments and expressions, which are deep seated and intensely felt, because the contempt for the Jewish people will eventually emerge.   

Up until now, it has cleverly been contained in the form of criticism towards Israeli policy in how they have managed this war. Prior to that it was the accusations of suppressing Palestinians by not allowing them the same opportunities afforded to Israelis. Well, it didn’t make a bit of difference, because even providing them with work permits didn’t endear them to the Jews, and so a rebrand of antisemitism in the Democratic party will not change anything either.

Antisemitism must be fought, because it is wrong, immoral and unacceptable in any society which holds itself up as one that champions the rights of all. It is only when a political party begins to accommodate bigotry, that it needs to rebrand or relabel what fast becomes a liability, because if they don’t, it will only threaten its existence. This is the tactic we’re seeing!