The recent surge in anti-Semitism calls for a new approach. In a recent op-ed co-written with David Bernstein and Fern Oppenheim for the eJP (eJewish Philanthropy) news resource, we argued that the Jewish community’s attempts to remain “neutral” on Israel and anti-Semitism have failed. Meanwhile, pro-Hamas groups successfully align with progressives, using concepts like Critical Race Theory (CRT), Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and Intersectionality to portray Jews and Israel as white and colonialist.
This framing has given support for Hamas a strange meaning to many people, and made anti-Israel sentiment a symbol of progressivism. These protests often mask a deeper target: societal power structures that are allegedly rooted in white institutional racism. The key is to reframe anti-Semitism not as a Jewish problem, but as an American problem that undermines core American values.
Fighting modern anti-Semitism is essentially a battle of ideas. It requires a shared understanding of the challenge and a proactive approach that translates it into a practical framework. We can learn from the evolution of theories related to CRT, which began as an academic concept and has become the organizing principle of many social and political movements, including pro-Hamas groups.
As these concepts gained traction outside of academia, they were simplified to reach a wider audience. Social media played a key role in spreading these ideas, often in condensed forms. Social justice movements incorporated these concepts into their rhetoric and strategies. Companies and institutions implemented DEI initiatives, often in response to public pressure. Eventually, these concepts entered mainstream political debates and became a rallying point for many.
American Values
Intersectionality, in particular, became an important organizing principle, encouraging activists to think about how different forms of oppression intersect and compound. These concepts led to a reframing of many social problems. But problems arose as lofty ideas aimed at redressing structural prejudice became the goal of purist, all-encompassing activism that sought to undermine the social order and the core values on which it was based, and that fostered other forms of prejudice and discrimination, including anti-Semitism.
In the name of the CRT “industry,” core American values such as the rule of law (“defund the police”), meritocracy and hard work (diversity at all costs), tolerance (cancel culture), and even patriotism (supporting Bin Laden’s Letter to America) are being challenged.
Israel and the Jewish community, unlike Hamas supporters, were unable to create the right framework and therefore were unable to break into the center. We lost the race for relevance, but we did not lose the race to become a majority. Polls show that fundamental support for Israel remains. So the potential for relevance is still there.
The idea of rebuilding the center based on core values needs to be translated from theory to organizational logic. Appropriate strategies include expressing core American values in easy-to-understand terms, using social media to widely disseminate these ideas, engaging with other sections and minorities in American society based on “anti-intersectionality” – a framework that draws parallels between different kinds of prejudices and preconceptions that stem from the current woke framework, developing a framework for understanding progressive anti-Semitism through the lens of a threat to common American values, promoting implementation in companies and institutions, and introducing these values into mainstream political discourse.
Addressing the rise of anti-Semitism in America requires the Jewish community to reframe the problem, build broad coalitions, and engage in ideological warfare, complemented by broader community relations efforts and activism. By presenting anti-Semitism as an American problem that threatens shared values, the Jewish community can mobilize diverse allies and rebuild a strong, inclusive core in American society.
This is not just a fight for Jewish Americans. It is a fight for the soul of America itself, and of Western democracy as a whole. The time has come to stand united against the agents of chaos on both the far left and the far right, based on the shared values that have been the bedrock of our diverse, democratic societies.
Eran Shayshon is Atchalta’s founder and CEO, and Dor Lasker is Deputy CEO. For more information, please visit www.atchalta.com.
