Not since the 1930s has it been more important for those of us who are not Jewish to stand with the Jews. Especially here in the U.S. where antisemitism is enjoying some sort of revival on college campuses and in the streets of major cities.

In an editorial headlined “The Global War On Jews” The Wall Street Journal reported on the sudden spate of anti-Israel and specifically anti-Jewish incidents that began after the butchery of October 7th. Unless this is some sort of magical coincidence, these acts are clearly in support of the terrorism of Hamas.

Americans like to believe such things couldn’t happen in the U.S. They have. The Anti-Defamation League last week reported a 388% increase in anti-Semitic incidents from Oct. 7-23 compared with the same period a year ago. The 312 incidents the ADL recorded include a car carrying individuals with Palestinian flags allegedly swerving toward a Jewish family and several alleged assaults by pro-Palestinian protesters. The ADL tally counts 109 anti-Israel rallies that featured support for Hamas or violence against Jews in Israel.

According to the Pew Research Center, just 5.8 million Americans are Jewish, representing 2.4% of the population. By contrast, about 63% of the population is Christian.

It is imperative that those of us who aren’t Jewish forcefully stand up for the Jewish people and tell those who hate them to take a seat.

We need to let places like Cornell University know that it is not all right to tell Jewish students that for their own safety they should avoid the kosher dining hall. We need to let the New York Police Department know that it’s unacceptable to tell Jews in Brooklyn that they should stay home on the sabbath and not venture out for fear of attacks by seething Palestinian sympathizers. Students at Northwestern University should not have to be intimidated by illuminated  images proclaiming “Glory to our martyrs” on the front of university buildings. 

This is America, dammit. The free exercise of religion is guaranteed in our First Amendment. People came to our shores for hundreds of years seeking refuge from religious persecution. Jewish families should be able to walk down any street in America without worrying that some Palestinian-loving fanatic is going to try to mow them down with a car.

We cannot stand by and watch our Jewish friends and neighbors tremble in their homes or worse, tell their kids not to tell anyone they’re Jewish for fear of getting hurt.

The pro-Palestinian and pro-Hamas crowd - and they seem to be indistinguishable from each other, given that they only streamed into the streets AFTER October 7th - have a right to peacefully protest. 

They do not have a right to threaten and intimidate Jewish people, however. Every time they chant “from the river to the sea” they are calling for the destruction of Israel. They are very close to crossing a line with this sort of inflammatory garbage.

Those of us who know a little about world history and who pay attention to current events are not completely shocked that antisemitism is back in Europe.

But we need to make it clear that this form of virulent hatred has no place in America. We will not tolerate it. 

Threaten our Jewish neighbors and you’ve threatened us all.