For thousands of years, waves of antisemites have repeatedly persecuted Jews.

The Egyptians enslaved us. The Babylonians destroyed our First Temple and exiled us. Alexander the Great and later the Romans conquered Judea and the rest of the Land of Israel. Alexander’s successors, the Greek Seleucids, tried to force us to violate our religious laws. The Romans destroyed our Second Temple.

After the Romans, the Crusaders massacred us on the way to and in Jerusalem. Similar periodic waves of mass murder were perpetrated against us across much of the continent. The English expelled us. The Spanish and Portuguese, through their Inquisitions, persecuted and expelled us. Russian Cossacks slaughtered us in pogroms.

In the last century, Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, Arab dictatorships (particularly in Egypt and Iraq), Iran’s Islamic rulers, and (since the 1920s) Palestinian groups, including in recent decades the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, have tried to annihilate us entirely.

The United States has been the freest, most tolerant, and most prosperous society in which Jews have ever lived. For most of its history, antisemitism has declined. Particularly, the last several decades have been a golden era for American Jews.

In recent decades, however, and especially in the last decade, leftist antisemitism has grown, particularly on college campuses, and since Oct. 7, 2023, has blossomed into widespread and often riotous hatred. Almost simultaneously, right-wing antisemitism has spiked, fueled by Tucker Carlson and others following in the historic footsteps of demagogues such as Henry Ford and Father Coughlin.

Against all odds, Jews, Israel, and the free world have overcome these forces of hatred and evil.

The cost has been extremely high. Millions have died. Millions more have suffered — physically, financially, and emotionally.

Yet, over the long span of history, Jews have nevertheless increasingly thrived and left at least most of their persecutors in the dustbin of history.

This track record should bolster confidence and combat despair in the fight against antisemitism.

It also should remind us of the keys to overcoming this evil.

Jews must take pride in their religion and culture. Jews have had a storied history of success. We must embrace our traditions that produced this.

We must insist that the justice system prosecute and significantly punish antisemitic crimes, impose civil liability on other illegal antisemitic conduct, and stop illegal discrimination and harassment. These tools have been used with particular success to protect the rights of black people against the Klan and other virulent racists. They should be applied with equal vigor to similarly protect Jews against antisemites.

And, perhaps most importantly, we must work with allies who understand that the fight against antisemitism and for a strong Israel that both defends itself and defeats its enemies is also the fight for individual liberty, tolerance, free markets, and U.S. national security.

WITH ABDUL EL SAYED WIN, MICHIGAN DEMOCRATS FALL TO THE MAMDANI LEFT

Jews comprise only about 2% of the U.S. population and an even tinier 0.2% share of the world’s population. To prevail against antisemitism, we must embrace and work with those who share our values. Evangelical Christians, going back to at least Billy Graham and in recent decades from around the world, and political influencers and leaders such as Winston Churchill, Arthur Balfour, Harry Truman, William F. Buckley, Jr., and, yes, President Donald Trump are among those who have been invaluable allies.

Every year on Passover, Jews read that in every generation, enemies will seek to destroy us. History teaches us that in the immortal words of Martin Luther King, Jr., we shall overcome.

David M. Simon is a lawyer in Chicago and a writer at www.dmswritings.com.