All it took for the outside world to take notice of the surge in anti-Semitic violence in the tri-state area was a man walking into a rabbi’s home with a machete. For many, the domestic terror incident that injured more than a dozen Jews in the Hasidic enclave of Monsey, New York, provided a convenient new weapon with which to strike at their political enemies.
This attack was a chameleon. It managed to represent everything and anything to the eye of the beholder. The attack, perpetrated by black men, was the fault of white supremacist fans of the president.
Ghoulish, communist disgrace pic.twitter.com/UKkgDBLn2d
— David Reaboi (@davereaboi) December 29, 2019
It was the fault of Jews for having the gall to live in blue states, for voting for Democrats.
Very sad indeed. Maybe stop voting overwhelmingly for Democrats and you might get the leadership that will protect you. Jews vote 3-1 for Dems, I don’t get it…they don’t care about you…
— Covfefe2020-text Trump to 88022 (@Covfefe2020Eas) December 30, 2019
And it was Jews’ faults for daring to build homes.
Goes on bla bla pic.twitter.com/6lcweVdL2R
— Baruch Sandhaus (@BaruchSandhaus) December 29, 2019
The attacks happening against Jews daily (and sometimes, multiple times a day) are not a game, and yet, they are being treated as such by people more interested in scoring political points than putting an end to the violence.
Those playing these political games with Jewish lives may not be storming synagogues, supermarkets, or homes with machetes or guns, but they are still a major part of the problem leading to anti-Semitic violence and incitement.
Those who reflexively blame President Trump for any and all attacks, no matter how unrelated his administration, actions, or rhetoric are, have made a conscious choice: They would rather play politics than put an end to the violence. And worse, it seems they would like it to continue, in order to have more ammunition against the White House leading up to the 2020 election.
Just as dangerous are those on the Right who are using the occasion to lecture Jews on how they should be voting, that they should be arming themselves and fortifying their houses of worship, and where they should be living. The problem of anti-Semitism isn’t because Jews vote one way or another. (This is a complicated issue when you break down voting histories between Orthodox and secular Jews, but that is a conversation for another time.)
Solving anti-Semitism doesn’t involve making our supermarkets, schools, synagogues, and more into fortresses. That’s not how any of us want to live. Unfortunately, we’ve begun to, and yet the violence continues and is becoming more serious by the day. Most of the attacks in New York have been in the streets, and they’ve taken place against men, the elderly, and even women with their children, in broad daylight and in full view of the public.
Advocating for Jews taking advantage of the protections of the Second Amendment is a moot point for many panicked Jews living in areas where obtaining a gun permit is an uphill climb and a conceal carry permit an absolute impossibility. We can recognize that Jews are safer while armed and advocate for less restrictive gun laws while still acknowledging that guns aren’t a magic bullet to solve this crisis, either. In the long term, there is a battle to be fought for expanded access to guns, but in the short term, lectures about firearms are paternalistic and can be deeply frustrating for panicked people unable to avail themselves of the option.
That this is the case in New York and New Jersey isn’t the fault of the Orthodox Jews living there. Instead of being condescended to about needing to move, allies would be far more appreciated and be doing far more good, continuing to advocate for less restrictive gun laws in these jurisdictions instead of expecting a small community under siege to flee the homes of their parents and grandparents.
There are societal issues that are much more complex and deeper at play — the rot is far more complicated than mere politics and Trump. As long as the violence striking the Jewish community is treated as a political cudgel, it will continue unabated.
Bethany Mandel (@bethanyshondark) is a stay-at-home and homeschooling mother of four and a freelance writer. She is an editor at Ricochet.com, a columnist at the Forward, and a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog.
