Regrettably, the threat of antisemitism does not generate the level of urgency that other forms of discrimination elicit. One clear reason for this is demography. Another is a reluctance to enforce the law for fear of being labeled “racist” or “Islamophobic.”
As the number of Muslims in the United States increases, antisemitic figures like New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani will acquire increased influence in many spheres, the most obvious being the political. Moreover, the movement under which Muslims have risen politically, democratic socialism, is rife with antisemitism.
In this regard, the recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the “birthright amendment,” which has already eroded the demographic makeup of America, presents a continuing challenge.
Former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden opened America’s gates to millions of illegal immigrants who crossed our border with Mexico. Those who entered were not only Latin Americans, but also malignant elements from Islamist terror countries.
Additionally, under the protection of the “birthright amendment,” pregnant women, many of whom are Chinese, have been coming to America on 180-day tourist visas and giving birth to “American citizens”—children who could someday become part of the U.S. political system and even become president. American compassion is such that U.S. courts are not deporting the parents of more than a quarter-million children born to “tourists” from a wide range of countries.
Islamist funding from Qatar, Turkey and other Muslim states has had a deleterious impact on America’s campuses, with anti-Israel and anti-Jewish riots having taken place at Ivy League schools such as Columbia, Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and others. Neither Congress nor the executive branch of government has prevented Muslim Brotherhood states from pouring billions into these institutions.
As the number of Bible-believing European-American Christians declines, so does the influence of the covenant that the early pilgrims pledged to uphold. This covenant was based on the teachings of the Hebrew Bible and rooted in the pilgrims’ gratitude for the values that the Jewish people bestowed upon America and humanity.
In a 1630 sermon delivered by Puritan leader John Winthrop, titled “A Model of Christian Charity,” he closed with the words of Moses to the Children of Israel about to enter the Promised Land. Winthrop urged his followers “to love the Lord our God, and to love one another, to walk in His ways and to keep His Commandments and His Ordinances and His laws, and the articles of our Covenant with Him.”
America’s founding fathers repeatedly expressed admiration for the Jewish contribution to civilization. President John Adams wrote, “The Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation … and have influenced the affairs of mankind more and more happily than any other nation, ancient or modern.”
In 1891, evangelical minister William E. Blackstone presented a petition to President Benjamin Harrison calling for the restoration of Palestine to the Jewish people because “According to God’s distribution of nations, it is their home—an inalienable possession.” Signatories included J.P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Melville W. Fuller, members of Congress, governors, mayors and other officials, along with publishers, educators and clergymen.
Thus, the bond between America and the Jewish people did not begin with the creation of the modern State of Israel. It predates America’s founding. This relationship was never simply diplomatic. It was covenantal.
Jewish immigrants who came to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries arrived dirt-poor, lived in cramped spaces and were helped by Jewish charities. There were none of the social programs or welfare assistance that today’s immigrants access with ease. Within a generation, through hard work and an emphasis on education and ingenuity, Jewish immigrants achieved middle-class status. In the process, they contributed enormously to America’s culture and economy.
The story of the modern Jewish state is similar. In its early years, Israel was a poor socialist state, but through determination, grit and resilience, Israel grew to become a technological giant. Its population has prospered, and its living standards have reached levels comparable to the highest in European Union countries. All of this prompts the envy of the world.
The U.S.-Israel relationship did not begin with intelligence-sharing, joint military exercises or Israeli innovation in the fields of water, medicine and cybersecurity, though all of them matter enormously. It began with our two nations, born out of the same audacious idea that people can covenant themselves to liberty and to law under God.
It may be that, at 250 years old, America does not need more allies. But it should remember and appreciate its origins and covenantal heritage. The United States and Israel both sprouted from the pages of the Hebrew Bible and share a common script that reflects our identity and impacts our view of the world.
As U.S. demography changes, we see that “a generation that did not know Joseph” is emerging. The rise and ferocity of antisemitism manifested in the anti-Judeo-Christian heritage is not only rooted in economics or the issue of affordability, but in an envy that has turned to hate and contempt.
Should America submit to the antisemitism of old Europe and Islamist ideology, it is bound to fall from God’s grace, as has happened to other nations throughout history.
