Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC)
The Struggle for America to Keep Her Promise
To that end, I would like to re-share some words I first circulated as personal reflections. I think they are important to bear in mind:
As I see friends and strangers make assumptions about who [vandalized the Covedale Cemetery complex,] I find myself reluctant to draw many conclusions. To begin with, we still don’t technically know that this was an act of antisemitism. (Until and unless they catch whoever did this, we won’t be able to confirm the intent necessary to understand it as such.) But, more than that, I see folks lining up with their typical “teams.” The conservatives are sure that this must be linked to progressives or anti-Zionism, and the liberals are certain this is emblematic of right-wing, white-Christian-nationalist antisemitism. The truth is it could be either. And, when/if they find whoever did this, it won’t change the fact that:
- There’s a colossal surge in antisemitism into which this would neatly fit, whether or not it actually was due to antisemitism;
- Left-wing antisemitism is on the rise, and many who oppose Israel’s existence have engaged in hateful acts that could include vandalism such as this; and
- There is a long history of extreme right-wing antisemitism that this act could easily represent.
Second, we must clarify the stakes—we need to make sure our neighbors understand the consequences to us all if antisemitism isn’t controlled. Whether they are convinced by personal loss (that the hate will eventually spread to others), by arguments of religious freedom (that this defeats the promise of America), or by a principled focus on ethics and justice (that antisemitism is just wrong), we need to get our point across—not just for our own good, but for the good of our society.