‘There is a Jew hiding behind me—come and kill him’

When the former Trump administration announced that it was moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in December 2017, the reaction in the Muslim world and among Muslim communities in the West was predictably furious. Read more

Accosted by a hater: What would you do?

“Paul” is an Australian Jewish man in his late 40s who lives in the city of Brisbane, in the state of Queensland. On a recent Saturday, Paul (the name he has been given by local media to protect his identity) was walking to a local synagogue with his 11-year-old son, where they were attending a bar mitzvah. On their journey, they were accosted by a stranger who, having noticed the kipahs that father and son were wearing, yelled “Heil Hitler” in their direction while giving the Nazi salute. Read more

‘Not vaccinated:’ How refusal is spreading the virus of antisemitism

A sad sight has returned to the streets of New York—and doubtless, to other cities around the country in which a growing majority of residents have vaccinated themselves from COVID-19. Read more

‘Jews Always Run Away’: Fighting stereotypes in sports

A non-Jewish professional soccer player in the Netherlands has become the latest example of how the most virulent antisemitism can be directed at someone who isn’t a Jew, and yet is perceived to be one. Read more

The case of Hungary: Anti-Semitism without violence

Is it possible for a country to be the locus of widespread antipathy towards Jews while simultaneously maintaining relatively low levels of antisemitic hate crime? A newly published report by the Jewish community in Hungary demonstrates that it is. Read more

The ‘right’ way to be antisemitic, according to Human Rights Watch

Only a generously funded, celebrity-endorsed NGO utterly convinced of its own rectitude would have the chutzpah to proffer advice on combating antisemitism, just weeks after it labelled the world’s sole Jewish state as the faithful reincarnation of apartheid South Africa’s white minority regime. Read more

In France, antisemitism is systemic

In the series “Letters to a German Friend,” written clandestinely during the Nazi occupation of France, the celebrated French writer and resistance figure Albert Camus conducted a debate with an imaginary German correspondent who believed fervently that any act was justified if it contributed to a greater destiny for his nation. Read more

Global freedom on the decline

Passover is a celebration of freedom, but its underlying story is a salutary reminder that freedom is a fragile thing and that achieving it often requires extraordinary sacrifices. So it seems fitting at a time when Jews ponder the broader significance of the Exodus from Egypt to examine how the cause of human freedom is faring around the world today. Read more

The historical problem with Poland

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) launched a new website last month titled “Protect the Facts” for the purpose of addressing Holocaust “distortion.” Read more

La quenelle in Sydney

About five years ago, I participated in a head-to-head debate about contemporary antisemitism that was published in the Congressional Quarterly. Facing off against a particularly tiresome Jewish anti-Zionist, I tried to shed some light on the issue by drawing a distinction between what I called “Bierkeller” and “Bistro” antisemitism…writes Ben Cohen. Read more

Nelson Mandela and Zionism…writes Ben Cohen/JNS.org

In the coming days, there will be much reflection on the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela, following the former South African president’s passing on Dec. 5. And in the coming weeks, we can anticipate a febrile exchange over his true views on Israel and the Middle East. Read more

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