One would think that in the so-called Jewish state, the government, the media, and the general population would condemn every form of antisemitism wherever they see it. And yet, Israelis have a tendency to ignore the continuous stream of antisemitic rhetoric that comes out of the American right, including its elected officials, while choosing to focus on progressive Democratic congresswoman, particularly the members of “The Squad.”
If you’re Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, for example, not supporting further funding for Iron Dome will end with you being called an Israel-hater, a Jew-hater, and an enemy of America and the West. One of the most prominent daytime talkshow hosts in Israel may even end up wishing death upon you.
But if you’re someone like Republican lawmaker Sarah Fowler Arthur, you can actually support a law to teach the Holocaust from the perspective of the Nazis and the Israeli media won’t say a single word about you. You can even be the president of the United States, bring white nationalists into your White House and call neo-Nazis “very fine people” and still the Israeli media and general public will love you — as long as you keep the unquestioning support for the State of Israel coming.
I spoke to Israeli television host Guy Zohar on his show “The Other Side” last week to try and understand why the Israeli mainstream is cutting the far right slack, particularly at a time when it is primarily responsible for much of the homegrown antisemitism in the United States.