As antisemitism surges in Europe, Trump’s pushback proves American exceptionalism

Jonathan S. Tobin

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Fraternity brothers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill holding American flags greet attendees at the third day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis., on July 17, 2024. Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images.

Incidents of blatant Jew-hatred and the indifference, if not outright encouragement, of such outrages from some European governments have mounted in recent weeks. The egregious treatment of a group of French Jewish students, when the Spanish airline Vueling ejected them from a plane and arrested their instructor because they were singing in Hebrew, represents just the latest instance in which Diaspora Jews and Israelis have been singled out and mistreated.

Oscar Puente, Spain’s Minister of Transport and a member of that country’s Socialist Workers Party, added insult to injury by subsequently defending Vueling’s offensive actions and referring to the French kids who had been treated abusively as “Israeli brats.” That made it clear, at least as far as Spain is concerned, that discrimination against Jews is now not only officially sanctioned but is also seen as a good way to curry favor with voters.

A post-Oct. 7 crisis

While some disingenuously claim that what we are witnessing is an understandable reaction to suffering in Gaza and is merely “criticism” of Israel, the list of occurrences in which those who are identified as Jewish are subjected to abuse and discrimination is now too numerous to deny that what the world is witnessing has become a crisis. Since the Hamas-led Palestinian Arab attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the orgy of mass murder, rape, torture, kidnapping and wanton destruction that took place that dark day, Jew-hatred is not merely back in fashion. There is no denying that it has been sanctioned by the intellectual, academic, legal and cultural establishments across the globe, which now regard anti-Zionism as a legitimate, even enlightened point of view, even though it is a prejudicial idea that denies rights to Jews—rights denied to no one else.

While there are places in Europe, such as Hungary or the Czech Republic, where this is not the case, such countries are few and far between, and are the exceptions that are proving the rule. The blood libels of Hamas propaganda that falsely claim that Israel is purposely starving the residents of Gaza and committing “genocide” haven’t merely been mainstreamed; they are now viewed as unquestioned truth, and seen as justifying statements and actions in which Jews are viewed negatively and, as a result, increasingly mistreated.

Incidents of blatant Jew-hatred and the indifference, if not outright encouragement, of such outrages from some European governments have mounted in recent weeks. The egregious treatment of a group of French Jewish students, when the Spanish airline Vueling ejected them from a plane and arrested their instructor because they were singing in Hebrew, represents just the latest instance in which Diaspora Jews and Israelis have been singled out and mistreated.

Oscar Puente, Spain’s Minister of Transport and a member of that country’s Socialist Workers Party, added insult to injury by subsequently defending Vueling’s offensive actions and referring to the French kids who had been treated abusively as “Israeli brats.” That made it clear, at least as far as Spain is concerned, that discrimination against Jews is now not only officially sanctioned but is also seen as a good way to curry favor with voters.

A post-Oct. 7 crisis

While some disingenuously claim that what we are witnessing is an understandable reaction to suffering in Gaza and is merely “criticism” of Israel, the list of occurrences in which those who are identified as Jewish are subjected to abuse and discrimination is now too numerous to deny that what the world is witnessing has become a crisis. Since the Hamas-led Palestinian Arab attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the orgy of mass murder, rape, torture, kidnapping and wanton destruction that took place that dark day, Jew-hatred is not merely back in fashion. There is no denying that it has been sanctioned by the intellectual, academic, legal and cultural establishments across the globe, which now regard anti-Zionism as a legitimate, even enlightened point of view, even though it is a prejudicial idea that denies rights to Jews—rights denied to no one else.

While there are places in Europe, such as Hungary or the Czech Republic, where this is not the case, such countries are few and far between, and are the exceptions that are proving the rule. The blood libels of Hamas propaganda that falsely claim that Israel is purposely starving the residents of Gaza and committing “genocide” haven’t merely been mainstreamed; they are now viewed as unquestioned truth, and seen as justifying statements and actions in which Jews are viewed negatively and, as a result, increasingly mistreated.

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Jonathan S. Tobin is editor-in-chief of the Jewish News Syndicate, a senior contributor for The Federalist, a columnist for Newsweek and a contributor to many other publications. He covers the American political scene, foreign policy, the U.S.-Israel relationship, Middle East diplomacy, the Jewish world and the arts. He hosts the JNS “Think Twice” podcast, both the weekly video program and the “Jonathan Tobin Daily” program, which are available on all major audio platforms and YouTube. Previously, he was executive editor, then senior online editor and chief political blogger, for Commentary magazine. Before that, he was editor-in-chief of The Jewish Exponent in Philadelphia and editor of the Connecticut Jewish Ledger. He has won more than 60 awards for commentary, art criticism and other writing. He appears regularly on television, commenting on politics and foreign policy. Born in New York City, he studied history at Columbia University.

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