Structured Learning Program

 I have day-to-day responsibilities as a father and husband that I take very seiously but I also personally commited to enhancing my knowledge of the world with an eye towards elucidating truths. The following is a list of topics that I have been looking at of late (ie, over the last month).

1. The Origin of the Tanakh

2. The evolution of Jewish philosophy

3. The development of the New Testament

4. Schisms in Judaism and Christianity

5. The origins and Expansion of Islam

An overriding understanding of the origins and historical development of anti-semitism is a primary interest of mine.

A Reading List of Jewish Books that I have read with my Rankings

 Judaism (B and above are all worth reading in my opinion)

1. Traces of God – Neil Gillman (B-)
2. Permission to Believe – Keleman (B+)
3. Why Faith Matters – Wolpe (B)
4. Soul Prints – Gafni (B)
5. God is a verb – Cooper (B+)
6. DNA & Tradition – Kleiman (B+)
7. Beyond a Reasonable Doubt – Waldman (C+)
8. Nine Questions People Ask about Judaism – Prager/Telushkin (A)
9. Fingerprints on the Universe – Pollack (B+)
10. I Asked for Wonder – Heschel (A-)
11. The Aryeh Kaplan Anthology – Kaplan (A-)
12. Immortality, Resurrection and the Age of the Universe – Kaplan (B+)
13. The Path of G-d – Luzzato (A-)
14. Endless Light Kabbalah – Aaron (B+)
15. Inviting God In – Aaron (B)
16. Discovering the Divine Within You – Aaron (A)
17. Kabbalah Inspirations – Rosen (B+)
18. Life’s Daily Blessings – Olitzky (B+)
19. More Answers to Questions of the Spirit – Bulka (B+)
20. The Hidden Face in God – Schroeder (B)
21. Ten Commandments of Character – Telushkin (B+)
22. Everyday Holiness (Path of Mussar) – Morinis  (B-)
23. John Lennon and the Jews  - Maghen (B+)
24. The God Upgrade – Korngold (B-)
25. Climbing Jacob’s Ladder – Morinis (B-)
26. Seeing God: Ten Life Changing Lessons of the Kabbalah – Aaron (A)
27. Finding God : Ten Jewish Responses – Sonsino & Syme (A-)
28. Why the Jews? The Reason for Antisemitism – Telushkin & Prager (A)
29. Genesis and the Big Bang – Schroeder (B)
30. We Have Reason to Believe  - Jacobs (B+)

Excellent video and Commentary on Simcha Jacobovici video

 I saw this on the Simcha Jacobovici video in the comments section. the clip can be found at Facts you need to know.

A crash course on history : 1. Before Israel, there was a British mandate, not a Palestinian state 2. Before the British Mandate, there was the Ottoman Empire, not a Palestinian state. 3. Before the Ottoman Empire, there was the Islamic state of the Mamluks of Egypt, not a Palestinian state. 4. Before the Islamic state of the Mamluks of Egypt, there was the Ayubid Arab-Kurdish Empire, not a Palestinian state. 5. Before the Ayubid Empire, there was the Frankish and Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem, not a Palestinian state. 6. Before the Kingdom of Jerusalem, there was the Umayyad and Fatimid empires, not a Palestinian state. 7. Before the Umayyad and Fatimid empires, there was the Byzantine empire, not a Palestinian state. 8. Before the Byzantine Empire, there were the Sassanids, not a Palestinian state. 9. Before the Sassanid Empire, there was the Byzantine Empire, not a Palestinian state. 10. Before the Byzantine Empire, there was the Roman Empire, not a Palestinian state. 11. Before the Roman Empire, there was the Hasmonean state, not a Palestinian state. 12. Before the Hasmonean state, there was the Seleucid, not a Palestinian state. 13. Before the Seleucid empire, there was the empire of Alexander the Great, not a Palestinian state. 14. Before the empire of Alexander the Great, there was the Persian empire, not a Palestinian state. 15. Before the Persian Empire, there was the Babylonian Empire, not a Palestinian state. 16. Before the Babylonian Empire, there were the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, not a Palestinian state. 17. Before the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, there was the Kingdom of Israel, not a Palestinian state. 18. Before the kingdom of Israel, there was the theocracy of the twelve tribes of Israel, not a Palestinian state. 19. Before the theocracy of the twelve tribes of Israel, there was an agglomeration of independent Canaanite city-kingdoms, not a Palestinian state. 20. Actually, in this piece of land there has been everything, EXCEPT A PALESTINIAN STATE.

Seven types of Anti-Semitism

This comes from my answer on Quora.  The Seven Types of Anti-Semitism

I have qualified these seven types in my study of Jewish History. While they may not be independent from one another in the strict sense, they provide a useful methodology for understanding the historical hatred of the Jews.

1. Hatred of the Jews as Christ Killers - A very old form of Anti-Semitism which has existed since the early days of the Christian Church. The Jews were blamed for choosing Jesus Christ to ‘die’ on the cross. The New Testament Gospels emphasize this point in their writings and it has served as dogma for both the Catholic and many non-Catholic churches over the centuries. Argument is illogical though, for if the Jews had not selected Christ to be sacrificed on the cross then he could not have died for the sins of mankind. Where would humanity then be?

2. Hatred of the Jews as Outsiders - The rejection of Jesus as the messiah, Jewish religious belief, Jewish emphasis on marrying fellow Jews, as well as the concept of the Jews as the Chosen People all smack of exclusivity.
Why?, asks the anti-Semite do the Jews think that they are better than us ? Could it be that they eventually want to subjugate us? Hence the blood libels, pogroms and the impetus to scapegoat the Jews as the cause for all that goes wrong in society.

3. The Jew as the Evil Capitalist - The Church authority forced Jews to be money lenders as Christians were prevented from charging interest. As money lending grew into the banking profession, Jews became more influential as players driving the wheels of the largely capitalist based economy. Those individuals jealous of Jewish success as well as the later opponents of capitalism were quick to throw force this charge.

4. The Jew as the Diabolical Communist - Karl Marx’s Jewish ancestry, Jewish influence in the Social Democracy Movements in Europe (Trotsky, Zinoviev, Kamenev, Luxembourg, Martov were all Jews) was enough of a linkage in the minds of many anti-Semites to associate the ‘specter of Communism haunting Europe’ as a Jewish plot for world domination. Idea is non-sensical. Granted at one stage there were many Jews involved in the movements of social-democracy but that is largely as a result of the fact that Communism preached an ‘equality of all’ that other political ideologies appeared to shun. However after the true face of the of the leftist movements were revealed in the Stalinist purges, Jews starting deserting Marxism in droves. It is also important to note

5. Hatred of Jewish thought - Jewish thought has traditionally been more liberal and open to debate than that of Christianity. Jews have been on the fore front of new ideas (Marxism, Relativity, psychoanalysis, and American liberalism) which have shaken the bedrock of traditional views. A phenomenon that breeds fear and consequently anti-Semitism. Also Jewish success in business, the arts and the sciences has in the mind of many anti-Semites created a belief that the Jews are privy to knowledge which they are not willing to share. This of course is ridiculous as are all charges of an international Jewish conspiracy.

​6. Anti-Zionist/Anti-Semitism - Not all anti-Zionists are anti-Semites. Agreed. However the line is in many cases very thin. Many Arab countries make little distinction (e.g. the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion is required reading in many school programs). Also for those seeking a convenient cover for their anti-Semitic views where better to hide then amongst the so-called ‘progressive’ anti-Zionists.

7. Hatred of Jews for their role in Judeo-Christian philosophy - Western Philosophy and Judeo-Christian philosophy is evil. So this reason goes. Jews are to blame for all of it as the mother religion of the tradition. Therefore Jews are bad. Simplistic but nevertheless the view of those seeking to destroy the foundations of Western civilization. Stream of thought is popular amongst anarchists and some New Age Religious believers. Nazism was such a belief.

Hamas' terror is part of the Armed Jihad

Supporters of the Armed Jihad plus the myriad of fellow travelers will never condemn attacks on the Jews. In fact they rejoice in it. For them the attackers are doing the work of Allah with Jews and other non-believers being seen as less than human.

Hear it in their own words.

“ O brother believers, the criminals, the terrorists - are the Jews… They are the ones who must be butchered and killed, as Allah the Almighty said: 'Fight them: Allah will torture them at your hands, and will humiliate them and will help you to overcome them… The Jews are like a [gas] pedal - as long as you step on it with your foot, it doesn't move, but if you lift your foot from it, it hurts you and punishes you. This is the case of the Jews." Dr. Ahmed Abi Halabiya.

Quote source: October 13, 2000, Dr. Ahmad Abu Halabiya, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan Mosque in Gaza, PA Television.

Babi Yar

There seems to be a historical rewrite today transforming Babi Yar (or Babyn Yar) into a specifically Ukranian tragedy (that has been highlighted by the recent Russian bombing at or near the memorial). However it is important to place all of this in context.

Picture source: Times of Israel

Between the 29th-30th September 1941, 33,771 JEWS (29 survived) were massacred by the Ordnungspolizei (Nazi Order Police), the Ukranian Auxillary Police and the Einsatzgruppen. This was essentially the Holocaust with bullets. Many of these Jews were identified as such by Ukranian collaborators. The evil was specifically directed at Jews. Yes the Jews were Ukranian nationals but they were not killed because they were Ukranians but because they were Jews.

It is also worth noting that the Nazis tried to cover this up using the Sonderaktion 1005 action plan with the same cast of victimizers working together once again.

Now it is true that the total number of people killed at the site during the duration of the war likely numbered somewhere between 100,000-150,000 (a figure that includes more Jews, Soviet prisoners of war, Ukranian nationalists and Romany) but this should not detract on the origins of Babi Yar as a testament to the mass genocide of Jews, a tragedy that would not be possible to the same extent without the help of local collaborators

Source: Karel C. Berkhoff (2008). Babi Yar Massacre The Shoah in Ukraine: History, Testimony, Memorialization.

Why is there so much anti-Semitism in Canada?

 (My answer on Quora)

Canada as a whole is not an anti-Semitic country although it has had a disturbing history of anti-Semitism in the past.

Christie Pits Riot

Background In the first half of the 20th century, anti-Semitism was a socially acceptable, inseparable part of mainstream Canadian society. Jewish Canadians were relegated to second-class citizenship. Businesses refused to hire them, universities restricted their enrolment, and entire neighbourhoods prohibited the sale or rental of housing to Jews. During the Great Depression , some Canadians looked for scapegoats to blame for their economic hardships. Anti-immigrant sentiment intensified. Adolf Hitler rose to power in 1933 and the Nazis’ violent and racist policies against the Jews appeared across Canadian newspapers ’ front pages. The symbol of the swastika and what it stood for quickly became common knowledge. Swastika Clubs In 1933, Toronto was overwhelmingly British . The Orange Order was a major social force in the city. The organization promoted a British loyalism that was both anti-Semitic and anti- Catholic . Jews were the largest minority group in Toronto and found themselves subject to verbal and physical attacks. Tensions between Jews and Anglo-Canadians were especially high at Toronto’s eastern beaches. Local residents resented the Jews, who they viewed as outsiders. ( See also Prejudice and discrimination ). These residents were especially upset at Jews leaving what were perceived as “Jewish neighbourhoods” to enjoy the public beaches and recreational areas during the hot summer months. Some residents requested separate leisure spaces for “Gentiles only.” In early August, headlines about the formation of “Swastika Clubs” at the beaches appeared in major papers across the city, shocking the Jewish community. Members of these clubs publicly flaunted the swastika to antagonize Toronto’s Jews. Violence erupted between the two groups. Swastika Club spokesmen declared their intentions to keep the beaches clean of “obnoxious visitors.” The tensions from the eastern beaches soon spilled over to the rest of the city. The swastika appeared throughout Toronto sparking spontaneous outbreaks of violence. (Toronto Daily Star/8 August 1933) Tensions Build On 14 August 1933, the mostly Jewish Harbord Playground baseball team took the field at Christie Pits against local rivals St. Peter’s. Provocateurs unaffiliated with either team took to the field waving an improvised swastika banner. That evening, they returned to paint the swastika alongside the words “Hail Hitler” on the roof of the clubhouse. They then informed the Toronto Daily Star that they wanted “to get the Jews out of the park.” The Christie Pits Riot Two days later, on 16 August, supporters of both factions arrived in force for the series’ follow-up game. Fights erupted in the stands and were broken up by police. As the game ended, members of a local anti-Semitic group flew a homemade swastika banner to cries of “Heil Hitler.” Violence broke out. The Jews battled members of the Swastika Club and other Anglo-Canadians of similar disposition for control of the swastika

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/christie-pits-riot

Having said that it is not free of anti-Semitism today either.

According to the Ontario Human Rights Commission

Statistics found police-reported hate crimes against Jewish people accounted for the highest number of religion-based hate crime in Canada.

In addition there are number of people and groups who conveniently hide their anti-Semitism under the veneer of anti-Zionism

This all too often shows up when legitimate criticism of Israel spills over into direct verbal and physical attacks on Jews. During the turbulent events of May 2021 this ugly side of my country erupted into such an orgy of hate and we were greeted once again to a torrent of anti-Semitic abuse.

Sources:

OHRC statement on the National Summit on Antisemitism

History reveals that antisemitism intensifies at times of social disruption. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen an alarming increase in antisemitic acts. In 2019, Statistics Canada found police-reported hate crimes against Jewish people accounted for the highest number of religion-based hate crime in Canada. Recently, the B’nai Brith Canada 2020 Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents reported a record number of antisemitism cases last year, up 18.3% from 2019. In 2020, over 44% of antisemitic violence was COVID-related, including incidents of Jewish people being spat on and assaulted with weapons. More severe forms of creed-based prejudice, including antisemitism, have emerged in recent times, often shaped by international events and transmitted through media, especially social media. A pernicious theme repeated this past year was to blame the Jewish community for the pandemic. For example, Bnai Brith reported graffiti on a trail sign in Milton that said: “There is no deadly virus. The Jew owned media lies to you.” Other graffiti in public sites included “Blame the Jews” and “Jews should be ashamed.” Ontario has witnessed an unprecedented increase in antisemitic incidents this past year, such as the vandalism of the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa. A Jewish person in Toronto was randomly hit in the face by a man who shouted “f--- Jews.” In North York, a city worker threatened to circumcise a Jewish boy for “a second and a third time.” In the Hamilton area, someone painted a red swastika on the hood of a car parked near a synagogue. The media is full of reports of the many ways Jewish communities continue to be the targets of hate. We have seen antisemitism erupting at pro-Palestine events in Toronto and Montreal, hateful banners unfurled in Vaughan and businesses, parks and schools defaced with antisemitic graffiti. We see assaults and other life-threatening behaviour that has no place in Ontario. Denouncing and fighting hate and discrimination, especially antisemitism, was why the Ontario Human Rights Code was enacted in the first place. In the early 1960s, the world was still dealing with the shocking aftermath of the Holocaust. Jewish people were barred from entry to Canada, including at times of greatest need fleeing Nazi Germany in WWII. They were routinely denied access to jobs, facilities and services, because of virulent antisemitism. The first Code , in 1962, envisioned a better path forward for Ontario and the majority of the complaints the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) pursued in the 1960s were on behalf of Jewish people. Governments and community leaders have consistently spoken out against the hate that continues to erupt in our communities – all because of someone’s beliefs. But history has shown that saying the right things is meaningless, unless the words are tied to action. That’s why the OHRC joins community calls for governments to review hate crime laws to ensure these laws are responsive to the lived realities

http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/news_centre/ohrc-statement-national-summit-antisemitism

Jewish communities on edge amid ‘troubling rise’ of anti-Semitism in Canada

Multiple demonstrations across Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton and Vancouver resulted in police intervention earlier this month.

https://globalnews.ca/news/7887734/anti-semitism-rising-canada/

Further Reading:

Antisemitic Incidents - B'nai Brith Canada

Audit of AntiSemitic Incidents The Annual Audit serves as the authoritative document on antisemitism in Canada. It is regularly cited by media outlets, public officials, NGOs, and government bodies.   English French previous 3 Years 2019 Audit Report English French 2018 Audit Report English French 2017 Audit Report English French archives coming soon MEMBERSHIP LEARN … Antisemitic Incidents Read More »

https://www.bnaibrith.ca/antisemitic-incidents/

Are Israel and Judah the same?

(Asked on Quora).

No they aren’t. When King Solomon, the son of David, died he was succeeded by his son Rehoboam in 930 BCE. Unfortunately Rehoboam proved to be a terrible ruler and soon afterward the country split into two kingdoms - Israel in the North (consisting of ten tribes) and Judah in the South. The former included the cities of Schechem and Samaria. The latter contained the city of Jerusalem and was comprised of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. It is from Judah that the word Jew originates.

Judah would continue to be governed largely by rulers from the House of David (although some have disputed this). The Kingdom of Israel existed from 930 -772 BCE and was finally destroyed by the Assyrians (leading to the mythology of the Ten Lost tribes). Judah survived until the Babylonian exile of 538 BCE that followed the destruction of the First Temple.

Map: Jewish Virtual Library

On the Difference between Judaism and Islam

 I have often been asked about this. Here are twelve differences.

1. Judaism is based on the People Wide Revelation at Mt. Sinai. Islam sees revelation through a single individual - the Prophet Muhammad (via the archangel Jibril).
2. Islam sees itself as a replacement theology (based on a newer revelation) of Judaism and Christianity. Judaism sees no reason for a replacement theology.
3. The Jewish dietary Laws of Kashrut are stricter than Islam’s Halal equivalents.
4. Islam’s chief book is the Koran supplemented by the Hadiths and Sunnahs. Judaism has the Five Books of Moses (Torah), the Writings, Prophets and Oral Laws (Tradition of the Mishna/Talmud).
5. Alcohol is not forbidden in Judaism (although drinking to excess is). In Islam Alcohol is strictly forbidden.
6. One cannot have more than one wife in Judaism (although this was clearly not the case in biblical times).In Islam you can although the vast majority of Muslims don’t.
7. Judaism sees the Abrahamic tradition passing through Isaac. Islam sees Ishmael as the carrier of such a tradition.
8. Islam’s chief holy cities are Mecca and Medina. Jerusalem is the chief holy city for Judaism. Muslims face Mecca when they pray. Jews face Jerusalem.
9. Islam believes in proselytizing. Judaism does not.
10. There is a greater emphasis on submission to God (Allah) in Islam. In Judaism you are encouraged to wrestle with God.
11. The 613 Mitzvot are central to Judaism. Islam has its Five Pillars of Wisdom.
12. Judaism is a 3500 year old religion. Islam is about 1400 years old.

Ben-Gurion's Statehood decision

This is an unusually good article from Haaretz. It explains the rationale behind David Ben-Gurion's decision to declare Israeli statehood on the 14th of May 1948. The evidence for a multi-pronged planned Arab attack with British blessing (indeed active initiation) was the key factor, Plans had been afoot for some time. If Ben-Gurion did not declare Statehood at that point the opportunity could have been lost. He acted accordingly. The fuller scope of British action here as detailed from French Intelligence reports was loathsome. A loss by Israel could well have opened up the gates to another genocide of the Jews only three years after the end of World War Two.

Source: Israeli Independence

Is there an increase in antisemitism in the US?

My amswer on Quora

Yes and it is being driven by three sources - The Far Left, the Far Right and various promoters in the Islamic world.

Left-wing and right-wing anti-Semitism are both evil

However and perhaps more worrisome, is how it has been mainstreamed by Media sources such as the New York Times, who time and time again cross the line from legitimate criticism of Israel to downright anti-Semitism.

The New York Times criticized for anti-Semitic cartoon

The Infamous NY Times Cartoon - Pretty much hit most anti-Semitic tropes other than the Jewish money theme.New York Times Antisemitic Cartoon Shocker

Now the US is not an intrinsically anti-Semitic country. In 2015 the ADL published https://global100.adl.org. The document extensively details antisemitic rates across the globe. Based on the sampling it appears that 9% of Americans have Anti-Semitic attitudes compared to 26% worldwide. However in a population of just over 237 million adults, this does translate into a value of 21 million, which in absolute terms is extremely high.

The ADL also carries out a yearly review of Antisemitic Incidents. Here are two findings from their report.

Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents: Year in Review 2018 (Both points taken directly from the source).

• In 2018 ADL recorded 1,879 anti-Semitic incidents in the United States.
• 2018 included the deadliest attack on Jews in the history of the U.S.: The massacre of 11 Jewish worshipers, and an additional two more injured, at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh by a white supremacist in October. The Pittsburgh attack was one of 39 reported physical assaults on Jewish individuals in 2018, a 105% increase over 2017. A total of 59 individuals were victims of assault, not including the police officers injured at the Tree of Life Synagogue.

Memorial outside the Tree of Life Source: Time Magazine

This increase in violent antisemitism seems consistent with a worldwide report on Antisemitism released on May 1st 2019 by the Kantor Center. Antisemitism Worldwide 2018 Report is Released. Its chief finding is described below

The number of the major violent cases monitored by the Kantor Center team has increased by 13%, from 342 to 387. The countries with the highest number of cases are the US (over 100 cases); the UK (68); France and Germany (35 each); Canada (20); Belgium (19) the Netherlands (15); and Argentina (11). It should be noted that the numbers of reported cases in Eastern Europe have been much lower in comparison to Western Europe, going down from 12 cases in the Ukraine in 2018 to a few in each of the other countries.

So how then do each of the sources contribute to this loathsome trend?

Far Left

The Far Left had always had a Jewish problem - Karl Marx's Radical Antisemitism. The Soviets carried on this legacy with action. The Status of the Jews in the Soviet Union and After Lenin, Soviet Anti-Semitism Grew.

The sentiment persists in the West - MPs have shone a light on the tide of anti-Semitism engulfing the Labour party. Jeremy Corbyn in the British Labour Party has been deservedly taken to task for this - J. A. Hobson, Jeremy Corbyn and the history of left-wing anti-Semitism.

Jeremy Corbyn - Source: Financial Times

The same is true in the other parts of Europe - Anti-Semitism in Europe Today Comes Mostly from the Left | Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs .

In a global world that knows no borders to information, anti-Semitic venom can spread quickly and it has. It is endemic in the Far Left of the US and appears to be moving into the mainstream.

We have already seen how Congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib have stoked the fire here with remarks about Jewish money and dual loyalty. However the problem runs deeper. Some call it the ‘New Anti-Semtism’ as it all too often uses the vector of anti-Zionism to carry its message.

While legitimate criticism of Israel is necessary.How does one criticize the actions of Israel without being labeled an anti-Semite? The Far Left all too often goes beyond this - holding the Jewish State to a ridiculous standard (that it would not use for any other country), relentlessly denying Israel’s rights to defend itself and ultimately calling for the destruction of the Nation. We see this with Marc Lamont’s “From the River to the Sea.” - which any observer on the Middle East will tell you is code for the destruction of Israel.

The problem on the Left is well documented. Read Antisemitism and the American Far Left and Jews and the Left | YIVO Institute for Jewish Research

For those interested in the way those on the far left rationalize their antisemitism here is a quick six pointer of common phrases used. 6 Things Left-Wing Anti-Semites Say

1. “I’m not anti-Semitic, I’m just anti-Zionist!”
2. “Jews are a historically privileged group!”
3. “Jews are white”/“Jews have white privilege.”
4. “Jewish people are good with money.”
5. “It’s not terrorism, it’s activism!”
6. Comparing anything happening in the Occupied Territories to the Holocaust.

Far Left wing antisemitism has been very vocal in the US especially on University campuses. Campus Anti-Semitism Archives - Tablet Magazine and Anti-Semitism on Campus: Overview,

There are however writers on the left who are concerned about antisemitism on their side of the political aisle. Paul Berman is one such person The Left and the Jews: A Tale of Three Countries - Tablet Magazine. Oliver Kamm is willing to speak out on this in the UK.

The Far Right

The Far Right is a cesspool of anti-Semitic activity. Websites such as Stormfront and the Daily Stormer promote this bile, however it is given further airing by online message boards such as 8chan and 4chan. Some have proposed banning these sites but this will likely make the situation even worse. Why Blocking Hate Sites Like 8chan May Only Make Them Stronger. I tend to agree with the latter opinion.

In the world of the Alt Right there is a definite anti-Semitic component and a fixation with the so-called Jewish Question. The leading proponent of this view is Kevin MacDonald, an American psychologist, who sees Judaism as a ‘group evolutionary strategy’. MacDonald believes that Jewish survival action has been directly (and indirectly) responsible for the growth of ‘liberalism’ in the US and the ‘Immigration crisis’ on hand.

His views (expressed in a trilogy - The Culture of Critique series), have been resoundingly criticized by Steve Pinker, Sander Gilman and John Tooby (all three have solid credentials in the social science fields that MacDonald draws from). As it stands, the overwhelming academic position with regard to MacDonald is that he exists within a nexus fusing pseudoscience with anti-Semitism. He is not the first to trod down this path. and will likely not be the last. However in the Alt Right world he does enjoys a celebrity status. The Culture of Critique series - Wikipedia

Kevin MacDonald Source: Mercury News

From the manifesto of the Tree of Life shooter it is clear that the ‘Jewish Question’ figured prominently in his thinking. The same is true of the Poway Shooter. This is extremely disturbing. Anti-Semitism Is Thriving in America

Of further concern is how Far Right Anti-Semites make common cause with those on the Left. Why is a known racist backing Somalian-born Ilhan Omar?

Islamic Angle

Anti-Semitism in the Islamic world is well documented. Like other hot spots for this hatred it has spread globally and the US has not been immune to its growth.Anti-Semitism in the Arab/Muslim World. A look at the ADL report, posted earlier indicates that anti-Semitic opinions are extremely common in Muslim majority countries. Here is another version from Pew.

Source: Islamic Extremism: Common Concern for Muslim and Western Publics

A great deal of this is driven by conspiracy mongering such as the suggestion by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that there were no Jews in the Twin Towers on September 11th, 2001. Anti-Semitic cartoons, Holocaust denial are a regular feature of the media in Middle Eastern countries. Calls to annihilate Israel are not uncommon. The Middle East Media Research Institution (MEMRI) provides a regular glimpse into this world to reveal this type of hatred. Gaza Activist Maryam Abu Moussa: We Will Throw Jews Into Ditches Like Hitler; Trump's End Will Come At The Hand Of A Palestinian Boy. I wish I could say that it is rare but it isn’t.

Do the rants against Jews happen in the US? Definitely. Imam Who Called for Annihilation of All Jews Is in Fact Routine and North Philadelphia mosque officials apologize for anti-Semitic statements delivered in sermons by guest imam.

Now there are Muslim voices taking a stand against anti-Semitism who should be applauded. Muslims & Arabs against Antisemitism. What is needed is for such positive sentiment to gain momentum.

Is Donald Trump the Problem?

I have written at length on this topic in an earlier answer. Gavin Kanowitz's answer to Why do people call Donald Trump antisemitic when his policies have been decidedly pro-Israel?

Donald Trump may be a lot of things but he is not an anti-Semite. His response to both the Tree of Life and Poway were first rate and indeed he may be one of the most philosemitic presidents in recent history.

His support for Israel and his pro-Jewish position have placed him in the cross-hairs of a great deal of the Alt-Right who see him as a traitor. Both synagogue shooters expressed great negativity toward Trump in this regard and he is regularly vilified on Alt Right message boards.

Poway Rabbi called Trump a ‘mensch per excellence’ Source: Times of Israel

What is disturbing though is the fact that Congress refuses to deal with the anti-Semitic issue specifically and when it had the opportunity to do just that, it dropped the ball. Democrats Put Off Anti-Semitism Resolution After Fierce Backlash.

There are many Democrats who are as strongly opposed to anti-Semitism as are their Republican colleagues. While they may take issue with Trump on a myriad of other topics, this should not come at the expense of allowing the Corbynesque elements of their party to dictate the discourse here with respect to Jew hatred.

Fortunately there is some positive movement in this regard gaining traction. Bipartisan slate of senators introduce resolution condemning anti-Semitsm - Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Additional Sources

1. The Left’s Jewish Problem: Jeremy Corbyn, Israel and Anti‑Semitism – review
2. https://www.thejc.com/news/world...
3. Quick Reads Archive - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
4. Paul Berman on New Left & antisemitism
5. Alarm Grows In France Over Anti-Semitic Violence
6. Anti-Semitic incidents dramatically rose in Washington over 2018
7. https://www.thejc.com/comment/co...
8. When the Anti-Racists are the Racists: The Case of British Left-Wing Anti-Semitism