If you ask everyone’s new best friend Mr. Artificial Intelligence why the world is obsessed with Jews, this is what he’ll tell you:
“The world’s intense focus on Jews stems from a complex mix of historical persecution (antisemitism), religious significance (Christianity/Islam), economic stereotypes (greed/power), and the modern political landscape (Israel/Zionism), creating a deep-seated ‘obsession’ fueled by conspiracy theories, scapegoating and fascination with their unique identity, leading to both hatred (antisemitism) and sometimes positive focus (philosemitism).”
Got it.
I’m sure there are a few hundred scholarly books that expand on the above paragraph.
But this isn’t a book, it’s a column, and I’m eager this week to reflect on something that never quite leaves my mind: Why is it that everywhere we turn, the Jews and Israel seem to be part of the story?
There are the obvious examples like the deadly attacks on Jews in places like Washington, Boulder, New York and Bondi Beach, and hate incidents at synagogues in Mississippi, New York, Los Angeles and other places.
There are those Jewish events hijacked by the pro-Hamas, “globalize the intifada” crowd, and even a Jewish governor, Josh Shapiro, who got his home torched while he and his family slept.
Just this past Sunday, State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), co-chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, dropped a bomb by announcing that he had changed his mind and that Israel’s actions in Gaza qualify as a “genocide.”
Remember that when these stories blow up on the internet, they reinforce the larger story of the world’s obsession with Jews.
The biggest story in the world right now, the uprisings in Iran, has the Jewish state all over it, either as the “little Satan” responsible for the uprisings or as the country that must be prepared for a possible war with the mullahs.
The “America First” movement also has the Jews and Israel tightly woven in, as it sees America’s strong allyship with Israel as taking away from precious American resources.
The civil war we’ve been witnessing on the right with people who have huge followings—like Tucker Carlson, Nick Fuentes, Megyn Kelly, Ben Shapiro and Mark Levin — is invariably connected with the Jews and Israel and significantly expands the world’s Jewish obsession.
Similarly, antizionism and antisemitism are never too far from the endless media stories on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Israel also got marquee treatment on the latest Netflix special from comedian extraordinaire Dave Chappelle, whose mic drop featured “I stand with Israel” as the last thing he would ever say.
I could go on. Whether in media, Hollywood, academia or elsewhere, the Jews get exponentially more attention than their numbers would suggest.
Which is why I’m writing this column: to remind us that the obsession with Jews will always have a negative slant. Either they hurt us, hate us or demonize us. That’s the way the media ball bounces. No one makes money with profiles of Jewish heroes.
But while the news will only show us the bad, it is up to the Jews to show us the good.
While we fight antisemitism by going after the bad guys, let’s remember the infinite number of Jewish “good guys” who could also use our attention.
While we celebrate America’s 250th birthday this year, let’s remember the many Jews who helped build this country and continue to do so today.
While we fight back against Israel haters, let’s remember the Jews in Israel who are building and creating and innovating despite being surrounded by enemies sworn to its destruction.
We tend to forget that one reason people have been obsessed with Jews for so long is our success: We’ve always figured out how to overcome the toughest odds, how to renew ourselves after every disaster. In a perverse way, antisemitism has been the price we’ve paid for that success.
I read somewhere that “Hating Jews because of their success is a component of economic antisemitism, a form of prejudice rooted in stereotypes and resentment related to Jewish economic status, occupations, and perceived affluence. This animosity often stems from a combination of historical restrictions, cultural differences, and envy.”
Where did I read it? It’s from our good friend Mr. Artificial Intelligence. He may be a clunky writer, but evidently, he’s also obsessed with the Jews.
