How many years have we been actively fighting antisemitism? Probably more than 10, less than a hundred. Give or take. I would like to refer to the last 20 years and ask a simple question.
Is it working? Do our efforts in fighting/combating/stopping/resisting antisemitism have any discernible effect on the numbers? The number of antisemitic incidents? The number of antisemites? The volume of antisemitic trends in the media and in politics?
According to numbers, 2019 has been the worse year ever with an all-time-high of antisemitic incidents. FBI data, as shown in the ADL reports, indicates that in 2019, 2107 antisemitic incidents of harassment and assault have taken place in the USA. That's pretty scary. Problem is that this data is published with no reference to population size - a very basic statistical feature. If we consider the size of the population, then 1994 - with a close second of 2066 incidents on a population almost 25% smaller - leaves 2019 far behind in being the worst antisemitic year in America. This is not difficult to find, so why are we not aware of it?
In fact, let's take the data for antisemitic incidents in the USA for the last 30 years (as published by the ADL) and ask ourselves whether any of it makes sense?
We see a number of rises and falls in the number of antisemitic incidents. Numbers are not normalized according to population size and so, declines are sharper than they seem whereas inclines are somewhat milder.
So, what we need to ask ourselves is this: Where can we see the great efforts and funds that are being spent every year? Is there any organization, any political movement, any specific act that had managed to bring the numbers down? Or maybe there are Jewish leaders who will be honest enough to say: "This here, this rise in antisemitism, that's on me. Our organization fell asleep at its post. Our bad..."
This question, of course, is not fair. Antisemitism is such a complicated phenomenon; It is hard to believe that any one organization or person can make a quantifiable change in it. We all do what we can and hope for the best. There are, though, several points worth discussing:
Antisemitism is NOT at an all-time high. It's not all that low either, but pumping ourselves with fear, telling ourselves that it's never been worse, well, it's just unhealthy. We have conditioned ourselves to be in a perpetual state of hysteria. Numbers and overall picture don't matter to us anymore. Every incident is the end of the world; every tactical decision seems to decide our fate. I'm not saying we should be complacent, but right now it seems stress will get to us before the antisemites will.
Several elements in the antisemitism-fighting world are painted to be a matter of life and death. Supporting the IHRA definition of antisemitism, for example, seems to decide the fate of the Jewish people. Who will be the Special Envoy To Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism in the state department? Is this or that official in this or that administration will be one of "our" people or of the "enemy". These are all very important matters but none of them seem to make such a huge impact on the overall situation. The IHRA definition has been with us since 2005 and has been officially adopted by many countries, including the USA, in 2016. Has it made a real change? The special envoy - about whose identity the Jewish factions slam each other mercilessly - is with us since 2004; antisemitism doesn't seem to be impressed. Democrats and Republicans came and went, showing no consistency this or that way. Oh, and let's not forget the hyphen. It is no longer anti-Semitism but Antisemitism. It happened recently, making a lot of noise on the net. Let me tell you right now. The antisemites are NOT quacking in their boots over it.
And there is the concept of more. Always more. More fights, more dangers, more security guards, more metal detectors, more representation in this or that committee, more op-eds, more education programs, more Twitter accounts, more advocacy and legal fights, more campaigns. More of everything. But numbers don't show it. Why? I don't know why, but I'm pretty sure nobody else does. So the next time somebody tells you that the solution is more of this and more of that, ask them if they have any proof that in the long run, it actually works. More guns. Does it work? More security. Does it work? More Holocaust education. Does it work? More campaigns. Does it Work? And if it does, why aren't we winning?
So the one thing I feel pretty safe in saying is this: We don't know whether what we're doing is the right thing. Nobody can tell you "It's my way or back to the concentration camps". We are, however - and that of course is just a one man's opinion - locked in a permanent state of hysteria, scaring ourselves relentlessly and bent on doing more and more of the same, even though we have no proof that it is actually the right thing to do. Personally, I think we need to change the game plan; but that's probably going to wait to another post.
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