Woke Antisemitism: How a Progressive Ideology Harms Jews

by David L. Bernstein

already does. The disparagement of whites doesn’t have to lead to the disparagement of Jews, but Sullivan is nevertheless correct that this connection has begun to be made and will likely continue in the future. There is a reason people make such connections so readily. Even when antisemitism is pushed to the margins of society—held in check by seemingly sturdy guardrails of public discourse—it’s never far from public view. For thousands of years, the same conspiracy theories, the same disdain, and the same impulse to scapegoat has coursed through Western and non-Western societies alike. Deborah Lipstadt states, “[T]hough its outer form may evolve over time, its essence remains the same. It’s not unlike a stubborn infection. Medication may alleviate the symptoms, but the infection itself lies dormant and may reemerge at an opportune moment in a new incarnation.”98 And when the guardrails of public discourse begin to wobble, when the terms of discussion change and create an opening—a permission structure—antisemitism can come back with a roar. In the name of “justice,” woke ideology provides just such a permission structure by legitimizing portrayals of people who can be—and are, and will be—targeted by others looking for excuses to spread hate. That’s why it’s so disheartening to watch Jewish organizations that should know better—and in some cases, do know better—pay tribute to the very ideological tendencies that activate latent antisemitic tropes.