With global antisemitism rising, 'Never Again' rings hollow

Antisemitism knows no ideological boundaries. It is politicized by the right and left. Each side blames the other for being antisemitic and hides behind their own actions and words. In that dynamic, we whitewash the scourge of antisemitism.

Antisemitism isn't just Jew hate. It is hatred that can be instrumentalized to undermine democracy. One expression of antisemitism is conspiracy theories, which falsely claim that Jews control the levers of power. If citizens believe such claims, then government institutions are seen as illegitimate. Delegitimizing government institutions and claiming that they are in the hands of a small group deter citizen participation, erode public trust and in extreme forms foment violence, ultimately undermining democracy.

My great-aunt, Anna Holtzman, a Holocaust survivor, commented after Oct. 7 that it feels like the 1930s again. A statement like that, from her, gives me pause. She recently noted the permanent police presence since Oct. 7 at the major intersection in the center of Toronto's Jewish neighborhood where she lives. It’s a reminder of how severe the situation has become. "This is not the Canada I moved to or I remember," she said. At my synagogue in New Rochelle, security guards are always present, and police guard the main entrance for services. Last summer, doing field research on antisemitism policy in Paris and Berlin, I could easily find the locations of Jewish organizations for my interviews. They were the places with armed police and barricades.

The mantra after the Holocaust was "Never Again," which rings hollow after a string of deadly attacks across the globe inspired by antisemitism. It is not the 1930s. Antisemitism today is global, complex and sometimes more cryptic — you need to understand its vocabulary and imagery to recognize the coded language and symbols. Online, the political left, right and Islamic extremists have free rein to spread antisemitism and conspiracy theories. Offline, when terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah attack Israeli Jews or Jews in other countries, or Russian operatives daub stars on Jewish houses in France, they are attempting to destabilize those democracies, putting into question the ability of government to protect its citizens.

So what can be done? Police protection is a deterrent, not a solution. If we want this not to feel like the 1930s, then governments need to create durable institutions to counter, limit and deter antisemitism.

The European Union in 2015 appointed an antisemitism envoy to combat antisemitism both abroad and at home. The United States has had such an envoy since 2006, but their focus is overseas. Having antisemitism commissioners working on domestic issues at the national, state and local levels within larger cities would be a significant step. The United States created its strategy to counter antisemitism in 2023, mimicking much of the EU's from 2021 — but in the second Trump term the U.S. strategy disappeared from the website.

These strategies, as well as legal structures related to hate crimes and hate speech, can provide a strong basis and framework to address antisemitism. It's not perfect and it takes time for mechanisms to be implemented, but it creates a foundation. For example, after a spate of anti-Israel protests ventured into blatant antisemitic rhetoric, violence and property damage in Germany, the perpetrators were arrested and prosecuted on hate crime charges, which receive a higher penalty. France and Germany created reporting and oversight structures on college campuses.

Such actions, and many more, are needed to slow the tide of antisemitism. "Never Again" should mean something.

This guest essay reflects the views of Carolyn M. Dudek, a professor of political science and the director of European studies at Hofstra University.