The Republican Party’s recent “anti-antisemitism” panic is a stark reminder of its long history of mainstreaming right-wing antisemitism. Despite Trump’s personal antisemitic tendencies, the party has enabled and benefited from this bigotry for years.
Conservatives have been pressuring the Heritage Foundation to cut ties with Tucker Carlson after his interview with far-right influencer Nick Fuentes, but many are doing so only because they’re uncomfortable with the antisemitism that’s become a hallmark of Trump’s base. Instead, Republicans like Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley are using this controversy to frame themselves as victims of left-wing “antisemitism,” despite having spent years promoting conspiracy theories about George Soros and “global elites.”
The Heritage Foundation has been at the center of this push, publishing an anti-democratic blueprint called Project Esther that aims to exploit concerns about antisemitism to advance authoritarian policies. However, instead of addressing right-wing antisemitism, the task force has opted to focus on combating it.
Meanwhile, American-Jewish legacy organizations like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) have been caught in a Procrustean bed of their own making. While they claim to combat antisemitism, they’ve often reacted more aggressively to progressive politicians who criticize Israel’s abuses than to right-wing bigots like Carlson and Fuentes.
The Republican Party’s hypocrisy on antisemitism is not new, but the recent controversy surrounding Carlson and Fuentes has finally forced them to confront their own complicity in mainstreaming right-wing antisemitism. As the party continues to push for policies that prioritize Israel over Jewish safety, it’s clear that being governed by authoritarians and white nationalists isn’t good for anyone.
The ADL’s “Mamdani Monitor” project, which tracks the policies and hires of a Muslim mayor who has spoken out against antisemitism, is a stark example of this. Instead of using its resources to combat right-wing antisemitism, the ADL is focused on monitoring and punishing critics of Israel’s abuses.
The era of plausible deniability over the mainstream U.S. right’s antisemitism problem has finally come to an end. As the Republican Party continues to push for policies that prioritize authoritarianism over Jewish safety, it’s clear that being governed by authoritarians and white nationalists isn’t good for anyone.
Source: https://www.972mag.com/gop-antisemitism-israel-carlson-fuentes-heritage-trump-maga