Among the many outrages this cruel, immoral administration is guilty of, the worst is the gaslighting and butchering of truth. Trump and his minions don’t give a flying flamingo about real anti-semitism any more than they care about democracy.
Harvard is being attacked because it supposedly didn’t do enough to combat anti-semitism on campus, in the same way DOGE is supposedly fighting “waste, fraud and abuse.” Smokescreens to cover up attacks on government, attacks on intellectual freedom, attacks against the institutions of a strong republic…They’re about dictatorship, nothing more.
Absolutely correct. The idea that Trump is so "antisemitic" is incredibly laughable. He sold his Jewish accountant down the river in a legal case. So what that his daughter is a convert? I'm not impressed. He didn't even have the common decency to call Shapiro and offer condolences to him and his family. What president of this country has ever not done that except this monster? I was pleasantly surprised that JD gave his condolences and condemnation very quickly after the incident was reported. I was shocked, but frankly, good for him. He didn't side with his master.
You don't have to be much of a man to condemn a firebombing and attempted murder of a Jewish family on the first night of Passover. But we now know the Mango Malfeasance doesn't even rise to that lowest of bars.
You're right, but the fact that JD acted on his own and didn't bend the knee, as he usually does, shocked me. I mean, Trump couldn't pick up the friggin' phone for God's sakes?? I don't give a crap what party Shapiro belongs to, or if he rightfully sued the government for monies owed to his state. His home and family were attacked. If that had happened at Mar a Lago, it would be on the front page for weeks, and Trump would be milking it for all of its worth, just like his fake assassination attempt which barely injured him.
I also do not understand why mainstream media is underplaying this event. (Though yes, I realize arson itself is a major crime, too.) Every headline or chyron I've seen uses a phrase like "Arson attack" or "Arson investigation" -- rather than "Attempted assassination attempt" or "Attempted attack on the governor."
Absolutely, and the fact that State police were on the property, saw the guy jump the fence, and didn't draw guns to stop him is simply incomprehensible, unless they were hoping he'd succeed in his plans. I read last night that a PA rep, I think his name is Meuser perhaps, condemned the attack, kind of, but also said that Shapiro needed to tone down his so-called rhetoric vs Trump; saying it was coming from "both sides". Don't think Shapiro has openly said anything about DT, but has sued the govt for non-payment of money owed to PA. Apparently, this jerk is planning on running against Shapiro for gov. When Shapiro heard what he said, he succinctly stated ( I paraphrase) that people in government should not forget their moral centers.
I am the daughter of parents who fled Nazi Europe. This attack and all the crazy that is happening on the federal level has my alarm bells ringing. My mother, who died recently at the age of 101, talked about antisemitism almost every time I visit. She called it the oldest illness of human beings. She couldn't understand why the world hated such a tiny population. I'm with her.
I'm also a 2nd Gen and the Holocaust is baked into my ancestral bones. As much as I see the United States as a bastion of freedom, like many Jews, I also know that it can happen anywhere.
Same here. Many of my grandmother's family members were murdered during the Holocaust in Eastern Europe. When I saw pictures of Shapiro's dining room, it looked like a war zone. Thank God no one was hurt. And I don't know why the intruder was not shot on sight; troopers were present.
Irene, I am a first gen. Aside from my family and one other family, I don't personally know of other first gen people. My childhood best friend comes from a family much longer established in the US and she still doesn't have that baked in sense we do.
Hi, no, my parents fled Nazi Europe with their families. From what I understand, I am first gen from the Holocaust. The generation after. I am first gen American. So, maybe our terms are not in agreement, but I think we are in agreement about the terrible situation our country is in.
Thanks for explaining. We're considered 2nd gen, the generation after. And yes America is in a difficult time because too many voters followed the pied piper, a dreadful human being. I am quite sure many are ruing that choice.
We've seen this before -- the attacker is always called "mentally disturbed," without any discussion of the anti-Semitic cesspools in which they've been swimming.
The hypocrisy of a “pro-Israel” posture by this administration is as nauseating as it is transparently spurious. Whenever I see one of the good ol boys defending Israel as an excuse to go after “the other”, their actual racism, is hiding at the moment but make no mistake, it’s also baked in.
We’re not at the top of the list at the moment, but it’s not hard to imagine what comes next. Don’t even have to imagine it, the playbooks have been around for awhile now, no one bothers to read, but will be thoroughly surprised when the 3am knocks begin.
On a lighter note, let’s see again how prescient the great Tom Lehrer was. Take it all in, it’s more relevant now than I’d have imagined.
Nauseating is the right word. This guy has never been a lover of Judaism, in any way, shape or form, and I don't give one crap that his daughter converted and his son in law is Jewish, so somehow, that makes him pro-Jew. He supports Israel because Bibi is a clone of his, and he thinks he can make some money on them. It really disturbs me that some of the released Israeli hostages think that he is their savior. Oh please. Have his threats to Hamas released them all? Absolutely not.
Thank you for this. I am having trouble putting into words my multi-faceted horror and disgust--at the explosion of antisemitism post-Oct 7 and all its warping and mis-matching of reality, at this monstrous (and but-for-a-shut-door much worse) arson targeting Gov Shapiro and his family, at the hideous echoes on the attack on Paul Pelosi (and planned attack on Nancy Pelosi) in the planned hammer attack, and at the way too many have decided to ignore the attacker's stated antisemitic motives in favor of their own spin, deflection, disinterest, or victim-blaming. Sorry, I can't assemble a coherent comment, just thank you for this.
This is the "crisis of hate-fueled and political violence". Antisemitism is one of its extremely ugly heads. Hate is the fire. Delusion is the spark. And there's very little help during an Administration which has absolutely no love nor sympathy nor empathy for others. Governor Shapiro definitely should have received much more concern and support, at least via media. My regards and best wishes to the Shapiro family.
For people wanting to learn more about antisemitism, I suggest Dara Horn's book, PEOPLE LOVE DEAD JEWS. Quite a history. Especially helpful to understand as Trump uses fighting antisemitism as a pretext for attacking universities, education, science, etc. Christian nationalists believe Jews will burn in oil after the Rapture they eagerly await. Somehow they ignore the very real possibility that Jesus was an itinerant rabbi with dark skin.
That's exactly what Jesus was. Several years ago, we belonged to a liberal Methodist church who had a very conservative, far right small sect as members; always stirring the pot about something. I happened to have one of their sons in my Sunday school class, so knew what the parents were about. At that time, I sat on the Education committee for Sunday school children's classes. The mother of my student sat across from me in the meeting of the committee one evening, and during the conversation, she objected to some of the curriculum (I believe it was focusing on Jesus and his background) and point blank said "Jesus wasn't a Jew". I just stared at her, ready to jump across the table at her. The head of the committee, who was a very level-headed older woman, ignored this incredibly ignorant and hateful remark, and kept the committee centered on business. Thankfully, this couple and their disruptive kid left the congregation soon after. Good riddance.
I am also a Jewish American and I say antisemitism needs to stop and so does anti-Arab hate. What's happened in Israel makes me sad and angry and that's mirrored by what's been happening here. Something needs to give I am personally not sure what that is but things need to change and change drastically here in the US and in Israel also.
Yes it is anti semitism, but what about official persecution, by the government itself, of people who defend the right of Palestinians to exist? Of people that get illegally detain by masked criminals masquerading as police, and then taken away to obscure centres, far from home? How in the world can one be so selective and have no solidarity with those with whom does not share political ideas? And this happening at the time when the nazi like government run by the Trump-like criminal keep committing, in front of our eyes, a genocide in Gaza, which is basically in rubbles, where hundreds of children gets wounded and tens killed daily? Such an article plays beautifully into the hands of zionists, the most dangerous group at the moment on earth, one that is dragging the US into actively supporting the eradication of Palestinians and does everything to destroy the US democracy.
I strongly disagree with the premise that the attack on Shapiro Had to be anti-Semitism. That COULD have been the case, but it could have been instead that Shapiro was perceived as anti-Palestinian, or as supportive of Israel's brutality in Gaza and oppression of Palestinians in the West Bank. The two are NOT equivalent.
My wife (Jewish) and I (Episcopalian) view the actions of the NetanYahoo government as criminal, both in quietly allowing/supporting Hamas for more than a decade before the October 7th attack, allowing it to build the capabilities that led to that tragedy. NatanYahoo is no different from Trump, orchestrating leadership of their respective countries so they could stay out of jail.
Yes, anti-Semitism is a scourge, just as are prejudice and oppression of minorities of all sorts. But the horrors of the Holocaust (and the centuries of oppression of Jews in parts of Europe that preceded it) do not justify what Israel has been doing to Palestinians, pushing them off of land that seems to belong equally to both of them.
You seem to be confused about what exactly anti-semitism is, so I'll just quote the Department of State with what they say is anti-semitism and include just what applies in this case.This is anti- semitic-
*Holding Jews collectively responsible for the actions of the state of Israel.
Cody Balmer statement-"the governor needs to be told he will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” (holding Jews collectively responsible)
Cody Balmer statement- “Our people have been put through too much by that monster,” Balmer said over the phone, according to the warrant, adding that “all he has is a banquet hall to clean up.” (holding Jews collectively responsible)
*Criminal acts are anti semitic when the targets of attacks, whether they are people or property – such as buildings, schools, places of worship and cemeteries – are selected because they are, or are perceived to be, Jewish or linked to Jews.
Cody Balmer statement- Balmer told police that he knew when he started the fires Sunday that Shapiro and his family could be there, that he was “harboring a hatred” for Shapiro, and that he would have attacked him with a hammer if he had seen him inside the residence, (people, property , buildings stc perceived to be Jewish or linked to Jews)
Cody Balmer is an anti- semite who targeted his attack towards the Governor because he was a Jew ok?
YOUR statement- " I "strongly" disagree with the premise that the attack on Shapiro Had to be anti-Semitism. That COULD have been the case, "but it could have been instead of that ....
(and here it comes) Shapiro was perceived as anti-Palestinian, or as supportive of Israel's brutality in Gaza and oppression of Palestinians in the West Bank." ( translation- Shapiro must have deserved having his house set on fire because he's responsible for the actions of Israel.) You are an apologist for a Jew hater and believe yourself immune from critique because you happen to be married to a Jew. I wonder how many times you assert who you are married to to excuse your bigotry? You are not immune and you are not excused. You are an apologist for someone who attempted to murder defenseless people and you are attempting to make excuses for his motivations for starting the fire as if any motivation in the world qualifies anyone to set fire to anyone's home.
There were 30 people asleep in that house that could have died including small children, not to mention the fire fighters who had to risk their lives fighting the fire, but because the victims in the house were Jewish you want to give Cody Balmer a pass.
YOU, by your very statement are holding the Jewish Governor and family and his 25 guests collectively responsible for the actions of Israel." we know this because you brought it up.
No one on this earth has been more constantly held to a higher standard of behavior not expected or demanded of any other people than the standard to which a Jewish person is held and it is the epitome of anti- semitism and on some level I know that you know you are doing it. This person you are so determined to defend whose bad behavior you've conveniently ignored, has three prior assault charges pending against him. Before his most recent attack upon the Governor, family and guests, he shoved a child into a wall because he was angry, and when the child's mother tried to intervene, he planted his fist into her face and beat the crap out of her, it was the child that had to call 911.This was a grown man who beat up a woman and child ok? So think about His behavior and what you so admire about it.
If you know nothing about the perpetrator, then why offer a defense on his behalf?
"but it could have been instead that Shapiro was perceived as anti-Palestinian, or as supportive of Israel's brutality in Gaza and oppression of Palestinians in the West Bank."
What does the West Bank or the Palestinians or the asserted brutality of Israel you brought up have to do with a Gov of Pa? Is he the prime minister of Israel does he set policy for Israel? No, so why attempt to give the perpetrator cover? Why make excuses for his behavior? One has nothing to do with the other except the Gov of Pa and the prime minister of Israel both happen to be Jewish. The entire point is the perpetrator conveniently attacked Gov Shapiro for what takes place in Israel because he is Jewish. That is anti- semitic and you asserted that maybe it wasn't. Why would a Jewish person here be responsible for what happens in Israel?
What about the civil war going on in Sudan? Is it ok to attack a Sudanese person living here for what Abdal Fatta Al Burhan does there? Can we set their house on fire? Are you going to offer up an excuse for that perpetrator that it might have been because of the atrocities that are happening in the civil war in Sudan? How ridiculous. Because they are both Sudanese one is not responsible for the other's behavior. That's what I'm talking about.
His motive MAY have been antisemitism, but it MAY also have been targeting those who support Israel's policies, per se.
Motive is in the mind of the actor. Inferring motive by connecting dots without knowledge of the actor's thinking is not NECESSARILY antisemitism, periood.
You conclude, without the required evidence, that the motive can ONLY be antisemitism. Simole-minded, self-serving reasoning.
You may be right, but, without evidence, all you have is conjecture, not proof.
Jews are the perennial scapegoats. This is so particularly over the recent years with Trump around using this to foment his power. And some Jews fall for it and for him because of that pretense, the pretense that he cares about the Jews. He's for right wing Jews only that are, in some Jews minds taking Israel down a terrible path existentially. I include myself in that. Trump promotes, loves right wing hate; he's constantly disseminating, reverberating out. He gathers such myrmidons around him. They give out permission and act under the guise of being pro-Israel and anti-terrorism (a broad unsubstantiated category). Right wing Israel may as well be our 51st state!!. This serves to counteract the devastating news from Gaza which was helped by our support of Israel's right wing government and rationalized here as terrorism rather than resistance to occupation. Biden can claim some of the credit for this though he tried to walk some of it back. In my view Trump's support for Israel is for his political power;he cares not for Jews.
This is a Trump tactic; he gets plenty of well chosen help, including from Congress, to promote hate.This is also ADDICTIVE, worse than Fentanyl. This is used to gain and keep political power taking advantage of ignorance and baked in antiSemitism. Stephen Miller/Pam Bondi/JDVance et al are very dark characters.They all have abandoned their souls to work for Trump. Trump is obviously mentally unfit and a destroyer. But we keep going round in circles by the outrages he causes.
In this case, Trump called the arsonist attack a "whack job". Trump is THE arsonist, the planner and promoter with the power we allow and continue to allow because we gave him the power, the power of our destroying government it seems.
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So It's okay to add his anti immigrant and his own (proven)antiSemitism to the program of delegitimizing untold numbers of innocent students without proof or due process. He uses the dastardly program of rendition to have a foreign country keep many of them as if they are terrorists. The rest told to go home. What did they do? They may have protested or not. They may have protested against Israel NOT Jews, but instead Israel's war on Palestinians in Gaza which is WAY beyond a October 7th response for a rational caring mind to absorb. They MAY agree that this is genocide against the Palestinians as some respected critics say. Many Jews, shamed, agree and speak out about this. But if it means taking down Shapiro as a political opponent, they use the "it's anti-Semitic" cudgel. Shapiro is very pro Israel. Anti-Semtism is not illegal though. It's awful and perennial, to be disdained and shamed and called out, but not illegal especially if it is not an ACT or against a SPECIFIC FEDERAL LAW. We have freedom of thought and speech. There are many things said and thought that could be also made illegal if we were going to go that way...to become totalitarian.
So this is the GOOD FIGHT.. and it starts with RESISTING Trump and his myrmidons..
The arsonist is mentally ill with either schizophrenia or bi-polar disease I read. We don't know why exactly he set fire to Shapiro's dining room (attacking the sedar?). Was it something he heard from someone about Shapiro having sympathy for the Gazans/ Palestinians? Was it because Shapiro supports Israel but criticizes the I government?
Anti-Semitism gets confused with anti-Israel and anti-Zionism.
Anti-Palestinian or anti-Islamism or even anti-Hamas gets confused too. There are all sorts of opinions and variations.
BUT NONE Of THIS IS ILLEGAL.
People have the right to think and speak as they choose. And so long as they do not break the law in their actions they have FIRST AMENDMENT rights
When a person is primarily acting from *known mental illness* this should not be taken as one more incident of broader anti-Semitism. Trump and his supporters, those that are against Shapiro a Democrat, are complicit here as well aren't they?
Thanks for writing this. Antisemitism is on the rise across the spectrum, and very dangerous on both the far right and the far left. Every generation has to work to stamp it out. I discussed why in this talk: https://theystandcorrected.substack.com/p/video-joshs-october-7-speech
Among the many outrages this cruel, immoral administration is guilty of, the worst is the gaslighting and butchering of truth. Trump and his minions don’t give a flying flamingo about real anti-semitism any more than they care about democracy.
Harvard is being attacked because it supposedly didn’t do enough to combat anti-semitism on campus, in the same way DOGE is supposedly fighting “waste, fraud and abuse.” Smokescreens to cover up attacks on government, attacks on intellectual freedom, attacks against the institutions of a strong republic…They’re about dictatorship, nothing more.
Absolutely correct. The idea that Trump is so "antisemitic" is incredibly laughable. He sold his Jewish accountant down the river in a legal case. So what that his daughter is a convert? I'm not impressed. He didn't even have the common decency to call Shapiro and offer condolences to him and his family. What president of this country has ever not done that except this monster? I was pleasantly surprised that JD gave his condolences and condemnation very quickly after the incident was reported. I was shocked, but frankly, good for him. He didn't side with his master.
You don't have to be much of a man to condemn a firebombing and attempted murder of a Jewish family on the first night of Passover. But we now know the Mango Malfeasance doesn't even rise to that lowest of bars.
You're right, but the fact that JD acted on his own and didn't bend the knee, as he usually does, shocked me. I mean, Trump couldn't pick up the friggin' phone for God's sakes?? I don't give a crap what party Shapiro belongs to, or if he rightfully sued the government for monies owed to his state. His home and family were attacked. If that had happened at Mar a Lago, it would be on the front page for weeks, and Trump would be milking it for all of its worth, just like his fake assassination attempt which barely injured him.
He absolutely loathes that she converted and married a “Jew.” He said it at her wedding. He’s beyond antisemitic.
I also do not understand why mainstream media is underplaying this event. (Though yes, I realize arson itself is a major crime, too.) Every headline or chyron I've seen uses a phrase like "Arson attack" or "Arson investigation" -- rather than "Attempted assassination attempt" or "Attempted attack on the governor."
Absolutely, and the fact that State police were on the property, saw the guy jump the fence, and didn't draw guns to stop him is simply incomprehensible, unless they were hoping he'd succeed in his plans. I read last night that a PA rep, I think his name is Meuser perhaps, condemned the attack, kind of, but also said that Shapiro needed to tone down his so-called rhetoric vs Trump; saying it was coming from "both sides". Don't think Shapiro has openly said anything about DT, but has sued the govt for non-payment of money owed to PA. Apparently, this jerk is planning on running against Shapiro for gov. When Shapiro heard what he said, he succinctly stated ( I paraphrase) that people in government should not forget their moral centers.
It’s not complicated. They downplayed it because he’s Jewish.
I am the daughter of parents who fled Nazi Europe. This attack and all the crazy that is happening on the federal level has my alarm bells ringing. My mother, who died recently at the age of 101, talked about antisemitism almost every time I visit. She called it the oldest illness of human beings. She couldn't understand why the world hated such a tiny population. I'm with her.
I'm also a 2nd Gen and the Holocaust is baked into my ancestral bones. As much as I see the United States as a bastion of freedom, like many Jews, I also know that it can happen anywhere.
Same here. Many of my grandmother's family members were murdered during the Holocaust in Eastern Europe. When I saw pictures of Shapiro's dining room, it looked like a war zone. Thank God no one was hurt. And I don't know why the intruder was not shot on sight; troopers were present.
Irene, I am a first gen. Aside from my family and one other family, I don't personally know of other first gen people. My childhood best friend comes from a family much longer established in the US and she still doesn't have that baked in sense we do.
1st Gen? So you personally survived the Holocaust?
Hi, no, my parents fled Nazi Europe with their families. From what I understand, I am first gen from the Holocaust. The generation after. I am first gen American. So, maybe our terms are not in agreement, but I think we are in agreement about the terrible situation our country is in.
Thanks for explaining. We're considered 2nd gen, the generation after. And yes America is in a difficult time because too many voters followed the pied piper, a dreadful human being. I am quite sure many are ruing that choice.
One hopes so!
Being a child of Holocaust fleers was not an easy , that's for sure! In my family, it was Not Talked About, but we all KNEW.
We've seen this before -- the attacker is always called "mentally disturbed," without any discussion of the anti-Semitic cesspools in which they've been swimming.
The hypocrisy of a “pro-Israel” posture by this administration is as nauseating as it is transparently spurious. Whenever I see one of the good ol boys defending Israel as an excuse to go after “the other”, their actual racism, is hiding at the moment but make no mistake, it’s also baked in.
We’re not at the top of the list at the moment, but it’s not hard to imagine what comes next. Don’t even have to imagine it, the playbooks have been around for awhile now, no one bothers to read, but will be thoroughly surprised when the 3am knocks begin.
On a lighter note, let’s see again how prescient the great Tom Lehrer was. Take it all in, it’s more relevant now than I’d have imagined.
https://youtu.be/zCluI87gQ3I?si=72hYk9BdsFiJXsl7
Nauseating is the right word. This guy has never been a lover of Judaism, in any way, shape or form, and I don't give one crap that his daughter converted and his son in law is Jewish, so somehow, that makes him pro-Jew. He supports Israel because Bibi is a clone of his, and he thinks he can make some money on them. It really disturbs me that some of the released Israeli hostages think that he is their savior. Oh please. Have his threats to Hamas released them all? Absolutely not.
Thank you for this. I am having trouble putting into words my multi-faceted horror and disgust--at the explosion of antisemitism post-Oct 7 and all its warping and mis-matching of reality, at this monstrous (and but-for-a-shut-door much worse) arson targeting Gov Shapiro and his family, at the hideous echoes on the attack on Paul Pelosi (and planned attack on Nancy Pelosi) in the planned hammer attack, and at the way too many have decided to ignore the attacker's stated antisemitic motives in favor of their own spin, deflection, disinterest, or victim-blaming. Sorry, I can't assemble a coherent comment, just thank you for this.
This is the "crisis of hate-fueled and political violence". Antisemitism is one of its extremely ugly heads. Hate is the fire. Delusion is the spark. And there's very little help during an Administration which has absolutely no love nor sympathy nor empathy for others. Governor Shapiro definitely should have received much more concern and support, at least via media. My regards and best wishes to the Shapiro family.
For people wanting to learn more about antisemitism, I suggest Dara Horn's book, PEOPLE LOVE DEAD JEWS. Quite a history. Especially helpful to understand as Trump uses fighting antisemitism as a pretext for attacking universities, education, science, etc. Christian nationalists believe Jews will burn in oil after the Rapture they eagerly await. Somehow they ignore the very real possibility that Jesus was an itinerant rabbi with dark skin.
That's exactly what Jesus was. Several years ago, we belonged to a liberal Methodist church who had a very conservative, far right small sect as members; always stirring the pot about something. I happened to have one of their sons in my Sunday school class, so knew what the parents were about. At that time, I sat on the Education committee for Sunday school children's classes. The mother of my student sat across from me in the meeting of the committee one evening, and during the conversation, she objected to some of the curriculum (I believe it was focusing on Jesus and his background) and point blank said "Jesus wasn't a Jew". I just stared at her, ready to jump across the table at her. The head of the committee, who was a very level-headed older woman, ignored this incredibly ignorant and hateful remark, and kept the committee centered on business. Thankfully, this couple and their disruptive kid left the congregation soon after. Good riddance.
I am also a Jewish American and I say antisemitism needs to stop and so does anti-Arab hate. What's happened in Israel makes me sad and angry and that's mirrored by what's been happening here. Something needs to give I am personally not sure what that is but things need to change and change drastically here in the US and in Israel also.
Yes it is anti semitism, but what about official persecution, by the government itself, of people who defend the right of Palestinians to exist? Of people that get illegally detain by masked criminals masquerading as police, and then taken away to obscure centres, far from home? How in the world can one be so selective and have no solidarity with those with whom does not share political ideas? And this happening at the time when the nazi like government run by the Trump-like criminal keep committing, in front of our eyes, a genocide in Gaza, which is basically in rubbles, where hundreds of children gets wounded and tens killed daily? Such an article plays beautifully into the hands of zionists, the most dangerous group at the moment on earth, one that is dragging the US into actively supporting the eradication of Palestinians and does everything to destroy the US democracy.
I strongly disagree with the premise that the attack on Shapiro Had to be anti-Semitism. That COULD have been the case, but it could have been instead that Shapiro was perceived as anti-Palestinian, or as supportive of Israel's brutality in Gaza and oppression of Palestinians in the West Bank. The two are NOT equivalent.
My wife (Jewish) and I (Episcopalian) view the actions of the NetanYahoo government as criminal, both in quietly allowing/supporting Hamas for more than a decade before the October 7th attack, allowing it to build the capabilities that led to that tragedy. NatanYahoo is no different from Trump, orchestrating leadership of their respective countries so they could stay out of jail.
Yes, anti-Semitism is a scourge, just as are prejudice and oppression of minorities of all sorts. But the horrors of the Holocaust (and the centuries of oppression of Jews in parts of Europe that preceded it) do not justify what Israel has been doing to Palestinians, pushing them off of land that seems to belong equally to both of them.
You seem to be confused about what exactly anti-semitism is, so I'll just quote the Department of State with what they say is anti-semitism and include just what applies in this case.This is anti- semitic-
*Holding Jews collectively responsible for the actions of the state of Israel.
Cody Balmer statement-"the governor needs to be told he will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” (holding Jews collectively responsible)
Cody Balmer statement- “Our people have been put through too much by that monster,” Balmer said over the phone, according to the warrant, adding that “all he has is a banquet hall to clean up.” (holding Jews collectively responsible)
*Criminal acts are anti semitic when the targets of attacks, whether they are people or property – such as buildings, schools, places of worship and cemeteries – are selected because they are, or are perceived to be, Jewish or linked to Jews.
Cody Balmer statement- Balmer told police that he knew when he started the fires Sunday that Shapiro and his family could be there, that he was “harboring a hatred” for Shapiro, and that he would have attacked him with a hammer if he had seen him inside the residence, (people, property , buildings stc perceived to be Jewish or linked to Jews)
Cody Balmer is an anti- semite who targeted his attack towards the Governor because he was a Jew ok?
YOUR statement- " I "strongly" disagree with the premise that the attack on Shapiro Had to be anti-Semitism. That COULD have been the case, "but it could have been instead of that ....
(and here it comes) Shapiro was perceived as anti-Palestinian, or as supportive of Israel's brutality in Gaza and oppression of Palestinians in the West Bank." ( translation- Shapiro must have deserved having his house set on fire because he's responsible for the actions of Israel.) You are an apologist for a Jew hater and believe yourself immune from critique because you happen to be married to a Jew. I wonder how many times you assert who you are married to to excuse your bigotry? You are not immune and you are not excused. You are an apologist for someone who attempted to murder defenseless people and you are attempting to make excuses for his motivations for starting the fire as if any motivation in the world qualifies anyone to set fire to anyone's home.
There were 30 people asleep in that house that could have died including small children, not to mention the fire fighters who had to risk their lives fighting the fire, but because the victims in the house were Jewish you want to give Cody Balmer a pass.
YOU, by your very statement are holding the Jewish Governor and family and his 25 guests collectively responsible for the actions of Israel." we know this because you brought it up.
No one on this earth has been more constantly held to a higher standard of behavior not expected or demanded of any other people than the standard to which a Jewish person is held and it is the epitome of anti- semitism and on some level I know that you know you are doing it. This person you are so determined to defend whose bad behavior you've conveniently ignored, has three prior assault charges pending against him. Before his most recent attack upon the Governor, family and guests, he shoved a child into a wall because he was angry, and when the child's mother tried to intervene, he planted his fist into her face and beat the crap out of her, it was the child that had to call 911.This was a grown man who beat up a woman and child ok? So think about His behavior and what you so admire about it.
I'm not defending anyone -- I know nothing about the perpetrator of this attack. I'm simply objecting to the knee-jerk reaction, about which I wrote.
If you know nothing about the perpetrator, then why offer a defense on his behalf?
"but it could have been instead that Shapiro was perceived as anti-Palestinian, or as supportive of Israel's brutality in Gaza and oppression of Palestinians in the West Bank."
What does the West Bank or the Palestinians or the asserted brutality of Israel you brought up have to do with a Gov of Pa? Is he the prime minister of Israel does he set policy for Israel? No, so why attempt to give the perpetrator cover? Why make excuses for his behavior? One has nothing to do with the other except the Gov of Pa and the prime minister of Israel both happen to be Jewish. The entire point is the perpetrator conveniently attacked Gov Shapiro for what takes place in Israel because he is Jewish. That is anti- semitic and you asserted that maybe it wasn't. Why would a Jewish person here be responsible for what happens in Israel?
What about the civil war going on in Sudan? Is it ok to attack a Sudanese person living here for what Abdal Fatta Al Burhan does there? Can we set their house on fire? Are you going to offer up an excuse for that perpetrator that it might have been because of the atrocities that are happening in the civil war in Sudan? How ridiculous. Because they are both Sudanese one is not responsible for the other's behavior. That's what I'm talking about.
His motive MAY have been antisemitism, but it MAY also have been targeting those who support Israel's policies, per se.
Motive is in the mind of the actor. Inferring motive by connecting dots without knowledge of the actor's thinking is not NECESSARILY antisemitism, periood.
You conclude, without the required evidence, that the motive can ONLY be antisemitism. Simole-minded, self-serving reasoning.
You may be right, but, without evidence, all you have is conjecture, not proof.
Jews are the perennial scapegoats. This is so particularly over the recent years with Trump around using this to foment his power. And some Jews fall for it and for him because of that pretense, the pretense that he cares about the Jews. He's for right wing Jews only that are, in some Jews minds taking Israel down a terrible path existentially. I include myself in that. Trump promotes, loves right wing hate; he's constantly disseminating, reverberating out. He gathers such myrmidons around him. They give out permission and act under the guise of being pro-Israel and anti-terrorism (a broad unsubstantiated category). Right wing Israel may as well be our 51st state!!. This serves to counteract the devastating news from Gaza which was helped by our support of Israel's right wing government and rationalized here as terrorism rather than resistance to occupation. Biden can claim some of the credit for this though he tried to walk some of it back. In my view Trump's support for Israel is for his political power;he cares not for Jews.
This is a Trump tactic; he gets plenty of well chosen help, including from Congress, to promote hate.This is also ADDICTIVE, worse than Fentanyl. This is used to gain and keep political power taking advantage of ignorance and baked in antiSemitism. Stephen Miller/Pam Bondi/JDVance et al are very dark characters.They all have abandoned their souls to work for Trump. Trump is obviously mentally unfit and a destroyer. But we keep going round in circles by the outrages he causes.
In this case, Trump called the arsonist attack a "whack job". Trump is THE arsonist, the planner and promoter with the power we allow and continue to allow because we gave him the power, the power of our destroying government it seems.
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So It's okay to add his anti immigrant and his own (proven)antiSemitism to the program of delegitimizing untold numbers of innocent students without proof or due process. He uses the dastardly program of rendition to have a foreign country keep many of them as if they are terrorists. The rest told to go home. What did they do? They may have protested or not. They may have protested against Israel NOT Jews, but instead Israel's war on Palestinians in Gaza which is WAY beyond a October 7th response for a rational caring mind to absorb. They MAY agree that this is genocide against the Palestinians as some respected critics say. Many Jews, shamed, agree and speak out about this. But if it means taking down Shapiro as a political opponent, they use the "it's anti-Semitic" cudgel. Shapiro is very pro Israel. Anti-Semtism is not illegal though. It's awful and perennial, to be disdained and shamed and called out, but not illegal especially if it is not an ACT or against a SPECIFIC FEDERAL LAW. We have freedom of thought and speech. There are many things said and thought that could be also made illegal if we were going to go that way...to become totalitarian.
So this is the GOOD FIGHT.. and it starts with RESISTING Trump and his myrmidons..
thank you for indulging me.........
The arsonist is mentally ill with either schizophrenia or bi-polar disease I read. We don't know why exactly he set fire to Shapiro's dining room (attacking the sedar?). Was it something he heard from someone about Shapiro having sympathy for the Gazans/ Palestinians? Was it because Shapiro supports Israel but criticizes the I government?
Anti-Semitism gets confused with anti-Israel and anti-Zionism.
Anti-Palestinian or anti-Islamism or even anti-Hamas gets confused too. There are all sorts of opinions and variations.
BUT NONE Of THIS IS ILLEGAL.
People have the right to think and speak as they choose. And so long as they do not break the law in their actions they have FIRST AMENDMENT rights
When a person is primarily acting from *known mental illness* this should not be taken as one more incident of broader anti-Semitism. Trump and his supporters, those that are against Shapiro a Democrat, are complicit here as well aren't they?
https://www.inquirer.com/news/pennsylvania/cody-balmer-josh-shapiro-arson-search-warrants-20250416.html
The question I have is how to best deal with anti-Semitism.
I think what needs to be done is a massive education program to prevent it from developing in the first place.
It all begins with lies about us that are believed. The hatred comes after the lies are believed.
But to counter them will require huge amounts of investment in time and money.
We need to supplant extensive lies amplified a thousand fold by social media algorithms.
I was encouraged to learn the ADL is putting effort into studying the roots of the problem.
But I’m still worried because my guess is the amount of effort may be beyond our capabilities.