Democrats Need to Say Something About Antisemitism on Our Side

Op Ed by Matt Diemer

This is going to be “brief,” but it needs to be said.

The Democratic Party needs to say something about the growing antisemitic rhetoric showing up on the left, especially when it is being disguised as anti-Zionism.

I want to be very clear before people start twisting this.

I am anti-war. I am horrified by what has happened to Palestinian civilians. I do not support the destruction, displacement, death, and suffering happening in Gaza. I think our government has serious responsibility here. I think the Israeli government has serious responsibility here. I think Prime Minister Netanyahu and his coalition should be criticized. I think American elected officials who fund, defend, enable, or excuse this war should be criticized.

But that is not the same thing as blaming Jewish people.

That is not the same thing as using “Zionist” as a catchall for every conspiracy, every foreign policy frustration, every political grievance, and every ugly thing people used to say openly about Jews before they learned to code the language better.

And that is where I think this is going.

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Anti-Zionism Cannot Become a Mask

Originally, I thought some people used the word “Zionist” because they were trying to be more precise. They were trying to criticize a political project, a government, a nationalist ideology, or support for specific Israeli policies without saying “the Jews,” because obviously the Jewish people as a whole are not responsible for every action of the Israeli government.

That distinction is important.

But lately, I am hearing the word “Zionist” used in ways that do not feel precise at all. It is becoming a substitute word. A shield. A way for people to say things that sound very close to antisemitism while insisting they are only talking about politics.

This past weekend, I heard someone on a YouTube channel talk about AIPAC and “the Zionists,” and then clarify by saying, “you know, the people with the little hats.”

That is not subtle.

That is not coded.

That is not criticism of Israeli policy.

That is an attack on Jewish people.

And I think Democrats need to stop pretending we do not hear it.

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We Have to Be Able to Hold Two Thoughts at Once

This should not be hard.

We should be able to condemn the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza and also condemn antisemitism.

We should be able to criticize AIPAC’s, and all PACs influence in American politics, and also reject language that paints Jewish Americans as collectively responsible for Israel’s decisions.

We should be able to oppose war, oppose civilian suffering, oppose occupation, oppose extremism, and oppose Netanyahu without letting people slide into old antisemitic patterns with newer vocabulary.

This is not complicated.

Jewish Americans are Americans. They are our neighbors, friends, coworkers, classmates, community members, and constituents. Many of them have no control over what the Israeli government does. Many of them disagree with what the Israeli government does. Many of them are also watching antisemitism rise and wondering why people who claim to care about bigotry suddenly get quiet when the bigotry is aimed at them.

That should bother us.

And if it does not, then we need to ask ourselves what kind of big tent we are actually building.

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The Candidate Problem

This also matters because we now have candidates running as Democrats, and in some cases being promoted or endorsed by Democratic institutions, who have either used language, shared symbolism, or associated with rhetoric that Jewish voters have every right to find alarming.

I am not going to fully litigate Graham Platner here. The situation around his totenkompf tattoo and the broader questions around his campaign have been covered elsewhere, and The Angry Democrat did a deeper dive on that separately.

The Invention of Graham Platner

Even in local races, there are serious questions about candidates with antisemitic social media posts and comments still earning Democratic endorsements.

If you are asking to represent a district with a large Jewish population, then you have a responsibility to understand what your words mean to that community.

And the Democratic Party has a responsibility too.

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The Party Should Not Look Away

My bigger problem is not only with candidates.

My bigger problem is the Democratic Party endorsing, promoting, or protecting candidates while ignoring the legitimate concerns of Jewish voters.

That is what feels like a slap in the face.

At a time when Jewish Americans are seeing more threats, more hostility, more conspiracy language, and more open antisemitism, the party should be extra aware. Not silent. Not cowardly. Not afraid to criticize Israel. But careful, clear, and morally consistent.

Instead, too often, it feels like the party is looking the other way because the politics around Israel and Gaza are difficult. Because young voters are angry. Because the left is angry. Because people do not want to offend certain activist spaces. Because party leaders are afraid of losing a political lane.

That is cowardice dressed up as a coalition.

We cannot say we are the party of inclusion and then tell Jewish voters to swallow their concerns for the sake of political expediency.

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Call It Out Clearly

We need to be able to say this plainly.

Criticizing Israel is not antisemitic.

Criticizing Netanyahu is not antisemitic.

Criticizing AIPAC is not antisemitic.

Opposing war is not antisemitic.

Defending Palestinian civilians is not antisemitic.

But blaming “the Zionists” while pointing at Jewish religious symbols is antisemitic. Treating Jewish Americans as responsible for the Israeli government is antisemitic. Using anti-Zionism as a mask for old conspiracy language is antisemitic. Ignoring Jewish voters when they say they feel targeted is unacceptable.

The Democratic Party should be able to hold that line.

In fact, the Democratic Party must be able to hold that line.

Because if we cannot separate criticism of a government or geo-political issues from hostility toward a people, then we are not being morally serious. We are just letting anger turn into bigotry and calling it politics.

I do not want that in this party.

I do not want Jewish Democrats wondering whether there is still room for them in the coalition.

I do not want candidates rewarded for ignorance that harms the communities they are asking to represent.

And I do not want Democrats to become so afraid of internal conflict that we stop calling out antisemitism when it is happening right in front of us.

We can oppose war and oppose antisemitism.

We can criticize Israel’s government and protect Jewish communities.

Those things should coexist easily inside the Democratic Party.

If they cannot, then the party has a much bigger problem than it wants to admit.

Stay Angry.

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Opinion Disclaimer: This essay reflects the personal views of its author. Opinions published by The Angry Democrat are intended to encourage debate and discussion, and do not necessarily represent the views of the publication, its editors, contributors, or affiliated projects.