OPINION: Antisemitism must be condemned, now more than ever.
Ever since President Trump took office, Nazism has been on the rise.
Trump stood for white nationalism disguised as patriotism which made a safe haven for Nazis to express their anti-Semitism freely without fear of repercussions, especially here in Florida.
Anti-Semitism is one of many examples of hypocrisy being displayed by the Republican Party.
Republican politicians, voters, and talking heads on right-wing media will demand the rest of us to condemn Democrats, especially “The Squad” of progressive congresswomen, of anti-Semitism when they are actually criticizing the Israeli government— which just happens to be based in a Jewish democratic country — for their treatment of the Palestinians.
But, when it comes to Trump’s anti-Semitic tropes and dog whistles, those same people are silent. Silence is complicity.
As we move forward in the present-day, here in the great state of Florida, Nazism is rising. White supremacists have been marching with their Nazi flags and anti-Semitic slurs over causeways in Brevard county and marching in an Orlando rally.
Not only did it take our Governor, Ron DeSantis over a day to say anything about these symbols of hatred, but he had the audacity to blame Democrats and call their criticism a smear campaign. Nazi symbols and hateful words may be protected under the first amendment, but leaders of the free world have an obligation to condemn evil.
Allow me to be blunt, there is nothing good about Nazis and what they stand for. I also want to point out the ignorance of his spokesperson refusing to acknowledge that they were actually Nazis.
As a Jewish resident of Florida, I can’t help but think of how other Jews are feeling right now that our governor has yet said anything about it. There have been attacks, gun violence throughout the country and our Governor is sitting idle allowing these people to invite others to demonstrate antisemitism.
I will say as a person who has participated in Jewish activism that these kinds of marches and rallies won’t stop at being “peaceful.”
They will eventually lead to incitement, to violence, and there will be more attacks because nothing is being done to show people the evil that comes from hate speech.
This is an opinion column.
