Those who genuinely care about antisemitism must open their eyes wide and be swivel-headed – and not allow partisan political thinking to narrow the field of vision and sense of outrage.
All leaders in government, in civil society, must speak out and mobilize their constituencies to confront this evil, recognizing that antisemitism is not a Jewish problem; it’s a societal problem — a national danger. Having a clear and common definition of what precisely constitutes antisemitism is essential. That is why the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) and AJC have partnered on a national initiative, calling on mayors to declare unequivocally that antisemitism is incompatible with American values, human rights and the pillars of a free, democratic society.
In this week AJC Shabbat Table, we ponder the lessons to be learned when Moses’ father-in-law instructs him to avoid burn out by delegating some duties. No one leads alone. It is only with communities of committed leaders that we accomplish our goals. We also recount Soviet refusenik Natan Sharansky’s triumphant arrival in Israel and we provide some talking points and resources for a discussion about the Working Definition of Antisemitism developed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.
“If Only Israel (IOI) syndrome,” a term I began using several years ago, is the misguided notion, peddled in the name of Israel's “best interests” by some in the diplomatic, academic, and media worlds, that if only Israel did this or that, peace with the Palestinians would be at hand.