The Ominous Shadow Of Antisemitism: 'Antisemitism has reached a tipping point in America'

The Ominous Shadow Of Antisemitism:

Steve Herzig

Between 1880 and 1917, more than 2 million Jewish people immigrated from Eastern Europe to America—the Goldene Medina (Yiddish for “Golden Land”). They fled poverty, persecution, and the rising tide of deadly antisemitism, seeking refuge in a nation that promised liberty and opportunity. My four grandparents were among the wave of immigrants. They believed America was that Golden Land, the “land of the free and the home of the brave.”

Despite the challenges of starting over in a new country, they passed on to their children—my parents—a deep love for America. So, it came as no surprise that, immediately after Pearl Harbor, my father and my mother’s brothers eagerly volunteered for military service. I remember family gatherings where they proudly recounted their wartime experiences, knowing America had played a critical role in defeating Hitler and fascism while helping to prevent the extermination of the Jewish people.

They passed their love of America on to me. I grew up believing, as they did, that America was not just a refuge but a wonderful place to live, thrive, and grow as a Jew.

But many Americans’ response to the terror attacks of October 7, 2023, the ensuing war between Israel and Hamas, and now Israel and Iran’s conflict have shaken that belief. Since October 7, antisemitism in America has surged to alarming, even deadly, levels and, with it, fear among Jewish Americans.

The American Jewish Committee’s (AJC’s) 2024 report, “The State of Antisemitism in America,” the most comprehensive survey of its kind, analyzed the rise of Jewish hatred over the last six years. The report’s data begins in November 2018, shortly after the Tree of Life synagogue terrorist shooting in Pittsburgh that left 11 people dead and six others injured.

According to the report, 90% of Jewish Americans say antisemitism in the United States has increased since October 7. Another 77% say they feel less safe living as Jews in America since Hamas’s massacre. In the year following October 7, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) recorded more than 10,000 antisemitic incidents in the United States—the highest number recorded since the ADL began tracking them in 1979.

After the report was released, AJC CEO Ted Deutch said, “Antisemitism has reached a tipping point in America, threatening the freedoms of American Jews and casting an ominous shadow across our society.”

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said that, since October 7, “Jewish Americans haven’t had a single moment of respite … we’ve faced a shocking number of antisemitic threats and experienced calls for more violence against Israelis and Jews everywhere.”

The AJC report revealed that 56% of Jewish Americans have changed their behavior because of the rise of antisemitism. Some hide their identity on online forums, while others avoid going to certain places and events. For protection, they sometimes refrain from wearing visible symbols of their faith—like the Star of David or a yarmulke.

Once unthinkable in America, these preventive patterns are sadly becoming more mainstream. In 2018, Forbes wrote of a similar shift in France, where growing antisemitism forced Jewish people to question their future in the country; and many began to forgo any visible aspect of their Jewish identity. Now, Jewish Americans are reacting the same way:

• 40% avoid wearing visibly Jewish clothing or symbols in public.

• 31% avoid specific events or locations out of fear.

• 78% of those who experienced antisemitism did not report it.

• 54% of them said they didn’t believe reporting antisemitic incidents would make a difference.

The data is especially troubling for young Jewish people:

• 41% of Jewish people aged 18–29 say they have been targeted by antisemitism.

• 48% of Jewish college students feel unsafe at campus events.

• 33% say student life and faculty are actively promoting antisemitism.

• 24% say antisemitic ideas are embedded in their curriculum.

The climate in America is changing—and not for the better. The very nation that once gave refuge to my grandparents now feels, for many Jewish people, less like a golden land and more like the Europe they fled.

Yesterday in Chernivtsi, an event took place that could become a turning point: People are beginning to wake up

Video Captures Another Zelenskiy Regime Brutal Attack On Orthodox Priest At Cherkasy Cathedral As Christian Persecution Continues

Tsarizm Staff

A video published yesterday shows how the godless members of the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” treat Orthodox clergy. In the scene, a priest is thrown to the ground and beaten repeatedly and mercilessly.

God-hating thugs and schismatics attempted to seize the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Cherkasy, Ukraine, on Tuesday, though in the end, the Orthodox faithful managed to regain control of their holy site.

Whereas churches seized by the schismatic OCU, which enjoys the support of the Ukrainian state and Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, stand practically empty, a thousand parishioners came to the cathedral to thank God for His protection.

However, several people were severely injured during the hours-long standoff, including His Eminence Metropolitan Meletiy of Cherkasy, who was sprayed with tear gas and shoved to the ground by police.

And in the video published yesterday, a local priest, Fr. Roman, is shown being severely beaten and dragged along the ground:

He was then lifted up over the church fence and dropped 10 feet on the other side.

Fr. Roman suffered a broken nose and heart, chest, pelvic, and leg injuries.

A montage video also shows how at least one anti-Orthodox schismatic pretended to be a wheelchair-bound invalid to get into the church. It also shows a group of young men raging like beasts, violently attacking people right in front of the holy altar:

Another priest, Fr. Vitaly Goncharuk, was also beaten and hospitalized, suffering a broken nose. In a video address, he asked Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople about those who beat him and put him in the hospital: “Do you recognize your spiritual child? A child of that church under Epiphany’s leadership, to whom you handed the tomos and recognized him as a bishop, equal among you?”

Yesterday in Chernivtsi, an event took place that could become a turning point—not just in the life of one city, but for the entire country. People are beginning to wake up

Masked individuals stormed into the cathedral—beating priests, parishioners—the scene resembled a hostile takeover. We’ve seen such scenes before—in Cherkasy, in Rivne, in other cities. But this time, something new happened.

Hundreds, possibly thousands, of townspeople came out to defend the church. Not politicians, not activists, but ordinary believers. Without orders, without organizers, simply because enough was enough. They drove out the attackers, who in panic began calling the police for help. And the police—suddenly—helped them, allowing the assailants to retreat in disgrace.

This moment is important not so much as an act of resistance, but as a sign: the people are no longer afraid. They have begun to self-organize. And this is no longer the Ukraine where everything could be resolved through top-down pressure or Telegram channels from Bankova Street. This is a living protest that doesn’t fit the usual patterns. It isn’t controlled by parties, it isn’t managed by grants, it comes from below—and that’s exactly what makes it dangerous for those in power.

You can dismiss it all as "enemy interference," pressure governors and mayors, or unleash the usual media noise. But the crucial thing has already happened: the process has begun. And this is one of those cases where a single spark can ignite a wildfire.

The Business Of Broken Self-Worth In The Digital Age

The Business Of Broken Self-Worth In The Digital Age

 Kay Rubacek

A new study from JAMA Pediatrics should stop us in our tracks: early adolescents who report addictive use of screens—not just frequent use—are more than twice as likely to consider suicide within two years.

Not because they’re online too much, but because they can’t stop.

At the same time, a young woman named Caroline Koziol, once a top athlete and student, is suing TikTok and Instagram after their algorithms flooded her feed with eating disorder content. What began as a search for fitness tips spiraled into full-blown anorexia. Hers is just one of over 1,800 similar cases being filed.

This isn’t a glitch in the system. It is the system.

Social media platforms aren’t just reflecting our insecurities—they’re cultivating them. Why? Because insecurity is profitable. 

When a teen feels like they’re not enough—too fat, too plain, too quiet—they stay online longer. They scroll, they compare, they engage. And every second they spend chasing validation, someone else cashes in.

What we’re seeing is the weaponization of low self-worth, scaled by algorithm and monetized by design.

That may sound harsh. But let’s be honest: this is not new. For decades, the beauty industry, fashion, even wellness trends have profited from telling people—especially women and girls—that they’re not quite good enough as they are. Social media just industrialized the tactic.

Now, platforms optimize for compulsive behavior, not joy or creativity. Addictive engagement is rewarded; mental health is collateral damage

The truth is, many industries benefit when people doubt themselves: advertisers profit from the fear of not measuring up, influencers and online gurus sell the illusion of “fixing” your flaws, and even parts of the pharmaceutical and therapy world expand when anxiety and depression rise.

Because the real danger isn’t just that tech platforms make people feel worthless.
 It’s that people don’t even realize it’s happening.

And when you don’t believe in your own worth, you’re willing to trade it—for anything that promises to give it back.

Hezbollah is at a crossroads, and a turning point may be coming

Putting on a brave face: Hezbollah is at a crossroads, and a turning point may be coming - analysis

SETH J. FRANTZMAN

The Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah is increasingly facing a crossroads. More than six months after it agreed to a ceasefire with Israel in November 2024, it has seen itself continually weakened in Lebanon. It faces not only continued Israeli airstrikes but also political pressure in Lebanon.

This is unprecedented. The group is facing calls to disarm. Hezbollah was always able to get around these calls over the years by claiming it was “resisting” Israel. However, the Iranian “axis of resistance” is now broken up and weakened as well. The Assad regime fell in December 2024, partly as a result of Hezbollah’s drubbing in the war with Israel. Iran was also handed a defeat in June, in a 12-day war with Israel.

What is left for the Hezbollah friends and allies club? Hamas is weakened. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group is also not very strong and has lost its headquarters in Damascus. The Houthis are far away in Yemen. Iranian-backed Iraqi militias are still strong but also encircled.

Hezbollah kept its weapons in the past by getting around various peace deals and ceasefires. For instance, when the Saudis helped end the Lebanese Civil War at meetings in Taif in 1989, Hezbollah kept its weapons and grew stronger as a result. Other factions put down their arms, such as the Christian militias. Hezbollah stockpiled. 

After Israel left Lebanon in 2000, Hezbollah grew even more assertive. It attacked Israel in 2006, and even though there was UN Resolution 1701 that was supposed to see the group withdraw from southern Lebanon, instead, Hezbollah grew exponentially stronger from 2007 to 2023. In 2008, for instance, Hezbollah attacked opponents in Beirut. Later, it prevented a new Lebanese president from being elected. Hezbollah came to control Lebanon’s military policy and foreign policy and also its politics. It intervened in Syria in 2012.

Now, Hezbollah is weaker. Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem stressed this weekend that the “resistance” will not accept continued Israeli aggression against Lebanon, affirming that the resistance is ready to confront the enemy, according to the pro-Hezbollah Al-Akhbar media in Lebanon. Hezbollah asks: "Is there anyone with a mind and the right mindset who can eliminate their own strengths while Israel fails to implement the agreement and continues its attacks?"

Qassem is now complaining that Lebanon is not defending Hezbollah from Israel. "Do you imagine we will remain silent forever? That's not true. You have tested us. When we are given a choice, we have only one option: dignity,” Hezbollah’s leader says.

Hezbollah is putting on a brave face, claiming that it will endure and that the era of American hegemony in the Middle East will pass. Hezbollah clearly blames the US and Israel for its predicament.

Hezbollah is also now under pressure from other parties in Lebanon. Walid Jumblatt, the powerful Druze leader, has said his party will hand over its weapons to the state. The message is that Hezbollah must hand over its arms as well. In the past, it has refused to do so. Now, a turning point may be coming. 

Lavrov: West will never succeed in attempts to defeat Russia

West will never succeed in attempts to defeat Russia – Lavrov

RT

Western war-hawks will not succeed in inflicting a “strategic defeat” on Russia, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said. He made the remark during talks with his Kyrgyz counterpart, Jeenbek Kulubaev, on Sunday during an official visit to Kyrgyzstan.

According to Lavrov, NATO and the EU are using the Ukraine conflict as a weapon against Russia.

“We are witnessing an unprecedented confrontation between our country and the collective West, which has decided to once again go to war against us and inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, essentially using the Nazi regime in Kiev as a battering ram,” he stated. “The West has never succeeded in this, and it will not succeed this time either.”

Lavrov said many Western policymakers “are beginning to guess” that their hawkish approach to Russia is futile, without elaborating. His remarks echo Moscow’s earlier warnings against Western support for the Kiev regime and militarization by NATO and the EU.

At a recent EU summit in Brussels, most member states backed more sanctions and aid for Ukraine. Hungary, however, vetoed the final statement and blocked Kiev’s EU accession talks.

Russia previously took a neutral stance on Ukraine’s EU bid, calling it a “sovereign right” as long as it remains an economic bloc. But with Brussels ramping up military spending, Russian officials have grown critical. Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman and former President Dmitry Medvedev has said the EU is now “no less of a threat” to Russia than NATO.

Moscow considers NATO expansion toward its borders to be a major national security threat, and has said the military bloc’s support for Ukrainian membership is one of the root causes of the conflict.

Russian officials slammed the bloc’s decision this week for member states to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP, which was presented as a way to deter the alleged “long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security.”

Moscow has denied that it has any intention of attacking Western states, dismissing the claims as “nonsense” used to justify a military buildup. Russian President Vladimir Putin accused NATO of fabricating threats to extract money from citizens of member states.