Article by Rebecca Venger ('24)
We live in a country where political apathy and political obsession exist contrastingly together. There are hundreds of millions of politically uneducated citizens who blindly follow the unapologetically biased and ignorant words of Hollywood celebrities. And, at the same time, there are millions of those who listen blindly to actual politicians. But what happened to people who are both politically educated and unobsessed? What happened to moderate political engagement?
I have increasingly found myself turning further and further away from politics, which is slightly unbelievable if you know me. After all, I’m an avid member of Model United Nations, I constantly read the news, and I will accept an enthusiastic political debate any day. But, as I have grown more knowledgeable and the world has grown more radical, I can’t help but dread engaging in politics now. Every single tiny, huge, minor, major, irrelevant, and dire situation is so polarized. And, people who know nothing about it are blabbering on and on.
The mix of these two unfortunate circumstances have taken new heights when it comes to antisemitism. There are now those who are so obsessed with one political party or group that they are unable to address antisemitism from that party’s perspective because they think it will minimize their party’s standing. And then, there are those who are so apathetic and unaware of politics in general that they actually believe what a Hollywood celebrity who has nothing to do with politics has to say about Jews, Israel, and antisemitism.
Amidst the Kanye West antisemetic crisis this past month, October 2022, I have witnessed living proof of the confusing disaster described here. Kanye West, who has amassed an unfathomable amount of faithful followers, and who, very surprisingly, has named himself a politician although he has no valid credentials, has proudly vocalized the most blatant antisemitism on his personal social media and through other media extensions. Violent threats to Jews and affirmations of Jewish stereotypes, as well as totally false and unexplainable claims about Jews, have comprised the recent antisemetic package that West has freely released. And, no, antisemitism has never been, is not, and will never be a symptom of mental illness. In fact, it can be both antisemetic and ignorant of actual mental illness to claim so.
In reaction to West’s comments, conservative politicians and analysts have directly and indirectly expressed their opinions, many of which are disturbingly dismissive, on fellow “conservative” Kanye’s comments. Candance Owens, a popular conservative political commentator and public figure, claimed that anyone who is honest could not truthfully believe West’s words are antisemetic and that no one can say Jewish anymore without an uproar. I wonder why, Candace? Why is it that Owens even wanted to defend Kanye West, let alone actually curate a defensive narrative? It almost seems as though people today have become so obsessed with political association that it surpasses their personal morals.
What is most disturbing of all is how politicized antisemitism has become in the first place. After all, many liberals will guiltily smile at the news that conservatives displayed some sort of antisemitism because this can be used to defend liberalism and its antisemitism, much of which is unfailingly hidden under or blatantly woven through anti-Zionism. Conservatives guiltily smile at the news of the anti-Israel bills proposed by Alexanderia Ocasio Cortez because it can be used to defend conservative antisemitism. Both sides can be true. One side can be “worse” at a certain time without making the other side’s less obvious antisemitism invalid. What matters is that antisemitism is literally used as a scapegoat for obsessive political defense and offense. That, in itself, is antisemetic.
And then, there are those who simply do not know anything about antisemitism, Jewish history, or the Holocaust. Those who simply listen to Kanye West because they like his rap music, his preachings, his publicity. Those who listen to Bella Hadid when she claims antisemitism and anti-Zioinism are not intrinsically connected and do not exist dependently. Though it is bitter and sad to admit that such naivety is given a majority platform, it is the truth.
The world is ever-connected, ever-socialized, ever-polarized. Every word is given a platform somewhere on the web, floating in the Cloud. Unfortunately, a lot of those words are born from very powerful, vicious voices. People don’t just talk anymore. Hollywood isn’t just actors, models, singers, and entertainers anymore. Hollywood is power. “Talk” is power. Political apathy, in a totally warped and manipulated way, is power for those who have the ability to brainwash, create narratives, drive hate, and motivate Neo-Nazis to hail Hitler over the 405 freeway as they proudly announce, “Kanye is right about the Jews.”
The way to kill the apathy, the false narratives, and the misallocation of political power is by giving a higher voice to educated politicians. But, that option, which seems so obvious, is slowly slipping away as politicians and educated experts themselves are defensively eloping to a party, married to its values and completely associating their lives with it. Personal morals, which are meant to uphold and represent parties, are becoming less and less relevant, less and less substantial and defensible. The media is full of radicalism, obsession, and offensiveness. Instead of politically involved characters standing up to antisemitism as it is, they always have to push in some political narrative: “That’s why it’s so important to vote Right!” or “That’s why it’s so vital to vote Left!“ What happened to “that’s why it’s so important to not be radical, to not politicize everything, to separate opinions, to stand primarily by morals”?
It is unfathomable to me that in America, a place that welcomes Jews, antisemitism has been given a warm home in many different corners. It is unfathomable that in a post-Holocaust world, anyone, let alone politicians and Jews themselves, could dismiss blatant, consequential antisemitism. It is unfathomable that naive voices are given unique, uninterrupted platforms of power. It is unfathomable to witness the replacement of morals with political obsession and defensiveness. In a world so messy, a country so confused, a society so lost, remind yourself of what is important. Clearly, people can and will turn on Jews, their own neighbors and friends, without explanation. So, here’s my advice: if you are not Jewish, remember the power of your words, the influence of your voice, and the consequences of your actions. And, if you are Jewish, remember that political standing, wealth, popularity, and pride are not what antisemites are impressed with. They care that you are Jewish, and that is enough for them to rationalize hate.
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