I defend the existence of antisemitism, for two simple reasons:
1: Antisemitism keeps Jews distinctive. Without it, there would be no Jews.
2: Antisemitism is a valid way to correct Jews who stray from a Torah-guided mission.
1: Jewish Separation
The first is, I think, pretty self-evident. The Book of Esther, to choose but one example, tells of a Jewish hero, Mordechai, who is named after Marduk, Babylonia’s patron deity. “Mordechai” literally translates into “Marduk Lives.” That is… problematic. And his relative, Esther, shares the name of the Persian goddess of love, sex and fertility, Ishtar.
The story begins with a feast during which the Jews eat and drink alongside everyone else, and make no complaints when the vessels looted from the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem are casually used. The end, total assimilation, is approaching, and nobody does anything to stop it.
Enter Haman. His plan to destroy the Jews backfires on him – not just because Haman is killed, but because the Jews emerge from the story much stronger and distinctive than ever before. Arguably it is this story that leads to some Jews going back to Jerusalem and starting the rebuilding process. Haman – antisemitism – saved the Jews.
There are countless other examples throughout history, including (and especially) at the personal level. Being rejected by non-Jews as being different is certainly one way to know you are Jewish. The Soviet Union did precisely this, by labeling the “nationality” of certain citizens, whether they liked it or not, as “Jewish.” Had they not done so, then Jews would have assimilated away during the 70 years of the atheist Soviet ideology. There were 4.5-5 million Jews in the Russian Empire at the dawn of the USSR. 2-2.5 million were murdered in the Holocaust (including by non-Nazi locals). Nevertheless, in 1989, there were 1.45 million Jews in the Soviet census – far, far more than there would have been if the passports had not insisted on separating Jews from the rest of the population.
No antisemitism means no Jews.
2: The Jewish Mission
The second benefit of antisemitism is that it forces Jews to reconsider our goals, and how to achieve them. The Holocaust generation kept their heads down, in the classic “May God bless and keep the Tsar… far away from us!” formulation of Fiddler on the Roof. Antisemitism – the Holocaust – reminded Jews that we do not survive merely by trying to be unnoticed, invisible, disengaged from the world.
The result was the creation of the modern State of Israel. Though far from perfect (and certainly even farther from being true to Torah ideals), Israel is engaged with the whole world, in a way that would have been totally unrecognizable to those who had survived 2,000 years of the Diaspora by trying to never rock the boat or draw attention to themselves. Without the Holocaust, would Israel have been formed? It seems unlikely at best.
So Jews are meant to be engaged and active, not secluded. It is a simple lesson, very, very painfully learned.
Today’s post-Holocaust Jews are both the best and the worst people in the world. On the “pro” side are all the medical, legal, technological, science/engineering contributions that Jews make on a daily basis. Jews make things happen, by refusing to believe that we can be stopped.
On the other hand, Jews are also the worst people in the world. Pornhub and OnlyFans were both created and owned by Jews. Both are deep and corrosive destroyers of the potential humans have for holy relationships with each other and with G-d. Both were the brainchildren of Jews.
Jewish leftists, especially the kind who stand opposed to procreation (arguably the first commandment in the Torah – “Be fruitful and multiply”), as well as in opposition to Life writ large (e.g. the continued existence of Jewish civilization instead of Islamic barbarism) also must be called out and opposed at every turn. Attacking Jewish leftists may be antisemitic, but that still does not make it wrong.
When Candace Owens attacks Jews for these things, she has a point. Owens may be a paranoid brainless idiot, but the facts are the facts. Jews who engage in evil absolutely should be called out. And if Jews are not doing it, then antisemites will.
And there is an argument here for antisemitism even as a blunt instrument: though I may be innocent of the evil deeds that “Bad Jews” engage in, I may not be the first to try to correct the error of their ways. Just like the Holocaust generation, I am not free to answer to G-d for myself, but claim no responsibility for my brother. This principle was clearly set by Cain and Abel. We are our brother’s keeper, but we are also responsible for spreading the ideals of the Torah to the whole world, combating evil everywhere it rears its head.
In summary: Jews who assimilate are not Jewish. Jews who are not guided by the Torah are not good. Jews who do not understand that we are responsible for each other and indeed for all evil in the world, also need to be reminded of what G-d wants from us.
Antisemitism has a role to play for all of these.