Amy Fried is professor emerita of political science at the University of Maine and author of Political Sightlines on Substack.
There’s an old joke I heard growing up as a Jewish kid in the shadow of World War II and the Holocaust that came to mind after reading Ethan Wolin’s excellent piece on progressive Maine Jews (“After a rocky road with Platner, Jewish Mainers size up the state’s progressive left,” July 22).
With typical irony it goes like this: A Jewish man is walking past a Nazi gathering where people are shouting “Down with the Jews!” He calls out “Down with the bicycle riders!” Puzzled, one participant asks, “Why the bicycle riders?” and he replies, “Why the Jews?”
That’s what the political atmosphere can seem like in progressive circles where it’s common to see some blaming AIPAC and Israel for everything they dislike, including negative news about a candidate they back.
There are so many things wrong with that.
For one, it’s often one step from directly blaming Jews. Consider a response I received after suggesting that Platner should demonstrate greater understanding of gendered violence and abuse. I offered this advice after the New York Times reported that Platner abused some women he dated. A reader reached out to tell me “There is some indication that one of the writers had an obvious bias, as a Jewish activist, which I’m sure you know all about.”
That’s antisemitic. Why would Jewish reporters be inherently untrustworthy? Why would I, a Jewish woman, know all about it? And calling a journalist a “Jewish activist” is more than strange.
There’s a broader context here, the horrific history of believing rich Jews pull the strings of political doings. Just look at collections of antisemitic images. Toward the start of the Senate campaign I spied a drawing in which Gov. Janet Mills was held aloft by a hook-nosed puppeteer labeled Chuck Schumer. Not only was that antisemitic but, with the implication that the notably tough and independent Janet Mills isn’t her own person, it was misogynistic.
As a political scientist, I can also tell you that, according to research on money in politics, there’s no clear evidence that donations to politicians are incentives (or, in common language, bribes) that get them to adopt particular views. Often contributions are rewards for candidates and elected officials who already agree with a person or group. That’s true with anti-abortion and pro-reproductive rights groups; organizations interested in taxes or health care or labor rights; and all groups focused on U.S. foreign policy, including on Israel.
Progressives should listen to Jews the way they’ve learned to listen to members of other minority groups, whether Black, gay, trans, Muslim or indigenous, about what language is appropriate and what they care about.
True, Jews don’t all agree — we often say “two Jews, three opinions” — but there are widespread worries about the rise of antisemitic tropes and rhetoric, sometimes blatant and sometimes implied. That’s true at a time when American Jews’ views about what the Israeli government is doing and on Palestinian rights are mixed and complex.
Most American Jews have long been staunch Democrats and part of its progressive bloc, standing up for civil rights and greater class equality. But political coalitions can fall apart if a group feels marginalized or taken for granted. If Democrats and progressives want to preserve this crucial relationship, it begins with sitting down and listening.
Personally I’m deeply concerned with the safety of American Jews. There was a time when I could go to services on Shabbat and walk right in. These days every synagogue and Jewish institution has had to spend money and time on security, with everything from locked doors and closed circuit cameras to guards, parking area bollards, to even vetting people ahead of time. That’s not because of paranoia but because of increased attacks on Jewish people. Rank and file Democrats and Democratic candidates (and Republicans) should learn about these realities and fears, respect them and try to avoid rhetoric that feeds into antisemitic views and actions.
And that’s no joke.