Antisemitism and US Foreign Policy

Dov Waxman and Jeremy Ben-Ami

Dov Waxman is the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Chair in Israel Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles . Jeremy Ben-Ami is president of J Street.

The Trump administration continues to falsely equate pro-Palestine activism in the United States with antisemitism while claiming that its stalwart support for Israel — i.e., its uncritical backing of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his unpopular far-right government — is equivalent to supporting Jews. The administration even touts its purportedly “pro-Israel” policies as proof of its concern for Jews.

But giving Netanyahu and his far-right allies carte blanche to do what they like in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank does not protect Jews, it makes them less safe.

Implying, as Trump does, that Israel is an extension of all Jewish Americans fuels the misdirection of anger over Israeli government actions toward Jewish Americans.

And allying the United States with far-right movements around the world boosts antisemitism in this country and around the world.

History and research show that whenever Israel engages in major military operations causing significant Palestinian casualties, antisemitic incidents and hate crimes against Jews spike worldwide, as Jews are unfairly blamed for Israel’s actions. Antisemitic attitudes also harden at such moments.

Today, after two years of devastating war in Gaza — with over 67,000 Palestinians reported killed, vast neighborhoods destroyed, and millions suffering in a humanitarian catastrophe — anger toward Israel is at an unprecedented level. By allowing Netanyahu to break the ceasefire with Hamas in March 2025 and then block vital humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, the Trump administration effectively helped further fuel the surge in antisemitism in the US and around the world. Now that President Trump has finally forced Netanyahu to accept another ceasefire agreement, it is incumbent on the Trump administration to ensure that the President’s 20-point plan is fully implemented so that the current ceasefire not only permanently ends the war in Gaza but also paves the way to Israeli-Palestinian peace. This will help deliver security for Israel and greater safety for Jews around the world.

This also requires the Trump administration to stop giving a green light to the Netanyahu government’s dangerous and destructive actions in the West Bank. Such a laissez-faire approach doesn’t protect Jews — it endangers them. When the US enables Israeli actions that inflame tensions with Palestinians and worsen the suffering of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation, it only deepens global outrage toward Israel, which too often spills over into antisemitic sentiment and attacks. By aligning the United States with the most extreme policies of the Israeli right, the Trump administration not only undermines prospects for peace and Israel’s long-term security, but also damages the global fight against antisemitism — because hostility toward Jews worldwide inevitably grows.

When the US enables actions that inflame tensions and worsen the humanitarian crisis in Israel and Palestine, it only deepens global outrage toward Israel, which too often spills over into antisemitic sentiment and attacks.

The danger doesn’t stop in the Middle East. Trump officials have openly cultivated ties with far-right, antisemitic parties abroad. Most notably and shockingly, Vice President JD Vance told an audience of European officials that they should both stop censoring far-right speech and start working with far-right political parties; he then met with the leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD), which, per a German court ruling last year, is formally suspected of extremism. (Vance declined a meeting with the German chancellor). The AfD went on to win roughly 21% of the vote in Germany’s national election election, nearly doubling its share of the electorate since the last election and making it now the second-largest party in the German parliament. The growing political power of AfD members— some of whom met with neo-Nazis in November 2023 to discuss the mass deportation of migrants, asylum seekers and German citizens of foreign origin — represents a clear danger to Jews in Germany. Legitimizing such a party, as Vance has done, directly undermines Jewish safety in Germany.

The Trump administration’s growing alignment with authoritarian regimes and its public disputes and trade wars with liberal democracies such as Canada and the European Union also threaten to weaken and destabilize precisely the kinds of societies that have proven to be the most hospitable and secure for Jews and other minorities.

The two societies where Jews have had the most safety, freedom and prosperity in centuries are the United States and Israel, countries which till now have had robust if imperfect democracies, strong education and research institutions and respect for the rule of law. By contrast, authoritarian regimes have a long record of targeting, vilifying and persecuting Jews. This history should not be ignored and efforts to undermine democracy, protections for minorities and the independence of the judiciary should be regarded as attacks on fundamental protections on which the Jewish people depend.

Recommendations:

Press the administration to secure the release of all hostages, whether living or dead, surge aid into Gaza, prevent a resumption of the war, and fully realize the US-backed 20-point plan. Push for the disarmament of Hamas and oppose any long-term Israeli military occupation in Gaza.

US policymakers need to make clear that there is growing support across party lines for an end to the “blank check” approach to US aid to Israel and to the diplomatic immunity the US has provided to Israel in international fora. Among the steps that would be helpful are:

Clear delineation of restrictions on American security assistance to Israel so that it is only used for legitimately defensive purposes and in accordance with US and international law.
Enforcement of existing laws with meaningful consequences for violations in order to stop enabling Israeli actions that create the atmosphere in which opposition to Israeli policies can morph into antisemitism.
Establish clear US penalties for the extremists on the Israeli and Palestinian sides who engage in terror and other activities that put American citizens and interests at risk.

Encourage policymakers to help de-escalate and ultimately resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a regional agreement that includes the creation of an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza. New models for statehood, such as a confederation of two states, should be seriously considered.

Urge Jewish leaders and organizations to actively oppose any efforts by US officials to legitimize far-right parties and movements abroad and to commit to defending liberal democracy worldwide, including in the United States itself.

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Executive Summary

Introduction

Policy Recommendations: Fighting Antisemitism by Protecting Democracy

Antisemitism and Jewish Safety

Antisemitism and Democracy

Antisemitism and Xenophobia

Antisemitism and Universities

Antisemitism and the Attack on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Antisemitism and the Attack on Civil Society

Antisemitism and US Foreign Policy

A Language for and From Here: Introducing the Shofar Report, Part II

Antisemitism in the “Golden Land”?