Graham Platner, he of the Nazi chest tattoo (since adjusted), the Democrats’ very own Trumpy, post-woke bearer of red flags, won a primary election, and is now the Democratic nominee for Maine senator. Platner is, in addition to existing somewhere in the antisemite-or-edgelord cloud of ambiguity, a critic of Israel. I take criticisms of Israel more seriously when they come from people who never had Nazi insignias of the sort included in alleged hate crimes affixed to their torsos, but I’m funny like that. But Maine’s Democratic voters were either able to overlook Platner’s unpleasantness or they didn’t find it unpleasant to begin with. And these are, again, Democrats, the party that’s long held the Jewish vote. What does it all mean? Is America now unlivable for Jews, and if so, leaving where, exactly? Cue the think-pieces about why American Jews are fleeing to Canada, possibly.

Or possibly not. I’m American but have lived in Toronto for over a decade. I became a Canadian citizen as well in September 2023, and have spent what feels like the bulk of time since fielding the question, Why is Canada such a hotbed of antisemitism? It can feel as though this is becoming what Canada is known for, displacing hockey, poutine, and assisted dying. It’s a question I have trouble answering because quite frankly everywhere is at least a warm bed of antisemitism these days. You get Jews finding everywhere untenable, including Israel, including the historically noteworthy move of Israel-to-Germany. It can feel as though colonizing the moon would be our only........

© Canadian Jewish News