Just as COVID had certain features associated with it, so does antisemitism. None is more pronounced than a person harming his own interests because his hatred of Jews (or Israel in their place) trumps whatever would actually be best for him. The Palestinians and the Nazis are both examples of this phenomenon. Think of all of those genius scientists who left Europe because of the rise of antisemitism. Enrico Fermi was one of the pillars of the Manhattan Project. When he received his Nobel Prize, he simply never returned to Italy and made his way instead to the U.S. His wife was Jewish. The Palestinians could be living in paradise if they could get over the hump of Jew hatred and allow themselves to make peace and build a future. Not happening. Antisemitism is like a black hole that sucks all rational thinking and leaves a person worse off—and happier that he is hating the Jews.

There is a movement on the "woke right" in the U.S. that accuses people who are worried about Israel's safety and well-being of being "Israel First." The argument is that people like Sen. Ted Cruz are more concerned with Israel's well-being than that of the U.S. It's a tough argument to make because those who support Israel are also generally patriots who love the U.S. and work for its betterment. So, how can one be Israel First? The argument would be that by supporting the $3.8 billion that Israel receives from the U.S. ($3 billion spent in the U.S. to buy U.S. weapons platforms), one is putting Israel's interests over those of the U.S. When one has a $4 trillion budget, that amount of money seems like pocket change. Also, other countries receive billions, but these anti- "Israel First" people never talk about them. Just as there is BDS only for Israel, those so concerned about aid and support for Israel never mention Egypt or other countries that receive massive amounts of U.S. largesse. Why would that be?

While I am........

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