Everywhere we turn, antisemitism – the hatred and demonization of Jewish people – is on the rise, and that rise is both meteoric and, quite literally, deadly. It is national and global, on the political Left and Right, among the religious and non-religious, and growing exponentially on social media. Tracking this disturbing phenomenon, let alone responding to it, would require a dedicated team working 24/7, and even that would not be enough.

What, then, is the purpose of this article?

It is simply to make some general observations that help diagnose the symptoms of this infectious plague, thereby helping us combat it.

First, as is often noted, antisemitism in a society functions as the proverbial canary in the coal mine. This refers to the old miners’ practice of bringing a canary into the mines, since it was highly sensitive to toxic gases like carbon monoxide. The canary getting sick or dying was a warning sign for the miners to get out quickly, since they would be next to get sick or die.

In the same way, when something is going amiss in a society, when it becomes prone to demonizing and scapegoating others, when a particular group must be blamed for societal ills, it is highly likely that “the Jews” will be first ones singled out.

This,........

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