Staff Reports
Many liberal Jews have decided that fitting in with the hard-left is more important than standing up for their own community. Call it friendship, call it “allyship,” or call it what it really is: appeasement. Feeding radicals who openly attack Israel and tolerate antisemitism won’t protect Jewish life — it only puts it at greater risk.
The big-tent fantasy is eating itself
The idea of a “big tent” on the left sounds nice until the people under the tent start stomping on the carpet. Too many progressive circles now treat radical anti-Israel activists and Democratic Socialists like harmless critics instead of hostile actors. That’s not brave. It’s naïve. When activists call for the dismantling of the Jewish state or cheer violence, pretending they are merely “disagreeable friends” is a dangerous posture.
Radicals, not allies, are steering parts of the left
Groups and local politicians have cozied up to organizations and figures who traffic in rhetoric that crosses from critique into contempt. Some of these activists have publicly celebrated terror and pushed narratives that paint Israel as uniquely evil while downplaying real antisemitic attacks at home. When elected officials pose for photos or share platforms with those people, it signals comfort with the fringe — and it signals to would-be attackers that Jews are politically isolated.
The cost to the Jewish community and our politics
The real-world price is obvious: threats outside synagogues, vandalism, and a sense among Jewish families that they are no longer fully protected. This isn’t abstract debate. It’s safety and survival. Jewish leaders and liberal politicians who value principle should stop pretending every coalition is worth the cost. We need discernment, not a social-media scorecard of who has the most “inclusive” friends.
If liberal Jews want to remain proud members of both their faith and their political ideals, it’s time for a simple rule: don’t normalize or shield people who openly undermine Jewish life. Call out antisemitism when you see it, refuse platforming for violent rhetoric, and stop trading dignity for likes. The crocodile doesn’t care which lane you voted for — it only cares whether you keep feeding it.
