“Woke” culture leads to anti-Semitism

Last week, a young Israeli Jewish woman living in Berlin was violently attacked. I’m sure that most of my readers didn’t even notice the little news that appeared on the Mako site. I too had neglected it until I found out about it because the victim was the daughter of close friends. Almost no media outlets, whether in Israel or Germany, mentioned this anti-Semitic incident – one of many such events that occur daily in countries that pride themselves on being enlightened and justice-oriented.

Even Soli, the young woman victim of the attack, a kind and well-meaning person active in a peace organization fighting for justice for our Palestinian neighbors – never imagined she would experience such violence. On the subway, she wore a coexistence pin, shaped like a heart with the flags of Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

And yet we never stop asking ourselves: what is the root of this intense hatred and anti-Semitism that Jews and Israelis encounter across the world? UNITED STATES and Europe?

The incident in the Netherlands, where Muslim Immigrants violently beating Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv fans until they were bleeding profusely is a direct result of learning to hate from a young age. What can we expect from a young Muslim who, at home and at school, is daily exposed to the poisonous idea that Jews are “descendants of monkeys and pigs”?

In my meetings in Europe and the United States with educated people, I find myself intrigued by the one-sided criticism of Israel – and not just among Muslims. This criticism is often laced with subtle anti-Semitism that becomes more and more apparent as the conversation unfolds.

Dutch police patrol after riots in Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 11, 2024. (credit: Mizzle Media/Handout via REUTERS)

What was once considered fringe radicalism has now grown considerably. In recent years, the term “woke” has become a central part of public and political discourse around the world. Originally, “woke” referred to a heightened awareness of social injustice and inequality, particularly in the context of racism, discrimination, and minority rights.

However, in some circles it has acquired a negative connotation, associated with an extreme wave of political activism aimed at imposing a social agenda at the expense of opposing viewpoints. Some have gone so far as to label the movement a “cultural terrorist organization,” due to its suppression of free speech, its influence on public policy, and its punitive actions against dissenting voices.

Canadian Jewish academic Professor Gad Saad, former chair of evolutionary behavioral sciences and Darwinian consumerism at Concordia University in Canada, says extreme progressive ideas originating in academia – such as the “woke” movement and post-modernism – have led to the loss of common sense and dangerous phenomena, including the ousting of scientists and the justification of terrorism.

It did not take long for this “awareness” to translate into alarming, sometimes violent, incidents.

Until last year, events such as students barricading themselves on Ivy League campuses, street lawlessness, looting, TikTok users idolizing Osama bin Laden, and even the firing of scientists and Tech executives – citing research inconsistent with identity politics – were largely confined to the United States. States.

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But since October 7, these phenomena have reached our doors. Hamas members have been described as “freedom fighters.” Jewish students were forced to barricade themselves on campus for fear of pro-Palestinian protesters, whom even leaders of prestigious institutions refused to condemn.

What was once considered “progressive madness,” confined to the margins, is now recognized as something much deeper and more meaningful.

In an interview with Globes, Professor Saad explained that these phenomena arise from a parasitic infiltration of distorted thought patterns into Western consciousness.

In his groundbreaking and controversial book The “Parasitic Mind”: How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense, recently translated into Hebrew and published by the Shibbolet Library, Saad examines how progressive herd mentality erodes rational thought, allowing harmful ideologies to take hold. thrive – ranging from eating disorders. to anti-Semitism. To most social scientists, he explains, “this was considered scandalous speech.”

In the book’s sixth chapter, titled “Ostrich Parasitic Syndrome,” Saad compares the behavior of biological parasites infiltrating a host to the progressive ideologies that have taken over the West. According to him, instead of opposing these destructive ideologies, the West chooses to ignore them.

After October 7, he wrote: “I realized something: these individuals will always prioritize their own culture while justifying every problem within the other culture. »

“Reality tends to hit you with common sense,” observes Saad, “and the harsh environment Israelis face provides them with a natural vaccine.”

Yet some Israelis, despite having personally experienced the horrors of October 7, continue to draw false equivalences between Israelis and Palestinians – whose spokespeople remain openly committed to the destruction of Israel.

Israeli academics and intellectuals have, consciously or unconsciously, embraced woke ideology, calling for an economic and academic boycott of Israel. Even in the Knesset, some members brazenly called Israel an apartheid state and demanded sanctions against it.

Many woke movements focus on inequality and present themselves as progressive, but they frequently rely on anti-Israel or anti-Zionist rhetoric that leads to overt anti-Semitism. Activists often describe Israel as an “apartheid state” and compare its actions against Palestinians to war crimes. This approach not only delegitimizes Israel, but also promotes hostility toward diaspora Jews affiliated with Israel.

Woke movements often employ “cancel culture” tactics, silencing voices that question their ideology. Jews who support Israel or criticize the woke agenda often find themselves targeted. Examples abound of Jews losing their jobs or being forced to resign from public office because of statements deemed inconsistent with woke values.

Dissolving individual identities

Woke ideology often seeks to dissolve individual identities in favor of universal values. This position may conflict with Jewish identity, rooted in tradition, religion and nationality. The “woke” demand for absolute equality can lead to the rejection of specific religious values and restrictions on religious freedom.

Woke organizations actively support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, believing it to be a fight for human rights. However, this support harms Israel economically and fosters a hostile environment for Jews around the world, particularly on college campuses and within progressive communities.

The activities of woke movements create significant challenges for Jews. In Israel, they amplify international criticism of the state and contribute to an increase in anti-Semitic incidents on campuses and in global politics. Diaspora Jews often find themselves walking a tightrope between integrating into progressive circles and defending their Jewish identity and Israel.

The battle is difficult, but we cannot afford to give up, even if it feels like the Dutch boy is plugging a hole in the dike with his finger but, unlike the tale “Heroes of Haarlem”, the net is turns into a torrent.

Now more than ever, awareness efforts on social media and on campuses across the United States and Europe are crucial. The Israeli government must allocate appropriate budgets to support this vital mission.

The author is CEO of Radios 100 FM, Honorary Consul General of Nauru, President of the Israel Radiocommunications Association, Deputy Dean of the Consular Diplomatic Corps and Vice President of the Ambassadors Club.