Finally growing a pair, this past Wednesday Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) publicly spoke for over 40 minutes on the Senate floor to announce that he has just discovered that official prejudice against Jews, anti-Jewishness, Jewphobia, or anti-Semitism, as it is commonly referred to, not only still exists but is rapidly increasing.
Today, I come to the floor to speak on a subject of great importance: the rise of antisemitism in America.
I feel compelled to speak because I am the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in America; in fact, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official ever in American history.
And I have noticed a significant disparity between how Jewish people regard the rise of antisemitism, and how many of my non-Jewish friends regard it.
To us, the Jewish people, the rise of antisemitism is a crisis -- a five-alarm fire that must be extinguished.
For so many other people of good will, it is merely a problem, a matter of concern.
Duh! Senator Schumer where have you been the past few years? While you are now a senator from New York State, a state that has the highest number of Jews in the nation, you've been active in politics at all levels for many years. And hostility to Jews in New York, in addition to across the nation, has been obvious for years, even in your own Democratic party, literally in your own backyard. And you never complained. Well, at least publicly.
But , two months ago, when Muslims from 99.9% Muslim populated and governed Gaza (no Jews allowed), which is adjacent to Israel, outdid their previous barbarism against Jews when they invaded Israel, slaughtering an estimated 1200 unarmed people enjoying a music festival plus others who lived nearby during a Jewish holiday and Israelis fought back, many of your Democratic congressional colleagues from New York, such as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) leader of the Squad, and Representative Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) viciously condemned... Israel. Which was consistent with their previous negative statements about Israel and Jews reflecting the view of their constituents.
And you remained quiet.
In the immediate aftermath of October 7th, an attack on defenseless civilians, the elderly, women, and babies, a good number of people skipped over expressing sympathy for the victims in their haste to blame the attack on the past actions of the Israeli government. Can anybody imagine a horrific terrorist attack in another country receiving such a reception?
And when Hamas terrorists actively hide behind innocent Palestinians, knowing that many of those civilians will die in the Israeli response, why does the criticism for any civilian deaths seem to fall exclusively on Israel, and not at all on Hamas?
Exactly. Why? Why does the criticism for any inadvertent civilian deaths seem to fall exclusively on Israel, and not at all on Hamas? Answer that very valid question, Senator Schumer. And so should many other critics of Israel when Israel exercises the universal right to defend itself.
Granted, most -- not all -- of the Democrats joined with their near-unanimous Republican colleagues to condemn this brutal Muslim assault while demanding the return of innocent Israelis and even non-Israelis who were participating in the music festival. Most; not all.
Schumer attended and graduated from Harvard Law School nearly 50 years ago, despite Harvard's -- and other so-called elite schools' -- notorious Jewish quota which is now matched by an equally notorious Asian quota. In other words, these schools deliberately have a long history of limiting the number of Jews they will admit or hire based on such objective criteria as SAT scores, because Jews, and now also Asians, would disproportionately qualify. And somehow this is wrong.
Today at Harvard -- and at other elite schools across the country -- students and many faculty members are demonstrating/rioting against Jews and Israelis for defending themselves. And at many nonelite schools, including a high school in Queens, New York, which Schumer represents, because one of the teachers supported Israel. The rioting was so extensive the teacher was forced to barricade herself in a closet. As for the students -- hey kids will be kids. Free speech. Blah, blah, blah.
And after October 7th, when students at Hillcrest High School in Queens ran rampant in the hallways and demanded the firing of a teacher just because she attended a rally supporting Israel, and forced her to hide in a locked office for hours while staff struggled to regain control -- that is anti-Semitism!
Walking out of school to march in support of Palestinians is completely legitimate. But forcing a Jewish teacher to remain -- as she described -- locked in an office because she attended a rally in support for Israel is anti-Semitism, pure and simple.
In fact, that teacher is sitting in the gallery today. I invited her to come and listen, and I am truly honored that she accepted my invitation. That is true courage… and I believe it shows just how strongly so many Jewish Americans feel about this issue.
She has requested anonymity, which I ask everybody present, and everybody in the media, to please respect.
Even with the support of a powerful senator, the terrified teacher still "requested anonymity." The rioters are so proud. "Please respect."
Schumer closed his Senate speech by asking:
Are we a nation that can defy the regular course of human history, where the Jewish people have been ostracized, expelled, and massacred over and over again?
I believe the answer can and must be a resounding, “Yes.”
And I will do everything in my power -- as Senate Majority Leader, as a Jewish American, as a citizen of a free society, as a human being -- to make it happen.
Ken Y'hi Ratzon (May it be his will.)
Senator Schumer, proud Americans of all backgrounds will be watching; holding you to your promise.
Image: Senate Democrats
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