by Martha Robertson
The author, a former congressional candidate and former chair of the Tompkins County Legislature, wrote the following as a guest columnist for the Binghamton Press-Connects, which published it June 7. It also appeared in the Ithaca Journal on June 15.
As a Jew and the descendant of Eastern European Jews who escaped Russian pogroms over a century ago, I’ve been devastated by events in Israel and Gaza since October 7. I’m also offended by Congressman Marc Molinaro’s one-sided op-ed decrying antisemitism on college campuses.
I absolutely agree that antisemitism must be opposed wherever it appears—exactly as we must oppose all hate speech, including Islamophobia. But Molinaro is cherry-picking what hate speech to be upset about, ignoring it when certain groups are villainized and when Donald Trump does the villainizing.
Moreover, Molinaro is mistaken that his Democratic opponent, Josh Riley, has been silent about antisemitism. In an April 4 New York Post article—in which Molinaro’s own campaign manager was quoted, so presumably the Congressman knew about it—Riley stated:
“There can be no place on any campus for bigotry, hate speech, and antisemitism. While peaceful protest is a hallmark of American democracy, I have no tolerance for intimidation or harassment of others based on who they are or how they worship. Every student of every faith should be able to live and learn in a safe and secure environment.”
That’s what leadership sounds like. By opposing hate speech of all kinds, Josh Riley reflects Jewish ideals of social justice as well as the Christian tenet to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
If Molinaro is so exorcized about hate speech, where is his concern about Islamophobia?
Sadly, it seems he’s not concerned. When the Biden administration set up the first-ever National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia, Molinaro called it “out of touch and dangerously dismissive to reality.”
Riley responded: “Supporting our Jewish brothers and sisters does not require vilifying our Muslim brothers and sisters. It’s appalling that @marcmolinaro opposes efforts to fight discrimination against our Muslim community.”
Again, Riley demonstrates actual leadership here.
If Molinaro is so upset about antisemitism, what about Trump hosting Nick Fuentes at Mar-a-Lago in 2022? A well-known Holocaust denier and Hitler admirer, Fuentes has called for a “holy war” against Jews. Trump also hosted Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), who wrote that he would go “death con 3 on Jewish people.”
In this year’s campaign,Trump has used language borrowed from the Nazis so often it can’t be considered a coincidence. Calling Biden’s administration “Gestapo” and touting “the creation of a unified Reich” is not normal political discourse.
Where is Molinaro’s op-ed on any of this?
The silence from Molinaro and his Republican colleagues is deafening. Making excuses for these comments is profoundly dangerous and wrong. It gives permission for this rhetoric and lets far-right extremists know they have a place in today’s Republican Party.
The GOP is working hard to distract from Trump’s fondness for antisemites and Nazi language. As a Jew, I find this incredibly disturbing. Molinaro wrote that “Staying quiet as antisemitism surges is a dereliction enabling bigots.” Absolutely—so when is he going to call Trump out for it, instead of wrongly criticizing Josh Riley?