KIRK WISEMAYER

DR. HARVEY WOLBRANSKY

There have, of late, been disturbing statements made by high profile individuals on air and in social media that reflect not ignorance, as many claim, but pure, unadulterated bigotry and hate. We are, of course, referring to the anti- Semitic comments made by Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson and Viacom- CBS personality Nick Cannon.

Most of us have experienced anti- Semitism in some form, both veiled in political correctness and overt, which means we can never be surprised when people share views or invoke tropes that are anti-Semitic. It does not, however, mean we will ever be immune to them, or worse, that we should ever overlook them.

What is surprising, and what should trouble us all, is that it appears to be open season on publicly and unashamedly expressing anti-Semitic views. The comments made by Jackson and Cannon certainly reflect this trend, as does Mel Gibsons reference to Jews as oven dodgers and comments made by New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib. This trend signals a deeper, more problematic issue, one that compelled New York Times opinion writer and editor Bari Weiss to resign due to bullying in what she called a toxic environment, one in which coworkers felt safe calling her a Nazi. The more problematic issue that needs to be addressed is whether anti- Semitism is becoming socially acceptable, or worse, institutionalized. Do the hateful comments in every public forum stem from this trend?

Such statements are never acceptable, but it is virtually impossible to ensure this when high profile athletes, celebrities, politicians, and others utter them in the public arena. Worse still is the impact of empty apologies and flaccid responses. While both Jackson and Cannon have offered apologies (of sorts) to the Jewish community, neither has taken responsibility for their statements. Neither has demonstrated any willingness to examine their views or to question their wellspring. What good is an apology if you do not commit to seeking truth, if you do not commit to educating yourself, if you continue your association and support of hate groups and hate mongers such as the Nation of Islam and Louis Farrakhan? Such apologies are no apology at all; they are lip service. It tells us that in their hearts they believe what they said, and that their only regret is the bad publicity being generated. No visit to Auschwitz will change such hearts.

More insulting than Jacksons comments are the toothless responses of the Eagles and NFL organizations. If there are no consequences and requirement for remediation attached to the statements issued by these organizations, and no elaboration as to how Jackson was penalized, then at best they are no more than pro-forma public relations statements. At their worst, they condone the beliefs expressed and held by Jackson. Ending their official statement with, We must continue to fight against anti- Semitism and all forms of discrimination, while not losing sight of the important battle against systemic racism, the Eagles organization is essentially telling their fans that anti- Semitism takes a back seat to racism.

In contrast, the response from Viacom-CBS was clear and strong. In their statement, they did not share having constructive conversations with Cannon, or that they were ready to take the next steps. They fired Cannon. In further contrast to the Eagles statement, Viacom-CBS concluded its statement by declaring they are committed to doing better in our response to incidents of anti- Semitism, racism, and bigotry.

Those who quote Hitler, who espouse conspiracy theories, who claim that Jews seek to oppress others, who invoke stereotypes of Jews, who deny the Holocaust, who claim Israel is committing genocide, or who claim that Jews are not a Semitic people are not ignorant of history and truth; they are anti-Semites. Those who are associated with and who support individuals such as Louis Farrakhan and organizations such as Nation of Islam are not misinformed; they are anti-Semites. Similarly, the corporations, employers, fans, media outlets, organizations, universities, voters, and others that condone or overlook anti- Semitism in any form and who fail to extinguish it are part of the problem. They are proof that you are the company you keep.s

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You are the company you keep - Jewish Community Voice