The sudden explosion of anti-Semitism starting on college campuses and now overflowing into the streets and the gates of the White House has taken some older leftists who believed theirs was the party of tolerance by surprise.
For a long time, the media convinced the world that progressives stood for tolerance, reason, and the best of America’s traditions, while conservatives were retrograde white Supremacists, racists and Nazis.
Bill Maher, known for his far-left views, expressed his shock and confusion over the behavior of his own party on his HBO show “Real Time with Bill Maher” Friday.
WARNING: The following video contains vulgar language that some viewers may find offensive.
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“I must admit — I don’t think of myself as a naive person and I’ve been surprised,” Maher said. “It was like a volcano that blew — I mean just that people in the United States that are ‘F*** Israel!’ you know, ‘Any means necessary!’
“I don’t know where this comes from,” Maher said, “I guess it’s ancient, obviously, the hatred of the Jews goes way back… but… I was taken aback by this.”
“Why this one place?” Maher continued, as the discussion about the persecution of the Jews went on, “Why does this arouse… especially among young people?” he said incredulously. “I mean, young people hated Trump because he wouldn’t condemn the people with the tiki torches. Talking about Jews…”
“You’re the one with the tiki torches now!” Maher said, sounding completely flummoxed.
One of the major criticisms of former President Trump comes from a propagandized quote that has been debunked multiple times.
Trump called out racism as “evil” and repeatedly condemned neo-Nazis and white supremacists but noted there were also non-extremists, “fine people on both sides” protesting during the removal of Confederate statues at Charlottesville. Yet he was falsely accused of siding with bigots and it has become a regular talking point used by President Joe Biden to attack his political opponent.
Trump says “racism is evil” & condemns KKK, neo-Nazis & white supremacists following Charlottesville protester deathhttps://t.co/B75rNlgdyV pic.twitter.com/EjZLa5eXNG
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) August 14, 2017
It is true that there are some fringe radicals on the right but they have little institutional power or support.
The sentiments of the majority of Republican voters could be seen in their elected leaders, every one of whom has stood unequivocally with Israel after the horrific events of Oct. 7.
On the contrary, the Democratic side of the aisle has been all over the map, from equivocating Anti-Semitism with Islamaphobia to House Democrats like Rashida Tlaib expressing vocal support for the eradication of Israel and riling up anti-Semitic crowds against their own party president.
Tlaib even put out a political ad threatening the president elected by her own party, warning him that “We will remember in 2024.”
On “Real Time,” CNN host Fareed Zakaria, who was on the panel, attempted to put the blame for the rise in anti-Semitism on Christianity but Maher, who is often very critical of Christians, refused to accept Zakaria’s premise.
“Why it happens, is sadly… it is the oldest bigotry known to man,” Zakaria said. “It comes out of, you know, Christian ideas about, you know, Jews…”
“But that’s not college kids think” Maher interrupted, disbelievingly. “College kids are not hating the Jews [because of Christianity].”
Zakaria then switched his approach, blaming “all kinds of different people” for “all kinds of different reasons.”
But Maher was right.
The events of Oct. 7 not only revealed that Israelis have been trying to appease an enemy that will never be satisfied until they are completely annihilated, but it also revealed the underbelly of anti-Semitism and Jewish hatred that has been simmering in Ivy League institutions and among some Democrats in elected office here in the United States.
The veneer of social justice was just a thin cover for the bigotry the left was hiding underneath.
Liberals like Maher believed that the progressive movement, fed in Ivy League colleges, represented tolerance.
He didn’t realize their self-righteous ivory tower was built on glass foundations.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
