Entries by Matthew Hausman, J.D.

Second Holocaust or road to oblivion?

American Jews should acknowledge that they are mired in an existential crisis that is largely self-inflicted. When Israeli Minister of Education Rabbi Rafi Peretz recently likened intermarriage in the US to a second Holocaust, he was roundly criticized by liberal Jews, including the ADL and representatives of the Conservative movement.  Some claimed his remark was […]

Jewish Identity Excluded from Identity Politics

A recent survey by the Jewish Electorate Institute indicates that 71% of registered Jewish voters disapprove of the way President Trump handles anti-Semitism and 73% feel less secure since he took office.  Clearly, many associate him with bigotry in spite of his staunch support for Israel, warm relationships with Jewish colleagues and family members, and […]

Liberal Complacency With Democratic Antisemitism

The Democratic Party clearly has an anti-Semitism problem, but too many Jewish Democrats have been restrained in their responses. Anti-Semitism is reaching epidemic levels in the United States, enabled by progressives who disparage traditional values, misrepresent Jewish history, and delegitimize Israel.  They also tend to secularize Jewish identity and interpret the Jewish experience as a universal […]

The Democrats Missed Their Moment – What Now?

Democratic leaders have been cynical and slow in addressing Jew-hatred within their party, perhaps because they believe most Jews will remain Democrats regardless of how the party treats them or regards Israel. Despite indignant denials, the Democratic Party has enabled anti-Semitism as progressives have embraced ancient stereotypes and asserted them against Israel.  Haters who push […]

Religious faith is guaranteed; all religious practice is not

By treating anti-blasphemy initiatives and anti-western rejectionism as protected religious expression, Islamist enablers make a mockery of American values and freedoms. Secular progressives lack moral clarity when they preach détente with radical Islam while disparaging traditional Judaism and western religion.  They mock assertive Jews as chauvinistic or conservative Christians as puritanical, but defend doctrinal supremacists […]

Anti-blasphemy Laws, Free Speech and Religious Freedom

Anti-blasphemy restrictions essentially require people to accord sanctity to doctrines they do not endorse and subordinate their spiritual ideals to those who consider them infidels. Freedom of speech is taken for granted in western society, but it is an essential right that is necessary for the perpetuation of constitutional democracy.  Unfortunately, it also seems to […]

Political Exploitation of the Pittsburgh Synagogue Massacre

On Shabbat Vayeira, an anti-Semitic madman attacked a synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA, killing eleven people and injuring several others.  Those who turned on their televisions and computers that Saturday night were greeted with shock and horror.  The killer had railed online about Jewish influence in the White House before stating he was “going in.”  President […]

Activist Journalism in the Age of Trump

Donald Trump’s relationship with the media has become increasingly hostile as many journalists have aligned themselves with the anti-Trump “resistance” and sacrificed professional objectivity in the process.  The president uses the term “fake news” to delegitimize the press and play to his base, while members of the mainstream media accuse him of criticizing them unfairly. […]

Two-State delusion divides American and Israeli Jews

Ronald Lauder’s recent New York Times editorial, “Israel’s Self-Inflicted Wounds,” exposed a growing rift between American and Israeli Jews over the elusive two-state solution, which has been further exacerbated by the violence currently roiling Gaza.  Israelis from across the spectrum seem to recognize it as a chimera without historical foundation, whereas secular and progressive Jews in North […]

What Russian immigrants can teach us about Jewish identity

Russian Jews know from personal experience that leftist ideology leads to totalitarian dictatorship, suppression of individual freedoms, and denial of personal autonomy. Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely was criticized a few months ago for opining that American Jews live “comfortable” lives and don’t know what it’s like to live under constant threat of attack, […]

Antifa and anti-Semitism

What distinguishes the left these days is its compulsion to forego dialogue and portray conservatism as inherently evil, while giving a pass to progressives who engage in violence, intimidation, and public vandalism. The American media has been straining mightily to link Donald Trump to the “Alt-right” and to blame conservatives for increased anti-Semitism and social […]

The Conditionality of Liberal Support for Israel

The recent flap over egalitarian worship at the Western Wall highlighted a disconnect with traditional standards, and the promotion of nontraditional agendas that are more political than spiritual.  Despite hysterical claims that the Israeli government would ban mixed worship at the Kotel, there in fact is an egalitarian pavilion that was never in jeopardy of being […]

Is President Trump’s Mideast policy a paradigm shift?

The president has worked on repairing America’s relationship with Israel and articulating the radical Islamist threat.  These gains may be rendered moot, however, if he endorses the ill-informed State Department report. Ambassador Nikki Haley has been a breath of fresh air since taking up diplomatic residency at the United Nations.  Unlike her immediate predecessors, Haley […]

The Erosion of Jewish Identity in America

The compulsion to secularize Jewish identity or correlate it with progressivism has produced a generation that is hostile to traditional observance and tolerant of assimilation. American non-Orthodox Jews today are less religiously and ethnically grounded than their grandparents and more likely to define Jewishness in secular or political terms.  They are also more likely to […]

The Left’s Assault on Civil Discourse

The left often supports anti-western radicalism the way their predecessors supported Communist dictatorships. Donald Trump’s presidency has exposed deep divisions in American society which are being exploited by zealots seeking to suppress speech and quell dissent.  In aping European-style social democracies that are imploding under the weight of unsustainable economic programs and collectivist mediocrity, foot […]