The evil within

Attacks on Jews at Toronto’s Metropolitan University. Students at a California school forming a swastika with their bodies on a football field, alongside a quote from Adolf Hitler. A far-Right creep going on Piers Morgan to say that “Hitler was cool.” Those are the recent examples.

And many, many other instances of Jew hate in the past two years, too many to list: antisemitic encampments at universities, mobs blockading streets and predominantly-Jewish neighborhoods, vicious attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions. Sometimes – in places like Washington, D.C. or Boulder, Colorado – even murder.

With all of those incidents, wherever they are happening, there is one common element: the perpetrators.

The perpetrators – the haters – are young people.

Antisemitism remains anathema to those in their forties and older. But to so-called Gen Z (ages 18 or so to 25) and Millennials (ages 25 to 40 or so), antisemitism is all the rage, in these dark days. From Holocaust denial to antisemitic blood libels to support for monsters like Hamas: young people, across Western democracy, are the demographic that have become most susceptible to the homily of hate.

It’s well-known that Jew hatred has lately been a defining characteristic of the Left. Young people with self-identified progressive ideals have shown they are far too willing to adopt antisemitic tropes and themes.

But now, a new report by a respected American conservative think tank suggests the problem is growing on the Right, too. The report, by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, was released earlier this month. And it paints a disturbing picture about the attitudes and beliefs of young people across the ideological spectrum.

The main focus of the report is the U.S. Republican coalition, which has been resolutely pro-Israel since the Ronald Reagan era. The Manhattan Institute canvassed the opinions of what they called Core Republicans, the majority made up of those who tend to be older and longstanding party members/supporters.

Among what they called “New Entrant Republicans,” however, ominous trends were seen. “The survey’s first major finding is that the overwhelming majority of the current GOP reject racism, antisemitism, and conspiratorial thinking in politics,” the Institute noted.

But nearly 20 per cent were what they called “anti-Jewish Republicans.” Said the report: “Anti-Jewish Republicans are typically younger, disproportionately male, more likely to be college-educated, and significantly more likely to be New Entrant Republicans.”

The shocking trend was not seen among Republicans alone. “The survey finds slightly higher levels of anti-Jewish sentiment among Democrats—20 per cent, compared to 17 per cent among Republicans,” the report’s authors noted. “[Younger Republicans are] more likely to express tolerance for racist or antisemitic speech, more likely to support political violence, [and be] more conspiratorial.”

And young Republicans are big, big believers in conspiracies. The topline conspiracy theories – NASA faked the moon landing, the Holocaust did not happen, 9/11 was an inside job, childhood vaccines cause autism, and so on – were enthusiastically embraced by younger GOP members. A third of them believe most or even all of the conspiracies.

Meanwhile, older Republicans strongly oppose antisemitism, by a factor of nearly two to one. They also feel that antisemites should not be welcomed into their ranks “under any circumstances.”

But, again, the younger cohort are far more likely to have racist (31 per cent) or antisemitic (25 per cent) views.

Said the Institute: “These [Republicans] are also significantly more likely to believe multiple conspiracy theories and to support political violence. Consistent with their higher likelihood of falling into the anti-Jewish Republican category, roughly one in three self-identify as either racist or antisemitic.”

And: “Younger and newer members of the GOP coalition contain a frustrated, alienated subset that is often hostile toward institutions and norms.”

And, as other polls in the U.S., Canada and Europe have shown with youthful progressives, young people on the Right are far more willing to justify the use of violence in politics – which, of course, is the literal definition of terrorism: using violence to achieve a political goal. Fully 54 per cent of young Republicans believe violence is justified in politics, says the report.

Concluded the Manhattan Institute: “Support for political violence is also high among those who believe many conspiracy theories and among those who tolerate openly racist or antisemitic individuals.”

“And age,” they wrote, “is one of the strongest predictors.”