Medium published my new article “‘Gaslighting’ — Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year”

“In this age of misinformation — of ‘fake news,’ conspiracy theories, Twitter trolls, and deepfakes — gaslighting has emerged as a word for our time,” wrote the editors of the leading dictionary in their explanation of their choice, adding that “2022 saw a 1740% increase in lookups for gaslighting, with high interest throughout the year.” Gaslighting, according to Webster’s, is the “psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one’s emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator.” This reads like a serious offense, and it is, but it is also the reality of our lives.

Governments and big business practice gaslighting as a matter of routine. This is how they seek to perpetuate their power or popularity. If we want to be able to make free, independent choices, we must make continuous and conscious efforts, and even then, success is not guaranteed.

Gaslighting is an attempt to deny us not only of the rights given to us in the First Amendment, but even of the right, and ability, to practice free thought. Worse yet, it is an effort to deny us free thought while making us feel as though our manipulated thought is actually our free thought, which we have established and cultivated by ourselves and of our own volition.

Surprisingly, the vast majority of people have no real objection to the subjugation of their minds. They prefer convenient obliviousness as long as their lives run smoothly. Thinking is strenuous, and most people prefer to avoid effort when it is not vividly necessary.

But for those who do mind, awareness is not enough. In order to be free from manipulation of their minds, people must build their own minds, their own backbone. They must doubt everything, ask about everything, be ready and willing to change their minds frequently, admit their mistakes, and gradually develop their own perception of the world.

But most of all, they must be willing to suffer the reproach and patronizing of the “gaslighted” majority. Once one has built a strong enough spine, it is possible to face the manipulators and their messengers with confidence.

It would seem like only very strong and determined individuals can do this, and it is true that not everyone can face the scorn of the manipulated. However, people can still be taught and pulled out of the basement where their minds are kept. Even if people are not naturally resistant to outside influence, they can learn how to see the world without the filters imposed on their vision by interested parties.

I am not saying that people should become activists of any kind. Rather, I think it should be internal work, something that a person does without declaring or propagating it. I realize that it is not simple to be active only inwardly, but I am not in favor of external activism in the form of rallies, protests, and demonstrations.

I, too, had to make an effort to develop my own understanding of the world. I disconnected from it, built an inner wall around me, and this is how I lead my life quite comfortably. In this way, even if the outside world attempts to impose a certain view on me, I may see that view, but I do not feel it. I simply brush it off and keep on living as I want.

Initially, it is not easy living this way. You have to build your own world, with your own values, yet function normally in the everyday surroundings. However, once you have built it, you are free: You have an objective perspective from which to look at the world we all live in, and you are free to participate in it or not, and to the extent of your choice.
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Medium published my new article “Building a Network of Sensations”

One of the essential properties of civilization is technology. In fact, some measurements may use the advancement of technology as a gauge to measure the advancement of civilization. From the Stone Age to the digital age, technology has marked our progress.

However, over the past several decades, it seems as though technology has shifted from making our lives easier to dominating them altogether. Nowadays, computers not only process data, but almost think for themselves. The advent of Artificial Intelligence has introduced machines that can even paint expressive artworks, write heartwarming birthday greetings, or draft touching love letters. We, on the other hand, seem to be moving in the opposite direction: We know less, think less, and understand less than we did. It appears as if we have been stupefied by our own creation.

However, there is good news in the ostensibly gloomy future of humanity. While our intellectual abilities are shrinking, new sensory spheres are opening up.

By sensory, I am not referring to our physical senses, but to something much deeper than that. Our sensory organs are purely physical, but I am speaking of the ability to sense one another at such depths that we will be able to sense each other’s feelings and thoughts as if we were one person.

Clearly, this process is not a conscious effort to merge our psyches. However, it is happening nonetheless. If you look at the world around you, you will see how uniform it has become. People wear the same clothes everywhere, the majority of the world speaks English, industry is very similar throughout the world, or buys its products from the same few manufacturers, and we have become so dependent on each other that if a single country has to temporarily halt its wheat shipments, it sends the world into a spiral of price hikes.

We are entering the next phase of our incorporation: incorporation of sensations. Humanity is becoming a system of sensations where billions of people will share the same ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

The more this system manifests itself, the more we will become convinced that if we want to steer our lives safely, we must study this shared system, understand its properties, requirements, and how we can become not only its hubs or pawns, but its very masters.

To achieve this, we will need to acquire the properties of the system, to implement them on ourselves. Since that system is a system of connections, we, too, will have to become connected individuals. We will have to feel others and be aware of their thoughts and feelings just as today we know our own. Since today we cannot sense each other as we sense ourselves because we are disconnected from each other, we will have to relinquish what separates us from each other: our egos.

The longer we hang on to our self-centeredness, the more acutely we will feel our separateness and disorientation in life. But as soon as we relinquish that one element within us, everything will become crystal clear. Just as today, we know when we are hungry because we feel hungry, we will know what to do, when to do it, and how to do it because we will simply sense it.

We will not need technology, and today’s most advanced innovations will become superfluous and subsequently obsolete. All we will need is to sense the network of sensations where we live, and they will guide us safely and smoothly through life, which will no longer be arduous and painful.
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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “Films as Tools of Propaganda”

The movie Farha is a Jordanian historical drama about a Palestinian girl’s experience during Israel’s War of Independence, which the Palestinians call the Nakba (catastrophe). The film tells the story of a Palestinian girl named Farha who dreams of going to university, but her dreams are shattered when her entire family but her is gunned down by Israeli soldiers. The film was banned in Israel, but it is still aired around the world on Netflix.

I believe we can expect many more such films, as well as other means of propaganda to be used against Israel, as the wave is only expected to grow. The truth—be it partial, whole, nonexistent, or content related—has nothing to do with the world’s acceptance of such stories. Since the world hates Israel, anything that taps into that feeling gets a standing ovation from critics and audiences alike.

Films are a powerful means of carrying a message. America has been using it since the dawn of cinema. Think of such ideals as The American Dream, the superhero, the wickedness of Soviet Russia, or the romanticism of the Wild West. None of them would have become so entrenched in our psyches were it not for Hollywood and the American film industry.

The fact that the story of Farha is based on legend that was created in order to promote the Palestinian narrative is irrelevant from the perspective of the viewers. They absorb the message just as viewers have been absorbing Hollywood’s messages. The fact that the film is a tool of propaganda will not diminish its impact on the viewers whatsoever.

Israel, too, can produce films that advance the Israeli narrative and present counter propaganda. However, as with everything else that Israel has tried in order to explain itself to the world, the films will have no impact; no one will believe our narrative, and everyone will adopt the Palestinian claims without even bothering to verify them.

That said, since films are a powerful tool of propaganda, I think we can and should use them, but use them to promote a message that will change people’s views about Israel. That message has nothing to do with the Palestinians, but only with ourselves. Because the world behaves toward us as we behave toward each other, if we improve our behavior toward each other, the world will improve its behavior toward us.

The Israeli society is plagued with division and loathing. The country is divided into factions that simply detest one another. That abhorrence projects itself to the entire world, and the world reacts with abhorrence toward Israel.

We may think that our internal relations are an internal Israel affair, but nothing could be further from the truth. Since the inception of our nation, we have been at the center of the world’s attention. The reason that antisemitism has never died proves that the world has never stopped looking at the Jews and condemning them for their sins. And the only sin we have ever committed is in hating one another. When we care for one another and exhibit solidarity and mutual responsibility, the world admires us and comes to learn from us how to unite. When we dislike each other, the world hates us and reproves us for spreading hatred. It does not explicitly state that it is our duty to spread unity, but the fact that it regards Israel and Jews as warmongers proves that it expects from us the opposite.

Therefore, if we want to spread unity, we should direct our efforts toward internal unity, and films are a great tool for this purpose. Just as Farha is a drama story, we can produce films that show Israel as united, and what life in Israel will look like if we are united. Of course, they will be imaginary since we are anything but united, but they would create a positive narrative and enable public discourse that focuses on unity rather than on slander and division.

Because the world’s view of us depends on our view of each other, we are in a unique position to determine the world’s opinion about us. We can choose what entertainment to produce, and what message these tools of entertainment convey. Since every media carries a message and tries to influence its audience, we should consciously direct the messages of the media we consume to portray the message that will help us, and not one that will hurt us. And there is only one such message that will help us: Unity and solidarity among Israelis is the only cure for the State of Israel, and for Israel’s status in the world. As an offshoot of improving Israel’s position, Jews around the world will feel the relief, as antisemitism will subside.
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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “Israel’s (nonexistent) Constitution”

Following the negotiations on the composition of Israel’s new government after the latest general election, the question of Israel’s constitution came up again. Despite having a vibrant democratic regime, where even anti-Zionist parties participate in the election and even in the government, Israel has never managed to agree on a constitution and has remained without one since its establishment on May 14, 1948.

This would not be such a problem were it not for the fact that over the past several years, affairs that undermine the trust of Israelis in the country’s justice system have emerged. The problem is particularly acute when it comes to debates over the authority of the government to legislate vs. the authority of the Supreme Court to revoke laws it deems unjust or unconstitutional.

Some of the ideas concerning Israel’s constitution came from other countries, such as the UK, Germany, the US, and Canada. However, something about those foreign ideas has always felt amiss. As a result, none has been adopted.

I believe there is a good reason we did not embrace any of the Western constitutions. The State of Israel is a Jewish state, and the Jews have had a constitution since their first day as a nation. In fact, only once they accepted the constitution were they declared a nation. If we adopt it now, we will immediately regain our stability and peace.

The ancient Israeli society was based on solidarity, mutual responsibility, and giving to the poor, all of which resulted from caring for others. The motto of Israel’s constitution, and indeed its system of laws, was “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Israel’s authentic constitution was not meant to organize people’s present lives. Rather, it was meant to change people’s nature from self-serving to considerate and caring, and lead them to the very purpose of their lives, namely to love others as themselves.

Ancient Hebrews were taught to live not by laws that follow humans’ ideas, but laws that derive from the most fundamental laws of existence—the laws of giving and receiving, and the ways by which they interact. Since other nations did not formulate their constitutions accordingly, Israel’s governments since its inception instinctively felt that something was not quite right in the proposed constitutions. However, because we have already lost the ability to love others, and did not know its critical importance to our people, leaders felt that no constitution was the right one, although they could not articulate it or explain what was the right constitution for Israel.

In order for Israel to rebuild its society and establish peace within its borders and with its neighbors, Israel must return to its roots. We must remind ourselves of the sublime goal of our people—to bring unity and solidarity to the world through our example—and work on ourselves until we become that model.

Just as during the “inauguration ceremony” at the foot of Mt. Sinai, when we received the Law and committed to obeying it, the people of Israel must first adopt their original constitution—the commitment to love others—and then we will be able to draft a proper constitution. If we reverse the order and draft a constitution before we have committed ourselves to caring for each other, the ego will take over and we will become a tyranny.

If we want to thrive in a free land of free people, we must strive toward one and only goal: to care for others no less than we care for ourselves.
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Medium published my new article “Worse than Any Animal”

This morning, as we were studying about the influence of the social environment, a student asked in bewilderment about the agenda being pushed by liberal circles. He said, “We learn that the environment gives us all our habits. Recently, things that have been taken for granted for thousands of years are being put into question: Men want to be women, women want to be men, children want to be treated as if they are cats, and teachers have to comply with the children’s wishes. Where will this lead? How low will we fall?”

My answer was straight and simple: “We will become worse than animals, in every way.” This required a more elaborate explanation: Humans possess characteristics that are beyond the animate level. These attributes have driven us to develop culture, art, religion, ethics, and various forms of governance. In a word, they make up what we call “civilization.”

Yet, when we misuse these attributes, they degrade us and make us lower than any animal. When we apply human morality to animate instincts, which have nothing to do with morality but function in us the same as in every other animate body, we warp our perception of the world and create distortions in society.

Animals do not ask about their sex or ponder what species they are. They are simply the way biology has made them. When we introduce morality into biology, which is exclusively the realm of instincts, we ruin our instincts and impair our biology.

Humans can be above all of reality, or below all of reality. When we leave the animate level alone and focus on the human level — on improving society through greater solidarity and mutual concern — we raise humanity above all of creation. Moreover, in doing so, we contribute to the world we live in. Conversely, when we focus instead on messing with our biology, we become lower than animals because we disrupt society and corrupt our morals and our bodies.

The only way to make things right is to deal with human issues rather than with bodily issues. If we worry about increasing social cohesion and mutual responsibility, people will feel confident about who they are and how they should behave. This, in turn, will make people happier and calmer. They will feel connected to their communities, and the new level of cohesion will feel so rewarding that people will stop wondering whether they are men, women, or cats.
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My new article on Linkedin “An Eerie Union between White Supremacists and Blacks around Hatred for Jews”

Kanye West’s recent interview with Alex Jones has fanned the flames around West’s recent antisemitic tirades. In the interview, he stated, “The Holocaust is not what happened,” denied that six million Jews were murdered there, said that Hitler has many “redeeming qualities” and that he likes him. West also claimed his accounts “have been frozen by Jewish banks,” and that the media “likes to single out a person and burn him to the core,” and that it is the “Zionist approach.” Considering that West plans another bid at the presidency in 2024, it is no surprise that “There is concern in Israel’s political system and the leadership of the Jewish community in the US over the degree that antisemitism entered into the mainstream,” as Israel Hayom reports.

Malcolm Hoenlein, chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations since June 1986, said on the Jewish NSN radio channel, “I don’t know whether people really appreciate how serious this moment is. The confluence of so many different sects and the fact that millions come to the defense of open antisemites … the whole tenor of the times is deeply disturbing… I think it is, to some degree, overwhelming.” Hoenlein also noted that “lately, there is a confluence between white supremacists and members of the black community – whom they were supposed to hate – with the background being the shared hatred of Jews.”

There is no question that matters are going from bad to worse for Jews in the US. However, antisemitism is rising not only in the US, but the world over, as Jews and the State of Israel are under a constant barrage of lies and slander. The more the world advances, and the more humanity is developing, the more humanity hates Jews.

If you have read any of my books, or even some of my recent posts, you know that as much as I dislike antisemites, I do not blame them for hating us. I do not attribute to them responsibility for their feelings, because I learned from my teachers, and I have seen and studied it for myself, that we determine how the world treats us because humanity treats us the same as we treat each other.

The current trends of excessive liberalism and the Woke agenda, as well as their reactionary movement toward religious fanaticism, are symptoms of people’s growing alienation from each other. Their intolerance toward others and incessant occupation with themselves are tearing society apart. Nothing can stop the escalating narcissism, and people’s insecurity and intolerance will grow until society collapses.

When people get to the point where they begin to search for the culprit for their loneliness and fear, they will point the finger at the Jews. It will not be a rational decision, but a gut feeling that will wash over millions like a tsunami. The fact that “millions come to the defense of open antisemites,” as Hoenlein said, indicates that the wave has already begun to roll, and it is only we who have not noticed.

Whether we like it or not, Jews will always be at the center of attention. The world feels that everything that is wrong with the world is our fault because the attention we get makes us an example, and the example we set is one of mutual hatred. For this reason, only if we stop hating one another, the world will stop hating us.

There is nothing else we need to do, or can do that will quench the flames of antisemitism, or even lower them. Reasoning and explanations do not help when emotions are involved. The only way to change people’s thoughts about Jews is by changing how they feel about us, and they will change how they feel about us when we change how we feel about each other.

We like to think that we are helping in Tikkun Olam [correction of the world], but a broken machine cannot produce correct operations. The correction of the world begins with correcting ourselves, and correcting ourselves begins with eliminating the hatred and division between us. Education for connection is what we need today, and the only way to achieve this is by beginning with each other.

Our nation was tasked with being a virtuous people, but virtue begins at home. When we are virtuous with one another, we will be treated as virtuous throughout the world.

Today, more than ever, it is vitally important that we understand this and conduct ourselves accordingly. To understand why this is so important, and why specifically now, please read my books New ‎Antisemitism: Mutation of a Long-lived Hatred, and/or The Jewish Choice: Unity or Anti-Semitism.
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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “Understanding Spiritual Torah and Mitzvot”

Possibly the key measurement of one’s religious devoutness is the extent to which one observes the commandments of one’s denomination. In orthodox Judaism, this might mean observing certain dietary rules, or saying certain graces at certain times or situations during the day. For Muslims, it might be observing the Ramadan fast and making a pilgrimage to Mecca, and for Christians, it might be going to Church on Sunday or, if you are Catholic, making confessions.

In Judaism, commandments are called Mitzvot, and a person is regarded as religious when he or she observes what is called Torah and Mitzvot, meaning the Mitzvot that are written in the Torah—the books of the Old Testament, as well as rules that were established later and were detailed in later texts.

Many people regard the wisdom of Kabbalah as a branch of Judaism, or as the esoteric, or mystical part of Judaism. Some even regard it as a religion all on its own. As a kabbalist who has received his knowledge from the most authoritative source—RABASH, the first-born son and successor of Baal HaSulam—I can tell you that it is none of them. Kabbalah is a scientific approach to life. It teaches the basic laws of existence and tells you what you can expect if you follow them. However, it leaves it to you to do the experiment on yourself and find out if the laws it teaches are correct or not.

Kabbalah, therefore, is not a religion, and certainly not mysticism. It is a rigorous method whose only difference from hard science is that the subject of experimentation is the experimenter. In other words, in the wisdom of Kabbalah, the observer and the observed are one and the same.

The wisdom of Kabbalah predates religion. The Jewish religion we know today evolved in the final centuries of Israel’s presence in Judah, approximately 2,000 years ago. The wisdom of Kabbalah began with the book Angel Raziel, attributed to Biblical Adam, but even more prominently with Abraham’s teachings. Abraham also composed books, but the only one that has survived is Sefer Yetzira [The Book of Creation].

Understanding that Kabbalah is a scientific method is important because one of the key concepts in it is Torah and Mitzvot. However, the Torah and Mitzvot that Kabbalah speaks of has nothing to do with the Torah and Mitzvot that Judaism speaks of.

In the wisdom of Kabbalah, the Torah is simply the general law of reality. All the galaxies, stars, planets, all the people, and everything that exists follows a certain code of law. That code of law is called Torah. The word Torah has several origins to it, but one of them is hora’a, which means instruction. Therefore, the laws of behavior of everything that exists are called Torah.

Within the reality that abides by the laws of the Torah are people. People lead their lives in certain ways, think different thoughts, and have all kinds of intentions behind their actions. When they conduct their lives according to the common law of reality, namely the Torah, it is considered that they follow nature’s imperative [tzivui]. This is the origin of the word Mitzvot [commandments].

Every religion promises that if you observe its Mitzvot, your life will be good. Kabbalah says the same, but for a very different reason. In Kabbalah, there is no supreme deity to reward you for obeying its commands. All that exists are the laws of Torah, the laws of reality. If we live according to these laws, our lives become comfortable. It is like rowing upstream or downstream, where downstream is like obeying the laws of reality, and upstream means resisting them, which is what we currently do because we do not know them.

The laws of the Torah are very simple: Everything is balanced. Giving and receiving are balanced and maintain a dynamic equilibrium just as the body maintains homeostasis. If we study these laws and know how to maintain balance with reality, our lives become easy and painless. If we do not know the rules, the opposite occurs.

Kabbalah teaches us what these rules are and how to be in balance with all of reality. The more we reveal the laws of reality, the more we reveal what is called the Creator—the law that has created and sustains reality. The Hebrew word for Creator is Boreh, from the words bo–re’eh [come-see], meaning come and see the laws of creation. If you see them, you will know how to lead a balanced, happy life. This is also why kabbalists aspire to reveal the Creator, because it means knowing all of creation and how to conduct ourselves in it.

As we can see, there is nothing mystical or religious about the wisdom of Kabbalah and its terms. It is very important to keep these concepts in mind when we read the texts of Baal HaSulam and the rest of the kabbalists.

Good luck revealing reality!
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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “Israeli Sports Reporters Face the Harsh Reality”

The reports about soccer matches in the World Cup in Qatar, in which Team Israel is not participating, continue to captivate the many soccer fans in Israel. But other reports from Qatar are getting the attention of all the Israelis without exception: documentations of Israeli reporters facing hostile Arabs, both locals and tourists from other Arab countries. In some cases, the hostility became so intimidating that reporters felt compelled to hide their Israeli identity. In another case, a non-Israeli reporter was verbally attacked and nearly physically struck because someone in the crowd mistook him for an Israeli and announced it to his friends.

Indeed, there is an anti-Israel obsession among many Arabs. Despite the Abraham Accords that established “normalization” between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, hatred toward Israel and Jews has not subsided in the Arab world, not in the least.

Even if Israel signs a peace treaty with Saudi Arabia, the leader of the Sunni Muslim world, I believe that Israel’s position in the world in general, and in the Arab world in particular, will continue to deteriorate. To improve Israel’s status, it must earn the change. If Israel is worthy, the change will happen with or without agreements. If it is unworthy, no piece of paper will change Israel’s status, and it will remain a pariah.

Israel’s problems are not external, but internal. We cannot live with one another like fellow countryfolk. We keep trying to trip, fail, use, and abuse one another and division is gnawing on us from within. This is what I mean by “unworthy.”

The world operates according to certain laws. If we break them, we suffer the consequences. One of the pivotal laws by which the world operates says that Israel must set an example of solidarity and cohesion. Israel must display a model society. If Israel presents social cohesion, everyone will respect it and establish good relations with it.

Currently, as division and derision reign supreme here in the land that we have made unholy, Israel is setting the opposite example. This is why the world says that we have no place here. If, on the other hand, we become a beacon of unity and solidarity, the world will recognize Israel as our rightful place and appreciate the example we are giving to the world.*

—

‎*For elaborated explanations on the causes, history, and solution to antisemitism, see ‎my books The Jewish Choice: Unity or Anti-Semitism, and my ‎latest publication, New ‎Antisemitism: Mutation of a Long-lived Hatred.‎
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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “The Permacrisis Is Only the Promo”

The UK based Collins Dictionary has chosen “permacrisis” as its word of the year for 2022. The word “permacrisis” describes “an extended period of instability and insecurity.” It is one of several words Collins highlights that refer to ongoing crises, which include political instability, the war in Ukraine, climate change, and the cost of living. I believe that this is not a crisis, yet; it is more of a promo for the real thing. The real crisis is still a few years away, but the decline toward it has long begun.

The crises are not inescapable. We would prevent them if we resolved to do it. But because we care only about our own interests, we cannot agree on comprehensive solutions. When the real crisis unfolds, however, it will not distinguish between us and will strike everyone.

For now, humanity, or at least the affluent part of it, the part that can prevent humanity from sliding into a chasm, is not really suffering. It can see the clouds on the horizon, but for lack of immediate danger, it flows with the current. Where are we going? No one knows, but it is nowhere good.

We do not need particular knowledge or special skills in order to solve the crises. Nor do we need a lot of money. All we need is the will to unite and work together to carry out our resolutions. The spirit of accord itself will make the difference. Because division is the problem, cohesion is the solution. Regrettably, we cannot, or will not agree, so we go with the flow. However, we must remember that the current leads to the waterfall.

It is not as if we are particularly jaded in the face of the multiple crises afflicting humanity. It is human nature to wait for the last minute, to hang on to the familiar and hope for a turn for the best. But there are no turns for the better, since we interpret “best” as “best for me” while life promotes what is best for everyone.

If we cared about others and wanted to improve everyone’s lives, we would align ourselves with reality and in this way, eliminate all the crises. Our personal and local crises would disappear since all the crises around us would be gone, as they all arise, as just written, from intransigence, from obstinacy.

The permacrisis, therefore, is not due to climate change, a local war, or inflation. It is the result of narcissism. When we stop trying to improve things only for ourselves, and start searching for ways to help everyone, we will help ourselves, as well, and the permacrisis will become perma-peace and lasting satisfaction.
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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “What Kanye West Respects about Jews”

Over the past several weeks, there has been a tense debate over the apparent rise in antisemitism among blacks in the US. The debate centered around comments that Kanye West, who has changed his name to Ye, has made, and which many regard as antisemitic, as well as Kyrie Irving’s endorsement for an antisemitic book on social media. However, there is much more to it than that. Extremists among the Black Hebrew Israelites have held marches chanting, “We are the real Jews,” which Ye also claims, and physical attacks by blacks against Orthodox Jews in New York have become an almost daily incident.

On the face of it, there should not be antisemitism among blacks. By and large, Jews have always stood by the struggle of African-Americans for equality. Most Jews also support the progressive ideology, which prioritizes mistreated communities and ethnicities at the expense of privileged ones, among which are the Jews themselves. Since Jews are, and have always been, a minority group, they tend to sympathize with other minorities.

In the case of antisemitism among blacks, however, there seems to be a new variation to the most ancient hatred. It is not the usual case where a dominant majority or the ruler turns against the Jews, but rather a group that used to be an abused minority, but has been given a voice, which it now turns against those it considers the privileged oppressors: another minority group—the Jews.

To me, it seems like this is first and foremost a case of envy. The Jews lifted themselves from indigence to affluence, and they did this on their own, despite vocal, and often institutional antisemitism. Today, many Jews occupy key positions in American society, far beyond their proportion in the US population. Naturally, not everyone likes it, especially those who feel underprivileged.

Ye’s words concerning the Jews are a good representation of these grievances, and we should pay attention to them because they not only express hatred, or at least anger, but also imply the solution to the problem. On November 30th, JNS published a piece titled “TIMELINE: Ye’s path to antisemitism.” The piece listed Ye’s words on social media and in interviews that, at least by some people, sound or feel anti-Jewish.

However, within one of the items in the list was a very interesting statement, which I think we should look at carefully. The statement read, “I respect what the Jewish people have done, and how they brought their people together.”

Unity and separation among Jews catch the eye of every non-Jew. But for people with keener awareness of the Jews, whether because they like them or because they dislike them, it is as if there is a knob that marks the level of unity or division among Jews. When the knob turns toward increased division, the dial of antisemitism shoots up. When the knob turns toward decreased division, the dial comes back down. If the knob turns toward Jewish unity, the dial of antisemitism slides to zero, and a dial of Philo-Judaism climbs up.

Adolf Hitler, Henry Ford, and Winston Churchill all noted the power of Jewish unity and related to it from their respective perspectives. Hitler, for example, feared it; Churchill treated it with reverence; and Ford advised social scientists to learn from the Jews how to build a cohesive society. While these three are notable examples, countless other known or unknown individuals have noticed, and noted the significance they attribute to Jewish unity.

When we look for ways to fight against antisemitism, we usually leave out the element of internal unity because it obligates us to reach out to our brethren, whom we often detest far more than our haters. However, we will not escape the simple truth that no measure curbs antisemitism besides internal unity. This is the only thing that earns us the world’s respect, and even sympathy, and the lack thereof is the only cause of the world’s antipathy and aversion toward us. If we do not see this, then we are in denial, and if we are in denial, the world will open our eyes the way it always has—with violence.

*You will find elaborated explanations on the causes, history, and solution to antisemitism in my books The Jewish Choice: Unity or Anti-Semitism, and my ‎latest publication, New Antisemitism: Mutation of a Long-lived Hatred.

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