Top 5 Types of Ignorant Jew-Haters

Some are worse than others, but all must be addressed

One of the hardest things to grapple with when confronted with antisemitism—and we Jews argue all the time about this—is the extent to which we should engage with or even acknowledge it. I don't personally believe in censoring Jew-haters, but many disagree with me (and I get it). They come in degrees, and it’s important to distinguish between them. I believe we should be willing to engage with some while recognizing that others are completely beyond help.

Here are what I view as the 5 main types of Jew-haters. I am ranking them by level of toxicity (least harmful to most):

1) The Accidental Activist

Learned what Gaza is 18 months ago for the first time and joined “the cause to liberate Palestine,” aka the anti-Israel mob. Like any cult member, they can only be blamed so much for drinking the Kool-Aid because it’s not entirely their fault. They’re natural followers recruited by cult leaders who are far more dangerous.

Generally younger adults and students with way too much free time due to lacking employment, they can be found at protests at 2pm during the workweek terrorizing members of the working class (police officers, janitors, etc.) assigned to deal with their fuckery. Brought up in households where they were the bosses of their parents. That, combined with their lack of any real history or civics education through the fault of the adults who raised them, made becoming insufferable hoodlums in young adulthood the inevitable outcome.

Face usually covered with a kaffiyeh that was probably made in China by Uyghur slaves. Will move on to their next “cause” 24 hours after the Israel-Hamas war ends.

2) The Appealer to Authority

Amnesty International said it, so it must be true. So did Human Rights Watch. And Doctors Without Borders. And the UN. And BBC News. And Al Jazeera. And the Starbucks barista. And a rock band. And a gender studies professor at their university. And some douchebags on X. And their mom.

Did you know Haaretz said something anti-Israel—AND THEY’RE AN ISRAELI NEWSPAPER?! That might actually mean that they operate in a country that has free press—imagine that.

Appeal to authority is a logical fallacy that happens when someone can’t really defend their view on an issue, but just know a certain stance is “right.” Unfortunately they haven’t learned that repeating a lie over and over doesn’t make it true, no matter who says it.

3) The Anti-Zionist Who is Definitely Not an Antisemite

Employs the anti-Zionism loophole to avoid being called out for their antisemitism. Remember: it’s Israel they despise, not Jews. Just the Zionists. The world would be greatly improved if the country that houses half of the world’s Jews, a whopping 0.2% of the global population, ceased to exist as a Jewish state. Why? Because it functions as an evil ethnostate that marginalizes and oppresses brown people. Therefore, a better way forward would be for said brown people to come together against their Zionist oppressors to create their own ethno…oh wait.

Having never actually been to Israel or the Middle East, they train a disproportionate amount of their anger on a faraway country the size of New Jersey that they know nothing about. Harps on the fact that they can’t be antisemitic because they “have Jewish friends.” Bonus points if they whine about their “tax dollars going to a foreign country that controls our politicians.”

4) The ‘Jewish Voice for Peace’ Member

Most people affiliated with this horrible organization aren't Jewish (although many are). Although neither Jewish nor interested in peace, this group trades on its name like a common con artist.

Constantly moralizing through repeated use of buzz words like “social justice,” “peace activism,” and “resistance” in the context of terrorists killing Jews. Has repeatedly called Israel “genocidal” starting less than 24 hours after October 7th. Cares more about the well-being of dangerous individuals who wish to see them dead than that of their own. Desperate to be viewed as “one of the good ones” by famous antisemites, they identify politically with haters like Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib (who both attended this year’s national JVP conference as headliners).

Believes in their power to stop real violence through activism, AIPAC-bashing, and Queers for Palestine pow-wows. Completely blind to the fact that they're basically just useful idiots for terrorists and Qatari billionaires, they would be the least likely group to survive if deported to Gaza.

5) The Andrew Tate

A toxic and dangerous social media influencer, likely with a warrant out for his arrest, who enjoys a huge platform and millions of followers. His vile antisemitism runs parallel to his misogyny and racism towards other minorities. He relishes using his brand to sow chaos all over the world. Particularly dangerous is that he’s always being platformed by other influencers desperate for views on their own YouTube channels. Whether they realize it or not, they’re legitimizing his platform by inviting him on theirs.

While male incel losers are his main target demographic, the followers who hang on his every word come from all kinds of backgrounds. If he told his followers to jump off a bridge, they would do it. If he states that the #1 problem plaguing planet Earth is “Jewish supremacy,” his comments section will be inundated in minutes with tens of thousands of users agreeing wholeheartedly in their own colorful language.

It’s not just the Jews, though. One day it’s women causing all of the world's social ills, the next day it's immigrants. Instead of people recognizing his antisemitism as equally problematic as his other racisms, they will say instead, "while I dislike him, his stance on the Zionists is the ONE THING I AGREE WITH HIM ON." Classy.

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While most in these categories could be called antisemites, they’re not all “bad” people. Some are brainwashed, some are confused, some are misinformed. And yes, some (i.e. every Andrew Tate in existence) are just horrible people who should be canceled. Jew-hate often needs to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. To lump all of them together minimizes the worst of them and demonizes those whose ignorance can be educated, should they open themselves to it.