Stop Fighting Antisemitism
Fighting antisemitism the way we have done for 80 years now, is getting us nowhere ...
Stop Fighting Antisemitism.
By Barry Mellinger
Antisemitism is not a problem to be solved. It is a permanent feature of human history, the world’s oldest and most adaptable hatred. It mutates with every era: when the church ruled, it was theological; when pseudoscience reigned, it became biological; when nationalism rose, it was political. Today, it dresses itself in the language of human rights, turning Israel into a scapegoat to disguise the same ancient venom as modern virtue.
Today, antisemitism no longer dares to speak its name. To call oneself an antisemite is taboo, so the hatred hides behind masks. People insist they are not against Jews, only against Zionists, or only against the State of Israel, or only against “those” Jews they disagree with. This is why it is almost meaningless to call someone an antisemite: the word itself has become a shield rather than an exposure. A person can despise ninety-nine percent of what Jews collectively stand for, yet parade the one percent of Jews who align with them as proof that they bear no hatred at all. The substance is the same, only the disguise has changed.
We are too often afraid to accept it: antisemitism cannot be eradicated. It never has been, and it never will be. Every generation has dreamed of extinguishing it; every generation has been disappointed. Every year, hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on fighting antisemitism, and some of the best and brightest of our people, as well as righteous allies, dedicate their time and energy to this mission. Yet the results are abysmal. The hatred adapts, spreads, and grows despite all of it. This is not because the efforts lack sincerity or brilliance, but because the very premise is flawed: antisemitism cannot be uprooted, only outmanoeuvred. To continue pouring resources into a strategy that history has proven powerless is to consign ourselves to exhaustion without progress.
Worse still, by “debating” antisemitism, we legitimize it. To argue with a lie is to grant it the dignity of reason. We imply that there is something to discuss in the accusation that Jews control the world, poison wells, or commit genocide. There is no logic here, only obsession. There is no grievance, only a pretext. Hatred does not demand evidence; it invents it. To engage is not to disprove, but to feed.
Fighting antisemitism head-on is like trying to put out a fire by fanning the flames. The more oxygen we give it, the hotter it burns. Every press release, every rebuttal, every attempt to answer on its own terms makes the disease stronger. The fight framed this way is not just futile,it is counterproductive.
If we accept that antisemitism cannot be destroyed, then clarity follows: our energy must go elsewhere. We must turn to potential allies,not the hardened antisemites, who cannot be convinced, but the millions who are simply uninformed, misled, or indifferent. They are not consumed by hatred; they are simply vulnerable to its distortions.
To reach them, we must not waste time refuting every accusation. We must drown out the noise with something truer, richer, and more enduring: the Jewish story itself. Our survival, our creativity, our contributions to civilization, our living tradition of law, ethics, art, and faith. Judaism is not a defence brief; it is a wellspring of human meaning. That is what must be seen, heard, and taught.
And there is another danger in allowing antisemitism to dominate our focus: it blinds us to those who do care. Just as a difficult child consumes all the energy in a household, antisemitism tempts us to pour our attention into the inconvincible, leaving little for those who could truly stand with us. Yet history shows that alongside hatred, there have always been the righteous among the nations,men and women who risked their lives, reputations, and safety to defend Jews against the mob. Today, there are millions who may never hate us, but who will never become allies either unless we nurture them. If we neglect these relationships, we are not only wasting time on the incurable; we are forfeiting the chance to empower those who could amplify our strength and speak where we cannot.
Antisemitism will not die. But Jews can live. The hatred is eternal, but so too is our resilience. The task is not to defeat antisemitism, it is to render it irrelevant by building stronger communities, deeper pride, and broader alliances with those who would stand beside us.
Every ounce of time we spend arguing with the inconvincible is wasted. Every ounce we spend investing in ourselves and in our allies is multiplied. That is the only path forward.
We cannot afford illusions. We cannot afford delay. The hatred is permanent but so is our obligation to outshine it.