For years, governments and institutions across the Western world have approached antisemitism with caution, good intentions, and a deep belief in the power of carefully chosen language. The assumption was that by avoiding offense, emphasizing inclusivity, and relying on political correctness, ancient hatreds would slowly recede.
The opposite has happened.
Antisemitism has not softened or disappeared. It has intensified - becoming more visible, more accepted in public discourse, and far more violent. The gap between rhetoric and reality has never been wider, and the consequences are increasingly lethal.
One need only examine recent policy frameworks to understand how deeply this approach has failed. For example, the Biden administration’s national strategy to combat antisemitism reflects a profound misunderstanding of the threat. By including organizations such as CAIR - the American branch of the Muslim Brotherhood and a prominent source of antisemitism- as partners in this effort, the strategy blurred the line between confronting hatred and legitimizing those who fuel it. When CAIR’s executive director publicly praised the October 7 massacre and expressed satisfaction at seeing Gaza “break the siege,” the contradiction became impossible to ignore.
Efforts that confuse appeasement with progress do not weaken antisemitism; they embolden it.
The past two years have made one reality painfully clear: political correctness is not a tool for combating antisemitism. It is an obstacle. Hatred rooted in ideology is not neutralized by careful phrasing. Like any serious threat, it must be confronted directly.
Antisemitism today is no longer limited to marginal expressions - graffiti on walls, isolated incidents or offensive slogans at demonstrations. It has crossed into the realm of mass violence. In the span of a single year, Jews were murdered in cities including Sydney, Manchester, Washington, D.C., and Colorado - on Yom Kippur, at a rally demanding the release of Israeli hostages, and during a Hanukkah candle lighting. These were not random acts. The victims were targeted because they were Jews.
This escalation forces an uncomfortable but necessary conversation. Effective responses to antisemitism require an honest assessment of its sources. Ignoring ideology does not make it disappear.
Antisemitism exists across the political spectrum. It is present on the extreme right, where it continues to gain ground. It is also increasingly visible on the progressive left, where the language of human rights has been weaponized against Jews and against Israel, turning university campuses and public squares into hostile environments for Jewish students and communities.
These realities must be confronted openly.
Yet when examining the most violent and deadly manifestations of antisemitism in recent years, one pattern consistently emerges: most attacks were carried out by radical individuals inspired by radical Islam. Acknowledging this fact is not about assigning collective blame, nor is it an attack on religious belief. It is about identifying the ideological drivers behind violence.
Too many leaders, however, remain unwilling to articulate this distinction. The refusal to name radical Islam - even in the aftermath of clearly ideologically motivated attacks, such as the terror attack last month at Bondi Beach - reflects a broader reluctance to confront uncomfortable truths. This avoidance does not promote social cohesion; it endangers Jewish communities and undermines public safety and Western societies.
Identifying a threat is the first step toward defeating it.
Antisemitism is often discussed as a uniquely Jewish problem - an issue for Jewish communities to manage, report, and endure. This framing is fundamentally flawed. Antisemitism is a warning signal, not an isolated phenomenon. It reveals the presence of ideologies that destabilize societies, threaten minorities, and corrode democratic institutions.
History is unequivocal on this point: movements that target Jews rarely stop there. From persecuted minority groups in the Middle East to democratic backsliding in Western Europe, the consequences of tolerating radical Islamic ideologies are visible far beyond the Jewish community.
Next week, leaders and scholars from around the world will convene in Jerusalem for the annual international conference on combating antisemitism. The gathering is not intended to produce slogans or symbolic declarations. Its purpose is to confront reality and to chart a practical path forward based on clarity rather than convenience.
Combating antisemitism requires moral courage, policy coherence, and international cooperation. Above all, it requires a willingness to confront ideology head-on, without excuses.
Political correctness may offer comfort. It does not offer protection. Only clear-eyed analysis and decisive action can do that.
This conference aims to build a wide global coalition in the fight against antisemitism and our common threats, uniting leaders and communities to act with clarity and resolve.