On Thursday, January 8, an anti-Israeli demonstration took place next to a yeshiva in New York, with chants of “we support Hamas,” amounting to implicit support for the murder of Jews. Two days later, one of the oldest synagogues in the United States was set on fire in Jackson, Mississippi. Thus, the year 2026 is beginning for American Jews as it ended: in fear.
The New York demonstration was not a simple rally in support of Palestinians, especially given that a ceasefire – albeit a fragile one – has been in place for three months. It was so outrageous and so openly antisemitic that it prompted unanimous political reactions, all the way up to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who denounced the terrorist nature of Hamas, albeit with some delay for the mayor.
While attendance was limited, the unambiguous message of the event underscored the new status of Palestinians as absolute victims (whose fate can be defended) and, in mirror image, that of Israel and its supporters as absolute culprits (roughly 80% of American Jews, beyond criticisms of its government’s policies).
As antisemitic acts in the United States have increased by 900% in the past 10 years and nearly tripled since October 7, 2023, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has moved beyond politics to become ontological – a totalizing framework that places Jews in the camp of evil – at least those who refuse to renounce their support for Israel (the country, not its leaders).
Yesterday, Jews were accused of being either too capitalist or too communist. Today, American Jews find themselves in the dock of the decolonial far Left, but also targeted by the nativist, isolationist far Right. In both cases, Israel has become the new scapegoat – either as the embodiment of oppressive colonialism or as a foreign power exerting undue influence in the United States – or elsewhere, as illustrated by the conspiracy theory accusing Israelis of setting fires in Patagonia, Argentina, to purchase lands, echoed by former GOP rep. Matt Gaetz.
Synagogue set on fire in an act of antisemitism
It is in this context that, two days after the New York demonstration, the Jackson synagogue was set ablaze, after having suffered the same fate in 1967 at the hands of the Ku Klux Klan. The perpetrator admitted the antisemitic nature of the act, which was never in doubt, with a clear far-right undertone, showing once more that this antisemitism has not been replaced by a far-left one, but rather is “complemented” by it.
Sixty years ago, American Jews were enemies of the racist far Right because of their outspoken support for African Americans in their struggle for civil rights, which is worth remembering these days as the United States commemorates Martin Luther King Jr. In a masterful film, Mississippi Burning, Alan Parker retraced the story of two American Jewish activists murdered by the KKK in 1964 alongside an African American one.
In 2026, Mississippi is burning again, and the antisemitic fire that consumed the Jackson synagogue – is very much alive – is even more dangerous than it was in the 1960s, when it was part of a political battle that Jews were proud to fight. Today, it comes from all sides, whipped by gusts and a foul wind that make it uncontrollable, despite the goodwill of law enforcement, politicians, and educators – firefighters largely powerless, in the United States and everywhere else in the world.
Born and raised in France, the writer is the correspondent of French Jewish radio, Radio J, in the US, where he has been living for 16 years. He also holds US and Israeli citizenships. His opinions are his only.