In a chilling transfer that echoes Nazi Germany, the Trump administration is making an inventory of Jews—supposedly for their very own good.
The Intercept reported on Wednesday that professors at Barnard Faculty in New York Metropolis obtained a textual content message to their private cellphones with a survey from the Equal Employment Alternative Fee that requested recipients in the event that they determine as one of many following choices: “I am Jewish,” “I am Israeli,” “I have shared Jewish/Israeli ancestry,” “I practice Judaism,” and “Other.”
Professor Debbie Becher, who’s Jewish, advised the outlet, “The federal government reaching out to our personal cellphones to identify who is Jewish is incredibly sinister.”
The questions on the Barnard textual content have been written underneath the guise of the Trump administration purportedly making an attempt to root out antisemitism on school campuses. However this excuse is a Malicious program for attacking dissent on school campuses—to the purpose of disappearing folks—and pushing an anti-immigrant agenda.
The Anti-Defamation League just lately famous that Trump’s makes an attempt to withhold funding from Harvard College underneath the guise of combating antisemitism was a ruse. Despite the fact that the college had taken steps to fight antisemitism, Trump is making an attempt to disclaim billions in assist that may assist Boston-area hospitals affiliated with the college.
None of that protects Jews from antisemitism. However the authorities making an inventory of Jews definitely raises questions.
Within the Nineteen Forties, Jewish folks have been compelled to register with the German authorities in areas of Europe managed by the Nazis. This registration was a precursor to one of many worst episodes of ethnic cleaning in all of human historical past: Six million Jews have been killed by the Nazis in the course of the Holocaust.
The last word goal of the federal government’s record is unclear. The EEOC is at present led by Appearing Chair Andrea R. Lucas, who was appointed to the place by Trump in 2020. Whereas the standard mission of the EEOC is the enforcement of civil rights legislation, Lucas is an open critic of range efforts.
When she was appointed she mentioned her priorities have been “rooting out unlawful DEI-motivated race and sex discrimination,” which is how the fitting inaccurately characterizes pro-diversity packages. She additionally mentioned she could be “defending the biological and binary reality of sex,” which is how conservatives confer with insurance policies that strip the civil and equal rights of transgender Individuals.
As for Trump, his posturing as somebody hoping to fight antisemitism just isn’t a plausible premise.
Trump loves to make use of antisemitic language and tropes. He has argued that Jews in America have a twin loyalty to Israel, referring to the chief of Israel as “your prime minister” whereas chatting with Jews residing in america. He has repeatedly referred to “globalist” forces controlling world occasions, a frequent quotation utilized by Nazis and white supremacists. In a 2019 speech to the Israeli American Council, Trump advised the viewers “you’re brutal killers” and “not nice people at all.”
Trump infamously referred to neo-Nazis marching in Charlottesville as “very fine people” and hosted antisemitic figures like rapper Kanye West and conservative activist Nick Fuentes at Mar-a-Lago. And naturally, there’s his co-president Elon Musk’s Nazi salute … twice.
Conservatism has embraced Trump’s antisemitic conduct for over a decade now, and this list-making is the following part in his escalation.
