2023 will be a ‘decisive, difficult’ year in terms of antisemitism, warns Israeli official

After Kanye West’s pro-Hitler rant, official predicts antisemitism will get even worse next year, including pressure on Jewish college students to condemn Israel.

By World Israel News Staff

Disgraced rapper and fashion mogul Kanye West’s bizarre pro-Nazi comments during an interview with Alex Jones have left some Jewish leaders rattled – not only in the U.S., but in Israel as well.

West’s recent friendship with Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes, and former President Donald Trump’s refusal to explicitly condemn either of them after hosting the pair at his south Florida residence last month have raised concerns about the possibility that antisemitism may be going mainstream.

“This past week has been one of the most concerning weeks that I can remember in a long time,” Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, told the Nachum Segal Network Friday.

“I don’t know whether people really appreciate how serious this moment is. The confluence of so many different sects and the fact that millions come to the defense of open antisemites and that in the political realm, that doesn’t want to see people raise the issue of antisemitism because they think that the charge helps the candidate (Kanye West), not hurts him, in certain places, and that the whole tenor of the times is deeply disturbing.”

One Israeli official who spoke with Israel Hayom warned that next year will be a “difficult year” in terms of antisemitism.

“2023 is predicted to be a decisive and difficult year in this regard,” the official said, adding that pressure on Jewish college students to conform with left-wing anti-Israel biases is also on the rise.

“Today, Jewish students on campus are required to oppose not only Israel, but also Jewish history, as they are presented as a privileged and oppressive white supremacy.”

“Biden does not need to write that the Earth is round, but he does feel the need to say that the Holocaust happened and that Hitler was a bad person. This shows us where we have come.”