In order to be a leading member of the progressive clerisy, you must first poke out your left eye—meaning no enemies to the left.
And this is even more pronounced when it comes to pointing out bigotry on the liberal-left side, as liberal self-image is rooted in the belief that they are tolerant, compassionate xenophiles and could never be hateful or bigoted. Add the fact that Mamdani and Piker both code as brown religious minorities to progs, which means criticizing them would require breaking a social and political taboo and facing accusations of "white supremacy" or "Jewish privilege" or some other thought-terminating threat.
A liberal journalist could look out his/her window onto Times Square or Rock Center and see hordes of masked Hamasniks chanting "Globalize the Intifada!" etc yet still go on to write another article about how criticizing or investigating George Soros is the REAL anti-Semitism. A bunch of keffiyeh kids could attack a "Zionist" on their front lawns and Ezra Klein and his ilk would still look for "context" or try to excuse it due to political zeal and the kids' burning passion for Justice.
Also, Jews of the NY Times have a long history of wanting to be seen as liberals in good standing first and Jewish only as an irrelevant ethnic background, and they seek to prove this by making sure never to stand up for the interests or safety of other Jews. The Western Left will now only tolerate "anti-Zionist" and/or "anti-Jewish" Jews, so if any Jewish liberals want to maintain their careers and status they know what they need to say and what they need to ignore.
"you have zero sense for the battle lines in left of center politics." guilty as charged. I have zero sense for this and zero interest and concern.
But if this is true—"Klein’s assertion that there is nothing remotely antisemitic about Mamdani"—it makes him a useless and shameful coward beyond quotidian, ephemeral "politics".
Gentry progressive Jews take it upon themselves to clean up after the Jew haters on their side of the aisle, to "sanewash" them, mostly bc they are safe and wealthy enough to avoid the consequences.
I really know little of Klein and don't mean to make a personal attack, it's just the last 2 years have seen a parade of Jewish liberals groveling at the feet of obvious Jew haters like Mamdani and Khalil et al and their orgs, which all celebrated like their team just won the Super Bowl at news of the 10/7 massacre.
They've chosen career and status over loyalty to their own people, which might be understandable in normal times, but the upsurge of Jew hate after 10/7 is far from normal. Liberals don't ever stand up to Leftists, they might bark a bit like a yappy chihuahua, but they never go for the jugular, because Leftists are pit bulls compared to them and have no scruples taking them down.
Some people don't think we should "normalize" Trump, I don't think we should "normalize" Jew haters. To each his own.
"Klein’s assertion that there is nothing remotely antisemitic about Mamdani"
This was my reference point here. It seemed relevant at the time and based on what I'd just read, but hey, it's the internet, I'd already long forgotten it.
"Klein’s interview demonstrates the left’s inability to police its own antisemitism problem—unlike the right, which has produced an endless barrage of criticism of Fuentes since his appearance on Carlson’s show. Following Klein’s assertion that there is nothing remotely antisemitic about Mamdani, Ganz insists with a straight face that Mamdani “does not Jew bait.” That’s an unserious thing to say about a man who refuses to condemn explicit calls for a global campaign of violence against Jews and Zionists, and who famously declared that “when the boot of the NYPD is on your neck, it’s been laced by the IDF.” To claim that this is not Jew-baiting empties the term of meaning."
Not that Klein has no blind spots, but you're 98% projecting this one. Calling the Israeli government evil and the (Jewish) Israeli public questionable for supporting it staying course for decades isn't antisemitic. It's just in touch with reality. The morality of the early history of modern Israel is more gray area than either zionists or most Palestinians would argue. But at this point there's been 25 years of Israel holding 100% of the power while further and further ratcheting up crushing apartheid and massive, increasing land theft. Unless you're in total fantasyland there's no other conclusion than Israel is despicable at this point.
I have many many many ancestors killed in the Shoah and earlier Russian pogroms. I grew up hearing about them and my grand and great-grandparents' escapes. There are things to be proud of as a Jew about the creation and strength of Israel. Those are all in the past now.
You seem to be presuming antisemitism is an electorally salient issue and it’s not clear to me that that’s the case outside the Jewish community. How many swing state independents are basing their vote on a candidate’s stance on Gaza? That’s an issue with salience to very politically engaged people who are already strongly partisan.
With all due respect - does the City Journal critique its own side? Maybe the answer is yes, but my superficial impression is that abundance libs fight other Dem factions a lot more than City Journal does on its side of the aisle
Hanania's instincts of seeing the Epstein obsession as a calling-card of the economically illiterate, welfare racist low IQ socially reactionary fiscally obese quotient, usually described as "populist," is correct. Give me back Econ 101, Mankiw, and 2015, populism has only brought stupidity and no insights or "facts" in a decade
the "coalition of the 90%" just shows how dumb people are, or would if 90% were actually in favour, but it's stolen valour, most people actually aren't that dumb
I believe that giving Klein any credit for his alternative universe utopian communist dream only feeds the beast: "Klein’s attempt to articulate a forward-looking, pro-building liberalism is noble in theory. But as my colleague Charles Lehman argued in his review, it is ultimately incoherent." Good theory is good practice. Why does the economic and environmental destruction that is the natural consequence of all subsidized wind and solar projects sound good?
Reform Jews are closer to Episcopalian than Jewish. And even acknowledging that Reform temples like Our Lady of Simchas exist, it still doesn't mean that shrimp is a Jewish food.
Yes, antisemitic is a watered down term. He is clearly anti-liberty and anti-Jew, but his alliance with Islam and unequivocal support of Hamas reveals him to be a violence prone coward.
That's not how reality works. My use of the term is objective, meaning consistent with concept and its defintion. However, you choose to equivocate on the definition of "unequivocal." And you do it in support of the pure evil of barbarians. Not here.
Because the Palestinian culture despises liberty. The State of Israel is the most free, tolerant and prosperous society the region, including Palestine, has ever known. The "free Palestine" movement means death to Jews, death to Israel, and death to liberty.
So, you agree that "The State of Israel is the most free, tolerant and prosperous society the region, including Palestine, has ever known." And you agree that: "The free Palestine movement means death to Jews, death to Israel, and death to liberty."
This seems very clearly correct to me: you can argue about what he's said in the past, but what he has been saying ever since winning the primary, compared to Fuentes in a given month, is night and day. Klein wouldn't win that battle if he wanted to fight it.
Sorry, marginally better than Ezra Klein? On anti-semitism? We're talking about the Jewish Democratic podcaster who has, to the best of my knowledge, never expressed anything but horror and sadness at the entire situation in Gaza, right? If you're saying that "marginally better than" him doesn't matter, I'm afraid you've lost the plot. And if you're equating him with Fuentes, who's treated positively by the Klein's right-wing closest equivalent (Carlson), I think you started off with the position that Democrats are evil and then backfilled whatever was necessary to make that work.
Thanks for asking. My knowledge of Klein is from his book Abundance and this City Journal article. Regarding the latter, the author wrote "Klein’s assertion that there is nothing remotely antisemitic about Mamdani." That appeasement of Mamdani and Mamdani's explicit support of Hamas and intifada is despicable. Regardless, the entire lot of them - Mamdani, Klein, Carlson, Fuentes are certainly not equals, but they are fellow travelers as collectivist mystics of one persuasion or another.
Thank you, but I respectfully disagree. The grossly despicable savagery and barbarism of October 7th that was intentionally, blatantly, and shamelessly inflicted on the most innocent people they could find defines what it means to be "Palestinian" and directly implicates every apologist regardless of the distance to which they cowardly retreat. On top of that, the State of Israel is the most tolerant and prosperous the region has ever known - and that is precisely what this is about. A war on reason and competence by the forces of totalitarian rule that run Arab countries and the New York Times.
Yes, "antisemitic" is a badly overused term. Referring to him as socialist or communist is just as bad, only because he's worse that all three. Mamdani is a destroyer. He is thoroughly uninformed and incompetent. He only knows catch phrases and talks tough like Joe Biden talks tough. A fool. A lout. But a talented pragmatist for telling the audience what they want to hear.
In order to be a leading member of the progressive clerisy, you must first poke out your left eye—meaning no enemies to the left.
And this is even more pronounced when it comes to pointing out bigotry on the liberal-left side, as liberal self-image is rooted in the belief that they are tolerant, compassionate xenophiles and could never be hateful or bigoted. Add the fact that Mamdani and Piker both code as brown religious minorities to progs, which means criticizing them would require breaking a social and political taboo and facing accusations of "white supremacy" or "Jewish privilege" or some other thought-terminating threat.
A liberal journalist could look out his/her window onto Times Square or Rock Center and see hordes of masked Hamasniks chanting "Globalize the Intifada!" etc yet still go on to write another article about how criticizing or investigating George Soros is the REAL anti-Semitism. A bunch of keffiyeh kids could attack a "Zionist" on their front lawns and Ezra Klein and his ilk would still look for "context" or try to excuse it due to political zeal and the kids' burning passion for Justice.
Also, Jews of the NY Times have a long history of wanting to be seen as liberals in good standing first and Jewish only as an irrelevant ethnic background, and they seek to prove this by making sure never to stand up for the interests or safety of other Jews. The Western Left will now only tolerate "anti-Zionist" and/or "anti-Jewish" Jews, so if any Jewish liberals want to maintain their careers and status they know what they need to say and what they need to ignore.
"you have zero sense for the battle lines in left of center politics." guilty as charged. I have zero sense for this and zero interest and concern.
But if this is true—"Klein’s assertion that there is nothing remotely antisemitic about Mamdani"—it makes him a useless and shameful coward beyond quotidian, ephemeral "politics".
Gentry progressive Jews take it upon themselves to clean up after the Jew haters on their side of the aisle, to "sanewash" them, mostly bc they are safe and wealthy enough to avoid the consequences.
I really know little of Klein and don't mean to make a personal attack, it's just the last 2 years have seen a parade of Jewish liberals groveling at the feet of obvious Jew haters like Mamdani and Khalil et al and their orgs, which all celebrated like their team just won the Super Bowl at news of the 10/7 massacre.
They've chosen career and status over loyalty to their own people, which might be understandable in normal times, but the upsurge of Jew hate after 10/7 is far from normal. Liberals don't ever stand up to Leftists, they might bark a bit like a yappy chihuahua, but they never go for the jugular, because Leftists are pit bulls compared to them and have no scruples taking them down.
Some people don't think we should "normalize" Trump, I don't think we should "normalize" Jew haters. To each his own.
"Klein’s assertion that there is nothing remotely antisemitic about Mamdani"
This was my reference point here. It seemed relevant at the time and based on what I'd just read, but hey, it's the internet, I'd already long forgotten it.
Cheers
Ezra is doing politics, and imo quite competently. If he becomes a Democratic apostate his influence evaporates.
Frankly his read on the dynamics at play seems more sophisticated than that of the author.
He's basically playing the sane advisor to the mad king.
Well said
"Klein’s interview demonstrates the left’s inability to police its own antisemitism problem—unlike the right, which has produced an endless barrage of criticism of Fuentes since his appearance on Carlson’s show. Following Klein’s assertion that there is nothing remotely antisemitic about Mamdani, Ganz insists with a straight face that Mamdani “does not Jew bait.” That’s an unserious thing to say about a man who refuses to condemn explicit calls for a global campaign of violence against Jews and Zionists, and who famously declared that “when the boot of the NYPD is on your neck, it’s been laced by the IDF.” To claim that this is not Jew-baiting empties the term of meaning."
https://substack.com/home/post/p-176757108
Not that Klein has no blind spots, but you're 98% projecting this one. Calling the Israeli government evil and the (Jewish) Israeli public questionable for supporting it staying course for decades isn't antisemitic. It's just in touch with reality. The morality of the early history of modern Israel is more gray area than either zionists or most Palestinians would argue. But at this point there's been 25 years of Israel holding 100% of the power while further and further ratcheting up crushing apartheid and massive, increasing land theft. Unless you're in total fantasyland there's no other conclusion than Israel is despicable at this point.
I have many many many ancestors killed in the Shoah and earlier Russian pogroms. I grew up hearing about them and my grand and great-grandparents' escapes. There are things to be proud of as a Jew about the creation and strength of Israel. Those are all in the past now.
Klein's only objective is to remain relevant.
You seem to be presuming antisemitism is an electorally salient issue and it’s not clear to me that that’s the case outside the Jewish community. How many swing state independents are basing their vote on a candidate’s stance on Gaza? That’s an issue with salience to very politically engaged people who are already strongly partisan.
With all due respect - does the City Journal critique its own side? Maybe the answer is yes, but my superficial impression is that abundance libs fight other Dem factions a lot more than City Journal does on its side of the aisle
Excellent piece
Hanania's instincts of seeing the Epstein obsession as a calling-card of the economically illiterate, welfare racist low IQ socially reactionary fiscally obese quotient, usually described as "populist," is correct. Give me back Econ 101, Mankiw, and 2015, populism has only brought stupidity and no insights or "facts" in a decade
the "coalition of the 90%" just shows how dumb people are, or would if 90% were actually in favour, but it's stolen valour, most people actually aren't that dumb
Just the one?
I believe that giving Klein any credit for his alternative universe utopian communist dream only feeds the beast: "Klein’s attempt to articulate a forward-looking, pro-building liberalism is noble in theory. But as my colleague Charles Lehman argued in his review, it is ultimately incoherent." Good theory is good practice. Why does the economic and environmental destruction that is the natural consequence of all subsidized wind and solar projects sound good?
Ezra Klein is as Jewish as a bacon cheeseburger, with a side order of popcorn shrimp.
You do know that Reform Jews are Jews, right? Not every Jew thinks their faith should involve the elaborate forms of OCD and ancient food taboos.
Reform Jews are closer to Episcopalian than Jewish. And even acknowledging that Reform temples like Our Lady of Simchas exist, it still doesn't mean that shrimp is a Jewish food.
Yes, antisemitic is a watered down term. He is clearly anti-liberty and anti-Jew, but his alliance with Islam and unequivocal support of Hamas reveals him to be a violence prone coward.
was it unequivocal support for hamas when he called oct 7 a "horrific war crime"
Yes. He's a pragmatic politician. All of them say that. He's all in on the violence until it costs him votes or so social media nitwit supporters.
i guess we disagree about what "unequivocal" means, then
That's not how reality works. My use of the term is objective, meaning consistent with concept and its defintion. However, you choose to equivocate on the definition of "unequivocal." And you do it in support of the pure evil of barbarians. Not here.
How is free Palestine anti liberty?
Because the Palestinian culture despises liberty. The State of Israel is the most free, tolerant and prosperous society the region, including Palestine, has ever known. The "free Palestine" movement means death to Jews, death to Israel, and death to liberty.
They do vote in “Israel proper.” The real reason Israel doesn’t annex the territories is then it wouldn’t be that much of a “Jewish state” if it did.
If they are so free why do they not give Palestinians the vote? They have been occupied for decades.
So, you agree that "The State of Israel is the most free, tolerant and prosperous society the region, including Palestine, has ever known." And you agree that: "The free Palestine movement means death to Jews, death to Israel, and death to liberty."
No - are you replying to someone else. I said Israel should give them the vote if they believe in democracy.
This seems very clearly correct to me: you can argue about what he's said in the past, but what he has been saying ever since winning the primary, compared to Fuentes in a given month, is night and day. Klein wouldn't win that battle if he wanted to fight it.
Does it really matter if someone is marginally better than Fuentes or Klein?
Sorry, marginally better than Ezra Klein? On anti-semitism? We're talking about the Jewish Democratic podcaster who has, to the best of my knowledge, never expressed anything but horror and sadness at the entire situation in Gaza, right? If you're saying that "marginally better than" him doesn't matter, I'm afraid you've lost the plot. And if you're equating him with Fuentes, who's treated positively by the Klein's right-wing closest equivalent (Carlson), I think you started off with the position that Democrats are evil and then backfilled whatever was necessary to make that work.
Thanks for asking. My knowledge of Klein is from his book Abundance and this City Journal article. Regarding the latter, the author wrote "Klein’s assertion that there is nothing remotely antisemitic about Mamdani." That appeasement of Mamdani and Mamdani's explicit support of Hamas and intifada is despicable. Regardless, the entire lot of them - Mamdani, Klein, Carlson, Fuentes are certainly not equals, but they are fellow travelers as collectivist mystics of one persuasion or another.
Thank you, but I respectfully disagree. The grossly despicable savagery and barbarism of October 7th that was intentionally, blatantly, and shamelessly inflicted on the most innocent people they could find defines what it means to be "Palestinian" and directly implicates every apologist regardless of the distance to which they cowardly retreat. On top of that, the State of Israel is the most tolerant and prosperous the region has ever known - and that is precisely what this is about. A war on reason and competence by the forces of totalitarian rule that run Arab countries and the New York Times.
Yes, "antisemitic" is a badly overused term. Referring to him as socialist or communist is just as bad, only because he's worse that all three. Mamdani is a destroyer. He is thoroughly uninformed and incompetent. He only knows catch phrases and talks tough like Joe Biden talks tough. A fool. A lout. But a talented pragmatist for telling the audience what they want to hear.