Senior Jewish history researcher: Trump turned the fight against antisemitism into a 'political tool'
Prof. James Loeffler, a researcher of Jewish history at Johns Hopkins University, argues in an op-ed in the New York Times that the Trump administration has turned the fight against antisemitism into a political tool. According to him, the administration acts against DEI programs and anti-discrimination mechanisms, while simultaneously demanding specific steps against antisemitism on campuses and imposing sanctions on institutions.
Prof. James Loeffler, a senior researcher of modern Jewish history at Johns Hopkins University, published an op-ed in the New York Times titled 'For Trump, Jews Are Proving Very Useful.' Loeffler argues that the Trump administration has turned the fight against antisemitism into part of a broader political struggle over the U.S. civil rights system. According to him, there is a contradiction in the administration's policy: on one hand, it acts against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, reduces mechanisms for combating discrimination, and opposes policies that treat minority groups differently; on the other hand, regarding Jews, it demands universities take specific steps against antisemitism and imposes sanctions on institutions. Loeffler calls this policy 'DEI for Jews' and argues that antisemitism has become a tool through which the administration acts against institutions it sees as political opponents. However, Loeffler does not absolve the left of responsibility and notes 'troubling exceptions' in some protests against the war in Gaza, arguing that liberals were late to recognize the severity of antisemitism.