Fighting Antisemitism Without Losing Our Freedoms: Insights from Michael Roth
JUDJ-Prepared Summary from June 5, 2025 | The Use and Abuse of Anti-AntiSemitism: A University President’s Perspective. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the speaker.
In a recent America at a Crossroads discussion, Michael Roth, president of Wesleyan University and a noted historian of higher education, delivered a passionate warning about the rise of antisemitism—and how it is increasingly weaponized in American politics. Speaking with journalist Patt Morrison, Roth examined the dangerous trend of authoritarian leaders using antisemitism as both a political wedge and a cover for broader assaults on civil society. His message was clear: defending Jewish lives must never come at the cost of democratic principles.
The Evolving Face of Antisemitism
Roth opened by acknowledging a disturbing rise in violence against Jews in America—from deadly attacks in Boulder and Washington, D.C. to the normalization of antisemitic rhetoric online and in media. But while these horrors shocked many younger Americans, Roth said he was not surprised.
Raised by parents who viewed antisemitism as a fact of life, Roth noted that what has changed is not its existence, but its social acceptance. “The tolerance for antisemitism has increased dramatically,” he said, pointing to how far-right populism and far-left anticolonial rhetoric have both created space for antisemitic tropes to resurface under new guises—whether through coded attacks on George Soros or conflating all Jews with Israeli government actions.
Trump’s Transactional Politics and the Jewish Community
Much of the conversation focused on Donald Trump’s contradictory relationship with Jewish Americans. Roth called out the hypocrisy of Trump’s self-declared status as the “best friend Jewish Americans ever had,” noting that this support only emerges when politically convenient.
“Aligning yourself with a dictator or authoritarian because he says he wants to help you is a very bad long-term strategy,” Roth warned, drawing a historical comparison to Jewish support for Stalin before his turn toward antisemitic repression.
Instead of relying on strongmen, Roth said, the best protection against antisemitism lies in a strong, impartial rule of law. “The rule of law allows us to live more moral lives,” he said, “and we must call out antisemitism not just when it targets us, but whenever it dehumanizes anyone.”
Dehumanization and Historical Amnesia
Roth expressed concern over the erosion of historical memory, especially as Holocaust survivors pass and digital misinformation grows. But he also warned of the Holocaust being used as moral license for unjust acts—particularly by those justifying collective punishment of Palestinians in Gaza.
Citing Israeli historian Omer Bartov, Roth critiqued how the Holocaust is sometimes used to excuse otherwise reprehensible behavior. “Starving children,” he said, “cannot be justified because of what was done to Jews in the past.” That form of moral exceptionalism, Roth argued, degrades Jewish ethics and fuels skepticism about Jewish credibility.
A Warning Against Authoritarian Overreach
Roth sees today’s political climate—particularly under Trump—as deeply corrosive to American democracy. He likened efforts to align media, law firms, and universities with executive ideology to the authoritarian “coordination” tactics used by the Nazis. He warned that weaponizing antisemitism to consolidate executive power is part of a broader campaign to suppress dissent and subordinate civil society.
“We are in a dangerous moment,” Roth said, “where authoritarian leaders are using Jews—and attacks on universities—as tools to destroy the very freedoms that protect us.”
Defending Jews and Democracy Together
Roth’s core message was that Jewish safety cannot come at the expense of democratic values. He called for a principled, inclusive fight against antisemitism—one that resists authoritarianism and reaffirms America’s commitment to pluralism, free speech, and the rule of law.
“The best defense,” Roth said, “isn’t allegiance to the powerful. It’s standing up for what’s right, even when you’re not the one being targeted.”
In an era of political cynicism and rising hate, Roth’s voice is a powerful reminder that the struggle against antisemitism is inseparable from the defense of democracy itself.
About America at a Crossroads
Since April 2020, America at a Crossroads has produced weekly virtual programs on topics related to the preservation of our democracy, voting rights, freedom of the press, and a wide array of civil rights, including abortion rights, free speech, and free press. America at a Crossroads is a project of Jews United for Democracy & Justice.