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Kremer’s Corner: Time to attack growing antisemitism

I have been writing columns for weekly newspapers for over 20 years. I have chosen topics ranging from the failings of the Mets and the Yankees to the need for strict control of firearms.

Reluctantly, I can’t help but wade into the issue of rampant antisemitism. Once upon a time, we heard of multiple incidents in France and other countries with large anti-Israel populations.

In addition, there is a continuing attack on other minorities who are hardworking taxpayers and strong religious observers who have become targets of professional haters.

The person who has chosen to attack a specific community and fanned the flames of hate is Donald Trump, who has called for bans on Muslim entry into America. President Donald Trump plays the race card any time he can and anywhere he can.

Donald Trump brags about his daughter who has converted to Judaism, but that relationship doesn’t absolve him from his periodic embracing of the Klu Klux Klan or the Proud Boys.

During his debate for the 2020 election, he embraced the Proud Boys who are professional dispensers of anti-Semitism. There is no way to erase the famous Trump speech from memory after a KKK rally against Jews, Trump stated “there are good people on both sides.”

Trump can brag about moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, but he recently called the Hamas military “very smart people.”  If you are looking for serious statistics, ask the Anti-Defamation League how many antisemitic incidents occurred during his four-year term. There were spiraling numbers during that period and it is impossible to roll back that damage.

My Republican friends often chide me about the four Democratic members of Congress who speak up on behalf of the Palestinian people.

They have their First Amendment rights but they are just a tiny faction with no influence over their colleagues. Congress member Ocasio-Cortez gets good press from her media admirers but she will still be remembered as the public official who helped keep Amazon out of Queens to the detriment of countless constituents.

Some of the worst elements in our country have taken advantage of the bitter battle between Israel and Hamas to attack Jews in many unexpected places in the world.

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The venal stupidity of the haters even surfaced in Montauk Point a few days ago, when two businesses had swastikas painted on their front doors. In the weeks ahead there will be many such shameful incidents in our country and our local communities.

The Hamas army, if you can call it that, has started a bloody and barbaric war against thousands of Jewish families and has used tactics that replicate those used during the Dark Ages. They won plaudits from Iran and other parts of the evil empire, so Israel has no choice but to end their reign of terror.

A war thousands of miles away, is no excuse for our home-grown anti-Semites to vent their anger collectively against the Jewish population.

There are things that can be accomplished here at home by dramatically increasing the penalties for hate crimes. Somehow the people who attack various ethnic groups think they can escape public attention when the furor caused by their actions dies down.

It’s time to heavily penalize the culprits who attack Jews, Asians, Muslims and countless other minorities.

The culprit who pushes a young Chinese woman onto a subway track should know that the law provides for long-term jail sentences. The swastika painter should face a healthy jail sentence.

Somehow, the current happenings remind me of the history stories when Irish and Italian immigrants faced similarly cruel discrimination.  In those days the hate-mongers had their way, because there were no laws on the books to protect those groups.

But there is a moral to the story. As freedom-loving Americans, we must band together in unity to fight prejudice against Jews and other groups.

It may not be you that the bigots are coming after but history shows that if we all let our guard down, they will eventually attack all of us.

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