Adam Friedland, a Jewish comedian and talk-show host, criticized U.S. support for Israeli actions in Gaza as driving an explosion of anti‑Jewish hatred. Representative Ritchie Torres questioned whether Israeli government policy justifies anti‑Semitism and asserted no justification exists. Friedland responded that visible symbols associated with Israel provoke increased hate and described the personal pain of Jews who see Palestinians demeaned and starved. Friedland referenced genocide standards established after the Holocaust in 1948 and acknowledged that speaking this way hurts his family while affirming his continuing care about Jewish identity.
I think hatred of Jewish people has exploded in this country, and I think it's because of our support of what looks to be an absolute brutality [in Gaza], said Friedland during an interview with Torres on The Adam Friedland Show. Torres questioned, You think that's a justification for anti-Semitism? You think Israeli government policy is a justification for anti-Semitism? My view is there's no justification for anti-Semitism.
I'm telling you as a Jew right now that we are receiving a lot more hate because of what the people with a flag that has a Jewish star on are doing to other people right now, and I'm telling you as a Jewish person how painful it is for us to say, and it hurts my stomach to say and you're gonna say, I disagree, I disagree that this is a genocide, and that hurts to say that a Jew can do that.
It hurts because we grew up with learning about what hatred is, we grew up learning about this, and the same year the state of Israel was established, in 1948, the world saw the Holocaust and they established standards for what a genocide is. It was the same year and the world said that this shouldn't be a thing that happens.
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