Against the new antisemitism

By Peter Wolfgang ( bio - articles - email ) | Mar 22, 2025

What is the relationship between Judaism and Christianity? Specifically, what is that relationship as understood by the Catholic Church? That question was recently covered here at Catholic Culture, in a piece by Thomas Mirus titled “When attacking antisemitism, don’t fudge Church teaching.” Mirus took issue with Cardinal Dolan’s phrasing of the relationship as two covenants—the new and the old—existing “side-by-side.”

Both columns—Cardinal Dolan’s attacking antisemitism and Mirus’ clarifying the language with which we do so—are needed right now. There is an upsurge in antisemitism on both the left and the right. On the left it often takes more virulent forms and is frequently disguised as anti-colonialism or mere opposition to Israeli policies. But U.S. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer—a politician you will not often see me quote favorably—had some important things to say to his own side of the fence in that regard. Here he is in a recent interview with the New York Times about his new book on Antisemitism in America:

But it was Oct. 7 that changed it all. And all of a sudden, antisemitism explodes in ways we’ve never seen, and overt antisemitism. Jewish bakeries being called Zionist bakeries and rocks thrown through their windows. People who wore yarmulkes or Jewish stars being screamed at, vilified, even punched. And it shocked us. For the first time, Jews I know started saying, ‘Oh, God, maybe it could happen here.’ …

Q: There is this big debate about where the line is between antisemitism and legitimate criticism of Israel’s government. Where is that line for you?

A: I’ve criticized the Israeli government, and I’ve criticized Netanyahu, as you know. Criticism of Israel and how it conducted the war is not antisemitic. But it begins to shade over, and it shades over in a bunch of different ways. When you use the word “Zionist” for Jew—you Zionist pig—you mean you Jewish pig. There was an incident on the New York subway and a bunch of people got on, protesters or whatever, and said, “All the Zionists, get off.” When the head of the Brooklyn Museum, who was Jewish, but the Brooklyn Museum had nothing to do with Israel or taking positions on Israel—her house is smeared in red paint. That’s antisemitism. And a lot of the slogans that people use either are or slide into antisemitism….

Many of those slogans have their roots in a deadly ideology called “Settler Colonialism.” See this review in Modern Age on the topic. Note the one-sidedness of it. Western Civilization is uniquely guilty in their eyes. Other expansionist civilizations get a pass. It’s really about taking down the West. These were among the issues I flagged in my column marking the first anniversary of the October 7th terror attacks on Israel, which began the current Israel-Hamas War. Recall the tweet I quoted, which said approvingly of those attacks,

What did y’all think decolonization meant? vibes? papers? essays? losers.

This is what it is all about. We are all being set up for an Oct. 7th by the would-be “decolonizers.”

It was after I wrote that piece that I became familiar with the Philos Project. I think their very existence helps make Mirus’ point about how “double covenant” theology undermines Jewish-Catholic friendship. They are surely the most philosemitic Catholic organization out there. Yet even they, in this video, chart a careful middle course between double covenant on the one hand and full-blown supersessionism, or “replacement theology,” on the other.

While antisemitism on the right is mostly an internet phenomenon, we should note that it too, like its more virulent cousin on the left, has been on the rise since Oct. 7th. Even Catholic antisemitism, the thing against which Cardinal Dolan was writing. That is why the Philos Project recently held a five-hour conference, “Catholics and Antisemitism—Facing the Past, Shaping the Future” at the Catholic Information Center in Washington, DC. You can watch the entire conference here. From that conference, read Mary Eberstadt’s “A Catholic Call to Abolish Antisemitism” here and George Weigel’s closing remarks on how Pope St. John Paul II “Is a Model for Catholics in Fighting Antisemitism” here.

One thing Catholics can do to fight antisemitism would be to double down on the phrase “Christ is King” in its proper context and against its repurposing as an antisemitic dog whistle. “¡Viva, Cristo Rey!” (“Christ is King!”) was the battle cry of the Cristeros, Catholic freedom-fighters who were martyred for their faith while fighting a tyrannical anti-Catholic government in Mexico in the early 20th century. The first members of the Knights of Columbus to become canonized saints were among the martyrs. There is a painting of them at the Knights of Columbus museum in New Haven. We take our kids to see it every year.

The left’s projecting of its own fascist behavior onto others is rightly mocked. They are the people they claim their opponents to be. But if you are looking for a clear barometer of how fascist, or antifascist, either the left or the right are in the years ahead, I suggest you look at their treatment of the Jews. An uptick in antisemitism has often been a sign of a society’s decline throughout history. The uptick in ours, right now, does not bode well.

Peter Wolfgang is president of Family Institute of Connecticut Action, a Hartford-based advocacy organization whose mission is to encourage and strengthen the family as the foundation of society. His work has appeared in The Hartford Courant, the Waterbury Republican-American, Crisis Magazine, Columbia Magazine, the National Catholic Register, CatholicVote, Catholic World Report, the Stream and Ethika Politika. He lives in Waterbury, Conn., with his wife and their seven children. The views expressed on Catholic Culture are solely his own. See full bio.

Show 3 Comments? (Hidden)Hide Comments

• Posted by: Mr.C - Mar. 29, 2025 5:58 PM ET USA

  The problem you have is Supersessionism Is the only way to salvation for Jews following the fulfillment of the Old Covenant by Jesus death and Resurrection on Easter morning. Too bad this just plain old theology not so-called "replacement theology"

• Posted by: grateful1 - Mar. 25, 2025 9:20 PM ET USA

  The worst antisemites today are the self-identified Jews who across the country occupy & vandalize buildings, blockade thoroughfares, obstruct mass transit, injure peace officers, & scream "Jews for Justice"--all in the name of terrorists like Hamas, & all while the Schumers of this world remain silent lest they offend their fellow leftists. I'll take his claims of antisemitism more seriously when he condemns them with the same fervor he uses to threaten Christian Supreme Court justices.

• Posted by: Randal Mandock - Mar. 23, 2025 7:41 PM ET USA

  "Antisemitism" is mostly a misnomer and irrelevant when talking about real people. A misnomer because according to the book of Genesis, the Arabs are as much descendants of Abraham as were the Israelites. And even more ethnicities were likely descendants of Noah's son Sem (known in modern translations as Shem). "Semite" ought to mean "descendant of Sem". "Antisemitism's" relevance depends on the context in which it is used. Ex.: Is anti-genocide of Palestinians "antisemitic"? Not in my world.