Blame It on the Jews

Sean Altman, a comedian and musical satirist, wrote and famously performed a song titled “Blame the Jews.” When I first heard it years ago, I regarded it as satire. Unfortunately, today it sounds increasingly less like satire and more like a description of the world we are living in. And there is nothing funny about that.

The song grotesquely portrays Jews as the masterminds behind mass immigration, social decay, pornography, LGBT ideology, race-mixing, and virtually every political and cultural development its detractors despise. Its underlying message is that the world’s major problems can somehow be traced to one group: the Jews.

Which brings us to J.D. Vance invoking a familiar antisemitic trope by blaming Israel for the Republican Party’s drubbing at the polls. His assertion echoes the language of neo-Nazi propaganda, antisemitic conspiracy theories, and the longstanding practice of holding Jews collectively responsible for problems they did not create.

Equally disgraceful is the cowardice of those on both the left and the right who refuse to unequivocally condemn antisemitism when it emerges from within their own political or ideological ranks. Too many denounce hatred selectively, loudly condemning bigotry they can exploit for political advantage while minimizing, excusing, or ignoring antisemitism when doing so becomes inconvenient. This moral cowardice does more than expose hypocrisy; it helps normalize the very extremism that can ultimately fuel threats and violence against Jews.

The lesson is as old as antisemitism itself: when people abandon reason, evidence, and personal responsibility, they look for someone to blame. For centuries, Jews have served as humanity’s favorite scapegoat. The names, slogans, and conspiracy theories change, but the pattern remains remarkably consistent. When all else fails, blame the Jews.