The Jewish Question in 21st-Century America
Reports that President Trump signed an executive order targeting antisemitic foreign students for deportation should alarm every American Jew. On the surface, this may seem like a necessary measure to combat the unprecedented rise in antisemitic hate since October 7. After all, why should foreign nationals who violate the law and endorse terrorism be allowed to stay in the country?
But history teaches us that policies born from moments of crisis—especially those rushed through under the banner of security—often come with unforeseen and devastating consequences. What appears, in the short term, as a protective measure for Jews could, in the long term, morph into something far more insidious. The cascading effects of expanding government power to police speech and immigration enforcement could backfire—not just on those targeted today, but on the very people it claims to protect.
A Familiar and Dangerous Cycle
This moment is not unprecedented. Jewish history is littered with examples of Jews being used as a convenient justification for government overreach, only to become the next victims of that very overreach.
Consider the biblical story of Yosef in Egypt. In Parashat Miketz (Genesis 41-44), Yosef is elevated to second-in-command under Pharaoh, entrusted with overseeing Egypt’s survival during famine. His wisdom benefits the kingdom—until, generations later, the tides turn. Exodus 1:8-10 tells us that a new Pharaoh arose “who did not know Yosef” and reframed the Jewish presence in Egypt as a national security threat. The very same group that once stabilized the country was now deemed dangerous. The result? Persecution, slavery, and ultimately, infanticide.
History repeats itself. Jews were welcomed into Spain in the Middle Ages—until they became the targets of the Inquisition. Jews found relative safety in France—until the Dreyfus Affair exposed how fragile that safety truly was. Jews thrived in Weimar Germany—until the Nazis weaponized antisemitic tropes to justify stripping them of their rights.
And now, in 21st-century America, we see the same pattern emerging. The government claims to be acting in our defense, but whose playbook are they following?
The Weaponization of Jewish Fear
Since October 7, Jews in America have felt an acute sense of vulnerability. Campus protests have glorified Hamas, Jewish students have been harassed and assaulted, and university administrators have failed to respond adequately. This executive order taps into very real Jewish pain—but it does so in a way that benefits those who have spent years normalizing antisemitic rhetoric themselves.
Let’s not be naive: the same politicians pushing this order have, in the past, trafficked in antisemitic conspiracy theories. Many have railed against “globalists” and “Soros-funded elites”—dog whistles for the same Jewish influence they now claim to protect. The same political actors who are claiming to be the guardians of Jewish safety have also been silent, or worse, complicit, in the normalization of antisemitism within their own ranks.
And let’s also be clear: this policy is not about fighting antisemitism—it’s about furthering a broader anti-immigration, white nationalist agenda.
This executive order does not just target antisemites. It builds upon and expands the government’s ability to deport people based on their political speech. It sets a precedent that broadens state power to police dissent—one that, down the line, could just as easily be turned against Jews, against Israel supporters, or against any group that becomes inconvenient to those in power.
The Cascading Consequences of Extremist Policies
Policies like this have a snowball effect. Today, it is foreign students accused of endorsing terrorist organizations. Tomorrow, what stops this same power from being used to deport any foreign national who criticizes American or Israeli policies? What stops it from being weaponized against Jewish activists, human rights organizations, or even outspoken supporters of Israel who take issue with government decisions?
This is the danger of short-term thinking. What seems like an immediate benefit to Jews—swift consequences for antisemites—may, in fact, be laying the groundwork for a system that will eventually turn against us.
This is exactly what Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, zt”l, warned against when he wrote:
Judaism is a religion of love: you shall love the Lord your God; you shall love your neighbor as yourself; you shall love the stranger for you were once strangers. But it is also a religion of justice, for without justice, love corrupts… It is also a religion of compassion, for without compassion law itself can generate inequity. Justice plus compassion equals tzedek, the first precondition of a decent society.
(Covenant and Conversation: Deuteronomy, p. 41)
If we, as Jews, stand for tzedek—righteousness—we cannot allow ourselves to be used to justify injustice against others.
Jews Must Not Be Used as a Shield for White Supremacy
This executive order is not about protecting Jews. It is about using Jews to further a white nationalist, anti-immigrant agenda. It is about pitting marginalized groups against each other—Jews against Arabs, immigrants against citizens—to consolidate power for those who seek to weaken democracy itself.
If this administration truly cared about fighting antisemitism, they would be:
✔ Holding universities accountable for failing to protect Jewish students.
✔ Confronting antisemitism within their own political ranks.
✔ Investing in education, security, and coalition-building to combat hatred at its roots.
Instead, they are exploiting our very real fears to justify their own xenophobic policies.
The Real Jewish Question in 21st-Century America
The Jewish question today is not whether America will protect us—it is whether we will allow ourselves to be used as pawns in a much bigger game.
We must ask: Are we truly safer when governments expand their power to silence speech?
Are we truly safer when we align ourselves with political forces that normalize antisemitism while pretending to defend us?
Are we truly safer when we allow our pain to be exploited to justify the marginalization of others?
The answer is no.
If we believe in Torah, in justice, in the Jewish values of righteousness and moral clarity, we must reject policies that use our suffering to justify broader oppression. We must demand true security—not policies that create more division, scapegoating, and state overreach.
Because history has shown us, time and time again: what begins with the Jews never ends with the Jews.