The death of the “melting pot” has enabled antisemitism

As a newcomer to Kibbutz Reim back in 1994, one of my first friends was a Russian woman named Nadia who immigrated to Israel at the age of 7. I remember her telling me that after being here a few months, she realized how “uncool” it was to continue speaking in Russian and immediately told her mother that she would only respond in her new language of Hebrew. 

Her story rang true to me, as a second-generation American whose grandparents arrived in the U.S. a little after the turn of the 20th century. My own grandfather, ditched his name of Selig, changing it to a nice American name of “Jake.” He wasn’t the only one. My uncle shortened his own very Jewish sounding last name, taking on a much shorter version which could not be easily identified as belonging to a particular ethnicity. 

Back then, all new immigrants were so proud of their new country, that learning the language and being an authentic part of the landscape became a great source of pride for them. A lot has changed since those days.

Unlike the 20th century “melting pot” concept, where newcomers endeavored to learn the local language, customs and behaviors, in order to fit in, the 21st century has represented a great departure from that ideology. 

This trend has not escaped Geert Wilders, founder of the Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV), who believes that one of the great causes of antisemitism has been due to “mass immigration and no integration.” He bases his claim on what he has personally seen in Europe, citing “a failure to foster cultural integration and the embracing of Western values.” Seeing this as “detrimental,” Wilders, who is often described as a far-right political figure, connects the new penchant of open borders and the welcoming of mass immigration as being the politically-correct ideology which, in the end, has dire consequences.

As Wilders knows all too well, there is a global assumption that “all cultures (which filter into the prevailing culture of a specific country) are to be considered equal with the inability to criticise any behavior within that foreign culture.” In other words, if Middle-Eastern men are accustomed to behaving inappropriately with women, because their home country allows such things, then doing so, in their new country, should be excused, due to their orientation.

In fact, it is women, Jews and homosexuals who Wilders feels are most vulnerable to attack by these migrants who never intended to change their ways or integrate into their new culture. He says these are the same people who support extremist groups, such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Claiming that it was a shock, to discover just how many of them are now residing in Europe, it became a collective wake-up call, from the slumber of locals, who finally realize that their way of life is rapidly being overtaken and replaced.

This, undoubtedly, accounts for a sudden European shift, in the direction of many right-wing governments, who tend to reject the notion that flooding countries with migrants, from vastly different cultures, is a plus for any nation, especially when so many of these newcomers adhere to Sharia Law, desiring to see it enforced in their new homeland. 

The deadly combination of open borders, allowing foreigners to take up residence, without the need to integrate in the least, either through language, existing cultural and societal norms or the desire to make any meaningful connections with the local population, especially Jews, can only result in what we are seeing these days – separate populations with no cohesion. But it’s much worse than that, because, although there have always been separate populations, such as the Amish or those who prefer to live in their own little enclave, due to religious or other factors, they have never become a threat to the society as a whole.

In this case, the extreme polar differences, between these migrants and Europeans, Americans or other countries whose sensitivities align with Western societies, the only result can be two warring factions with one of them prevailing. This is what is presently playing out in France, where, just days ago, we viewed Paris streets flooded with Palestinian flags rather than their own national one. We can almost hear “La Marseillaise,” France’s national anthem, being replaced with a chant or song which is more common to the estimated 20 million Arab population who has made this their home since the late 1990s. 

It is this kind of change in atmosphere which Wilders credits as being responsible for having won the most seats in the 2023 Dutch General Election. His 37, helped the new Prime Minister Dick Schoof get into power. Of course, PVV’s platform was very focused on the subject of immigration policy, especially emphasizing the need to draw red lines.

Extremely pro-Israel, Wilders has been a vocal advocate, strongly supporting the Jewish homeland, well before the tragic events of October 7th. He says there has been a “noticeable spike in antisemitism since the massacre,” which strengthens his claim that a wave of “radical antisemitic sentiment has been growing, especially among immigrant populations.” He points to Vienna, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and London, where supporters were not just pro-Palestinian but pro-Hamas! This clash of civilized values was seen as frightening, representing a troubling trend. 

Consequently, Wilders put out a statement, directed at that segment of the population, saying, “If you abide by our rules, if you live in cooperation with our society, if you don’t fight our values, and once again, don’t upset the laws, then you are welcome, equal as anybody else in our society; you can achieve everything that you want, you can become a parliamentarian, you can go far in business, and there are no boundaries to the possibilities if you integrate with us as anybody else. If you start using violence or being antisemitic or do anything else, we will not accept it.”

Holland seems to be on the right track, warning that anyone who violates the law will lose their residency permit and run the risk of deportation. These no-nonsense policies should be adopted throughout the continent, assuring that democracies and Western values are protected and retained!

In short, this is nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction to a problem which has gotten out of control as countries take a stand and fight for the things they love and cherish!