“Conflictedly Connected”: Why So Many American Jews Feel Invisible Right Now

Josh Leifer, one of the sharpest Jewish voices out there, has a piece in Haaretz that really hit home for me. He coins the phrase “conflictedly connected” to describe where so many American Jews find themselves right now—and honestly, it couldn’t feel more accurate.

Reading his article felt like he was telling my own story. How do we make sense of rising antisemitism and anti-Zionism coming from both ends of the political spectrum? On the right, we’re watching figures like Tucker Carlson flirt with blatant antisemitism while Nick Fuentes—an outright Jew-hater—gains influence. On the left, many of us were stunned by the support for Hamas after October 7.

So where does that leave most American Jews? Stuck in the middle, and as Leifer puts it, invisible:

“The ‘conflictedly connected’ American Jews ought to have far greater political representation than they currently do. Drowned out by bellicosity on the right and ostracized by some would-be allies among progressives, a large plurality of American Jews have effectively been rendered invisible.”

If that resonates with you, check out Leifer’s full article here: Josh Leifer on the Conflicted American Jew.

And if you’re up for more (because why not lean into the discomfort?), I’ve also linked Ross Douthat’s fascinating interview with Yoram Hazony—a leading right-wing thinker pushing for a revival of ethnic nationalism. In it, Hazony tackles the ugly rise of antisemitism in the Republican camp: Opinion | It’s Deeper Than Nick Fuentes – The New York Times