Firing Line: Bari Weiss

Former New York Times editor and author Bari Weiss spoke about anti-Semitism in America. As a Jewish woman who grew up in Pittsburgh, she remembered the 2018 mass shooting at the Jewish Synagogue.

“It’s a date that’s emblazoned on our brains like 9/11 is on the national consciousness,” she said (1:52).

Growing up, she used to believe that America was a safe haven for Jews. Her her beliefs had changed over the years. She had realized that America had started to take anti-Semitic beliefs in its culture.  

Unlike racism, Anti-Semitism stemmed from a global conspiracy. A racist person in America may not believe that African American people are a part of some secret society. However, an anti-Semite may believe that Jewish people have a secret hand in controlling the world.

As Anti-Semitism had risen in America since 2013, the left and right are poisoned by this ideology. The Right Wing conspiracies revolved around Jewish people and other minority groups in America.

“In this disgusting view of the world, the Jews are the greatest trick the devil has ever played,” she said (9:22). Anti-Semites said that Jews trick people into thinking that they are white.

But, Jewish people are secretly loyal to minority groups such as immigrants, Muslim, and African American groups.

Weiss said that left wing groups can be more dangerous than the right. Right wing groups are willing to be open about their anti-Semitic ideology. The left is more subtle with it and hides it.

She has garnered a lot of hate for her views on social media. But, she hopes to continue to create good controversy. Her goal is to make people feel uncomfortable so they can hear her viewpoints and her story.