On Sunday, June 1, eight people were injured in an antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colo., after a man yelled, “free Palestine” and threw incendiary devices at people participating in a walk and vigil for Israeli hostages being held by Hamas.
Nearly two weeks ago, two Israeli Embassy staffers — Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim — were gunned down outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., as they left an event celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month. Their attacker reportedly also shouted, “Free, free Palestine” while being arrested. Federal investigators are treating the incident as a potential hate crime and act of antisemitic terrorism.
These were not just tragic acts of violence. These are domestic terrorist attacks stemming from the logical endpoint of a cultural tide that has swept through our institutions, undermined our moral clarity and normalized antisemitic rhetoric in the name of activism.
I recently interviewed Rabbi Dr. Steve Weil, CEO of Friends of the IDF, and see how his words now ring louder than ever. He warned that what we’re witnessing is not just political division or cultural unrest. It's the collapse of truth, the erasure of history and the deliberate targeting of Jews, physically, intellectually and spiritually.
Western societies, especially “elite” universities, have incubated radical ideologies under the false banner of freedom. These ideologies don’t just challenge Israel’s politics, they seek its destruction. And more disturbingly, they seek the collapse of everything Israel defends: moral order, human dignity and the Judeo-Christian foundation of civilization itself.
During the interview, I asked Rabbi Weil about the morale of Israeli soldiers, many of whom are fighting for their very survival while seeing hostility from governments and protests in the West. He acknowledged that many soldiers have felt deep isolation, especially when institutions in the United States, including parts of our own government, appeared to abandon Israel during key moments of crisis. But he also shared that morale has improved in recent months as the current administration is once again standing with Israel, and that support makes a difference on the ground. Knowing that America remembers who its allies are and what they stand for, strengthens IDF resolve of those on the front lines.
So how did we get from anti-Israel slogans to attacks and shootings on U.S. soil?
Because for too long, we’ve let words go unchallenged. We've excused violent chants on campus as “free speech.” We've tolerated dehumanizing language about Jews, rationalized lies about Israel and ignored the ideological rot seeping into education, media and policy.
As Rabbi Weil said, “Tiny little Israel and its army — the IDF — is the one thing standing in the way of radical Islam’s dream to wipe out Western civilization.” That’s why it is hated. Not for its borders but for its values.
When protestors chant “From the river to the sea,” many are ignorant and do not realize they are echoing a call for genocide. But sadly, others do, and they mean every word. And when those words are tolerated, amplified or left unrebuked, they do not stay words. Eventually, they become bullets.
Yaron and Sarah were not soldiers. They were diplomats. They believed in peace. Their lives were taken not on a battlefield but in the heart of the American capital, at a museum dedicated to Jewish history. The symbolism could not be clearer.
This is not just a Jewish issue. It’s not just Israel’s problem. It’s an American problem, and more importantly, it’s a moral crisis.
So, what can we do?
First, we must speak up — loudly, publicly and without apology. Antisemitism must be condemned wherever it appears, from elite institutions to social media mobs.
Second, we must support organizations that care for the soldiers and the citizens of Israel standing between freedom and fanaticism.
Third, we must pray — not just for Israel’s safety — but for the soul of our own nation, that we do not continue to lose our courage, our clarity or our conscience.
This century will be defined either by truth and justice — or by fear, hatred and lies dressed up as virtue.
Stand for truth. Speak out. Share this now.
Peter Demos is the author of “On the Duty of Christian Civil Disobedience” and the host of “Uncommon Sense in Current Times.” A Christian business leader from Tennessee, Demos uses his biblical perspective and insight gained from his own struggles to lead others to truth and authenticity in a broken world.
