Given the tragedies that have taken place in American cities recently, many Jewish Americans feel as if they are walking around with targets on their backs.
American Jews have been the target of , and, in some cases, because of a war thousands of miles away 鈥� a war many American Jews who, while they support the right of Israel to exist, oppose the way the war in Gaza is being pursued by the government of Benjamin Netanyahu.
A war against the brutal terrorist organization, Hamas, which still holds at least 58 Israeli hostages in Gaza from the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, rages on.
It is also a war that has, by the actions of the Israeli Defense Forces, cost the lives of 鈥� men, women and children.
For Rep. Greg Landsman, the Cincinnati Democrat who represents Ohio鈥檚 1st Congressional District, the specter of antisemitism is a daily and unwanted companion.
Landsman is Jewish, an outspoken supporter of the state of Israel. He does not hesitate to speak up when he thinks the government in Tel Aviv is wrong.
鈥淚 am pro-peace, pro-Palestinian security and safety, and a pro-Israel American,鈥欌�� Landsman said in a recent interview. 鈥淏ut I often don鈥檛 feel safe in my own community, or in the streets of Washington. There are many Jews in this country who feel the same way.鈥�
Recent unprovoked attacks 鈥� in one case deadly 鈥� just heighten the insecurity Landsman and other Jewish Americans feel.
On Wednesday, May 21, a young couple, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, both of whom worked at the Israeli embassy, were murdered in Washington, D.C., outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington. The suspect was arrested at the scene and charged with first-degree murder. He could be heard shouting 鈥淔ree Palestine鈥� as the police cuffed and led him away. The couple were leaving an event at the museum. on a trip to Jerusalem. The couple was to depart for the trip Sunday.
It was after those murders that Landsman wrote a memo to his constituents 鈥� a memo that was converted into 鈥� in which he wrote of the antisemitism he says is running rampant in this country and the violent acts that are the result of the antisemitism.
And he made it clear that he feels the same threat many other American Jews are feeling.
鈥淚 have had a hard time getting the image of being shot and killed out of my head,鈥� Landsman wrote. "It happens almost every time I鈥檓 in a big crowd now.鈥�
Then, on Sunday, at the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colorado, the world saw video of a group of Jewish women and men, who ranged in age from 52 to 88 years old, being burnt by flames from Molotov cocktails. They were there protesting for the release of the Israelis being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. As of Monday, two were still hospitalized.
A suspect was arrested on the scene. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian national, was charged with a federal hate crime, according to court documents. He鈥檚 also facing 42 state charges.
' 'Otherization' is very real'
While American Jews have been primary targets of recent attacks, Landsman said the murders of the young Jewish couple in Washington reminded him of the 2023 murder of a 6-year-old Palestinian boy, Wadea Al-Fayoume, by his family鈥檚 landlord in a Chicago suburb.
鈥� 鈥橭therization鈥� is very real and refers to the process of treating a person or group as different and alien; and it can lead to marginalization, exclusion, and murder,鈥� Landsman said. 鈥淲e allow people to 鈥榦therize鈥� and demonize folks, and we forget to appreciate that it often turns violent.鈥�
Landsman says more often than not, when he walks outside the Capitol, he finds himself surrounded by pro-Palestinian people shouting at him.
鈥淭hese folks aren鈥檛 violent; they just hate the war and they hate seeing people die,鈥� Landsman said. 鈥淪o do I.鈥�
Off and on for months, Landsman has had pro-Palestinian protestors campaign just outside his driveway in Cincinnati; he feels like he and his family are being harassed every time they step out to go for a walk in the neighborhood.
鈥淚 had one constituent tell me, 鈥榊ou can鈥檛 be objective about this because you are Jewish,鈥� 鈥� Landsman said. 鈥淏ut all I want is peace for both me and my community.鈥�
What people who blame Jews in this country for the slaughter of innocents in Gaza, Landsman said, is that 鈥渃riticizing the government of Israel is much different from saying the state of Israel has no right to exist.鈥�
鈥淲e hate this war,鈥欌�� Landsman said. 鈥淎ll war, but this one in particular.鈥�
Fighting Hamas without risking the lives of the 58 hostages Hamas is holding is a very delicate balancing act, Landsman said.
鈥淗amas is living in tunnels when Israeli Defense Forces are around; and they leave innocent Palestinians above ground and will not let them go,鈥欌�� Landsman said.
International aid trucks are moving into Gaza with humanitarian assistance 鈥� food, water, medical supplies.
鈥淚t鈥檚 working,鈥� Landsman said. 鈥淗amas is not getting its hands on this aid. And if Hamas has no cash and no supplies, maybe they will say, 鈥楩ine, here are your hostages,鈥� 鈥� the congressman said.
鈥淭he problem is there are only bad options in this part of the world. You have to choose the least bad option."
So many American Jews, Landsman said, simply want to find a path to peace in the region.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 help us do that when we are constantly the targets of antisemitic violence.鈥�
WVXU reached out to the Cincinnati chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations multiple times for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.
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