In this provocative Substack article published on American Refugees, author Roger Simon grapples with rising antisemitism, focusing on a devastating Chanukah terror attack in Sydney, Australia, at a Chabad event in Bondi Beach. The attack killed 15 people and injured 40, timed to coincide with the first public menorah lighting to instill fear in the Jewish community.
Simon quotes Rabbi Yitzchok Tiechtel, emphasizing resilience: the attack aimed "to make Jews think twice about gathering, singing, or shining openly," yet such gatherings matter more than ever.
Simon explicitly states that conservative commentators Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens are not directly responsible for the Sydney massacre. However, he argues they contribute indirectly by fostering a toxic "zeitgeist" of Jew-hatred on social media.
As former conservatives turned critics, their "constant internecine hostility" and promotion of evidence-free antisemitic tropes—such as claims that "Israel killed Charlie Kirk" or "Hitler was well-meaning"—amplify hatred. Simon likens Tucker to a "digital Father Coughlin," the infamous 1930s radio priest known for antisemitism, and notes how Russian and Chinese intelligence allegedly flood platforms like X (formerly Twitter) with retweets, elevating figures like white nationalist Nick Fuentes as heroes for alienated youth, with Tucker and Candace as "elder statesmen."
The article highlights the ominous rise of right-wing antisemitism, more recent than its leftist counterpart, which has left Jews and Israel increasingly isolated. Simon criticizes the Democratic Party's shift against Israel, citing the 2012 DNC where a vote to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital drew catcalls, and praises rare exceptions like Sen. John Fetterman.
A New York City incident where a man ranted about Zionists, quoted Tucker and Candace, and shouted "F*ck you, Jew" at a Jewish intervenor.
A drive-by shooting in Redlands, California, targeting a Hanukkah-decorated home on Shabbat, with the shooter yelling "fuck the Jews" while the perpetrator remains at large.
An update addresses conspiracy theories claiming the Sydney attack was an Israeli "false flag." Simon points to Tucker's brother, Buckley Carlson, for promoting such ideas, including labeling a wounded Jewish leader a "crisis actor."
Broader global context includes migrant violence in Paris canceling events, a Syrian attack killing U.S. troops, and Qatar's role in hosting anti-Western forums. Simon sympathizes with Elon Musk's free speech stance but calls X a "dagger to the human brain" overrun with unbanishable hate.
Ultimately, Simon warns that this "Axis of Online Evil" is yielding real-world violence, eroding alliances and threatening Western civilization, with Jews as the "canary in the coal mine." He urges defiance through public Jewish observance amid escalating dangers.
Editorial comments expressed in this column are the sole opinion of the writer.
