Frank Foer - The End of the Golden Age of American Jews 

It’s great to know I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t take their eyes off Mike Johnson all evening. The clapping what he thought was just below camera view was precious. Langford mouthing “It’s true, it’s true” was great. Biden was spectacular at the SOTU.

Thanks Al. It's not Sunday without you.

Thing that frustrates me is ; don't they teach classical philosophy on campuses anymore ? I mean all these conflicts have already been fought, won, lost, argued over for thousands of years ! The answers are right there in very thorough expensive libraries just a short walk across the quad. But no, too difficult. Let's wallow in the stupid & once again start from there.

I'm 70 years old and from Cleveland, OH. I had a lot of Jewish friends in my lifetime. Some of them were very close. I could never understand antisemitism. To me, it makes no sense. So while in college, I took a course on the Israeli Palestinian struggle. I had a Jewish professor and the class was made up with Christians, Jews and Muslims. The discussions were, at times, quite lively. However, there was no hate. The professor we had was wonderful. He was able to direct students towards historical facts, and explain how complicated this all is. (At least, we learned the definition of Zionism.) I now live in Nashville. OMG. Antisemitism is alive and well here. People often receive flyers about how evil Jews are. It makes me sick because no one calls them out. I don't know what we do when we're living in today's environment. It scares me.

Hey! I'm not a Jew and I listen to your podcast. I am listening to this one. Anti-seminism is wrong. So is the same thing for other groups. I guess they don't have a specific word for that. First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out- Because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out- Because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out- Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me-and there was no one left to speak for me. We all need to worry about all the anti people.

Antisemitism is extremely varied and multifaceted depending on politics, historical period, nation, time, place, social class and to some extent industry. For example, antisemitism in the banking industry kept “Jewish banks” out of much prime international lending in the 1920 because they had also been big financial supporters of Germany, prior to 1918. The Bank of England Board of Governors was full of anti-semites as was JP Morgan. In the 1930s the British upper class was very fascism-friendly. In recent years the political right in the US has been highly critical of institutions who consider boycotts of Israel. And yet, the 1970’s when the US economy was on the skids and the Middle East was awash in petrodollars, US corporations, from banks to architectural and engineering firms were “hiding” their Jewish employees connections to Israel in order to do business with Gulf states…all done very quietly. Within my own family I have seen a significant feelings of alienation from Israel. I have observed that American “secular” Jews have a particular antipathy towards ultra-orthodox Jews, to a degree that I just don’t see among Gentiles. The rise of political influence by the ultra-religious in Israel over the past 2 decades has been extremely disturbing to my Jewish family members. Interestingly, the “golden age” referenced here somewhat corresponds to the period of time when Israeli politics was most influenced by people with European secular left-wing roots. Those days are probably over.

I’m a gentile, living in the UK, chronically aware of antisemitism. Whenever it seems appropriate, I point out, to whoever might be able to listen, that “the Jews” are not Israel. Even Israel is not the Jews. Netanyahu is not the Jews or Israel. The situation is a lot more complicated. The average Jew in America or anywhere, is no more responsible for what is happening in Gaza than my neighbours, who may or may not be Jewish , they are people. It’s politics and greed in tooth and claw, just as it’s always been. Thanks, Al for a great programme, as always.

We've been in the US since 1655. 134 years longer than the US has been here, in fact. What can we do to end antisemitism? -Use the words hate and bigotry like everyone else. -Stop the never forget the 6 million and one people of the Holocaust and start to never forget the 66 million people who died during and fighting authoritarianism. -We need to become right-sized. We are .02% of the world population. Nobody should know about us. Yet, we have outdone everyone in doing well. Gratitude is good. -Fight all hate and bigotry, especially that of our own people.

By the end of President Biden's speech, ' Moses' looked sad & deflated.

Al and Frank, as one of the "few " gentiles who listen every Sunday, let me thank you for talking about this very complicated subject. And after reading some of the rest of the comments, I think I'll just keep my big shiksa yap shut beyond that.

35:44 sick of hearing this canard of Olmert's "most generous offer". Really shows Foer's (surprising, and disappointing) ignorance about this episode in history. Olmert was already a lame duck as a result of his legal troubles and thus had no way of upholding Israel's end of the bargain. The Bush Administration and members of Olmert's government (Tzipi Livni, Olmert's expected successor) did not commit to supporting the agreement. Netanyahu announced at the time that he would not honor the agreement if signed. It's ridiculous to blame the Palestinians for not taking a deal that didn't even have a chance to begin with. Foer laments that people don't appreciate the nuances in the history of the conflict. Perhaps he should engage with the nuances himself before complaining about the shortcomings of others.

As a Sabra i am opposed to the continued existence of Hamas and its supporters.

Al, I love ya, but if I criticized the pension policy change in France, would you call me a Francophobe? No, that'd be silly. If I criticized China over it's lax enforcement of International intellectual property rights would you call me a Sinophobe? No, that's silly. If I criticize the government of Israel's policy towards settlements in the West BAnk and the Gazan g*nocid* I'm suddenly an anti-Semite?! How does that make sense?

Is the golden age of American Jews ending, or is the grace period for Israel in American society ending?

Criticism is NOT antisemitism. Israel is NOT a religion. Tikkun olam.🕊️🕊️🕊️

From my Irish famine immigrant perspective it comes down to are you supportive of Apartheid or do you oppose Apartheid. It has little to do with antisemitism, it is frustration of 57 years of Occupation. Crimes against humanity are crimes against humanity, the current Israeli government is practicing ethnic cleansing. Where do you want all the displaced Gazans to finally end up.

Al, if you really want your audience and Americans to understand what the real problem is, interview Dr. Einat Wilf, a left-wing peace camp Israeli and read her book “The War of Return”

Not going to talk about persecution of palestinians by the likud government. Doesnt play well al. We look on america and its relationship with jewish people as anomolous at the best of times. Ask britain about its history with israel.

Everyone has underestimated Joe no matter their age. If I'd of known any of my Gpa's I'd of hoped they would of acted like Joe.

These 2 dont know what is happening there.

an interesting but very flawed conversation

Thanks, Frank & Al, for the clarity! As soon as it came up, I wondered, " _Can_ you scare the Bejeezus out of a jew?" The answer: yes, was promptly settled.

And nine of the American Jewish Nobel laureates graduated from my high school. (Of course, I am not one of the them.) 😇

"Golden Age"? Since when are Jews so optimistic? Maybe "Not as Bad as It Could Be Age."

That we should have to go through this bullshit again! Did we learn nothing from hitler's reign of terror?

For me Jews are among the people I admire the most. Incredible how much Jewish people contributed to our society trough culture and art... Stay strong, I'm sure at the end Jews will save the world ❤

How sad, as a Baby Boomer, now 71, to see where this country has gone. And in the age of computers, Wi-Fi and social media… Everything escalates so quickly with almost no valid information. There is no question that Netanyahu is a nightmare. And what has gone on between Israel and Palestine has been way way too long. It needs to be resolved. And the current mess in Gaza , humanitarian, needs to be strongly, supported by Israel. But the fallout in the US for American Jews is unthinkable to me. the that our youngest people know so little about Jewish history inside and outside of this country is unforgivable. Because we don’t teach history in the public schools. Not to the extent that is needed. The Jewish population in this country has blessed America deeply. As with all groups, there are the bad as well as the good. But America has overwhelmingly thrived because of its Jewish citizens. And some of my closest friends, indeed are Jewish. They are some of the most delightful people in my life in all respects. I don’t know if I will live long enough to see this country turnaround back to some of the common sense and groundedness. I grew up with in the 50s. Nothing is perfect. And great strides were made in the 60s and 70s. Never have I thought things would end up as they have now….. struggling for the very soul of this nation…💔💔💔

Al, we need you back in Congress! In the meantime, everyone can help Congress price climate pollution with Carbon Fee and Dividend with a CBAM. See CFD Movement for more.

Lack of in depth analysis on the root causes for the existence and actions of Hamas. But great coverage of the unfair treatment of Jews. Quite disappoint as I expected more from Mr. Franken.

The professor who said he was elated by October 7th and later apologized after learning the scope of the massacre, was Norman Finkelstein. Finkelstein is, like myself, the son of Holocaust survivors. His parents survived the Death Camps. He rightly regarded Gaza as a massive concentration camp, and he initially celebrated October as a successful revolt of the prisoners of a concentration camp. I was named for my paternal grandfather, who perished in the Warsaw Ghetto. When I learned about what had been happening to the people of Gaza, even before October 7th, I thought of the Warsaw Ghetto. I, as a Jew can only feel betrayed, angry and ashamed by this fascist regime of what claims to be a Jewish State.

About damn time. If this is what their blessings are then I'll pass!

Just finished listening to this episode as well as read Foer's article. I've said this before, I love Al when it comes to the domestic issues/politics but when it comes to Israel and Palestinians he has a major blind spot. Even way before Oct 7th, Al has said, (paraphrasing here), the Palestinians are to blame for their position in life, (I believe that was either in the Lt. Col. Vindman or David Miller podcast). Isn't that like blaming a rape victim for being raped? Al's listeners would be better served by having 2 people from opposing sides to give their viewpoints. That's the exact same problem I've seen with schools such as Columbia and Harvard, none of the Ivies encouraged a debate on this issue or discussion in an open forum. All I saw were professors, administrators and donors trying to shutdown any opposition to the war. Shutdown freedom of speech. Remember the Vietnam War, were students on college campuses quite then? Listening to Al and Foer speak unchallenged it just comes across as soft propaganda. Is antisemitism on the rise, probably but how much is due to the war. How did Americans react or treat German Americans or Japanese Americans during WWII? I'm not saying any of it is or was right but there is a history of this happening in our country during periods of war. (Ever see any of Dr. Seuss's war propaganda works, especially the stuff that pertained to the Japanese: "The Honorable 5th Column... Waiting for a signal from home.) If Dr. Seuss can justify doing it, what's that mean for the rest of the country? I've seen several protests and yet to see any real violence, crazy yelling by both sides for sure but nothing more than that. Lastly I totally disagree with Foer on the 1 State or 2 State Solution, it's not complicated, people like Foer want to make it complicated but it's not. You either demand all people have equal rights or you just divide the land and resources up with an even 50/50 split. The world just forces one or the other. If an international body could create Israel out of thin air then it can do it again to resolve the Palestine / Israel issue. chicagoreader.com/blogs/the-scurrilous-cartoons-of-dr-seuss/

More propaganda!!

I understand Franken asking about pre/post bombing dates, but what other country, especially a small country surrounded by neighbors dedicated to their destruction, should not work to return hostages and destroy the attackers? Am Yisrael Chai.

I didn’t know you had a Podcast Al‼️Glad to Listen ‼️❣️

No wonder Foer’s son thinks Biden’s got it.

As far as pro Palestinian rallies right after Oct 7th, the Israelis shut off water and electricity almost immediately. Many people could see what was starting to happen.

May I also add that city councils opining on foreign policy is not something new. I recall Bernie Sanders as the mayor of Burlington Vermont holding hearings on US policy in Central America.

frank foer -- very insightful person.

mike johnson's facial and body language: I could just see the gears in his head grinding along, only clapping twice, nodding in agreement a few times, but mostly shaking his head in disagreement(opposite plans).Then his body language, sitting straight upright, sinking a little here and there.

I've listened to this now halfway, never hitting the key issues ("it's complex"). . .admittedly not black-and-white, but 12 minutes these days is the limit for the average listener. If you havent made a key point by then, and you haven't at 25 minutes, this podcast imo will have more of an opposite effect than what was intended. Always aim at the general audience, not the studious intellectual.

Are you defending israel or likud.

Its shameful that our country must tolerate this behavior...I have never understood this bias, in our country or in any other country.

I hate that when people talk about Charlottesville, they don’t mention Heather Heyer, they just quote Trump. I’m sure Trump is anti- Semitic but that day, he was just distracting with his both sides comment.

Good morning all

1991: Medical College of Virginia (now VCU School of Medicine), in Richmond, Virginia (with library next door to the White House of the Confederacy -- now a museum), still had a "Jewish quote", such that, in a city with 8 synagogue congregations, one of them among the oldest in the U.S., and a medical school class of roughly 170 students, had only 5 Jews -- and at least 6 Iranian immigrants. Of course, this limit on the number of Jews allowed into the medical school class was a secret.

I disagree.

Love this Channel. Go Mr. Franken.

Excerpts from Zionism’s Jewish Nostalgia Trap: A Rebuttal of Franklin Foer March 12, 2024 By Benjamin Balthaser "As many American Jews are casting about for historical metaphors as Zionism’s colonial and violent nature can no longer be concealed, Foer reaches back into a myth of American Jewish life as to say, it is not we who have a problem, it is all of America. Nostalgia as a mode, to cite the literary critic Frederic Jameson, is one outside of history, rendering historical time as flat, seamless, inside the immediacy of the present. Foer’s evocation of Yiddish is precisely this form of saccharine nostalgic haze: an incoherent mashup of Jewish leftists, anti-Zionists, cosmopolitanists and then also, nationalists, racists, and colonialists, as if these have any more common than exemplary Russians Tsar Nicholas the Second and Vladimir Lenin. Foer is right in one regard: a certain era of Jewish American history is over, or at least, is concluding, that is not separate but rather a part of a certain crisis writ large of American liberalism. And indeed, this is perhaps what Foer actually mourns: that his affiliation with American liberalism and an apartheid state are now shown, in full view, for both its contradictions and its continuities. As much as liberalism has been a strong current of American Jewish life, its hegemony was always in dialogue with other strains of both radicalism and reaction, and it has only been by the violent power of states that the former was earlier suppressed and the latter is on the warpath. The liberalism that Foer evokes has, in its earlier moments of crisis, aligned with an imperial state even over the interests of other Jews, whether covering over Roosevelt and Truman’s barring of Holocaust refugees or siding with the American Jewish Committee in its support for the Rosenbergs’ execution. The vital center was never vital, and its hegemony could only be secured by the silencing and erasure of the radical left, and the absorption of the radical right. Whatever the future of American Jewry may be, I will take the activists marching for Palestine over Foer’s over-the-counter-culture schmaltz. Benjamin Balthaser is Associate Professor of English at Indiana University at South Bend

Re: menorah thrown into the sea, that’s what they want to do to the Jews.

how do you discriminate between hamas and nonhamas?

I think that for the sake of balance, you should invite someone like Norman Finkelstein or Miko Peled, a son of an IDF General who helped win the ‘67 war, on your podcast. They might open up new perspectives on what is happening in the region and why.

Keep up the good work of truth telling!

Elan Pappe, Avi Schloam, Gideon Levy, Norman Finkelstein, Jeffrey Sachs, John Mearshimer . . .

Senator Al Frank, you are a national treasure.

Luv ya, Al, but it's about freakin' time you addressed this issue head on. Seriously, you're later than the Women's committee at the UN!

It is a matter of separation of church and state. It's the government, not the people. The government is bad in the country of Israel.

You both need to read Anti-Judaism: The Western Tradition and an excellent book with the off-putting title People Love Dead Jews by Dara Horn. Please have them both on your podcast.

No justification for murder? Like war?

Being against genocide is not anti - Semitic

Great podcast

What you really mean, BUT are not honest enough to say, is: Opposition to Israel and USA support of Israel, is rising ever so slightly in parts of the USA liberal community. And I know why, and I hate it, but I'm going to pretend not to know why but be outraged over it anyway.

Israel has acted so appallingly that people are repulsed by the bigotry on display.

It sounds like you both are upset that the narrative of Palestinians are finally being told.

As a Leftist, I feel relieved that Foer was unable to find real examples of anti-Semitism on the Left, despite saying again and again that there are lots. This is this generation’s Vietnam. Whose side are you on?

If Israel had not responded the way it has after the attack on 10/7, I seriously doubt if Foer would have written this piece. I believe the attack itself -- in its brutality -- would have had the impact of increasing sympathy towards Jewish people -- much the way people of the world sympathized with Americans following 9/11 -- until the USA went on its military rampages.

The documentary Hollywoodism talks about how Jewish studio heads helped create our conception of what being an American is.

Since when is being disgusted with Israel antisemitism? We fought a war in afaganistan and Iraq so Israel didn’t have to share the holy land with Muslims we send 4 billion a year to Israel why? Since when did Israel become a state of the United States. Thanks Al for valuing Israel over the usa.

Lovely! An aunt died before I was born has a beautiful Madonna watching over her. The fingers have broken off and it needs cleaning. Plan to give her a shine 75 years later.

Racism and bigotry are internalized by observing the behavior of family and religious communities.

It requires to be widely explained that post WWI British rampant double dealing in Palestine created pretty much all the problems and conflicts in the region to this day. Oh, and kinda the French and alot from Jordan after the wars in the 60s. Just sayin'...

Ashkenazim is a very special group, they went from the worst Holocaust to the top of the world in economic, political, cultural, technological and scientific endeavors. Is it the end of cycle!

I am shocked that Mr. Foer equates pro-Palestinian stance in the Gaza of war with anti-Semitism. I'm quite certain that most of the people protesting in the Bay area to end the war on the people of Gaza was not anti-Semitic, they were anti-israel bombing and killing Palestinians. And even Mr Franken here said he was shocked at this. Americans know that this has been going on for decades and that Israel's thumb on Palestine is responsible for the reaction of October 7th. The first day of all this was not October 7th. Israel has been perpetrating crimes against the Palestinians for decades and even into this war continue horrible instances of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. So the equation of being anti-Israeli government's policy against Palestinians and anti-Semitism is just disgusting. Of course people are going to become anti-Semitic because of Israel's actions because Israel is a religious country. It's a religious state. It's almost required to be Jewish just to live there or at least to live there as an equal citizen. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that people who are against Israel are anti-Semitic. This is because of the actions of the Israeli government.

Why are so many americans living illegally in the west bank.

If you want 2 states over here then I suggest you make aliyah and live in my town. We are right on the border with Samaria. There is a large aggressive Pal town right across the road. I would like to see your face when you see them paragliding over the wall.

Love how Al says "Annie-Semitism."

Maybe you should do your research. Olmert was prime minister with the Kadima party. He left Likud with Sharon over the disengagement.

This guy can't pronounce the letter "L". I hear this all the time, so many educated males (it always seems to males) can't pronounce "L". Not sure why

Actually, the name "Foer" would be the English spelling of the German name "Fõr", which is pronounced much differently (to the German-speaking ear) than "4".

Your guest is way too biased towards Zionism. Sad.

What crap!

Did you know that israel controls land, sea and air access to Gaza and built a wall around it. Sounds like a ghetto to me. But I guess everything started Oct 7th.

45:25: would you want to be friends with someone who supported the U.S. being a christian state? I could be friendly with lots of people but I couldn't be close to anyone who thought their country should favor one religion or give privileges to people of one religion over those of another or of no religion.

The timing of this particular program is offensive. There is famine in Gaza at this time. Famine. One hundred percent man-made famine. Can you address that instead? Please?

❤

When we talk about Oslo, it takes place in this fantasy world where the power dynamics btw Palestine and Israel are relatively symmetric and US is a neutral. Even if we conceded that it was “complicated” (even though there is a video of Netanyahu saying he was going to use the vagueness of the accords to make sure it failed); the power dynamics are so skewed

Stop talking about this group or that group, talk one about policies and strategies. no illegal occupation, religious moderation, defend from within, build alliances with nations. All humans on planet with nature.

I’m a Jew. I’m so worried that if Trump gets elected, there might be pogroms here in Boca Raton.

SOTU: Mike Johnson looked to me like he was struggling with chronic gas and constipation.

40:00 the gov of georgia was never in tel aviv in summer! very interesting, listening from sderot, israel.

Dude, sort yourself!

Yup, Golden Age definitely over.

I'm against war and genocide, and I stand with the kids. That doesn't make me antisemitic Dec

Just live us. Alone remamber in 4 years of Trump.no wars abd a real peace with 5 Arabs nations and taretoies with econimiks deak tan billions of dollars😊😊

That is a black mark against the history of Connecticut.

💗

A gentle reminder that Palestinians are Semites. So how on earth can a critique of one group of Semites abhorrent treatment of another group of Semites be somehow construed as “antisemitism?”

you say "anti-zionist and anti-semitic' in the video description but just admit it Al-- you don't see any difference between those things.. in your mind Judaism is no longer a religious tradition; it is a national identity- and one that demands absolute obedience, conformity, bloodlust, and zealous devotion to Dear Leader Bibi, King Yahu II.

These guys are so smart yet just dont get it.

A Jew was marooned alone on a deserted island at sea for many years. He built two temples. When he was found he was asked: “Why did you build two temples?” He replied: “Well, this one here is where I worship. That one over there I don’t get along with.”