Has Dangerous Incitement Replaced Healthy Political Debate?
Some of what we see unfolding in the United States elections is profoundly troubling and highly relevant to Jews living in the US – and those living in Israel. Lara Logan, a journalist with over 35 years in the field, has been ringing the alarm about what she calls “the shift”:
“Can you see how the messaging from the left is now more focused on what happens after the election than the election itself?” She recently tweeted, noting that the left wing acknowledges three painful points.
1) They know they cannot win on votes. It’s over.
2) They know it is “too big to rig”. The cheat will fail.
3) They have shifted their main line of effort to preventing Trump from ever taking office.
This situation transcends political rivalry; it involves rhetoric that could lead to real, violent consequences for all of us, especially for Jewish Americans, Israel, and advocates for freedom.
Logan’s career has taught her the dangers of a media narrative that demonizes opponents. She experienced this firsthand when she was brutally sexually attacked while covering the Arab Spring in Cairo, only to have her story largely ignored by the media because it conflicted with their preferred narrative of the Arab Spring as a pro-democracy movement.
For Logan, this was a shocking wake-up call. Since then, she has observed how shifting narratives can justify actions that undermine safety. After years as an award-winning wartime journalist, she became independent and began to voice her concerns more freely.
She sees similar dangerous patterns emerging in Kamala Harris’s campaign, particularly against Donald Trump and his supporters. Logan’s concerns are not partisan; they stem from the destructive nature of inflammatory language and its potential consequences. Recently, Harris publicly compared Trump to Hitler.
Such a comparison goes beyond ordinary political critique; it amounts to character assassination. By likening Trump to Hitler, political leaders imply that he—and anyone associated with him—are not merely mistaken but evil and a threat to humanity. It conveys to the public that Trump—and anyone seen as supporting him—is not just wrong but evil and a threat to humanity.
Ironically, it’s the Biden-Harris administration that has weaponized federal agencies like the DOJ and IRS as political tools against political opponents. Harris HItler-Trump comparison is not based on truth; it’s a smear tactic born of fear, a desperate attempt to divert attention from pressing issues and avoid scrutiny of their policies. This rhetoric reveals an underlying fear—not of Trump’s actions but of Americans rejecting Harris’s vision. Labeling Trump as a fascist is an act of desperation, indicating that Harris is more concerned with vilifying her opponent than defending her own policies.
For the Jewish community, this rhetoric is alarming. Logan warns that when the left likens someone to Hitler, it invites treating that individual and their associates as enemies to be confronted by any means necessary. This language constitutes direct incitement. Given the left’s tendency to associate Israel and Jews with Trump, the risk is even greater.
As the U.S. election approaches, Logan believes Democrats and their allies realize they may not win purely through votes. They understand that the stakes are “too big to rig” Thus, they are preparing a narrative that paints Trump and his supporters as villains, justifying any actions taken against them.
For those of us who support Israel and identify as Jewish, this rhetoric strikes a painful chord. History teaches us that dehumanization and demonization are not abstract concepts. When groups are branded as existential threats, violence often ensues. Disturbingly, Jewish Americans who support Trump are treated as complicit in some perceived “evil.” For Israel, this rhetoric could result in a lame-duck Biden/Harris administration distancing itself from the country if Trump wins, further complicating the U.S.-Israel alliance.
Lara Logan speaks from experience, witnessing how narratives shape society and lead to conflict. She has seen the real-world consequences of dehumanizing language and urges us to take this rhetoric seriously.
So, what can we do? We must remain vigilant and call out this rhetoric for what it is—dangerous incitement rather than healthy political debate. This isn’t about choosing sides; it’s about standing up for truth, justice, and community safety. As Jews, Israelis, and defenders of freedom, we have a responsibility to resist these attacks and ensure that inflammatory words do not result in violent actions. “Never again” must mean recognizing the signs of hatred and learning from our history of persecution.
Avi Abelow is the host of the Pulse of Israel daily video/podcast and the CEO of
12Tribe Films Foundation.
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