COMMENTARY: Nevadans must stand against antisemitism

For most Americans, Las Vegas’ reputation as a haven from the stresses of everyday life makes our city an ideal destination for family vacations and celebrations. For those of us who live here, we know that the city’s prominence can sometimes also make it a target, as was the case with the truck bombing outside the Trump International this year that injured seven and killed the perpetrator.

Concerns about violent attacks in Las Vegas are magnified for the Jewish community. Since Hamas’ invasion of Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, we’ve seen a dramatic rise in antisemitism across America. Recently, this has included a wave of vicious and lethal assaults on the Jewish community that were perpetrated by individuals claiming to act in support of Palestinians.

Since April we’ve seen the home of the Jewish governor of Pennsylvania set on fire while he and his family slept inside; the murder of two people outside a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C.; the murder of an 82-year-old Jewish woman who was firebombed at a rally in Colorado in support of Hamas-held hostages; and the beating of a man in California by a group of people shouting “(expletive) the Jews” and “free Palestine.”

Las Vegas isn’t immune to such vitriol. Not long after Oct. 7, a local teen was arrested for allegedly plotting an ISIS-inspired terror attack. This was only weeks after graffiti was found in the west valley with phrases such as “Death 2 Jews” and “Free Gaza.” More recently, in May, a man in Henderson was arrested for making terroristic threats against the Jewish community, and multiple Jewish organizations across the Las Vegas Valley were targeted with letters that stated, in part, “We Will Destroy Your Synagogues Hamas Lives On.”

While most pro-Palestinian activists are not violent, these acts of intimidation and bloodshed are the result of the increasingly malicious and dehumanizing language being normalized in our society. “Zionist,” a term that includes 85 percent of the American Jewish community, is now used as a slur. When Zionists are deemed evil, equated with Nazis and Afrikaners, is it any surprise that Jews are under attack?

Part of the challenge is definitional. Zionism means something very specific and narrow: the belief in the Jewish people’s right to a state in their historic homeland. There are Zionists who support the war in Gaza and Zionists who oppose it. There are Zionists who back and admire Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Zionists who detest him. There are Zionists who support the creation of a Palestinian state and those who oppose such a policy.

Conversely, anti-Zionism rejects the right of the Jewish people to a state in any part of the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. Anti-Zionists, too, have a range of opinions on Israeli policies, but what unites them is their rejection not only of the status quo, but also of a two-state solution — an idea that, however imperfect, remains the only viable path to peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Moreover, the rhetoric that supports anti-Zionism is dangerous. Phrases such as “from the river to the sea” and “globalize the intifada” are not vague slogans. They are explicit calls for the eradication of Israel and the glorification of violence. At its core, anti-Zionism is a call for a forever-war until Israel no longer exists.

Thankfully, our local law enforcement and elected officials have taken the threats to the Jewish community seriously. They understand the dangers posed by this rising tide of hate and have taken tangible steps, such as adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism and supporting increased funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, to keep our community safe.

But support from our elected officials alone is insufficient. We need a whole-of-society approach to tackling antisemitism that includes everyday Nevadans standing with their Jewish neighbors and rejecting demonizing language that legitimizes atrocities. The violence we have seen throughout America can, and likely will, arrive here in Las Vegas if we continue to allow this hate to fester. The bloodshed in other cities is a warning, and Las Vegas must not ignore it.

Rabbi Felipe Goodman leads Temple Beth Sholom in Las Vegas.