In recent weeks, coverage of the Biden administration's pivot against Israel has consumed the media narrative surrounding U.S. policy toward the Jewish state.
From Dearborn, Michigan, to Teaneck, New Jersey, protests calling for the eradication of the U.S. and Israel have shaken the spiritual core of Americans, the overwhelming majority of whom cherish virtues tied to patriotism, tolerance and religious freedom.
While it is true that the shift initiated by President Joe Biden to sideline a U.S. ally while pandering to an anti-American segment of the population is on its face disturbing, another troubling paradigm emerging is the string of success that statewide efforts are having in shaping a political consensus that is, at best, critical of Israel and, at worst, an indictment of American values.
Last month, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy became the third gubernatorial head to call for a cease-fire in the region and an end to "immediate hostilities.” His press release also references working toward a "path to a two-state solution."
Murphy, who narrowly won his race against Republican and former State Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli in 2021, did mention securing the release of hostages, including 19-year-old Edan Alexander from Tenafly.
Still, Murphy's promoting Israel retreat from Gaza comes after months of antisemitic rallies taking place throughout the state, with many purposely designed to scare Jewish residents living in predominantly orthodox areas.
For a lawmaker known to have solid relationships with Jewish constituents spanning the religious spectrum, the governor's demand that Israel stop its military maneuvers against Hamas reflects the growing political influence of Muslim Americans and how their rise is helping define the paradigm involving America’s alliance with Israel, even in a state with a sizable Jewish population like New Jersey.
As one of the most diverse states in the nation, New Jersey is also home to some of the nation's largest Muslim communities. Conducted every 10 years, The U.S. Religion Census found that New Jersey's Muslim population doubled between 2010 and 2020, with towns like Paterson, home to one of the highest concentrations of Palestinian Americans, earning the nickname "Little Ramallah."
A Pew Research Center Survey taken several years ago revealed that "By 2040, Muslims will replace Jews as the nation's second-largest religious group after Christians. And by 2050, the U.S. Muslim population is projected to reach 8.1 million, or 2.1 percent of the nation's total population."
Indeed, the pressure on Gov. Murphy to declare his desire for a cease-fire captures the intersection between religion and politics. It's a reality set forth by a confluence of development under which unfettered illegal immigration, progressive politicians, and woke academic standards work together to curate a platform that seeks to upend America's ties to its Judeo-Christian roots.
To his credit, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Murphy worked with the state's Orthodox Jewish citizens to address ways its religious institutions could reopen by implementing testing measures rather than enforcing shutdowns.
Murphy's outreach and sensitivity was a sharp departure from then-Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo, whose relationship with the state's observant Jews grew strained following numerous instances of him pointedly criticizing Hasidic communities over their perceived refusals to comply with NYC’s outsize COVID restrictions.
Since then, Murphy's worldview may have changed to the degree that his electoral realities now demand he answer to a constituency that is intensifying its activism and using the intersectional agenda to satisfy its political objectives.
In New Jersey, rather than express appropriate concern for the Palestinians embedded within Hamas' terrorist crosshairs, the tenor of the rallies often revolves around an animus whose participants seek to sow chaos at Jewish institutional events. The depth of anger confirms an agitation unlikely to be placated through mere proclamations backing a cease-fire.
On the contrary, the Executive Director of the New Jersey Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Salaedin Maksut, slammed Murphy's statement as "an empty gesture of support" and remarked that the governor's words come "nearly six months and several thousand Palestinian bodies late."
Maksut's response mirrors a theme among a segment of Muslim Americans, some of whom are insisting on concrete shifts in U.S. policy toward Israel that extend beyond rhetorical declarations of solidarity.
Far from failing, their mobilization efforts are drawing notable victories extending beyond The Garden State.
In February, Minneapolis became the first city in America to successfully pass a resolution calling for a complete end to U.S. assistance to Israel, with the measure referring to Israel's operation in Gaza as "genocide." The city council overturned Mayor Jacob Frey's veto of the resolution on a 9-3 vote.
The Palestinian advocacy organization American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), which is currently under investigation over potential links to terrorist groups, boasts that Minnesota's victory is being replicated throughout cities in America. Among the 10 places AMP cites as having "outdone" the Zionist Lobby by passing anti-Israel rulings, four are cities or townships in New Jersey.
For their part, Jewish Legacy institutions should take a page out of the New Jersey Jewish playbook, whose residents came out peacefully, in droves, and song, when faced with the antisemitism on their streets. The NJ Jewish Federation and the state's Jewish organizations issued a strong statement in response to Gov. Murphy's pressing for a cease-fire, writing that they felt "betrayed" by his behavior.
For years, immigrants from varying backgrounds, including Muslims, have arrived on our shores, worked hard for their families, and respected the traditions and values that render our nation unique. Regardless of one’s faith, those devaluing religious liberties and threatening the safety of fellow Americans should not be gifted a lobbying perch from which America's future depends.
Whether those whose menacing protests are intimidating lawmakers like Murphy to stake positions that appeared unpopular years ago will eventually integrate into the American fabric remains uncertain. What appears more probable is that Democrats will comport American ideals to suit a small, albeit growing, faction peddling dangerous anti-Western falsehoods.
Irit Tratt is an independent writer residing in New York. She obtained her Master's in International Affairs with a focus on the Mideast from George Washington University. She has worked as a legislative assistant for several members of Congress. She maintains her advocacy work through her involvement with organizations such as The Tikvah Fund, The Republican Jewish Coalition, and The Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA). Irit is a steering committee member on the Board of Fellows at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA). Ms. Tratt has been published in The Jerusalem Post, The American Spectator, The Algemeiner, JNS, and Israel Hayom. Read More of Irit Tratt's Reports — Here.
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