What does it mean to be antisemitic?
Just this month, Coloradans for Victor Marx posted on social media an AI-generated picture of gubernatorial opponent Phil Weiser, who is Jewish, with devil horns surrounded by the red flames of hell. The Colorado Democratic Party and other Marx critics called the post antisemitic, noting the historical use of such images to dehumanize Jews.
The creator of the image, Montrose County Commissioner Sean Pond, responded to criticism by saying he didn’t know Weiser was Jewish.
A different zealous Marx for governor supporter tried to deflect criticism by accusing Democrats themselves of antisemitism.
He noted that last year’s firebombing attack on Jewish demonstrators in Boulder happened while Phil Weiser was attorney general, as though Weiser could have prevented it. The Marx devotee also accused congressional candidate Melat Kiros of saying Israel got what it deserved when Hamas massacred and kidnapped civilians.
“We’re not antisemitic, you are,” each side seemed to say.
Who is right in this schoolyard scrap? Is drawing horns on a picture of a Jewish candidate necessarily evidence of anti-Jewish animus? Did Kiros actually say Israel had it coming? The answer to both questions is no, but that doesn’t mean these candidates deserve your vote. They don’t.
Let’s start with horns and the fiery pit post. The picture could have been a racist dog whistle but was more likely just another artless effort by Marx supporters to inspire the righteous to join the blundersome crusade. There’s no point getting exercised by it. Political campaigns have depicted opponents as pure evil for as long as there have been campaigns. This one is going down in flames.
As for Kiros, her criticism is directed at the state of Israel and its policies toward Palestinians, not Jews as a people or Jewish Americans. She stated, “There is no justification for the attacks on Israel on October 7th.” Her lament about the conditions that foster violence is not approval. Kiros grieves the loss of 73,000 Gazans, the colonization of the Occupied West Bank by Israeli settlers, settler violence toward Palestinians, and the American government’s ongoing no-questions-asked support for these policies.
Critics should read her “Dear U.S. Law Firms” letter and listen to her interviews before reflexively denouncing her. Criticizing the nation-state of Israel is no more antisemitic than criticizing China is sinophobia.
Opponents are right, however, to decry Kiros’ failure to characterize the Boulder firebomber’s motives as antisemitic, saying it could have been motivated by anti-Zionism or antisemitism. Were white officers who sicced police dogs on Black civil rights marchers in the 1960s anti-Black or anti-desegregation? The right answer is “both.” Likewise, the firebomber murdered Karen Diamond because she was Jewish and a supporter of Israel. Such antisemitism must be condemned without equivocation.
While charges of Kiros’ antisemitism are not supported by evidence, there are other reasons to oppose her candidacy and to support the independent moderate left candidate who just qualified for the Congressional District 1 ballot, Shimon Blau. Kiros is one of eight candidates headed to the General Election around the country who are associated with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
To create their platform, the DSA rooted through the dustbin of history for ideas. They want the government to take over important industries and businesses like energy production and transportation. “The commanding heights” of the economy, to use Vladimir Lenin’s term. That didn’t work out well for the Soviet Union.
They also propose to abolish the U.S. Senate and subordinate the Supreme Court and presidency to the House of Representatives. The French tried this in 1791 when the revolutionaries created a unitary legislature. Without any checks and balances, tyranny of the majority soon followed. Heads rolled. Some 17,000 French men and women went to the guillotine. We don’t need to make the same mistake.
Those aren’t the only bad ideas in the DSA platform. Voters should consider any association with that far-left party a black mark on a candidate’s resume. Kiros is not antisemitic, but her understanding of public policy and history is seriously deficient. Voters should question her judgment. There are other candidates more deserving of their vote in the CD1 race.
Krista Kafer is a Sunday Denver Post columnist.
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