Antisemitism isn’t new.

In 1290, Edward I issued the Edict of Expulsion, forcing Jews to leave England. During the Black Plague, Jews were targeted as the cause of the disease. Throughout Germany, Jews were burned and entire communities exterminated, well before the rise of Hitler.

In December 1862, war profiteering and trade with the South were illegal and rampant. Perhaps General U.S. Grant’s distaste for his father-in-law’s business practices or general disgust with profiteers was the trigger but two Jewish businessmen ended up being the impetus of General Grant issuing General Order 11. The Edict ordered all Jews expelled from Grant’s area of military governance. Many Jewish families in Kentucky were forced to leave. The order was quickly rescinded, with Grant realizing the terrible error he had made. Congress and Lincoln rebuked him. Grant spent a good portion of his political career making amends – nonetheless, General Order 11 was a stain on America and Grant’s legacy and Grant is often seen as an antisemite.

Blaming Jews has a long and ugly history. It unfortunately still has some legs today. Although it has lost steam there are some who still target Jews – or blame Jews for simply being Jews. There is another side of the “that’s just stupid” coin and that is the insistence by the left to claim that any criticism of someone, who happens to be Jewish, is rooted in antisemitism. George Soros is the primary benefactor of this defense.

George Soros is a billionaire and much of his life is an open book. He was born in Hungary. His parents were Jewish. But Soros doesn’t identify as a “secular Jew”, he is by his own admission, an atheist. His fortune was made via hedge funds much of it betting against government currency, principally the British Pound. Soros got rich betting on something to fail. With a fortune in hand, Soros turned his attention to philanthropy. Some of it was and is admirable.

For instance, he funded the construction of schools but he also recognized that his wealth could turn elections and influence whole countries. No later than the 1990s Soros was dipping his toe into American politics in a big way. Soros supported Hillary Clinton’s last failed presidential run. After Clinton augered in, he focused on the 2018 cycle spending 15 million. He has funded Senate and Representative races but his recent focus (via funding of organizations like Open Society or the Color of Change PAC) has been local. District Attorneys. Soros-funded District Attorneys who have made it no secret about their agendas.

The child of convicted terrorists, Chasa Boudin was so bad as San Francisco’s DA that even San Franciscans voted to recall him. Boudin was backed by Soros. Philadelphia’s DA Larry Krasner is another Soros-funded prosecutor who won’t prosecute criminals. There are multiples of  Boudins and Krasners that Soros has pushed over the finish line but none worse than Manhattan’s DA Alvin Bragg.

Bragg and his office have been in the spotlight for his “soft-on-crime” method of prosecuting. Bragg is an adherent to Soros’s playbook, which dictates minorities aren’t arrested for committing crimes but rather, rather let go because of the color of their skin. Bragg has made a habit of reducing charges or not charging people at all. Cops are frustrated and angry. Even criminals released under Bragg’s watch, think Bragg is ridiculous. Bragg cut a deal with two women who attacked cops. All the worst (i.e. soft on criminals) DAs from sea to shining sea, have been, to a large or small part funded by a George Soros-funded organization.

How does any of this relate to antisemitism?  It doesn’t, and that is the point. But reality has never governed leftist talking points or prevented them from creating antisemitism “boogeymen” of thin air. Any mention of George Soros by any critic is labeled “antisemitic”. It is a lazy trope. George Soros or the organizations he funds are primary movers for electing leftist DAs. That is a fact. Few people would recognize the name “Open Society” or “Colors of Change”, but they would recognize the name “George Soros”. Soros is the driver, his vehicle might be Open Society or Colors of Change but Soros is behind the wheel.

That Soros is an atheist with Jewish parents is utterly beside the point. Except, for leftists, that is the point. The only point.

On Monday, Ron DeSantis made comments about the at present only potential arrest of Trump on trumped-up charges. DeSantis did so eloquently and avoided addressing Trump’s absurd personal attacks on him instead, he focused on DA Bragg and the guy who funded his election. DeSantis said:

JUST IN – Governor Ron DeSantis responds to reports of a possible Trump indictment.

"The Manhattan District Attorney is a Soros-funded prosecutor…They weaponize their office to impose a political agenda on society…The Soros District Attorneys are a menace to society!" pic.twitter.com/h7VN48XBV2

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 20, 2023

What DeSantis said, is 100% accurate – but leftists’ heads exploded because you cannot mention Soros without being labeled a Jew-hater. Mehdi Hasan is an MSNBC commentator and a frequent firebrand of most things the left loves. And like John Oliver, he loves to mock people. He’s from Great Briton thus his private school-honed British accent fools many into believing his vitriol carries added intellectual weight. Pro-tip, if you repeated what he says and substitute his voice with that of Joe Scarborough’s it will sound as dumb as Joe (but not as dumb as Mika).

Which reporter or interviewer will ask DeSantis or McCarthy or Vance why they keep referencing George Soros and why it isn't clear evidence of their antisemitism dogwhistling? How come they don't mention any other donors to DA Alvin Bragg? 🤔

— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) March 20, 2023

Hasan contends that by mentioning Soros has funded every leftist DA into public office including Bragg, DeSantis is dog-whistling his “jew-hatred”.  That’s a lie. And It’s lazy. And it’s a transparent deflection for the sheep to fall for. And fall they do. Maybe Hasan needs a mirror.

From Wikipedia:

During a sermon delivered in 2009,^[65] quoting a verse of the Quran, Hasan used the terms “cattle” and “people of no intelligence” to describe non-believers. In another sermon, he used the term “animals” to describe non-Muslims.

Hum. I could be wrong – I need to check some notes, but I am pretty sure Jews are “non-Muslims”. Yup, I was right. Non-Muslims. And I could be wrong but I am pretty sure that Nazis called Jews animals and less than human.

Weird how leftists get away with what seems to be some high-end Jew and Christian hatred but love to claim any mention of facts and Soros in the same breath is antisemitic dog-whistling.

Up next from Media Matters:

One of RedState’s fringe writers calls Mahdi Hasan dumb, in an obvious anti-Muslim dog whistle post.