Right Wing Anti-Semitism Is Nothing New

All through history, anti-Semitism has been a mainstay of right-wing extremism-- and not just in overseas manifestations from the Babylonian Captivity, the blood libels, the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition to pogroms throughout Europe and the Nazis' systematic Holocaust-- but also right here in America, where the KKK, Henry Ford's Dearborn Independent, Father Coughlin (the Rush Limbaugh of the 1930s), the pro-Nazi America First Committee and Pat Buchanan have been pushing the same hatred and bigotry.

Like Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL), I'm Jewish. And when Grayson referred to the thousands of deaths of Americans without health care as "this holocaust," it made total sense to me. It certainly didn't offend me in any way. But I guess I shouldn't have been surprised at the choreographed and hysterical Republican hissy fit that ensued.

Florida House of Representatives Majority Leader Adam Hasner (R) said Grayson should apologize.

"Regardless of one’s position on the issue of healthcare reform, comparing the American healthcare system to the systematic murdering of over six million Jews is totally outrageous and unfit for someone holding public office," said Hasner in a statement. "Congressman Grayson should apologize to the Jewish community and the families of those whose loved ones were brutally executed. I’d also encourage Mr. Grayson to take a walk tomorrow afternoon to the U.S. Holocaust Museum so he can witness for himself just how offensive and inappropriate his statement is."

Republican Jewish Coalition executive director Matt Brooks also said the remarks were "outrageous."

"To link health care to the Holocaust is beyond the pale," he said.

There are 31 Jewish congressmembers in the House, all but Eric Cantor is a Democrat. Cantor was the only one who interpreted Grayson's remarks as anything but appropriate. The Jewish Democrats span the ideological divide between conservatives like Gabby Giffords (AZ), Jane Harman (CA), and John Adler (NJ) to true blue progressives like Jan Schakowsky (IL), Henry Waxman (CA), Jerrold Nadler (NY) and Steve Cohen (TN). But it was only the radical right kapo-like Cantor who had an emotional breakdown.

Friday Minnesota Gruppenführer Michele Bachmannnnnnnnnnnnnnnn summoned the teabagger Sturmabteilung to DC in the vain hope-- vain except in the case of Larry Kissell-- of intimidating members of Congress. They marched around and teapartied with horrific pictures from Dachau and equating saving Americans' lives with health care to... Nazism. Gee, I haven't heard Wolf Blitzer and the Villagers who castigated Grayson say a word about Bachmann's and Boehner's mini-bund meeting.

But Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel did. He recognizes right-wing anti-Semitism when he sees it.

One sign at the rally contained images of dead Holocaust victims at the Dachau concentration camp under the banner "National Socialist Health Care." Another sign said that President Barack Obama "takes his orders" from the Rothschilds, a family of Jewish bankers.

Wiesel commented through his eponymous foundation's Twitter account:

Elie Wiesel on the GOP Tea Party's anti-Semitism and Holocaust comparisons: "This kind of political hatred is indecent and disgusting"

The signs also raised the ire of the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC), which yesterday slammed the signs and called on House Republican leaders who attended the event to condemn them.

The time has come for [John] Boehner, [Eric] Cantor, [Mike] Pence and other GOP leaders-- especially those who were present today-- to condemn these disgusting comparisons and anti-Semitism," said NJDC President David Harris in a statement. "They must tell their base once and for all to cut out this despicable pattern of Holocaust imagery and rhetoric."

Steve Israel (D-NY) wasn't very happy with the right-wing outburst either: