From the America First Committee to "Israel Firsters": Anti-Semitism Again on the Rise

"I am not attacking either the Jewish or the British people. Both races, I admire. But I am saying that the leaders of both the British and the Jewish races, for reasons which are as understandable from their viewpoint as they are inadvisable from ours, for reasons which are not American, wish to involve us in the war."

- Charles Lindbergh, speaking at an America First rally, Des Moines, September 11, 1941

More than 70 years ago, the America First Committee was demanding that the United States avoid entry into World War II. Its foremost proponent was Charles Lindbergh, who accused the Roosevelt administration, the Jews and the British of attempting to drag America into the war against Nazi Germany. Although he believed in limiting "Jewish influence," Lindbergh was also kind enough to acknowledge in his diary that "a few Jews of the right type are, I believe, an asset to any country."

Today, as Chuck Hagel's Senate confirmation hearings draw near, the media is rife with claims that "Israel firsters" are opposing his appointment, owing to his reference to a "Jewish lobby" which purportedly has cowed Capitol Hill, and his ambiguous attitude to an armed strike intended to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons (see: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2012/12/13/chuck-hagels-ambiguous-stance-on-dealing-with-iran/).

In short, once again American Jews (at least the "bad" ones among them - not those whom Lindbergh might have considered an asset) are being accused of dual loyalty, pernicious powers and the desire to force another war upon the United States. And as in the past, left and right have discovered common cause.

If you have the time and inclination, have a glimpse at readers' comments in response to Jennifer Rubin's opinion pieces published by The Washington Post. There you will see dozens of references to the "underhanded" behavior of Israel firsters, AIPAC and Zionists.

Is this seething cauldron of hatred tied to economic downturn, also experienced by the US in the 1930s? Probably. Moreover, given that the current recession shows no signs of abating, it may be more than a while before those spouting anti-Zionist conspiracy theories crawl back under their rocks.