What History Says Comes Next (w/ Deborah Lipstadt) | Shield of the Republic
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Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Deborah Lipstadt transitioned from a Holocaust historian to a leading expert on anti-Semitism after successfully defending a libel suit from Holocaust denier David Irving.
- ❖As Special Envoy, Lipstadt elevated anti-Semitism to a foreign policy priority, growing her team from 3 to 22 people.
- ❖Lipstadt's team successfully pushed through 'Global Guidelines for Countering Anti-Semitism,' adopted by 40 countries and four multilateral organizations in six months, by 'skirting the rules' and acting quickly.
- ❖Anti-Semitism is characterized as a 'multi-tiered threat': first to Jews, then to democracy (by fostering conspiracy myths), and finally to national security and stability.
- ❖China and Russia utilize anti-Semitism as a 'utilitarian' tool for societal disruption and division, rather than purely ideological reasons.
- ❖The current surge in anti-Semitism is attributed to a 'venn diagram' of left-wing, right-wing, and Islamist extremism, overlapping on Jew hatred.
- ❖The decline of living memory of the Holocaust has removed a significant inhibition against overt anti-Semitism.
- ❖The host suggests that the current rise in anti-Semitism reflects a societal feeling of losing control over personal destiny, making people susceptible to conspiracy theories.
Insights
1Strategic Bureaucratic Maneuvering for Global Impact
Ambassador Lipstadt's team achieved the rapid adoption of the 'Global Guidelines for Countering Anti-Semitism' by 40 countries and four multilateral organizations (EU, OCE, OAS, Council of Europe) in just six months. This was accomplished by 'skirting the rules,' moving fast, building momentum privately with other special envoys and embassies, and presenting a near-final document to senior leadership, making it difficult to reject.
Lipstadt recounts being advised to think of a 'convention' for guidance, not a meeting. She instructed her team to create a short, accessible, multilateral document. They worked 'deafly,' reaching out to other special envoys and sometimes directly to countries, rather than strictly through official USG channels. By the time they cleared it with the seventh floor and the White House, they already had 20-30 countries signed on, making it hard to reject. She explicitly states, 'If we had gone through all the channels, it still would be an idea.'
2Anti-Semitism as a Geopolitical Disruptor
Beyond its direct impact on Jewish communities, anti-Semitism is strategically leveraged by state actors like China and Russia to destabilize societies. China engages in 'utilitarian anti-Semitism' by spreading online hatred to cause societal rifts, while Russia employs both ideological and utilitarian anti-Semitism to sow division and doubt.
Lipstadt explains that after October 7th, China began engaging in significant online anti-Semitism. When she inquired with the intelligence community, they stated China saw it as a 'disruptor.' She differentiates this as 'utilitarian anti-Semitism' for China, contrasted with Iran's 'ideological anti-Semitism,' and Russia's blend of both.
3Universities' Failure to Address Anti-Semitism Opened Doors for Political Attacks
Elite universities' initial dismissal or downplaying of anti-Semitism on campus, often viewing Jews as 'white and privileged' or 'oppressors,' inadvertently created an opening for political forces, particularly from the Trump administration, to attack these institutions not just for their anti-Semitism problem but as a broader assault on elite academia.
Lipstadt notes the irony: 'The universities particularly but not only the elite universities failed to take anti-semitism seriously. They left the door open for the Trump administration to come marching through. They came marching through with a battalion of tanks. But not just to go after anti-semitism, but to go after the elite universities themselves.' She mentions administrators being dismissive, thinking 'what do these kids have to complain about? They're fourth generation university.'
Bottom Line
The 'Abraham Accords' provided a crucial, affirmative motivation for Deborah Lipstadt to accept the Special Envoy role, shifting her focus from merely 'putting out fires' to proactive engagement with Arab-majority countries on anti-Semitism.
This highlights how broader geopolitical shifts can create unique windows for addressing specific human rights issues. It suggests that linking anti-Semitism to regional stability and modernization efforts (e.g., MBS's vision for Saudi Arabia) can yield diplomatic progress where traditional approaches might fail.
Future diplomatic efforts could seek to identify and leverage 'affirmative' geopolitical opportunities to advance human rights agendas, rather than solely reacting to crises. This involves framing issues like anti-Semitism as integral to a country's modernization, stability, and international standing.
European anti-Semitism is qualitatively different from that in the U.S., driven by an influx of immigrants from Muslim-majority countries, some of whom harbor an 'Islamist jihadist religious fervor' that includes hostility to Jews beyond just Israeli policies.
This distinction implies that strategies for combating anti-Semitism must be tailored to regional contexts. In Europe, it necessitates nuanced engagement with diverse immigrant communities and addressing the specific ideological underpinnings of Islamist anti-Semitism, while in the U.S., the focus might be more on domestic ideological divides.
Governments and civil society organizations need to develop culturally sensitive and context-specific programs to counter anti-Semitism, particularly in Europe. This includes fostering dialogue within Muslim communities and supporting those who are 'horrified' by the extremism but 'afraid to speak out.'
Key Concepts
The Multi-Tiered Threat of Anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism is not merely a threat to Jews, but an escalating danger to society at large. It begins as a direct threat to Jews and Jewish institutions, then undermines democracy by promoting conspiracy myths and eroding faith in institutions, and finally destabilizes national and international security by acting as a 'disruptor' for hostile state actors.
Anti-Semitism as a Flashing Amber Light
Instead of a 'canary in the coal mine' (which dies before warning), anti-Semitism should be seen as a 'flashing amber light' that warns of impending danger. The 'red light' that follows may not be more anti-Semitism, but broader societal disruptions, indicating that anti-Semitism is a harbinger of bad things to come for everyone.
The Horseshoe Theory of Anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism manifests across the political spectrum, from the far-left to the far-right, where the extremes often converge on shared Jew hatred, despite having nothing else in common. This is further complicated by the addition of Islamist anti-Semitism, forming a 'venn diagram' of overlapping hatreds.
Lessons
- Recognize anti-Semitism as a 'flashing amber light' for broader societal and democratic decay, not solely a Jewish issue, and advocate for its prioritization in national security and foreign policy discussions.
- Support initiatives that educate about the Holocaust and its lessons, acknowledging that the passing of living memory requires new strategies to prevent historical revisionism and the resurgence of overt anti-Semitism.
- Challenge the narrative that dismisses anti-Semitism as a concern for 'privileged' groups, and hold institutions, particularly universities, accountable for their failure to address it seriously, which can inadvertently invite broader political attacks.
Rapid International Consensus Building in Bureaucracy
Identify a critical, time-sensitive issue that requires multilateral action and a clear, concise guidance document.
Empower a small, agile team to 'skirt the rules' and prioritize speed over strict adherence to traditional bureaucratic channels, accepting personal accountability for procedural shortcuts.
Build a multilateral document from the outset, engaging directly with international counterparts (e.g., other special envoys, friendly countries) to foster ownership and momentum outside of domestic government review processes.
Develop a short, accessible document to minimize review friction and maximize adoption, avoiding lengthy, resource-intensive publications.
Secure early buy-in from a critical mass of international partners before seeking final approval from senior domestic leadership, creating a 'fait accompli' that is difficult to reject.
Notable Moments
Lipstadt's decision to accept the Special Envoy role was swayed by Sarah Bloomfield's argument that the Abraham Accords offered a chance to do something 'affirmative,' rather than just 'putting out fires.'
This highlights the importance of framing roles and challenges with a vision for proactive impact, not just reactive problem-solving, which can motivate top talent to enter public service.
During her first trip to Saudi Arabia, a deputy foreign minister greeted Lipstadt by saying, 'I come from a city of Jews, Medina,' an 'amazing thing' for a Saudi official to state.
This moment signifies a potential shift in diplomatic openness and a willingness to acknowledge historical Jewish presence in the region, indicating a crack in traditional narratives and a possible foundation for future engagement.
A prominent English journalist told Lipstadt that many terrific people in the Muslim community are 'horrified' by what's going on but 'afraid to speak out' for fear of their lives.
This reveals the internal pressures and dangers faced by moderate voices within certain communities, underscoring the need for external support and protection to enable them to counter extremism effectively.
Lipstadt recounts a story of a 14-year-old Jewish boy instinctively removing his kippah in a Target store because his mother 'prefers that I not wear it,' despite coming from a joyous Jewish home.
This poignant anecdote illustrates the tangible, everyday impact of rising anti-Semitism on Jewish youth, forcing them to self-censor and internalize fear, even in seemingly safe public spaces in the U.S.
Quotes
"I see anti-semitism as a flashing amber light before the light turns red. That red light may not be more anti-semitism. That red light may be societal disruptions, but anti-semitism is the warning light, the harbinger of bad things to come."
"academia you want to be right right diplomacy you want to be effective which means sometimes compromising in a way I would never compromise you know when you're in the ivory tower of the academy."
"If you buy into the conspiracy myth which is at the heart the cornerstone of of anti-semitism, you believe the Jews control the media, the government, the judges, you've given up on democracy."
"The universities particularly but not only the elite universities failed to take anti-semitism seriously. They left the door open for the Trump administration to come marching through. They came marching through with a battalion of tanks. But not just to go after anti-semitism, but to go after the elite universities themselves."
"Conspiracy theories are for losers or people who are afraid that they're going to be losers who feel that they can't control their own destiny in any way, shape, or form."
"The United States is not a country where the Jews were ever emancipated. There's no before."
Q&A
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