Articles by Laurence Milstein

History shows that rising antisemitism often coincides with broader societal polarization, extremism, and declining trust in democratic institutions. In 2025, majorities of both American Jews and the general public report less confidence in the way American democracy is functioning than they did five years ago. Hatred left unchallenged rarely stays contained.

The Iranian regime’s nuclear ambitions are not some distant diplomatic dispute. They represent an immediate, existential threat to Israel. For many of us in South Florida, this is not simply a matter of foreign policy — it is deeply personal.

When the political and moral center collapses, extremes don’t just grow louder — they grow more dangerous. Time and again, we’ve seen how the absence of a strong, principled center leaves societies vulnerable to division and violence. And when that center disappears, antisemitism often rushes in to fill the void.

The torrent of hatred directed against Israel since the brutal Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas in Israel has been unrelenting. A common, libelous trope among the haters is that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, as Donna Nevel inaccurately asserted in the Palm Beach Post. It is totally beyond the pale – a complete inversion of reality – and it must be condemned. Genocide is defined as violent attacks with the intent to destroy in whole, or in part, a national ethnic, racial or religious group. This in no way describes the facts on the ground in Gaza.