Antisemitism and the American Presidency

• In Event: Antisemitism in American Politics

Abstract

Many forms of bias and discrimination have long characterized the American polity. Scholars have delved into many aspects of what Rogers Smith termed the “ascriptive” tradition within our political culture, from our immigration and citizenship regime to authoritarian enclaves of white supremacy during the Jim Crow era to ongoing issues of prisons and policing that reflect structural inequities. Less studied, however, is the relationship of the American state to antisemitism and modes of bias against Jews both at home and abroad. As the representative of the nation in foreign affairs, American presidents in the modern era are faced with the U.S.-Israel relationship in all of its complexities, yet many of the presidents widely considered to be the most favorable towards Israeli policies harbored deep antisemitic prejudices of their own (Richard Nixon, for example, and more recently Donald Trump). Even prior to the contemporary period, however, presidents often managed relationships with Jewish communities both at home and abroad. This paper will examine the relationship between presidents and explore how presidential decisions in both domestic and foreign policy contributed to antisemitism, as well as how the issue of Israel reverberates in presidential politics both to the benefit and detriment of American Jews.

Author

• William D. Adler, Northeastern Illinois University