Fox News’ “Antisemitism Exposed newsletter” proudly parades its latest horror reel: “antisemitism is rising, politicians are panicking,” and everyone’s favorite pastime — weaponizing tragedy — is back in season.
Prime Minister Albanese’s government is accused of doing… well, nothing. But don’t worry, politicians are demanding action now — because nothing says leadership like waiting until after the fire to buy a smoke alarm. Israeli officials and Australian Jews demand action, as if shouting louder will suddenly make Israeli war crimes evaporate.
And because tragedy is never complete without a celebrity sideshow, Below Deck’s Nathan Gallagher decided Instagram was the perfect pulpit to turn a national tragedy into a casting call for Minister of Xenophobia. His sermon? A furious rant blaming Australian Muslims, complete with the subtlety of a sledgehammer: “OUT! Out of every country. Out of Europe and out of Australia.” Apparently, nothing says compassion like deportation fantasies typed in all caps.
Cue the backlash. Enter Cathy Skinner — the Nathan’s coworker, and apparently the ship’s only functioning compass — who reminded Nathan that racism isn’t a hot take, it’s just ignorance with Wi-Fi. She didn’t mince words: immigrants aren’t the problem, murderers are. Her statement was less a rebuttal and more a public service announcement, the kind of common sense you’d expect from leadership but rarely get from politicians or reality TV stars.
In short, Cathy became the unpaid PR manager for sanity, pointing out that words matter, generalizations are dangerous, and being angry doesn’t excuse being ignorant.
Meanwhile, Senator John Fetterman — proud recipient of AIPAC’s gold star in loyalty — warns his party that anti-Israel rhetoric is devouring them from within. According to Fetterman, calling out a two-year campaign of bombardment, blockade, and occupation in Palestine isn’t resistance to genocide — it’s antisemitism in disguise. Because in this theater, moral clarity is a liability, and silence is the new virtue. The senator’s message is clear: if you dare to question the bulldozers, drones, or the daily funeral processions in Gaza, you’re not opposing war crimes — you’re just a bigot with bad timing.
And in Washington, President Donald Trump took the stage at a Hanukkah event, never one to miss a spotlight. He declared Rep. Ilhan Omar “hates Jewish people,” because nuance is overrated when applause is the goal. He nostalgically mourned the decline of the “Jewish lobby” in Washington, lamenting that Congress is “becoming antisemitic.” His evidence? AOC and her squad, who apparently wield more power than the Jewish Pentagon. To complete the circus, conservative talk show host Mark Levin crowned Trump “the nation’s first Jewish president.” Because why not — if facts are optional, titles are free. Mazel tov, America.
Ilhan Omar, of course, has condemned antisemitism repeatedly, but that detail is inconvenient for the narrative. Her criticism of Israeli leadership during the Gaza war is painted as proof of hatred, while her actual words — standing against antisemitism — are ignored. After all, why let reality ruin a perfectly good outrage machine?
And here’s the darkest irony: the shooters, the attackers, the “terrorists” are individuals with names, histories, and often fractured mental health. But the media prefers faceless villains, easier to package into a headline. Blaming entire ethnic groups or religions for the crimes of a few is not just lazy — it’s propaganda dressed as journalism. Fighting antisemitism with Islamophobia is like curing poison with more poison.
Every act of violence has a motive, however twisted. Perhaps this one was fueled by 750 days of binge-watching Palestinian suffering broadcast on smartphones and TVs, a relentless drip-feed of despair. But acknowledging that would mean admitting the world’s selective empathy: some deaths are mourned, others are cheered, depending on whose humanity is deemed expendable.
The conclusion writes itself: normal people — those rare creatures not addicted to partisan theater — should condemn all wrongdoing against humanity. Not selectively. Not only when it fits their team’s narrative. Because cheering the deaths of those you’ve decided are less worthy of existence isn’t justice. It’s barbarism dressed in political spin.
