Charlottesville revisited: Confronting resurging antisemitism - opinion

As I recently visited Charlottesville, Virginia, to give a speech and screen my film, I was reminded of the painful events that took place there in 2017. The “Unite the Right” rally, where white supremacists marched with hateful chants of “Jews will not replace us,” continues to haunt the nation and symbolize the rise of antisemitism in America.

Jewish-hatred is a cancer that spreads through our society, whether it’s through private conversations or public demonstrations. Jews across the country are subjected to daily acts of terror, vandalism and threats, as reported by the FBI, police and news outlets. The evidence of this epidemic is clear and it is time for us to take action.

One of the ideologies fueling the flames of antisemitism is the “Great Replacement” theory. This conspiracy theory claims that Jews are behind a plot to replace the white race with mass immigration and intermarriage, ultimately leading to the extinction of whites. This hateful, paranoid sentiment was on full display during the Charlottesville rally and it has repeatedly been used as a justification for terror attacks against Jews and other marginalized groups.

Great Replacement theory: Shamelessly nonsensical but a dangerous lie

This Great Replacement theory is rooted in a dangerous lie: blaming Jews for manipulating other minorities and immigrants to overthrow the white race. It is also being propagated by right-wing commentators who claim that Democrats are replacing American citizens with illegal immigrants. This is a notion that is so obviously, shamelessly nonsensical that it’s almost not worth reminding these paranoid extremist-supremacists that this once great nation was in fact built by immigrants.

We must not remain silent in the face of this hatred. We must fight back and join forces to end antisemitism once and for all. We cannot let the haters win. That’s why I am calling on everyone to join the “End Jew-Hatred” movement. Whether it’s by joining a local chapter or starting your own, let’s work together to create a future free from hate. You can get involved by contacting the movement on social media or visiting EndJewHatred.com. Now is the time for action.

The writer is an Emmy Award-winning actor, director and filmmaker who has won over 100 international film festival awards. He is an active leader in the LGBTQ+ and Jewish communities, working with several prestigious organizations to save people in life-threatening situations, including as the director of mobilization for the End Jew-Hatred movement. He is active across social media, including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.