The response to “death to America” chants in the U.S.

On this first day of Passover, the holiday that commemorates the Jewish peoples’ exodus from slavery in Egypt to establish a new nation that its enemies today deny ever existed, Jews are threatened as never before — here.

For centuries, Jews came here  to escape lands where they were persecuted. In America, they were welcomed by a government that recognized them as citizens, and also by its magnificent first President, George Washington, in a letter to a Rhode Island synagogue.

The letter set a standard for American tolerance, promising no sanction to bigotry, no assistance to persecution, asking only that people carry on as “good citizens.” 

This is not to say that all Americans welcomed all Jews. They did not, and the Know Nothings have a long-standing hateful tradition of opposing all immigrant groups. Not to normalize the despicable behavior, but I have come to regard it as a form of hazing that all immigrants must endure. It isn’t right, it isn’t fair, but it is human nature.

It goes without saying that Blacks and Native Americans were treated even worse.

—-

In America, in the New World, for the first time in history, Jews were protected by law outside the borders of their own homeland.

When I was born there was no Jewish homeland. There was no Israel.

To me, America was and is my precious homeland. To me, and to thoughtful Jews, America is the Promised Land. It is the safest place for Jews, even safer than Israel when you consider the constant threat under which that nation exists. In Israel, every day might be Oct. 7. America is safer.

And today, I hear this:

“Death to America!”

Chanted in America?

Not in Tehran, with its weekly Friday holy day street demonstrations against the Great Satan (the U.S.) and the Little Satan (Israel), punctuated with riotous chants of “Death to America,” and “Death to Israel.”

These death chants are led by religious leaders. The intifada has come to America.

Here, in my homeland, when you say “death to America,” you are saying death to me, to my family, to my friends. That is not protected speech and I would be foolish not to take you at your word. America would be foolish to ignore you.

America is entitled to self defense.The First Amendment is not a suicide pact. Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud swiftly condemned the chant. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took about a week to find moral clarity to call it “hateful rhetoric.” Was that a hard call? It must have been, because Dearborn’s despicable Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib still hasn’t denounced it.

Whether heard in Dearborn, Mich., or on college campuses, these death threats must be answered… swiftly.

I’d suggest the FBI take these threats as serious as other terrorist threats and pull in these terrorists for interrogation. They should instantly be added to the terror watch list. It has grown to 2 million, and clearly there is room for more.

Those who are not citizens should be deported immediately, whether they are here on tourist visas, student visas, work visas, or anything else.

Everyone is entitled to a hearing. Expedite their deportation hearings and get their asses on a bus, train, or boat. Sorry — no terror suspects on aircraft. 

As for the citizens: We can’t deport these human roaches, but we can do whatever we can to make them uncomfortable.

Put them on the terror watch list.

Bar them from the airlines.

None should have any security clearances.

None should have a government job, and that includes teaching and the military.

None should have government loans, or any other government benefit.

Their employers should be notified of their terror suspect status.

If they can’t work, they may starve. Good.

Not death to America — death to them.