Islamophobia is promoted by the US State
JVL Introduction
Peter Beinart is positive about drawing connections between antisemitism and Islamophobia and for solidarity between Muslims and Jews. He notes that when liberal democracy fails, bigotry rises and while it is important to draw parallels, it is important to recognise that antisemitism and Islamophobia are not treated the same and that, as the many examples he provides shows, Islamophobia is being promoted by the State.
Beinart is talking about the USA but there is much here of relevance to the UK and far too many other countries that continue, dangerously and divisively, to pay scant attention to the high levels of Islamophobia while exceptionalising antisemitism as well as counting hostilty to the Israeli State in a time of accelerated ethnic cleansing and genocide, as antisemitism.
An obvious example is the UK’s Bell Report and its swift acceptance by the UK government committed to implementing its recommendations in full. Far from deepening understanding of the very real antisemitism that exists and our terrible history, this can fuel the trope that Jews have influence over the government because there is nothing like the same level of attention given to Islamophobia which is much more prevalent, numerically and proportionally. (as shown in our recent article addressing the Hate Crime Headlines.)
You can watch Peter Beinart deliver his short talk on the original post; below you can read the transcript.
This article was originally published by The Beinart Notebook on Mon 26 Oct 2026. Read the original here.
Islamophobia and Antisemitism Aren’t the Same
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I completely agree with Peter Beinart. However, it is important to consider the broader public perspective. Events like 9/11, combined with the reality of religious regimes in Afghanistan and Iran, and the problematic legal systems in nations like Saudi Arabia, and other Arab regimes shape public perception. For many non-Muslims, these factors create deep-seated skepticism, making it difficult to separate individual Muslims from the actions of extremist groups or authoritarian states. While many of us view the vast majority of Muslims as decent people, politicians such as Trump in the US and the UK frequently exploit these widespread anxieties for their own purposes. By contrast, Jewish history lacks a legacy of mass violence, with Israel as the only negative aspect of Judaism.
Thank you Peter Beinhart – a man whose voice is particularly appreciated on issues such as this. Only one thing – Trump seems to have no problem with super rich Muslims. But even then, the Islamophobia serves him well. They know what expect if they don’t cough up.