Transcript of Live Interview

i24 [00:00]: Joining us in studio, CEO of RealityCheck, Mr. Daniel Pomerantz. Mr. Pomerantz, thank you very much for joining us. So, who are those groups? What do we know about them?

Daniel Pomerantz [00:08]: Well, it was started by a small splinter group out of Ohio, a neo-Nazi group, but it spread to a number of other groups who have been making a good deal of noise. Now, authorities have been encouraging people not to panic, and they say they don’t see any distinct threat, but it is a larger degree of publicity than these groups have been making in the past, and it is concerning that the amount of energy behind it seems to be increasing.

i24 [00:33]: But it’s not just energy or rhetoric increasing we’re seeing a consistent rise in antisemitic incidents across the US, and also antisemitism in general you know, taking the limelight due in part to celebrities like Kanye West, et cetera. Will it be an exaggeration to say that antisemitism is paving its way to consensus?

Daniel Pomerantz [00:56]: Well, it certainly is increasing significantly. This year we saw an increase in antisemitic hate crimes of 134%.

i24 [01:03]: Wow.

Daniel Pomerantz [01:03]: And violent attacks, specifically violent attacks, not graffiti or hate speech increased by 167%. We’ve never seen those numbers for as long as we’ve been tracking this, which is since 1979. Now, one thing that should make clear, in order to improve our world, we have to understand the data correctly and fill in all the blanks. We used to attribute this to Donald Trump because there was an increase during his term, and it became a political football. The increases during Biden have been even larger than during Trump.

i24 [01:32]: Wow.

Daniel Pomerantz [01:32]: This is not a Democrat problem. It’s not a Republican problem. This is an American problem. It’s also important to realize it’s not exclusively a Jewish problem. Whenever we see antisemitism and this applies all over the world, it usually indicates a breakdown in the fundamental systems that protect us all. Everybody who cares about vulnerable groups should care about what we’re seeing now.

i24 [01:53]: And to that point. Exactly. Perhaps the silver lining here, if you will. A recent AJC poll among the general American public indicated that the general public is indeed seeing antisemitism as not a sectorial issue, but rather a national problem. So, again, can we see that as perhaps a positive element here?

Daniel Pomerantz [02:20]: It’s a good direction, but we’re not there yet. You know, one of the research studies we’re working on at RealityCheck is showing that just something as simple as Holocaust education reduces hate crimes significantly against all groups. That points to the fact that antisemitism affects the fundamental systems, and not just Jews, but people don’t really get it until they see the data and until they personalize it. So, what we are doing is we’re bringing this data to community leaders in Black communities, Asian, Hispanic, LGBTQ, et cetera, to try and get everybody who cares about these issues on board with making our world a better place by tackling these issues head-on.

i24 [02:57]: And before we let you go, briefly if you may Mr. Pomerantz is the US no longer safe for Jews?

Daniel Pomerantz [03:05]: You know the United States has never been safe in the sense that you could be complacent. Israel isn’t safe in the sense that you can be complacent. I’d say that on the whole of the United States is one of the safest countries for Jews, not only in the world but in history. However, that can change, and Germany was a safe place for Jews until it wasn’t.

i24 [03:24]: Until it wasn’t, until it wasn’t. CEO of RealityCheck, Mr. Daniel Pomerantz, thank you as always for your time and insight. Thank you, sir.

Daniel Pomerantz [03:32]: My, pleasure. Thanks for having me.