Robert Wright's Nonzero Israel, Iran, and Antisemitism (Robert Wright & Peter Beinart)
Mar 10, 2026
Peter Beinart, journalist and author who writes on Jewish politics and foreign policy. He explores how a war with Iran could amplify antisemitic tropes. He examines conflation of Israeli policy with Jewish identity, media bias in coverage, and how policing speech can backfire. Short, sharp conversations on history, representation, and the risks of mislabeling criticism as bigotry.
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Iran War Will Amplify Antisemitic Conspiracies
- War with Iran will likely supercharge contemporary antisemitism in the U.S. due to narratives that Jews or pro-Israel actors dragged America into war.
- Peter Beinart cites American Jewish establishment support for the war and Netanyahu's role as key fuel for conspiracy and disloyalty tropes.
Old Antisemitic Tropes Adopted To Israel Critiques
- Contemporary antisemitism often combines two classic tropes: Jews as a powerful manipulative conspiracy and Jews as disloyal to their country, now framed as loyalty to Israel.
- Beinart warns these narratives will empower figures like Nick Fuentes and push MAGA further toward overt antisemitism.
Which Jewish Groups Backed The War
- Beinart names the American Jewish establishment as AIPAC, ADL, AJC, and the Conference of Presidents, noting J Street as an exception.
- He emphasizes these organizations' institutional influence and tendency to back the war.
