American Jews, Muslims, and the Shared Threat of Nativism
By James Ron
In 2019, I co-authored an op-ed in The New York Times examining the real sources of risk for American Jews and American Muslims. The debate was loud, with President Donald Trump seeking to paint Democrats as hostile to Jewish rights while casting Republicans as defenders. He also tried to deepen divides between Jews and Muslims by labeling Congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib as anti-Semitic.
But our survey research revealed something very different: the most serious threat to Jewish rights in the United States comes not from Democrats, but from homegrown American nativists — people who believe political rights and protections should be reserved primarily for white, Christian Americans.
Survey Evidence
In late 2018, we worked with YouGov to conduct a nationally representative survey of 2,000 American adults. We asked how important respondents thought it was to protect the rights of Jews and Muslims both inside and outside the United States.
When we analyzed the results, the findings directly contradicted Trump’s claims. The more strongly respondents identified as Republicans, the less importance they attached to protecting Jewish rights. Strongly committed Republicans rated the rights of American Jews 12 percent lower than Democrats, and the rights of Jews abroad 16 percent lower.
The real driver wasn’t partisanship per se, but nativism — a worldview that sees non-white, non-Christian groups as outsiders who deserve fewer rights. Our analysis showed that the most nativist respondents were 27 percent less supportive of Jewish rights at home and 37 percent less supportive abroad.
Jews and Muslims in the Same Boat
Nativists dislike Muslims even more strongly. Compared to non-nativists, they were 76 percent less supportive of protecting Muslim rights in the U.S. and 85 percent less supportive of protecting Muslim rights abroad.
This means that despite tensions between American Jews and Muslims over Middle East politics, both groups face a common adversary at home. The real danger lies not in intercommunal disputes, but in the hostility of tens of millions of nativist Americans, most of whom cluster on the political right.
A Common Challenge
The survey suggests two important conclusions:
- Anti-Semitism in the U.S. is real, but its epicenter is among nativists, not Democrats.
2. American Jews and Muslims have more to gain by working together against this domestic threat than by allowing political elites to pit them against each other.
As debates about Jewish rights, Muslim rights, and U.S. politics continue, it’s worth remembering who the real opponents are.
➡️ Read the original version of this article, co-authored with [Howard Lavine], in The New York Times.
About the Author
James Ron is an author and social scientist. He has published in The New York Times, Washington Post, Foreign Policy, Le Monde, and many academic venues. Learn more at jamesron.com, jamesron.org, and jamesron.net.
