“Paul Rockower, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix, said the issue is particularly acute in Arizona, where extremism is more common.
For instance, Republican state Rep. Mark Finchem, a secretary of state candidate, and state Sen. Wendy Rogers, who is running for reelection, have been criticized for touting endorsements from Christian nationalist Andrew Torba, who has charged that Jews control the government and want to crush gentiles. Both Finchem and Rogers also endorsed Jarrin Jackson, a controversial Oklahoma state senate candidate who has linked LGBTQ people with pedophilia and listed Jews among groups proving that “evil exists.”
“Once you go down that rabbit hole of conspiracy theories, there’s always Jews at the bottom where you land,” Rockower said. “Our people have been dealing with this for centuries.”
Rockower said the council has been fortunate to have the support of moderate political leaders as well as organizations such as the NAACP, “so we’re not facing these threats alone…. While we have seen an uptick of incidents, we have also seen officials reaching out to stand with us against these things.”
He and other community leaders in cities across the United States said they’re working with local authorities and law enforcement to address security concerns.”
-Marc Ramirez, “With Trump, Kanye West and Kyrie Irving remarks, Jewish communities fear rising hate” in USA Today Nov 7, 2022