The irony behind telling Jews to 'go back where they belong'

A man in New Haven, Connecticut, verbally and physically attacked Jewish men, telling them to "go back where you belong." He also knocked a kippah from one man's head. The incident highlights a recurring antisemitic trope that Jews should leave Western countries.

The article argues that the antisemitic slogan "Go Back to Poland" is particularly ignorant. Historically, Jews fled Western Europe for Poland in the 10th century, seeking refuge from plagues and violence. While initially welcomed, their situation deteriorated by the 1600s, with Cossack uprisings and later discrimination and restrictions. The Holocaust saw the murder of 3 million Polish Jews, representing 90% of the prewar community.

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Go back where you belong.

Psychology professor Rusi Jaspal suggests that calling Israelis "Ashkenazi Jews from Europe" is a tactic to portray Israel as a racist entity rooted in European colonialism, despite most Israelis not being of European origin. The author contends that the 2,000-year Jewish diaspora, which scattered Jews globally, means there is no single historical or biblical "home" to which antisemites can direct them, as many regions have historically turned against Jewish populations, leading to forced conversion, exile, or death.

Ultimately, the piece asserts that the historical and biblical homeland for the Jewish people is a concept that antisemites actively reject.

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the description of Israelis, as Ashkenazi Jews from Europe, despite most Israelis being of non-European origin, is meant to cast Israel as a racist occupation rooted in European colonialist policy.