We’re at the halfway point of the Passover celebration. (Jew-to-Christian translator: Y’know that “Ten Commandments” movie with Charlton Heston? Yeah, that’s pretty much what Passover is. Only the real Pharaoh wasn’t as cool as Yul Brynner.)
If you’re an atheist, the Passover story is the origin myth of the Jewish people: Just as the Romans claimed their ancestors were twins raised on the teats of a she-wolf, the Exodus is the origin story of the Jews — their ancient explanation for who they were, where they’ve been, and how they reached the Holy Land.
But if you’re a religious person, the Exodus story is much more than mere socio-mythology. Depending on your faith, you might even interpret Exodus as a Genesis: The earlier chapter of a 3,000-year-old story that’s still unfolding, still revealing itself, and will culminate in the long-awaited return of you-know-who.
(Random marketing thought: There’s a car company called Genesis, yet not one called Exodus. Wouldn’t Exodus be a way better name for an automobile — i.e., something that’ll take you places? Anyway.)
This has transformed Passover into a celebration of Jewish nationalism: Secular, orthodox, or something in between, the Passover holiday is now inexorably tied to Zionism — the historic and/or theological bonds between the Jewish people and their homeland. This connection has always existed, but ever since 1948 and the founding of the modern state of Israel, it’s kicked into hyperdrive.
Which is why Passover is such a tempting target for Jew-haters. It's been that way for a thousand years, beginning with the blood libel and matzo. But ever since the generational dream of Zionism was, post-Holocaust, finally realized, the connection between the Passover celebration and the God-given right of Jews to live freely in the Holy Land was front and center.
It was blazed into our psyche like a burning bush.
So when Pennsylvania’s governor’s mansion was torched on the first night of Passover, only an ostrich spelunking in sand would discount antisemitism. The connection was just too freaking obvious!
But that didn’t stop certain left-wing Jewish groups from trying. The Forward, a 125+ year old media outlet that has long championed socialist causes, published an article yesterday, pleading with its readers to disavow the probability of bigotry:
There is zero evidence so far suggesting that the attack targeting Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on the first night of Passover was motivated by antisemitism.
As the author explained:
I worry that immediately classing Balmer’s attack as one fueled by antisemitic hatred risks obscuring the more complicated narrative that appears to be true: That it was just one more example of growing political violence, an outgrowth of deep polarization turbocharged by toxic social media.
Sure, social media. It was TikTok’s fault.
Look, the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion is a scant 100 miles from the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, where the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history took place in 2018. So when Gov. Josh Shapiro’s house is torched on the first night of Passover, suspecting terrorism isn’t being “conspiratorial” — it’s being minimally observant!
But we don’t have to wonder why the Democrats, the liberal media, and all those Antifa-adjacent nimrods were so desperate to discount antisemitism: It’s their side that’s been promoting the anti-Jew propaganda.
Not just any propaganda either. “Genocide! Apartheid! War crimes! Mass starvation! Open-air prison! Racism! Stealing land and murdering babies!” They deliberately adopted the most emotionally-charged language possible, painting a picture of rampaging Jews gleefully slaughtering innocent Palestinians. In their version of the Haggadah, the Jews were the Egyptians — and the Palestinians the new chosen people.
If it turns out that their propaganda had radicalized an unstable nutjob, they just might have blood on their hands. We can’t have that because it interferes with their narrative that Donald Trump is a power-crazed dictator who’s encouraging political violence, endangering minorities, gays, trans, etc.
Reality, alas, has a sneaky way of upsetting false narratives.
Earlier this morning, the story broke: "Pa. Gov. Shapiro was targeted for ‘what he wants to do to Palestinian people’":
The suspect in the arson attack at the Governor’s Residence targeted Josh Shapiro due to his perceived stance on Palestine, according to a search warrant obtained by PennLive.
The suspect, Cody Balmer, called 911 following the attack early Sunday, identified himself by name and told operators Shapiro needs to know he “…will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” the search warrant written by police said.
Balmer continued, saying he needed to “stop having my friends killed” and that “...our people have been put through too much by that monster,” according to the warrant, which says Balmer’s intonation and cadence sounded like he was possibly reading from a script.
And who is the man who attacked the governor? Here’s another headline: "Accused Shapiro Attacker Is Self-Described “Socialist,” Fits Pattern of Political Violence":
Balmer has a troubled past, and his social media history suggests he considers himself both an anarchist and a registered Socialist. His criminal record includes past charges of simple assault and forgery. In one bizarre post, he depicts himself wearing goggles, breathing fire and claiming that former President Joe Biden owes him $2,000.
According to his mother, Balmer suffers from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and had stopped taking his medications prior to his attack on the Shapiro residence.
So that’s the real story: An unstable wackaloon was radicalized by the anti-Israel, pro-Hamas propaganda that the left proudly promotes, went off his meds, and tried to murder a prominent Jewish politician.
Which makes it terrorism.
Words have consequences. So does propaganda.
One Last Thing: The Democrats are on the ropes, but make no mistake: The donkeys are still dangerous. 2025 will either go down in history as the year we finally Made America Great Again — or the year it all slipped through our fingers. We need your help to succeed! As a VIP member, you’ll receive exclusive access to all our family of sites (PJ Media, Townhall, RedState, Twitchy, Hot Air, Bearing Arms): More stories, more videos, more content, more fun, more conservatism, more EVERYTHING! And if you CLICK HERE and use the promo code FIGHT, you’ll receive a Trumpian 60% discount!
Thank you for your consideration!
Join the conversation as a VIP Member