Current sectionArt & CultureBooksShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeFrom Skokie to Charlottesville, James Loeffler's new book examines the fraught relationship between hate speech, free speech and Jewish civil rights. Credit: Ross D. Franklin/AP; Spencer Platt/Getty Images; Evan Agostini/Invision/AP; Stephanie Keith/Reuters. Design by Masha Zur-GlozmanFrom Skokie to Charlottesville, James Loeffler's new book examines the fraught relationship between hate speech, free speech and Jewish civil rights. Credit: Ross D. Franklin/AP; Spencer Platt/Getty Images; Evan Agostini/Invision/AP; Stephanie Keith/Reuters. Design by Masha Zur-GlozmanIn his new book, James Loeffler traces a century of U.S. battles over antisemitism and free speech. He tells Haaretz how American Jews are caught between Tucker Carlson and Hasan Piker and why Trump's 'smothering embrace' offers little protectionEsther Solomon06:49 PM • September 10 2026 IDTHistorian James Loeffler thinks this is a dangerous time for Jews in America. He believes that, caught between the antisemitic MAGA right and left-wing demagogues like Tucker Carlson and Hasan Piker respectively, the continuing reverberations from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Iran war, that Jews are more vulnerable than ever and that the American conversation about antisemitism is a dysfunctional and damaging mess.Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:Neo-NazisJews in AmericaAntisemitismDonald TrumpIsrael-PalestineHistoryCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Live UpdatesNetanyahu October 7Settlement SanctionsIran-U.S.EisenkotBen-GvirHamasIsrael Election PollsOphir AwardsHaQuizHaaretz PodcastThey Run a Jerusalem Cultural Hub. Then a Former Palestinian Resident Came BackIsrael Has an Official Wine Map. West Bank's Inclusion Isn't Necessarily BadRothschild Out of Control: What Happened to Tel Aviv's Most Upscale Boulevard?Palestinian Poetry's Trojan Horse: What Israelis Missed in Taha Muhammad AliIsrael's Best Film Award for 2026 Goes to 'Tell Me Everything'Remembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMINetanyahu Got an Explicit Warning Before Oct. 7. He Didn't Brief Security ChiefsThink Bibi Is Bad? Meet Sara NetanyahuIMDb Replaces the Name Israel With 'The Occupied Palestinian Territories'Netanyahu Was Warned About October 7. Will Haaretz's Exposé Change Anything?Netanyahu Says He Will Sue Haaretz Following Oct. 7 ExposéWater Crisis Triggered by Gaza's Ruin: Israel Is Paying the Price of Destruction