In a striking moment on HBO’s “Real Time” Friday night, Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) admitted that antisemitism has become pervasive within the Democratic Party, acknowledging it has “run through the whole party” and was deliberately ignored. Moskowitz’s blunt comments came during a discussion about the rise of antisemitic rhetoric across the political spectrum.
“We’ve tried to not talk about it, we’ve tried to tamp it down, but it is everywhere. It is moving swiftly,” Moskowitz said, shocking viewers with his candid assessment. He compared antisemitism in both parties to asking Jews whether they would prefer to return to Germany or Egypt—saying both are hostile but in different ways.
Moskowitz admitted that for years, pro-Israel Democrats like himself were warned by Republicans that the left was being overtaken by hatred of Israel and rising antisemitism. “If I leave, I accelerate the problem,” he explained, saying he remained in the party to confront the issue from within. But he also warned that the “virus” is now spreading into Republican circles.
Host Bill Maher agreed, adding that while the Republican establishment has taken a strong stance against antisemitism, Democratic leaders have largely failed to confront their radical base. Maher quoted Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who recently said, “About a decade ago, antisemitism began rising on the left, and the Democratic Party did nothing. In the decade that followed, it has consumed the Democratic Party.”
Moskowitz did not push back. “Ted Cruz is right. I agree 100%,” he said, adding that much of the anti-Israel activism on campuses and online goes well beyond political disagreement. “When you’re holding signs on college campuses saying, ‘Go back to Poland,’ that doesn’t sound like anything to do with Israel,” he said.
His comments confirm what many conservatives have warned for years: leftist movements that claim to oppose Zionism often harbor deeper antisemitic motives, targeting Jews broadly—not just Israeli policy. Moskowitz warned Republicans not to be complacent, noting that the same trends are beginning to emerge on the right through various media personalities and online influencers.
