On Tuesday, Ron DeSantis faced one of the favorite talking points for the left: a question about an alleged rise in “Islamophobia.” The question was asked with the notion that “Islamophobia” is just as serious as antisemitism. DeSantis, as usual, was well prepared.
The Florida Governor responded by slamming the reporter with facts, not only with rhetoric. This latter aspect is the kryptonite of modern journalists. If you push back against their false assumptions, they will melt.
Apparently pro-Hamas journo: “You’ve talked a lot about protecting Jewish schools… what about the increase in violence to Muslims and Muslim schools?”@GovRonDeSantis: “Are those students being chased for their lives on… universities?”
Watch his full response: pic.twitter.com/U0EFe84e8c
— Jeremy Redfern (@JeremyRedfernFL) December 5, 2023
DESANTIS : No, it’s not true. They do not face similar threats. You can’t look at the situation and say…are these students in danger of their lives? Washington, D.C. was the site of a pro-Israel rally. There was no hatred in the air. I saw American and Israeli flags. I saw it. Biden’s statement is a false one. Biden responded to the unprecedented antisemitic sentiment around the globe, and even here in the United States, he responded by saying the real problem was Islamophobia.
These are two different things. It’s not the same as what happens in Florida and here in America. We have certain areas that are being targeted. I don’t believe they are the same. I also think there is one hate that is dominant over all other hatreds right now. That is antisemitism.
Even people who were concerned about the issue before would have agreed that it is worse now. Many people were surprised by this, but, indeed, Jews are always at the top of the list when it comes to crimes committed against people because of their identity. This is true in America and all over the world. But in America, they don’t even come close. It’s a fact.
This is something I’ve discussed in several articles. Gaslighting is when you pretend that antisemitic and “Islamophobic attacks” are the same. Actual numbers are far from being close. Antisemitic incidents are five times as likely to happen than anti-Muslim incidents. Anti-Muslim incidents are so rare that they barely even rank above anti-Catholic attacks.
Currently, all the evidence that we have indicates that not only is the dynamic the same, but also that it has increased. Has there been any attacks on Muslims since the 7th of October? The answer is yes, but the existence of attacks alone does not indicate statistical significance when compared with antisemitism.
DeSantis noted that we don’t see videos of Muslims being beaten or chased through schools. Protesters are not encircling Muslim shops. Islamophobia can be used as a ruse to avoid the real problem, which is the antisemitism on the left.
DeSantis has a very relaxed style when he gives press conferences. He’s no great speaker, he isn’t. But he knows what he talks about. He will never be surprised by a topic or go around in circles. He won’t accidentally defend his opponents, because he doesn’t have anything else to say. He knew that the numbers were in his favor when the reporter mentioned Islamophobia.
He wasn’t scared to say it. Many Republicans would have said that they condemn all hatred or given some other tepid response in this situation, lending credence to the journalist’s framing. It’s best to challenge journalists’ premises when they aren’t true. If you do that, they have nowhere to go.
