'He's a Traitor': Right-wing Group Targets Jewish American Author Over Israel Criticism
Betar USA, the American branch of the far-right group, said that he should be given a pager, referring to the pagers used by Hezbollah operatived that simultaneously exploded last year
Pro-Israeli supporters face pro-Palestinian protesters outside The New York Times building in New York City, last month.Credit: AFP/Leonardo Munoz
NEW YORK – Betar USA, the American branch of the right-wing Betar movement, has targeted prominent Jewish writer and New York Times contributor Peter Beinart, after he published an op-ed piece criticizing Israel called "States Don't Have a Right to Exist. People Do." In the piece, Beinart posits if Israel can continue to exist as a state for the Jews alone.
The right-wing group attacked Beinart over his op-ed in a post on X published Monday,
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"We urge all Jews on the Upper West Side to give Peter Beinart a pager. He is a traitor, a kapo and we must oppose him," the group wrote on its X account, referencing the near-simultaneous explosion of 3,000 to 4,000 pagers used by Hezbollah operatives attributed to Israel.
In the New York Times op-ed, Beinart argued that Jewish safety and sovereignty should not come at the cost of Palestinian rights. The op-ed was published to coincide with the launch of Beinart's book, Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza, which urges American Jews to reckon with Israel's war in Gaza and the ongoing occupation.
In a phone call with Haaretz, Beinart said that some critics have expressed anger toward him, but none have ever threatened violence. "This felt like a magnitude beyond anything I've experienced before."
Peter Beinart.
Beinart noted that many people have reported the group to X. "It felt important to expose the tweet so it would have social ramifications." Despite this, he said he isn't inclined to involve law enforcement.
While Beinart described this incident as unlike any other he has experienced, he said it reflects a broader political climate in both the United States and in Israel.
"We are living in an era of increasingly thuggish politics, symbolized by figures like President Donald Trump or Itamar Ben-Gvir in Israel, where the specter of violence serves as a guiding ethos," he said. "It's frightening to see politics take this turn."
Betar USA is known for inflammatory rhetoric and controversial actions. In November, Meta blocked its social media accounts. The move followed posts in which the group threatened to distribute "pagers" to individuals they labeled as "Judeophobes," including Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, as well as pro-Palestinian activists on college campuses.
Recently, the group has begun using artificial intelligence to identify and report university students it claims support Hamas.
The group encourages complaints to university administrators, analyzing protest footage and cross-referencing faces with online profiles. Messages circulating in Jewish and Israeli WhatsApp groups urge users to report individuals perceived as Hamas supporters, often with little or no evidence.
This initiative aligns with President Donald Trump's executive order on combating antisemitism, which includes measures to deport foreign nationals involved in pro-jihadist protests and revoke student visas for those deemed "Hamas sympathizers."
The group also plans a rally in front of the White House ahead of Netanyahu and Trump's meeting to show support for Netanyahu and "Trump's policy to deport unvetted criminal aliens."
The order has received criticism from a wide range of Jewish and human rights groups, while welcomed by organizations like the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee.
Beinart said this incident is an indicator of the deterioration of public discourse, especially after October 7, 2023. "I don't think people have changed their views, but their positions have hardened," he said. "It's becoming more difficult to foster conversations across ideological divides."