During a revealing conversation with Jonathan Silver of the Tikvah Fund, Rabbi Benjamin Elton — Chief Minister of Sydney’s historic Great Synagogue — agreed that an intangible but extremely powerful force has been “let loose” across the Western world.
Silver described this as the dramatic collapse of a “very impressive civic achievement”: the near-total suppression of criticism toward Israel or discussions of Jewish influence, all due to the powerful label of “antisemitism.” For years, such topics were socially forbidden. Now, that prohibition has shattered.
Tikvah's Jonathan Silver tells Rabbi Benjamin Elton that a "psychic animal spirit" was "let loose" over the past two years giving people "permission" to express "anti-Semitic" ideas.
— Chris Menahan 🇺🇸 (@infolibnews) December 26, 2025
Suppressing such views was a "very impressive civic achievement" that has now unraveled, he… pic.twitter.com/RfYXVzi54f
The “Genie” Is Out – And It's Not Going Back
What we are witnessing is not merely anger over events in Gaza or U.S. foreign policy — it is the explosive return of unfiltered speech. A collective psychological dam has broken, releasing thoughts that were once carefully silenced.
Rabbi Elton expressed deep concern about rising antisemitism from both political extremes. He named high-profile figures like Tucker Carlson, Nick Fuentes, Candace Owens, and even former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr — voices that, he suggested, Israeli intelligence must somehow quiet.
Most strikingly, the rabbi admitted defeat: “I don’t think it’s at all clear how that genie gets put back in the bottle.” Once people taste the freedom to question openly, enforcing silence becomes nearly impossible.
Metaphysical Fear: The Real Danger Is Permission Itself
For critics of this view, the language is revealing: “spirit animals,” “genies,” and “psychic forces.” Instead of engaging with facts or arguments, the discussion moves into the metaphysical realm — where public opinion becomes a dangerous, uncontrollable entity.
The true fear may not be hatred itself, but the dissolution of permission: permission to question power structures, to notice patterns, to speak without first checking who is allowed to hear.
Latest Development – December 2025 Update
In the most recent escalation, a major study published at the end of December 2025 revealed a dramatic spike in anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric from prominent right-wing podcasters and commentators throughout the year, with markedly more negative references to Israel in the second half of 2025. This trend aligns precisely with the “unleashed spirit” Rabbi Elton described. Read the full report here (The Times of Israel, Dec 29, 2025).
The conversation between Jonathan Silver and Rabbi Benjamin Elton highlights a profound shift in public discourse — one that may prove irreversible.
Original discussion referenced via: Tikvah Fund / Mosaic