In this week’s Scheer Intelligence, Robert Scheer sits down with historian James Loeffler to dismantle the increasingly convenient narrative that antisemitism is whatever politicians say it is. Loeffler’s new book, Exceptional Hatred, traces how America has repeatedly reinvented the meaning of “the Jew”—from religious outsider to racial threat to political scapegoat—and how today’s panic over campus speech and Israel has turned that long history into a blunt instrument for silencing dissent. What emerges in this conversation is not a culture‑war caricature but a sober warning: when the government starts defining what Jews must believe, and which criticisms are forbidden, it isn’t protecting anyone—it’s reviving the very logic the First Amendment was written to prevent.

In this week’s Scheer Intelligence, Robert Scheer sits down with historian James Loeffler to dismantle the increasingly convenient narrative that antisemitism is whatever politicians say it is. Loeffler’s new book, Exceptional Hatred, traces how America has repeatedly reinvented the meaning of “the Jew”—from religious outsider to racial threat to political scapegoat—and how today’s panic over campus speech and Israel has turned that long history into a blunt instrument for silencing dissent. What emerges in this conversation is not a culture‑war caricature but a sober warning: when the government starts defining what Jews must believe, and which criticisms are forbidden, it isn’t protecting anyone—it’s reviving the very logic the First Amendment was written to prevent.

Exceptional Hatred: Free Speech, Fear, and the Fight Over Jewish Identity in America

The former congressman tells Robert Scheer that a provision buried in the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act could integrate the United States and Israel at the highest levels of military technology—without meaningful public debate or congressional scrutiny.Former Congressman Dennis Kucinich has spent decades warning about the machinery of permanent war. But in a new conversation with Robert Scheer, he argues that Congress is now on the verge of crossing a line without precedent in American military history.At the center of Kucinich's warning is Section 219 of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, a provision he says would formally integrate key areas of U.S. and Israeli military development, including artificial intelligence, autonomous weapons, quantum sensing, cyber and electronic warfare, biotechnology, missile defense, drones and directed-energy systems.“They call it integration, but I call it a merger,” Kucinich tells Scheer.The implications, he argues, go far beyond traditional military aid or weapons sales. Kucinich warns that the provision could create new counterintelligence risks, deepen U.S. dependence on Israel's military infrastructure and technology, blur questions of war powers and further entangle Washington in Israel's expanding regional conflicts.Even more alarming, Kucinich says, is how little debate the proposal has received. Rather than being considered through a separate treaty or subjected to extensive congressional hearings, the provision has been folded into a massive defense authorization bill that lawmakers will face enormous political pressure to support.“This provision has been smuggled into the bill,” Kucinich argues. “There's never been any debate.”For Scheer, the contradiction is impossible to ignore. At the moment the United States marks 250 years since declaring its independence, Washington may be moving toward an unprecedented military dependence on another state—one whose conduct in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon has placed it at the center of international accusations of genocide and grave violations of international law.In this urgent edition of Scheer Intelligence, Scheer and Kucinich examine what Section 219 could mean for American sovereignty, constitutional government and the future of war—and why a provision of such consequence has received so little attention from Congress, the Democratic opposition and the mainstream press.

The former congressman tells Robert Scheer that a provision buried in the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act could integrate the United States and Israel at the highest levels of military technology—without meaningful public debate or congressional scrutiny. Former Congressman Dennis Kucinich has spent decades warning about the machinery of permanent war. But in a new conversation with Robert Scheer, he argues that Congress is now on the verge of crossing a line without precedent in American military history. At the center of Kucinich's warning is Section 219 of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, a provision he says would formally integrate key areas of U.S. and Israeli military development, including artificial intelligence, autonomous weapons, quantum sensing, cyber and electronic warfare, biotechnology, missile defense, drones and directed-energy systems. “They call it integration, but I call it a merger,” Kucinich tells Scheer. The implications, he argues, go far beyond traditional military aid or weapons sales. Kucinich warns that the provision could create new counterintelligence risks, deepen U.S. dependence on Israel's military infrastructure and technology, blur questions of war powers and further entangle Washington in Israel's expanding regional conflicts. Even more alarming, Kucinich says, is how little debate the proposal has received. Rather than being considered through a separate treaty or subjected to extensive congressional hearings, the provision has been folded into a massive defense authorization bill that lawmakers will face enormous political pressure to support. “This provision has been smuggled into the bill,” Kucinich argues. “There's never been any debate.” For Scheer, the contradiction is impossible to ignore. At the moment the United States marks 250 years since declaring its independence, Washington may be moving toward an unprecedented military dependence on another state—one whose conduct in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon has placed it at the center of international accusations of genocide and grave violations of international law. In this urgent edition of Scheer Intelligence, Scheer and Kucinich examine what Section 219 could mean for American sovereignty, constitutional government and the future of war—and why a provision of such consequence has received so little attention from Congress, the Democratic opposition and the mainstream press.

Dennis Kucinich Warns Congress Is Quietly Merging the U.S. and Israeli War Machines

The former military analyst talks about why he leaked the Pentagon Papers and why there aren’t more whistleblowers today.

The former military analyst talks about why he leaked the Pentagon Papers and why there aren’t more whistleblowers today.

Daniel Ellsberg: The Doomsday Machine

The Dean of Berkeley's Law School discusses his new book and the limitations of the First Amendment.

The Dean of Berkeley's Law School discusses his new book and the limitations of the First Amendment.

Erwin Chemerinsky: Free Speech on Campus

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author discusses his acclaimed novel and the legacy of the Vietnam War.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author discusses his acclaimed novel and the legacy of the Vietnam War.

Viet Thanh Nguyen: The Sympathizer

The filmmaker discusses his most recent film about primatologist Jane Goodall.

The filmmaker discusses his most recent film about primatologist Jane Goodall.

Brett Morgen: Jane

The 95-year-old television icon talks about politics and mortality. [Contains mature language.]

The 95-year-old television icon talks about politics and mortality. [Contains mature language.]

The 95-year-old television icon talks about politics and mortality. [Contains mature language.]

Norman Lear: A 'bleeding heart conservative,' (part 2)

The 95-year-old television icon talks about his time in the military and his shows' biggest controversies. [Contains mature language]

The 95-year-old television icon talks about his time in the military and his shows' biggest controversies. [Contains mature language]

The 95-year-old television icon talks about his time in the military and his shows' biggest controversies. [Contains mature language]

Norman Lear: A lifetime of changing TV and its audience (part 1)

The Oscar-nominated actor discusses his social activism.

The Oscar-nominated actor discusses his social activism.

James Cromwell: The consequences of doing nothing

The 87-year-old labor icon discusses her life and career as well as a new film about her.

The 87-year-old labor icon discusses her life and career as well as a new film about her.

Dolores Huerta: A tireless voice for workers

The documentary filmmaker discusses his new film about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and the organic food industry.

The documentary filmmaker discusses his new film about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and the organic food industry.

Scott Hamilton Kennedy: Food Evolution

The former Secretary of Defense discusses the current nuclear threats the world faces and how we got to this point.

The former Secretary of Defense discusses the current nuclear threats the world faces and how we got to this point.

William J. Perry: The real risk of nuclear war

Scheer Intelligence features thoughtful and provocative conversations with "American Originals" -- people who, through a lifetime of engagement with political issues, offer unique and often surprising perspectives on the day's most important issues.

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