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 attorney and author talks about how the Clinton administration played a role in Trump's current immigration policies.

The attorney and author talks about how the Clinton administration played a role in Trump's current immigration policies.

Bill Blum: Bill Clinton laid the groundwork for Trump

The immigration and labor attorney discusses the trauma of being an undocumented immigrant right now.

The immigration and labor attorney discusses the trauma of being an undocumented immigrant right now.

Victor Narro: Undocumented immigrants living in fear

The Somali-born American writer discusses his early life in the war-torn country and becoming an American.

The Somali-born American writer discusses his early life in the war-torn country and becoming an American.

Boyah J. Farah: A voice for refugees

The author of Finks: How the CIA Tricked the World’s Best Writers discusses how the spy agency used its own form of propaganda through highly respected magazines to counter the rise in communism around the world.

The author of Finks: How the CIA Tricked the World’s Best Writers discusses how the spy agency used its own form of propaganda through highly respected magazines to counter the rise in communism around the world.

Joel Whitney: The CIA's Cold War literary influence

The former Marketplace reporter discusses his controversial blog post about neutrality in the Trump era.

The former Marketplace reporter discusses his controversial blog post about neutrality in the Trump era.

Lewis Wallace: Is objectivity dead?

The illustrator and author discusses his recent book, Mary Astor’s Purple Diary: The Great American Sex Scandal of 1936. [EXPLICIT LANGUAGE]

The illustrator and author discusses his recent book, Mary Astor’s Purple Diary: The Great American Sex Scandal of 1936. [EXPLICIT LANGUAGE]

The illustrator and author discusses his recent book,&nbsp;Mary Astor’s Purple Diary: The Great American Sex Scandal of 1936. [EXPLICIT LANGUAGE]

Edward Sorel: A lifetime curiosity about Mary Astor

The history professor and essayist talks about Islamophobia and foreign relations under President Trump.

The history professor and essayist talks about Islamophobia and foreign relations under President Trump.

Juan Cole: Be wary of strongmen in the US and abroad

The award-winning journalist talks about women in the press and the next generation of the media.

The award-winning journalist talks about women in the press and the next generation of the media.

Judy Woodruff: The perfect time to be a journalist

Professor Geoff Cowan discusses the need for a strong press and opposition during the Trump presidency.

Professor Geoff Cowan discusses the need for a strong press and opposition during the Trump presidency.

Geoff Cowan: An aggressive press is essential

Heyday Books' Steve Wasserman talks about why books are more important now than ever.

Heyday Books' Steve Wasserman talks about why books are more important now than ever.

Steve Wasserman: The future of books

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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