In the face of an alarming increase in anti-Semitic and anti-Israel feeling worldwide, many governing entities have belatedly recognized the problem and are starting to address it. Recent reports in the JLNJ, “French Parliament Passes Resolution That States Anti-Zionism is Anti-Semitism” (December 5), “Trump to Sign Executive Order Addressing Anti-Semitism in U.S. Education, Particularly on Campus” (December 12) and “Shock! 13 Nations Support Israel at UN” (December 5) are just a few of a spate of resolutions previously considered unthinkable, that have been passed lately.

These actions complement that of the German Bundestag, which earlier this year passed a resolution calling BDS a form of anti-Semitism. France and Germany were among the most virulent anti-Semitic countries in history, and yet have seen fit to address the anti-Jewish and anti-Israel hatred in the world today. And they now join the U.S. House of Representatives, over 20 U.S. states and numerous city legislatures.

Unfortunately, in contrast to these major world actions, the six-member borough council of my hometown of Highland Park, with no sense of urgency, has spent more than seven months now without even being able to agree on the wording of a draft resolution condemning any form of anti-Semitism. This makes a mockery of a favorite slogan of the town, “Hate Has No Home Here,” and turns it into a hollow gesture devoid of any real substance. Hate may indeed have found a home in Highland Park, which with its adjoining Edison community, has a very high Jewish population, number of shuls and yeshivas. And this conjures up a nightmarish vision of the Jersey City-like massacre which occurred so close to us. Jew-hatred is not some far-away problem confined to “white supremacists.” It is all around us embedded in the left as well as the right.