Some of us have been writing about the rise in anti-Semitism in the United States, particularly on the left. Anti-Semitic rhetoric has become normalized in our political discourse, as is evident in the 35th Congressional District race unfolding in Texas. In an Instagram post last week, Democratic candidate Maureen Galindo pledged that she would turn the “Karnes ICE Detention Center into a prison for American Zionists and former ICE officers for human trafficking.”

The anti-Israeli movement has been growing for years in the Democratic Party.  According to recent polls, two-thirds of Democrats (67%) now support Palestinians over Israel (17%). Almost sixty percent of Democrats have a negative view, and only 13% holding a positive view of Israel.

That anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian movement has extreme elements that are unabashedly anti-Semitic.

Galindo clearly believes that she can garner greater support with such hateful rhetoric. She added that she will make the ICE Detention Center “a castration processing center for pedophiles, which will probably be most of the Zionists.”

Galindo, a sex therapist and housing activist, is running against Johnny Garcia in a primary runoff. Democrats have joined in condemning her remarks. While she has a free speech right to espouse such views, we have the same right to condemn those remarks as despicable.

The concern is that American politics is becoming increasingly radicalized and violent.

Galindo is particularly vile in her comments.

In other social media posts, Galindo has accused “billionaire Zionists” of controlling San Antonio and South Texas trafficking networks. When confronted with her comments by Texas Public Radio last week, Galindo insisted that her campaign against “Zionist Jews” is in no way anti-Semitic:

“I’m not antisemitic. In fact, my last serious relationship was with a Jewish man,” Galindo said, as reported by The Times of Israel. “I’m against Zionist Jews. When I said that the Jews who own Hollywood are doing this, do all Jews own Hollywood? No. The Zionist Jews do. The Zionist Jews own our media, our banks, and all of our politicians.”

It is the same message that has echoed through the ages as shown in this World War II Slovak poster of decrying those who are a “servant to the Jew.”

Galindo’s writings are a chilling insight into the twisted logic and rationalization of the anti-Semitism sweeping over the country.

It would be a mistake to dismiss Galindo as an isolated extremist on the left. These voices are growing and hatred for Israel becomes a rallying cry at protests.