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Marco Rubio invoked a medieval antisemitic trope in justifying war with Iran

JL;DR SUMMARY Drawing attention to Secretary of State Marco Rubio's justification for the U.S. entering the war with Iran, the narrative positions Israel as the instigator of American military action, echoing a medieval antisemitic trope of Jews manipulating national affairs. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Antisemitic TropesTrump AdministrationU.S. Foreign PolicyJewish InfluenceScapegoatingRight Wing PopulismMarco RubioWar With Iran

Places mentioned

United States
"Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a striking explanation on Monday for why the United States entered its current war with Iran."
Iran
"Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a striking explanation on Monday for why the United States entered its current war with Iran."
Israel
"According to Rubio, the U.S. acted because Israel had decided on its own to strike Iran first, and Washington feared that Tehran would retaliate against American forces in the region."
Washington, Washington DC, United States
"According to Rubio, the U.S. acted because Israel had decided on its own to strike Iran first, and Washington feared that Tehran would retaliate against American forces in the region."
New York, United States
"Joel Swanson is an assistant professor of religion and Jewish studies at Sarah Lawrence College. He holds a doctorate in the history of Judaism from the University of Chicago, and in addition to academic publications, his work has been published in the Forward, Haaretz, Religion Dispatches, Slate, The Times of Israel, The Jerusalem Post and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency."
Jerusalem, Israel
"Joel Swanson is an assistant professor of religion and Jewish studies at Sarah Lawrence College. He holds a doctorate in the history of Judaism from the University of Chicago, and in addition to academic publications, his work has been published in the Forward, Haaretz, Religion Dispatches, Slate, The Times of Israel, The Jerusalem Post and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency."
Chicago, Illinois, United States
"Joel Swanson is an assistant professor of religion and Jewish studies at Sarah Lawrence College. He holds a doctorate in the history of Judaism from the University of Chicago, and in addition to academic publications, his work has been published in the Forward, Haaretz, Religion Dispatches, Slate, The Times of Israel, The Jerusalem Post and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency."

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Cairo Item ID 76790
Cairo Source ID 35
Retrieved 2026-03-04 05:31:13 UTC
Curated 2026-03-04 08:30:54 UTC