How can we formulate an effective response to Islamic anti-Semitism? Fueled by Middle East petro-dollars, hatred of Jews is spreading across the world in mosques, Islamic schools and films. After decades of under-reporting the phenomenon, major Jewish organizations now express concern. The American Jewish Committee monograph concludes that the “anti-Semitic virus has taken root in the body politic of Islam …” The ADL, after years of thinking that Muslim Jew-hate was “street talk” bound to disappear when negotiations brought peace, now devotes Web page after Web page to Islamic hatred.

Far from a tactic to generate West Bank and Gaza warrior heat, Islamic anti-Semitism has become the engine of the global jihad. Yet, while contempt of Jews boils on every continent, most “progressives” – outraged at every other prejudice – choose to ignore the hate that killed millions in Europe and fueled WWII. Muslims around the world preach that Jews are the sons of monkeys and pigs. They produce films about Jews harvesting the organs of Muslim children. They run campaigns to deny the Holocaust, and no one makes much of a fuss. In this, too, the “progressives” have abandoned the Jews.

So what are Jews to do? In the face of Islam’s enmity, a frequently heard suggestion is that we “dialogue” with the Muslim community. The idea is apparently to foster a spirit of open communication, address issues in a spirit of mutual respect and understanding, and get to know the true concerns of the other side – all things we value. Yet there have been problems with Muslim-Jewish dialogue. Jewish groups engage in open discussions with Muslim organizations in a safe and “tolerant” atmosphere, yet less than a week later representatives from the same Muslim organization appear at rallies denouncing Israel’s right to exist. So dialogue, while always desirable, might need to be approached with a bit of caution.

But what is most curious is that some of the very people and organizations calling for Jewish-Muslim dialogue are promoting silence inside the Jewish community on the issue of Islamic anti-Semitism. Jewish audiences I address around the country are shocked when I show them videos from memri.org and Palestinian Media Watch of what Muslims say and teach about Jews. They are shocked when I quote from the AJC pamphlet. I find it astonishing that a great many – even most – Jews are broadly unaware of this threat. Think about it: Islamic anti-Semitism is the biggest threat to Jews since Hitler. The Jews of Europe can’t safely wear kippot. Jewish kids in France go to school fearing physical violence from Muslims; Jewish students in California are berated by Muslim anti-Semites, and on and on. Yet when was the last time an establishment Jewish organization had a heart-to-heart dialogue with its own constituency about the biggest threat to our lives? How about Jewish-Jewish dialogue about real concerns?