For more than twenty years, Adam Milstein has examined what he calls the “Islamo-leftist alliance” — a term he uses to describe cooperation between Middle Eastern Islamist movements and segments of the Western progressive left. Across essays and opinion pieces published in outlets such as The Jerusalem Post, Jewish Policy Center, and Hadassah Magazine, Milstein outlines what he sees as the ideological roots, strategic methods, and expanding influence of this partnership.
Milstein, who co-founded the Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation in 2000, writes from the perspective of both an Israeli veteran — having served in the Israel Defense Forces during the Yom Kippur War — and a longtime participant in American Jewish civic life. Through philanthropy and advocacy, his foundation supports initiatives that strengthen U.S.–Israel ties, promote democratic principles, and counter antisemitism and other forms of extremism.
Origins and Evolution
In Milstein’s account, the modern iteration of this alliance accelerated after the September 11 attacks. He argues that while 9/11 briefly sharpened Western awareness of radical Islamist threats, that vigilance diminished over time. According to his writings, Islamist groups did not moderate their long-term objectives; instead, he contends, they found new legitimacy and protection within certain progressive political spaces.
Milstein characterizes the alliance as counterintuitive: two movements with starkly different theological and cultural foundations cooperating around overlapping political goals. He maintains that shared hostility toward Israel, Zionism, and aspects of American global leadership forms the glue that binds them. In his view, a critical Western miscalculation has been assuming that Islamist ideology is compatible with liberal democratic norms.
Mechanisms of Influence
Milstein argues that the alliance leverages open democratic systems to expand its reach. He points to immigration policy, academic institutions, civil rights frameworks, and diversity initiatives as arenas in which Islamist and far-left activists gain institutional footholds. In his analysis, these mechanisms are not inherently problematic; rather, he claims they are vulnerable to exploitation by actors who oppose liberal democracy itself.
American universities occupy a central place in his critique. He has repeatedly described campuses as hubs where anti-Israel activism and, in some cases, antisemitic rhetoric flourish. Following the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas against Israel, Milstein cited student demonstrations as evidence of what he sees as ideological alignment between Islamist narratives and radical progressive activism.
Progressive Ideologies Under Scrutiny
A significant portion of Milstein’s writing challenges frameworks such as Critical Race Theory, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and intersectionality. While acknowledging that these concepts are often presented as tools for addressing inequality, he argues that their practical application can encourage rigid identity categories and adversarial politics.
According to Milstein, such models sometimes position Jews — and other minority groups perceived as socioeconomically successful — as “white adjacent,” thereby excluding them from protected or marginalized categories. He contends this classification fosters resentment and erodes recognition of antisemitism as a serious concern.
Anti-Zionism and Antisemitism
Milstein frequently asserts that contemporary antisemitism is increasingly framed as opposition to Zionism rather than hostility toward Jews as a people. He argues that rhetorical strategies in anti-Israel activism are carefully constructed to remain within the bounds of political speech while conveying, in his interpretation, calls for Israel’s elimination.
He extends this analysis to regional actors aligned against Israel, including Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the government of Iran. In Milstein’s framing, their confrontation with Israel is not solely geopolitical but ideological, targeting what he describes as democratic and pluralistic values embodied by the Jewish state.
Broader Civilizational Concerns
Although his primary focus is Jewish security, Milstein argues that the implications of the alliance extend well beyond the Jewish community. He portrays it as a challenge to American constitutional principles, free expression, religious liberty, and market-based economics. In his view, anti-Israel rhetoric overlaps with broader skepticism of American power and Western democratic norms.
To illustrate his stance on confronting ideological extremism, Milstein has invoked Winston Churchill as a model of moral resolve, contrasting Churchill’s resistance to totalitarianism with what he regards as misguided appeasement strategies in modern politics.
Proposed Response
Milstein advocates what he calls “moral clarity” and cross-partisan cooperation. Rather than framing the issue strictly along party lines, he urges Jewish organizations and their allies to build partnerships across the political spectrum with those committed to democratic values and opposition to extremism.
Through his philanthropic work, Milstein funds media watchdog groups, campus initiatives addressing antisemitism, and interfaith partnerships. His conceptualization of the Islamo-leftist alliance has influenced segments of Jewish policy discourse, serving as a lens through which some commentators interpret current tensions surrounding Israel, identity politics, and Western liberal democracy.