There has been a predictable progression of unchecked extremism that began on college campuses and has now spilled into our streets and communities as violent protesters have begun setting Cybertrucks and other Tesla vehicles ablaze. Molotov cocktails have been thrown at showrooms, and bullet-riddled Tesla stores from Portland to Las Vegas now bear the signs of political rage once directed at Jews and Israel. It seems that the extremist left-wing activists, who have little to no compunction about using violence to get their message across, have found new targets.
What, you may ask, connects these seemingly disparate events of the college campus protests and the Tesla attacks? I believe it is the culture of permissiveness that has been allowed to flourish in the face of extremist tactics with the aim of making a political statement.
When violent anti-Israel demonstrations erupted on university campuses, many administrators and public officials responded with silence, permission, or even outright endorsement rather than clear condemnation. These protests, which are still going on in many places, were not merely expressions of political disagreement about the tactics of Israel in defending itself from a terrorist entity, but often crossed into intimidation, harassment, and violence perpetrated against Jewish students who have little or nothing to do with what is taking place in the Middle East. The failure to establish firm boundaries against such tactics sent a dangerous message: that violence and the destruction of property, both public and private, are acceptable forms of political expression.
The Jewish community has historically been what I call the canary in the coal mine, an early warning signal of broader societal dangers. When Jews face targeted hostility, it rarely ends there. The pattern repeats throughout history: What begins with Jews expands to engulf society at large.
In the 1990s, Israel experienced a wave of suicide bombings that much of the world viewed as a regional conflict rather than a harbinger of global terrorism. Then, those bombings began to spread. In 1995, the Oklahoma City bombing took place, and six years later, as the bombings in Israel intensified to an almost weekly occurrence, came 9/11. Suddenly, the terrorism that Israelis had endured for years became a global reality. The warning signs were there, but too few heeded them.
We are witnessing a similar progression today. The extremist tactics tolerated on campuses have graduated to our streets. Tesla vehicles, once celebrated by progressives as environmental champions, have become symbols of political hatred due to CEO Elon Musk’s association with the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency initiative. Many of the same radical individuals and groups that targeted Jewish students now direct their rage at Tesla stores or owners, who often have no connection to Musk’s political views.
Law enforcement reports confirm the ideological nature of these attacks. In Colorado, a woman charged with attacking Tesla dealerships spray-painted “Nazi cars” on a building. Federal agents in South Carolina arrested a man for setting fire to charging stations, finding antigovernment writings in his possession. The progressive group Indivisible, while claiming to advocate peaceful protests through its “Musk Or Us” campaign, has helped foster an environment in which Tesla vehicles are seen as legitimate targets.
What’s particularly troubling is how this escalation was predictable. Campus protests that featured encampments, intimidation, and disruption of academic life served as training grounds for the current wave of extremism. At every pro-Israel rally, American flags wave prominently alongside Israeli ones. At anti-Israel demonstrations, American flags are conspicuously absent, and chants of “Death to America” can be heard. This reflects a deeper ideological current — not just opposition to Israel but hostility toward American institutions and values.
The vandalism against Tesla represents the logical next step. When society tolerates the demonization of one group, the circle of acceptable targets inevitably widens. Today it’s Tesla owners who find themselves needing bumper stickers reading “I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy” to protect their vehicles from vandalism. Tomorrow, who will need to disavow their associations to avoid becoming targets?
Attorney General Pam Bondi has promised investigations into who is “behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes.” President Donald Trump has characterized the Tesla vandalism as “domestic terror.” While such responses are necessary, they address symptoms rather than causes.
The root problem is the normalization of extremist tactics as legitimate forms of political expression. This begins in educational institutions where young minds are shaped. When campus administrators fail to maintain basic standards of civil discourse, they contribute to a culture where political disagreements justify property destruction, intimidation, and violence.
THE BONFIRE OF THE TESLAS: POLITICAL VIOLENCE AND THE LEFT
America as a society must recognize this progression and break the cycle. The government and law enforcement must establish consistent standards that reject violence and intimidation regardless of the political cause. Those who cross the line from protest to violence and destruction, whether on campus or city streets, must be held accountable to the full force of the law. Without such boundaries, today’s Tesla attacks will simply be another step in an escalating cycle of political violence that undermines the foundations of civil society.
If we continue to ignore these warning signs, the circle of acceptable targets will only widen further. As history has repeatedly shown, the canary in the coal mine warns us of dangers that eventually threaten everyone.
Rabbi Steven Burg is the CEO of Aish, a Jewish educational and outreach organization.