Making accusations of antisemitism with hardly any facts
Making accusations of antisemitism with hardly any facts
Somewhere in Western newsrooms and political backrooms, there must be an instruction manual or playbook entitled “How to make accusations of antisemitism with hardly any facts.” I imagine that Steve Paikin got hold of it and employed it to write his latest column. I am afraid that the piece is serio...
Oh my lord I'm so tired of this crap. I'm sick of anti-Zionist Jews who tokenize themselves when they represent a small fringe minority of the Jewish community. I'm tired of these Jews saying idiotic things like, "I've never experienced antisemitism, so it must be blown out of proportion."
And I'm sick of people falling back on the "criticism of Israel isn't antisemitism" bullshit. The angry mobs on our streets and university campuses aren't "criticizing Israel." Calling for intifada is not criticizing Israel. Calling for the destruction of Israel is not criticizing Israel. Vandalizing businesses and Jewish buildings is not criticizing Israel. Telling Jews to go back to Poland is not criticizing Israel. Saying things like "Zionists aren't welcome here" is not criticizing Israel. Pressuring organizations to cancel Jewish film festivals or art shows is not criticizing Israel. Assaulting Jewish students on campus is not criticizing Israel. Etc, etc, etc.
I'm not Jewish so take whatever I write with a grain of kosher salt, but we should not minimize the very chilling effect of the attacks on schools and synagogues have. And those do tend to happen more often in times such as these.
I mean, it had a chilling effect on my family and community just because my ethnic school is close to a Jewish school whose door was shot up. I can't imagine how terrified the people who send their kids to that school must be. These are not trivial things.
It's hard. I don't think we the non-jews in the pro-palestine camp are doing enough to take antisemitism here in Canada seriously, much less combat it. Part of it is triage of energy, but part of it is I think also misguided tribalism that buys into the Zionist lie that all Jews are linked to the state of Israel.
One thing I would love to see would be that every time a Jewish institution is targeted, there would be public and loud displays of solidarity by the pro-palestinian crowd. If anything, every Jew that feels safe and comfortable in Canada is a Jew that is not resettling to Israel.
Thank you very much.
There is a significant chilling effect for sure. One example which might seem insignificant to others but makes the Jewish community very angry is how every single statement about antisemitism made by a public figure or organization has to have "and Islamophobia" added to it. It's as if people don't feel they can highlight Jewish suffering on its own because people will be offended. This would never be tolerated with any other group.
The attempt by Netanyahu and his far-right allies to get us all to conflate a dislike of them and their actions with a dislike of Jews is one of the most antisemitic messages around. They are the ones who are trying to taint people's understanding of Jewishness itself by associating it with being a belligerent, murderous asshole, and they do it with utter disrespect for Jewish identity, for Jews who disagree with them, and for the damage this could do to Jewish people's lives and other people's understanding of Jews. If you want to resist antisemitism, resist the cynical, self-serving and short-sighted messaging of Netanyahu and his friends.
If there's one upside of Israel's actions in the last year, it's that this gap between attitudes to Israel and attitudes to Jewishness, and the distortion Israel's government attempts by painting its critics as antisemites, have become much clearer to people around the world. They have been so heavy-handed about it that people are now less likely to conflate these things.
Wow. I don't even know where to begin with this. You do realize how bigoted this is, don't you? You're basically saying, "I can totally understand why people have a problem with Jews because of the behavior of some extremist right wing Jews." You might want to take a step back and think about that.
Holding all Jews responsible for what happens in Israel, let alone what a particular Israeli government does, is antisemitic. And no, it's not our fault. It's the fault of the antisemites. Our very long history is full of antisemites gaslighting us and blaming us for our persecution. Jews killed Jesus. Jews were behind the Black Plague. Jews are greedy capitalists. Jews are communists. Jews refused to accept Islam as the one true religion. Jews are trying to take over the Middle East. The Jewish state is racist and genocidal. The Jewish state loves to kill Palestinian children. See the pattern here?
The upside to Israel's actions over the past year is sending a clear message that the Jewish state isn't going anywhere, and if you try to kill us you will suffer greatly.
“I can totally understand why people have a problem with Jews because of the behavior of some extremist right wing Jews.” You might want to take a step back and think about that.
You yourself admit that worldwide antisemitism is a problem. These people are not thinking subtly. I can understand why people do all kinds of horrible things, but it doesn't mean I'm sympathetic or defending them.
Holding all Jews responsible for what happens in Israel, let alone what a particular Israeli government does, is antisemitic.
I'm saying that a particular group of extreme right wing Jews is encouraging people the world over to make that antisemitic conflation. They do so because in the short term it serves their interests, but in the bigger picture it causes damage.
And no, it’s not our fault. It’s the fault of the antisemites.
It's the fault of antisemites and those that egg them on.
See the pattern here?
Of course. Vile antisemitism has a long history.
The upside to Israel’s actions over the past year is sending a clear message that the Jewish state isn’t going anywhere, and if you try to kill us you will suffer greatly.
In the process it sends a message to the world that Israel is brutal, racist and hateful. It may end up damaging Israel's interests more than helping. Netanyahu does what's best for Netanyahu, not for Israel or for Jews.
Hear, hear.
Non Israeli Jews have some soul search to do about their relationship to the Israel.
Blind support by got us here... And not just from the Jews either.
For most Jews, their relationship with Israel has only been strengthened since Oct 7, 2023.
Probably true but there is definitely an element who ain't larping zionism.
How are my goy friends more Zionist than I am? When's the last time that letting a government shape policy in the name of religion ended well?