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...
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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.