4 ms·

The sad part is that you can get called an anti-Semite (or self-hating Jew) for expressing any sort of solidarity with Palestinians. The sadder part is that act

The sad part is that you can get called an anti-Semite (or self-hating Jew) for expressing any sort of solidarity with Palestinians. The sadder part is that actual anti-Semites then jump in and use that situation to further their agenda.

tartoran 5y ago
Yes, labels are prepared for any type of criticism. The sad part is that there is some genuine anti-semitism out there (same is true for racism) and lumping this acusation with any criticism will weaken a real cause (again, same is true for racism).
tinyhouse 5y ago
The sad part is that many American jews are so worried about their image that they will automatically go against Israel no matter what.
- wolverine876 5y ago
  Who? When? That's a baseless, slanderous attack, usually used to silence Jewish people (and others too, I'm sure) saying unpopular things.
  - tinyhouse 5y ago
    Check how many US based Jews are part of anti Israel organizations such as BDS compared to other organizations that are anti other countries. Why? because they care more about the image of Israel in the world than the image of Iran or China for example. Even though they don't live in Israel and are not Israelis. That's because non-Jews often put Israelis and Jews in the same bucket, due to ignorance and/or racism. Similar to how many people put all Arabs/Muslims together.
werber 5y ago
I’ve been ostracized by my family, which I think is much worse.
- wolverine876 5y ago
  I'm very sorry to hear it; that is hard. It might be that if you stand for your principles with dignity, they will respect it.
throwaway894345 5y ago
I’ve not run into this very much. I’ve had very good luck advocating against antisemitism while also advocating against Israeli settlement policies. I think by advocating against antisemitism I demonstrate that I’m actually committed to justice. It seems when people are accused of antisemitism they are often not only criticizing settlement policies but also advocating for the destruction of Israel and are generally silent on Jewish persecution.
- sangnoir 5y ago
  There's another contingent that's quick to label any criticism leveled against the Israeli government as anti-semitism, which in itself is an antisemitic trope (which insinuates that all Jewish people, including the Jewish diaspora, and the country/government of Israel are inseparable)
rayiner 5y ago
I hate to break it to you, but most of the people who “care” about Palestinians just don’t like Jews and Israel. When Middle Eastern countries condemn “Israeli occupation” they don’t do it out of “solidarity with Palestinians.” Antisemitism is a way of expressing solidarity among Muslims. (There’s a reason none of these countries are making a peep about Uighur.) I’m sure many people in America are well meaning, but they’re being played. There is huge amounts of Saudi and Qatari money making this “Palestinian cause” thing happen.
- tptacek 5y ago
  I don't know if there's maybe something to this analysis on a global scale (certainly I've got zero confidence in the good faith of Saudi and Qatari foreign policy), and it's absolutely the case that there's an insidious strain of antisemitism hiding in advocacy for Palestinians, but plenty of people I talk to about this problem are observant Jewish people; they're absolutely not antisemites, or getting "played", any more than people who advocated against apartheid were getting played. The situation is by all accounts very, very bad.
  - edanm 5y ago
    I don't disagree with you, but I think you and GP are both correct. Lots of people care about this issue and think that things should change and/or that Israel is "in the wrong" so to speak (I myself am one such person). However, you said "maybe something to [GP's] analysis on a global scale" and also " The situation is by all accounts very, very bad." From an Israeli perspective, this is the thing that bothers me. The situation re: Israel/Palestine is bad, but it's also nuanced and complicated and has very few paths forward, even to people very motivated to solve the problems. (Even if I had any political power, I really don't know what I would do at this stage.) And yet, the way the situation is talked about on a global scale makes it seem: 1) way worse than it really is, 2) loses a lot of nuance and makes Israel look way worse than it really is, 3) makes the issue appear far more important compared to other problems happening in the world. And the reason for the above is because of GP's analysis (or at least, that's what it seems like to me): a lot of countries have a huge interest in making the situation the one that people focus on. It's easier for many Muslim countries to make their citizens focus on a bad situation in Palestine (ignoring their own complicity in it), and thereby distract them from far, far worse situations happening literally every day.

tartoran 5y ago

Yes, labels are prepared for any type of criticism. The sad part is that there is some genuine anti-semitism out there (same is true for racism) and lumping this acusation with any criticism will weaken a real cause (again, same is true for racism).

tinyhouse 5y ago

The sad part is that many American jews are so worried about their image that they will automatically go against Israel no matter what.

wolverine876 5y ago
Who? When? That's a baseless, slanderous attack, usually used to silence Jewish people (and others too, I'm sure) saying unpopular things.
- tinyhouse 5y ago
  Check how many US based Jews are part of anti Israel organizations such as BDS compared to other organizations that are anti other countries. Why? because they care more about the image of Israel in the world than the image of Iran or China for example. Even though they don't live in Israel and are not Israelis. That's because non-Jews often put Israelis and Jews in the same bucket, due to ignorance and/or racism. Similar to how many people put all Arabs/Muslims together.

werber 5y ago

I’ve been ostracized by my family, which I think is much worse.

wolverine876 5y ago
I'm very sorry to hear it; that is hard. It might be that if you stand for your principles with dignity, they will respect it.

throwaway894345 5y ago

I’ve not run into this very much. I’ve had very good luck advocating against antisemitism while also advocating against Israeli settlement policies. I think by advocating against antisemitism I demonstrate that I’m actually committed to justice. It seems when people are accused of antisemitism they are often not only criticizing settlement policies but also advocating for the destruction of Israel and are generally silent on Jewish persecution.

sangnoir 5y ago
There's another contingent that's quick to label any criticism leveled against the Israeli government as anti-semitism, which in itself is an antisemitic trope (which insinuates that all Jewish people, including the Jewish diaspora, and the country/government of Israel are inseparable)

rayiner 5y ago

I hate to break it to you, but most of the people who “care” about Palestinians just don’t like Jews and Israel. When Middle Eastern countries condemn “Israeli occupation” they don’t do it out of “solidarity with Palestinians.” Antisemitism is a way of expressing solidarity among Muslims. (There’s a reason none of these countries are making a peep about Uighur.) I’m sure many people in America are well meaning, but they’re being played. There is huge amounts of Saudi and Qatari money making this “Palestinian cause” thing happen.

tptacek 5y ago
I don't know if there's maybe something to this analysis on a global scale (certainly I've got zero confidence in the good faith of Saudi and Qatari foreign policy), and it's absolutely the case that there's an insidious strain of antisemitism hiding in advocacy for Palestinians, but plenty of people I talk to about this problem are observant Jewish people; they're absolutely not antisemites, or getting "played", any more than people who advocated against apartheid were getting played. The situation is by all accounts very, very bad.
- edanm 5y ago
  I don't disagree with you, but I think you and GP are both correct. Lots of people care about this issue and think that things should change and/or that Israel is "in the wrong" so to speak (I myself am one such person). However, you said "maybe something to [GP's] analysis on a global scale" and also " The situation is by all accounts very, very bad." From an Israeli perspective, this is the thing that bothers me. The situation re: Israel/Palestine is bad, but it's also nuanced and complicated and has very few paths forward, even to people very motivated to solve the problems. (Even if I had any political power, I really don't know what I would do at this stage.) And yet, the way the situation is talked about on a global scale makes it seem: 1) way worse than it really is, 2) loses a lot of nuance and makes Israel look way worse than it really is, 3) makes the issue appear far more important compared to other problems happening in the world. And the reason for the above is because of GP's analysis (or at least, that's what it seems like to me): a lot of countries have a huge interest in making the situation the one that people focus on. It's easier for many Muslim countries to make their citizens focus on a bad situation in Palestine (ignoring their own complicity in it), and thereby distract them from far, far worse situations happening literally every day.