Don’t Let the Fight Against Antisemitism Fuel Antisemitism

Labeling critiques of Israeli policy and actions as “Jew Hatred” or saying global anger at the war in Gaza is a “PR problem” is precisely the wrong approach.

Jeremy Ben-Ami Jul 13

No matter the over-focus on Israel particularly on the political left, it is a tragic error for leaders and organizations in the Jewish community to seek to shut down debate and dissent by labeling all critiques of Israel as antisemitic.

Finally, we need people like the Prime Minister of Israel to stop dismissing all critiques of Israel as part of a concerted communications campaign to discredit Israel. He and all those who consistently label Israel's growing international isolation a “PR problem” are missing a more fundamental point.

Israel's problem isn't its PR. The problem is its policy.

It’s not the media coverage that needs to change, it’s what Israel is doing and has been doing since 1967. Getting a better PR firm to explain the occupation of another people and the denial of their equal rights won’t solve the problem.

Yes, there is antisemitism throughout the world. It will never fully disappear, and it must be continually fought.

As we address that hatred, let’s also take a long look in the mirror and ensure that the state that is the national home of our people is acting in a manner that accords with our values and advances our interests.

If it is not, let’s speak out.

In doing so, we will not just be standing up for what is right and in our own interest, we'll be demonstrating the important distinction between what this extreme right-wing government of Israel is doing and what the majority of Jewish people who care about the state and people of Israel actually believe.

And let’s ensure that, in the way we react to those who are not Jewish and raise concerns that many of us share about Israel's policies and actions, we aren’t inadvertently fueling the flames of antisemitism.

 

Few paragraphs of a longer article by the talented and very realistic Jeremy Ben-Ami, analyzing this particular side of the general situation between Israel/Palestine, their wars, occupation, terrorism, apartheid, genocide and mass population transfers, and their impact on the entire area surrounding them, all under the complicity of some other political leaders and the blind eyes of the rest of the world. 

"The Nazification of Israel has begun. That's where it should be filed. This is a country that has gone completely off the rails. The more you see it in operation, the more it looks like Nazi Germany."
— John Mearsheimer, widely respected political scientist

I copied these words, as very indicative of certain aspects of the conflict and the ways it's been conducted, and the last decision of the war cabinet to invade the entirety of Gaza and Gaza city, against the advise of their own army chiefs, and perpetuate their massacres and ethnic cleansing.

signaling the beginning of a new era of accountability in global politics.

The Growing Global Criticism of Israel’s Actions

   

  as always, my many thanks to all my good readers.