The problem is that there are a lot of people who are conflating Israel’s actions with any Jewish person. They have been saying that Jewish temples, Jewish owned businesses, Jewish homes, or Jews on college campuses are valid targets.
As an American Jew, I’m (unfortunately) used to anti-semitism coming from the right. Seeing Nazis marching openly while Republicans court them is an all too common event. What’s shocked me is the anti-semitism from the left. I’m left feeling boxed in. Feeling like an attack can come from either side and nobody would come to my defense. What’s worse, I’ve spoken up for causes with many of these people and now they’ve turned against me just because I’m Jewish.
Others on the left have attempted to gaslight me by claiming that there is no anti-semitism. Still others have said that I’m not allowed to complain about anti-semitic threats because the people in Gaza have it worse. This is like telling someone with a broken leg that they aren’t entitled to sympathy for their injury because someone else has cancer which is worse. It is dismissive and lacks any empathy. Does only the person/group who has it the absolute worst get to complain about their conditions?
Oh, and this hurts the Palestinian cause as well. I’m sympathetic to what the Palestinians are going through. I don’t support everything Israel does (though, as an American Jew, I have zero say in Israeli policies). However, I don’t want to march with a group that expresses violence towards me for being Jewish.
If someone criticizes Israel’s actions, they’re not being anti-semitic. If they advocate for less aid to Israel, they’re not being anti-semitic. If they’re attacking all Jews, though, they ARE being anti-semitic.
The problem is that there are a lot of people who are conflating Israel’s actions with any Jewish person. They have been saying that Jewish temples, Jewish owned businesses, Jewish homes, or Jews on college campuses are valid targets.
As an American Jew, I’m (unfortunately) used to anti-semitism coming from the right. Seeing Nazis marching openly while Republicans court them is an all too common event. What’s shocked me is the anti-semitism from the left. I’m left feeling boxed in. Feeling like an attack can come from either side and nobody would come to my defense. What’s worse, I’ve spoken up for causes with many of these people and now they’ve turned against me just because I’m Jewish.
Others on the left have attempted to gaslight me by claiming that there is no anti-semitism. Still others have said that I’m not allowed to complain about anti-semitic threats because the people in Gaza have it worse. This is like telling someone with a broken leg that they aren’t entitled to sympathy for their injury because someone else has cancer which is worse. It is dismissive and lacks any empathy. Does only the person/group who has it the absolute worst get to complain about their conditions?
Oh, and this hurts the Palestinian cause as well. I’m sympathetic to what the Palestinians are going through. I don’t support everything Israel does (though, as an American Jew, I have zero say in Israeli policies). However, I don’t want to march with a group that expresses violence towards me for being Jewish.
If someone criticizes Israel’s actions, they’re not being anti-semitic. If they advocate for less aid to Israel, they’re not being anti-semitic. If they’re attacking all Jews, though, they ARE being anti-semitic.