He described the major pro-Israel lobby as an organization “for whom the only thing more frightening than democracy being allowed to run its course is an end to genocide and Netanyahu’s wars.”
As I said, there is a clear distinction between the actions of Israel the political entity and Jews the ethnic group. I absolutely condemn the actions of Israel. Unfortunately, other people who I am not in a group with use this to justify violence against Jews.
Israel the political entity also encourages those violent actions against Jews, to create a rally around the flag effect.
As long as both right wing neo-nazis and right wing Israeli leadership continue to draw an equivalence between Israel the political entity and Jews the ethnic group, people will feel justified attacking Jews in the name of harming Israel.
Me? I don’t attack Jews. But I am quite comfortable calling out Israel as a fascist state run by genocidal maniacs. If you can’t make that distinction, then once again: I will not stop being anti-zionist.
This is the downside of mixing religion and politics. Want to prevent anti-Semitic attacks that claim to defend Palestine? Work to make it very fucking clear that Israel the political entity does not speak for Jews the ethnic group. Or accept that you might become collateral damage.
Edit: much like how I have accepted that me being an American citizen makes me a target for anti-trump foreign entities, regardless of my support for trump. And much like how I have accepted that my Russian heritage will likely mean I never visit Ukraine ever again, even though I think the Russian invasion was completely unjustified.
As I said, there is a clear distinction between the actions of Israel the political entity and Jews the ethnic group. I absolutely condemn the actions of Israel. Unfortunately, other people who I am not in a group with use this to justify violence against Jews.
Israel the political entity also encourages those violent actions against Jews, to create a rally around the flag effect.
As long as both right wing neo-nazis and right wing Israeli leadership continue to draw an equivalence between Israel the political entity and Jews the ethnic group, people will feel justified attacking Jews in the name of harming Israel.
Me? I don’t attack Jews. But I am quite comfortable calling out Israel as a fascist state run by genocidal maniacs. If you can’t make that distinction, then once again: I will not stop being anti-zionist.
This is the downside of mixing religion and politics. Want to prevent anti-Semitic attacks that claim to defend Palestine? Work to make it very fucking clear that Israel the political entity does not speak for Jews the ethnic group. Or accept that you might become collateral damage.
Edit: much like how I have accepted that me being an American citizen makes me a target for anti-trump foreign entities, regardless of my support for trump. And much like how I have accepted that my Russian heritage will likely mean I never visit Ukraine ever again, even though I think the Russian invasion was completely unjustified.