Michael Lumish
The notion that one can despise Israel without despising Jews is ridiculous. Can you imagine anyone saying, "Sure, I despise Italy, but I love Italians." Everyone would immediately acknowledge the deceit in such a claim.
Not so with Israel, apparently. One can absolutely loathe the lone, sole Jewish state -- the national homeland of the Jewish people -- and, yet, still claim with a straight face to be merely "anti-Zionst," not anti-Jewish.
What progressive-left antisemitic anti-Zionists claim is that they do not dislike Jews, but merely the racist, colonialist, imperialist, militaristic, apartheid state of Israel. What gives away the deception, naturally, is that it is only Israel that is despised by western-progressives throughout the Middle East.
Democrats and "progressives" never call for a boycott of Iran or Saudi Arabia or Syria or Libya, despite its slave trade in black Africans. Israel, in fact, is a human rights shangri-la compared to its neighbors throughout the region. Arab citizens of Israel have greater civil liberties, human freedom, and access to both education and healthcare than they do anywhere else in the region.
Yet, in the article below we read from WCBS:
"In next year's municipal elections, 35 of 51 seats in the New York City Council are “up for grabs,” but if a person vying for a seat wants the support of prominent Democratic Socialists, such as Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, he or she must pledge, if elected, not to travel to Israel."
Furthermore, the Democratic Socialists support the movement to Boycott, Sanction, and Divest (BDS) from the Jewish state. The purpose of BDS is not to reform Israeli politics. It's purpose is the elimination of Israel as the national home of the Jewish people and has been acknowledged as such by its leadership. BDS founder, Omar Barghouti, said:
“Definitely, most definitely, we oppose a Jewish state in any part of Palestine. No Palestinian, rational Palestinian, not a sell-out Palestinian, would ever accept a Jewish state in Palestine.”
When people try to tell me that the Democratic Socialists are not racist, I can never be quite sure if they are lying to me or to themselves.
People can dislike the state and not dislike the people. Communist states come to mind.
ReplyDeleteHere, people a free to call out Israel. However, by not calling out other states similarly, it shows a double standard, and the thing that makes Israel different is the singular fact that it's a Jewish state.
When these same people start to advocate and act against the most repressive states, like they do against Israel, then it cannot be said to single out Jews. Until then, the disparate treatment is antisemitic by definition.
Agreed.
DeleteIt would be helpful to learn how to deploy the wedge to your advantage. The DSA is an organization that we here all agree must not have any approach to power. What we must do is swing the wedge so that as many people as possible are on our side leaving the DSA with as little support as possible. Tarring the entire Democratic Party cuts off those Democrats who generally support us and pushes them to the DSA side. The reverse of what we need.
ReplyDeleteDid you not watch the Democratic Convention? The reform will only come from repudiation from without and reform within.
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