as small as a world and as large as alone, madeofpatterns: returnofthejudai: micdotcom: ...

11:28am July 25, 2014

madeofpatterns:

returnofthejudai:

micdotcom:

The crisis in Gaza is leading to anti-Semitic attacks on Jews worldwide

Molotov cocktails and mobs at synagogues. Assaults on city streets. Leaflets left on car windshields promising violence. Public hate speech and calls for eradication. Governments holding houses of worship hostage.
It’s not paranoia or exaggeration: Jews around the world are facing attacks as the crisis escalates in Gaza, where rocket fires, bombings, an Israeli ground invasion and hundreds of civilians deaths are daily realities. But the 17-year-old teenager who was assaulted and pepper-sprayed in Paris had nothing to do with that. She’s not an isolated case. This is what happens when some view diaspora Jews as an acceptable proxy for the Israeli state.
No matter what your position is on the conflict, nothing justifies targeting people uninvolved in the fighting. To vent frustration about Israel on Jews, no matter where they live, conflates the two in dangerous ways.
To criticize Israel is one thing, and plenty of Jews there and abroad do that themselves; it’s another thing entirely to do so using anti-Semitic language and imagery, when that kind of speech has led to such terrible tragedies in the past. To no one’s credit, times of heightened tensions in the Middle East usually mean a huge uptick in expressions of anti-Semitism, written, verbal and physical.
From France to Turkey to the U.S.

This is one of the most thorough breakdowns of recent antisemitism I’ve seen. Must read.

It wouldn’t have been ok if she *was* Israeli, either, and implying otherwise is also antisemitic.
Criticizing Israeli policies is one thing. Holding Israel up as uniquely hatable among nations is antisemitic though. People often do the latter in the guise of the former.
And saying “but not all Jews are Israeli!” plays into that. A lot of Jews *are* Israeli, a lot of us have ties to Israel, a lot of us are pro-Zionist (in the sense of thinking that the continued existence of Israel as a Jewish state is necessary), a lot of us have relatives in Israel, a lot of us spend time there… and *none* of that justifies antisemitism.

returnofthejudai:

micdotcom:

The crisis in Gaza is leading to anti-Semitic attacks on Jews worldwide

Molotov cocktails and mobs at synagogues. Assaults on city streets. Leaflets left on car windshields promising violence. Public hate speech and calls for eradication. Governments holding houses of worship hostage.

It’s not paranoia or exaggeration: Jews around the world are facing attacks as the crisis escalates in Gaza, where rocket fires, bombings, an Israeli ground invasion and hundreds of civilians deaths are daily realities. But the 17-year-old teenager who was assaulted and pepper-sprayed in Paris had nothing to do with that. She’s not an isolated case. This is what happens when some view diaspora Jews as an acceptable proxy for the Israeli state.

No matter what your position is on the conflict, nothing justifies targeting people uninvolved in the fighting. To vent frustration about Israel on Jews, no matter where they live, conflates the two in dangerous ways.

To criticize Israel is one thing, and plenty of Jews there and abroad do that themselves; it’s another thing entirely to do so using anti-Semitic language and imagery, when that kind of speech has led to such terrible tragedies in the past. To no one’s credit, times of heightened tensions in the Middle East usually mean a huge uptick in expressions of anti-Semitism, written, verbal and physical.

From France to Turkey to the U.S.

This is one of the most thorough breakdowns of recent antisemitism I’ve seen. Must read.

It wouldn’t have been ok if she *was* Israeli, either, and implying otherwise is also antisemitic.

Criticizing Israeli policies is one thing. Holding Israel up as uniquely hatable among nations is antisemitic though. People often do the latter in the guise of the former.

And saying “but not all Jews are Israeli!” plays into that. A lot of Jews *are* Israeli, a lot of us have ties to Israel, a lot of us are pro-Zionist (in the sense of thinking that the continued existence of Israel as a Jewish state is necessary), a lot of us have relatives in Israel, a lot of us spend time there… and *none* of that justifies antisemitism.