It’s really fun being a lefty Jewish person because a) most lefty people you know feel the need to grill you on your views on Israel and denounce you the moment you don’t immediately condemn Israel as a nation and as a concept and b) every time antisemitism happens it’s brushed off as “technically it’s anti-Zionism” or “accusations of antisemitism are a distraction from the issues”.
Like, you can think Israel does some awful things and still understand that the concept of ‘a place of Jewish safety’ is a necessary one, and also understand that holocaust comparisons are wildly inappropriate.
Saying “I’m not an antisemite, I’m an antizionist” while not even remotely understanding what Jewish identity actually means in both a historical concept and with regards to Israel does not absolve you of antisemitism.
If your response to Israeli politics is to chuck around Hitler comparisons or parrot conspiracy theories about Jewish control of world, you’re an antisemite. It’s intellectually dishonest to pretend that “antizionism” and antisemitism can’t exist in the same sphere, and it’s absurd to expect Jewish people to just sit down and keep quiet every time the left goes down the antisemitism route. We’re not a distraction from the issues. I know most British people like to ignore that we actually exist in this country but hello, we’re here, and we’ve traditionally been left leaning, and we’re all getting a bit tired of Israel being used as a justification for assholatry.
On the other hand the way Israel treats anti-Israel Jewish people is fucking horrible. Jewish people I know have been beaten, tear gassed, and shot at for trying to prevent Palestinians from having their homes bulldozed and other horrible shit.
Also the way Israel has tried to stamp out the Yiddish language and the culture that accompanies it is an act of anti semitism and an act of violence against Jewish identity and culture.
Thoughts From The Peacock Angel 