Antisemitism is a serious issue in the US. The wake-up call for me was when white supremacists marched through campus in Charlottesville chanting “Jews will not replace us.” Remember? The police did nothing to stop them. The research shows that the threat of anti-Semitic violence is real. However, this era of emboldened white nationalism is producing far more actual anti-Black, anti-immigrant, and anti-Muslim violence. Which is weird because it seems like far more attention and resources are directed to combatting antisemitism.
This trend is fueled by a wealthy coalition of pro-Israel and right-wing organizations, including white nationalists, that have joined forces to destroy their common enemy: “the far left.” They are now weaponizing antisemitism to censor those of us who are protesting anti-Palestinian violence, which is off the charts. They portray all anti-Zionists as Jew-hating proud boys. Of course, many of the brave organizers leading these protests are Jewish. Many are also students of color and women wearing hijabs. Perfect targets for white supremacists.
99% of us who are protesting genocide on streets and campuses fully affirm the humanity and dignity of Jewish people. Just as we fully affirm the humanity and dignity of all oppressed people. Centering the absolutely horrific experience of Palestinians does not mean that we hate Jewish people. We hate genocide. We also hate that our tax money and university endowments are funding it. If you don’t hate these things, you can’t possibly be serious about eradicating white supremacy. Can you?
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