1) I've personally seen how this conflict has radicalized the previously-apathetic secular leftist jews of America, people I've known who had always been big leftists sharing criticisms of the occupation of Palestinian territories have become rabid, a guy I once went to school with started publicl…
1) I've personally seen how this conflict has radicalized the previously-apathetic secular leftist jews of America, people I've known who had always been big leftists sharing criticisms of the occupation of Palestinian territories have become rabid, a guy I once went to school with started publicly advocating for the mass murder of all Palestinian boys under 13. Wack.
2) This is also seemingly in the long-standing tradition of "any criticism of any degree over anything relating to an action however objectionable by either Israel or an individual jew is horrifically antisemitic and abhorrent in the highest degree and it's the start of anotha shoah!" The antisemitism-card is extremely powerful, and can bend the will of entire nations when it's played right. The ADL knows it, AIPAC knows it, the Israeli state knows it, and this rabbi knows it. This rabbi knows he's trying to guilt-trip the pope, since '48 Israel has had a penchant for taking swipes at the Vatican. Antisemitism, and legacy of the Holocaust, has been (hate to say it) milked for socio-political gain. Back in the 1960s/70s, the Holocaust was something that everyone was very of and knew about, but it wasn't any more culturally prominent than other atrocities/events of the war. In the past 50 years, almost every mid-size city in America has built a Holocaust museum, there's a Holocaust Museum on the National Mall, and the Holocaust almost overshadows the entirety of WWII in school curriculums.
Thank you. I think you raise some excellent additional points. I always found the proliferation of holocaust museums in the U.S. somewhat odd given that the United States was one of the liberators of the camps and it was Dwight Eisenhower who made sure they were documented, lest people forget or deny what happened. Also the US has been one of the safest and most hospitable countries in the world for Jews to live and thrive (albeit imperfect, as it is for everyone). If the US is to be making museums of this type, it would be more appropriate to make them to remind us of the horrors of our national sins such as slavery and the genocide of native Americans.
Terms like antisemitism and racism can provide a societal shield against such conduct by virtue of the severe social opprobrium they rightfully engender. However, when they are used as a sword to shut down debate and dismiss legitimate criticism, they risk being denudered of their meaning and the behavior moderating social stigma they engender. Once this happens, the flood gates for real antisemitism and racism can open. This is what I fear as Zionists and Israeli supporters continue to apply a maximalist concept of antisemitism to any legitimate criticism of Israel and its policies towards the Palestinians, Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria.
Btw, the US government deserves as much criticism for enabling Israel's behavior because without our aid money, munitions and blind support of their policies, none of their bad conduct would be possible.
Many salient points! I'll add two things:
1) I've personally seen how this conflict has radicalized the previously-apathetic secular leftist jews of America, people I've known who had always been big leftists sharing criticisms of the occupation of Palestinian territories have become rabid, a guy I once went to school with started publicly advocating for the mass murder of all Palestinian boys under 13. Wack.
2) This is also seemingly in the long-standing tradition of "any criticism of any degree over anything relating to an action however objectionable by either Israel or an individual jew is horrifically antisemitic and abhorrent in the highest degree and it's the start of anotha shoah!" The antisemitism-card is extremely powerful, and can bend the will of entire nations when it's played right. The ADL knows it, AIPAC knows it, the Israeli state knows it, and this rabbi knows it. This rabbi knows he's trying to guilt-trip the pope, since '48 Israel has had a penchant for taking swipes at the Vatican. Antisemitism, and legacy of the Holocaust, has been (hate to say it) milked for socio-political gain. Back in the 1960s/70s, the Holocaust was something that everyone was very of and knew about, but it wasn't any more culturally prominent than other atrocities/events of the war. In the past 50 years, almost every mid-size city in America has built a Holocaust museum, there's a Holocaust Museum on the National Mall, and the Holocaust almost overshadows the entirety of WWII in school curriculums.
Thank you. I think you raise some excellent additional points. I always found the proliferation of holocaust museums in the U.S. somewhat odd given that the United States was one of the liberators of the camps and it was Dwight Eisenhower who made sure they were documented, lest people forget or deny what happened. Also the US has been one of the safest and most hospitable countries in the world for Jews to live and thrive (albeit imperfect, as it is for everyone). If the US is to be making museums of this type, it would be more appropriate to make them to remind us of the horrors of our national sins such as slavery and the genocide of native Americans.
Terms like antisemitism and racism can provide a societal shield against such conduct by virtue of the severe social opprobrium they rightfully engender. However, when they are used as a sword to shut down debate and dismiss legitimate criticism, they risk being denudered of their meaning and the behavior moderating social stigma they engender. Once this happens, the flood gates for real antisemitism and racism can open. This is what I fear as Zionists and Israeli supporters continue to apply a maximalist concept of antisemitism to any legitimate criticism of Israel and its policies towards the Palestinians, Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria.
Btw, the US government deserves as much criticism for enabling Israel's behavior because without our aid money, munitions and blind support of their policies, none of their bad conduct would be possible.