On the Twisted Logic of Labeling Criticism of Israel as “Anti-Semitism”:

When defending human rights is framed as prejudice, the public conscience is backed into a corner.

https://meiert.com/blog/criticism/

#politics #philosophy #criticism #antisemitism

"When one thinks of #Venice and the #Jews, the first figure that probably comes to mind is #Shylock, #literary #history’s famous #Jewish villain, a moneylender who demands a “pound of flesh” from the titular character in #Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice.

In #AlexanderLee’s new #book, The First #Ghetto: Venice and the Origins of Modern #Antisemitism, Shylock is mentioned just twice, both times in the introduction, but his ghost hovers over the pages of the book. Much of #Lee’s #historical account of Jewish life in Venice is devoted to Jewish moneylenders, and the key role they played in keeping Venice’s economy afloat.

The First Ghetto centers on the uneasy and guarded relationship that the #Venetian government and its Christian people — first as the #VenetianRepublic and later as part of the #Italian nation — always had with its Jewish population. According to Lee’s account, Venice didn’t want the Jews..."

https://forward.com/culture/books/827464/alexander-lee-venice-jews-first-ghetto/

"Is the #Jewish community being seen as too influential?

Not influential in the ordinary democratic sense. Communities organise, #lobby, make submissions, meet politicians, fund causes and argue for their place in public life every day. Business groups do it. Unions do it. Environmental groups do it. Faith groups do it.

But when Jewish organisations do it, the language often changes. It becomes “the #Jewishlobby”, “political pressure”, “powerful donors” or “media influence”. The words may be modern, but the suspicion is old.

That is why this matters to the #RoyalCommission into #Antisemitism and #SocialCohesion.

Antisemitism is not only hatred. It is also an explanation. It gives people a story about who is really behind events, who has too much power, who is protected and who is manipulating the system. It survives because it adapts."

https://www.jwire.com.au/when-jewish-advocacy-is-treated-as-suspicion/

Two Jewish women were pushed out of a Spanish spa after staff reacted to a Star of David necklace, sparking a police report #antisemitism #spain

https://wesearch.press/s/two-jewish-women-pushed-out-of-spanish-spa-allegedly-after-s-293d25d8?utm_source=social&utm_medium=auto&utm_campaign=mastodon

If the movement for Palestinian rights fails, it's going to be because of people not caring about this shit and allowing it to become a cloak for #antisemitism. We can already see this in the form of supposed "leftists" who would rather throw their support behind Tucker Carlson or Marjorie Taylor Greene than actual progressive-minded people.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DY5OPwkFCPo/?img_index=1

Everybody needs to watch this. It explains so much. The indoctrination faced by young Jews is indescribable, but the awakening when they question why they have never heard of the occupation, the settlements, or the apartheid, is beautiful. There is a great awakening of young Jews happening. Don't expect it to come from within the media-controlled fascist state of Israel though. It needs to start from without, and we need to keep Freedom of Information here in North America, not let it be quashed by violent authority at the behest of AIPAC.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq6J7Q6L0yw

"When two young American Jews raised to support Israel unconditionally witness the way Israel treats Palestinians, it changes their lives. They join a movement of young American Jews campaigning to redefine Judaism’s relationship with Israel and reveal a deepening generational divide over modern Jewish identity. Israelism sparked huge debate on American campuses even before the events of October 7, 2023.

It follows Simone Zimmerman, who visited Israel as a teenager, and Eitan who joined the Israeli army after graduating from high school as they discover the reality for Palestinians and radically revise their views. It includes interviews with academics and political activists, including Noam Chomsky, Cornel West, Lara Friedman and a former director of the Anti-Defamation League, Abe Foxman.

Contributors suggest the narrative that young American Jews are fed almost entirely erases the existence of the Palestinians through education and advocacy, sometimes involving groups that organise free trips to Israel partially funded by the Israeli government.
This film describes how influential this narrative is in shaping attitudes to Israel, not just in the United States but across the world."

#uspol #cdnpoli #inclusion #antisemitism #aipac #fascism #racism #hate