The Fediverse seems thrilled with Jews leaving the platform through continued widespread antisemitism.

I'm

Jewish and I'm thinking of leaving/mostly left
6.2%
Jewish and it makes me want to stay more
19.8%
Not Jewish, and I'm glad to see them gone
1.7%
Not Jewish and it makes me sad to see Jews leave, but I'm not really doing anything about it
54.1%
Not Jewish and I'm doing something to stop it (please specify what in the comments)
18.2%
Poll ended at .
@serge Can I ask what I can do because I answered the last one but I’m wondering if it’s enough to boost the posts of Jewish users talking about antisemitism and helping those I see put a stop to it when I can. I mean this in the most respectful way.

@Heimdall

You're the second person to ask, so now I'm feeling bad. You're on a server run by a good person.

I think my ask for you would when you see antisemitism, say something. Break the narrative without being a Jew.

That's not always easy to do, and I don't expect anyone to do it all of the time.

I'm reminded of a situation that happened about twenty years ago. I was at a gaming event and there were these two guys who I've come to learn (or at least speculate) were actually KKK members, and they talked to my friend and me- clearly looking to see if they had found some sympathizers.

They started talking about how "the Blacks took all the jobs" and how the "real minority in this country are white men". It was me and a white friend of mine.

At the time, I was pretty scared and I just made vaguely disapproving statements without getting specific. I was afraid they'd find out I was a Jew and hurt me.

Looking back, I wish I'd have said something and made a scene.

1/2

@Heimdall

I don't think people should put themselves at risk, but if you are part of a conversation and someone talks about the "bloodthirsty Zionists" or whatever, interrupt their narrative.

If more people did that, made it not socially acceptable to be antisemitic, it would go a long way.

2/2

@serge @Heimdall Is referencing bloodthirsty zionists antisemitic? Everything else you said makes sense and I agree with.

@gqcwwjtg @Heimdall

Let me revise my answer:

Do you actually know what Zionism is?

Do you know what the history of the idea of "bloodthirsty Jews" is?

@serge @Heimdall I know what Zionism is, at least the kind that’s being used to justify atrocities. I don’t know the history of the term bloodthirsty Zionist, but it seems pretty related to the atrocities and their justification. I guess it just sounds like saying bloodthirsty homophobes is anti-Christian.

@gqcwwjtg Your answer shows that you know that you only have a vague idea what Zionism is.

Wikipedia would have you covered: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zionism

The part you’re missing: "an effort to put a stop to the exoduses and persecutions that have marked Jewish history".

You can criticize some actions done for some concrete variety of Zionism, but by demonizing Zionism in general you deny the right of Israel — and any home for Jews — to exist.

1/2

@serge @Heimdall

Zionism - Wikipedia

@gqcwwjtg And a positive interpretation is that you have no idea about antisemitism.

And go on to defend a term even though you know that you do not know what it means.

Saying "bloodthirsty zionists" is similar to saying "child-molesting gays". Except that saying "bloodthirsty" to slander Jews goes back much further.

See i.e.: https://www.abc.net.au/religion/dominant-themes-in-contemporary-antisemitic-discourse/10095908

I hope you understand now why defending this term — even worse: in a thread about antisemitism — gets you blocked.

2/2
@serge @Heimdall

Dominant Themes in Contemporary Antisemitic Discourse - ABC Religion & Ethics

History has shown that societies that tolerate and accept racism against Jews often become a society where all will be caught up in a conflagration that "begins with Jews but never ends with Jews."

ABC Religion & Ethics

@gqcwwjtg In general, taking a term of which you know that you don’t really know what it means and prefixing it with "bloodthirsty" is offensive.

Even if you didn’t know how much worse this becomes when it ties into the ages-old blood libel slander against Jews, this general rule should be obvious.

And when a Jew calls you out on that, the right way to act is to pause and do some reading whether there’s something big you missed.

Like centuries of massacres.

@serge @Heimdall