@idan @waldoj @migurski

I don't think most people -- Jews especially -- who are involved in the demonstrations against genocide are unconcerned about threats of violence against Jews.

My primary motivation is serving justice. But trying to preserve for my son the social empathy for Jews that I was blessed to grow up in is also a big part of my motivation.

It's never too late to join us, my brother. If you want safety us, build safety for all. That's all that has ever worked. #freegaza #bringthemhomenow

@andrewrgross @waldoj @migurski To call warfare "genocide" is to be racist. Warfare is tragic. Death is tragic. Not all tragedy is genocide. Calling it such is accepting a racist lie whose purpose it is to delegitimize and dehumanize Jews. It is legitimate to defend the nation from an enemy who makes no secret of their desire to commit ACTUAL genocide.

You are entitled to hold those racist opinions. But I do not accept them, nor do I forgive them. There is one just path here, and it has been available to Palestine this entire time: the return of the hostages and the surrender of Hamas.

@andrewrgross @waldoj @migurski If the jews who are standing shoulder to shoulder with the people saying "river to the sea" and spraypainting slogans equating the star of david to the swastika cannot see what they are supporting, I pity them too. But I don't forgive them — they are adults and they could condemn the tide of lies and racism from their peers.

Demonstrations for peace are a legitimate thing. The mob violence is not within the same area code as a demonstration for peace. They are literally calling for more violence. And they normalize others to join in. It does not take very much critical thinking to observe this. And it does not require sacrificing a measure of my empathy for Gazans or my humanity to state it.

@idan @waldoj @migurski

I'm going to repeat what I said:

If we want to combat antisemtism, we can only do so from the starting principle that all humans have worth.

I grew up in perhaps the best era to be Jewish of any I know of, and I don't want my son to lose out on that. Jews who call out hatred, Jews who reject the us-versus-them myth... we're not fools, we're trying to rouse the rest of you from your slumber:

Calling all criticism of Israel antisemitism is dulling our sharpest weapon when we need it most, and defending unspeakable crimes against humanity is throwing away our shield when we need it most.

To repeat:

It is never too late to join us. If you want safety for Jews: build safety for EVERYONE. That is all that has ever worked. #freegaza #bringthemhomenow

@andrewrgross @waldoj @migurski This canard of "all criticism of Israel is antisemitism" is not an effective one to use with me, especially since I've actually demonstrated in Israel as an Israeli and not only in the most recent judicial overhaul demonstrations.

To call Israel's just prosecution of Hamas "a genocide" is not merely factually incorrect. It is propaganda. It is not mere criticism of the government because all messages have both a sender and a recipient. And the recipients are not interpreting it as "that shitbag Netanyahu has made some bad choices." They are very loudly and clearly interpreting it as "Jews are evil", "Israel is evil", and giving themselves license — especially on the back of such criticisms from Jews — to call for the death of every Israeli as the cost of the inherent Israeli evil.

It is not an "unspeakable crime against humanity" to wage war on those who demonstrate, in blood and misery, their resolve to murder us.

@andrewrgross @waldoj @migurski Or perhaps you have some revolutionary idea about how to wage warfare in dense urban settings with fewer civilian casualties? Magical munitions that only harm the bad guys?

If not, then you're merely holding Israel up to a higher standard than literally every other nation in the history of warfare — fact.

You want to fight for peace? Cool. Peace will not be had so long as anyone believes that there's a future without Israel. Are you using your voice to shout down those who are, in coded language or the more explicit "burn Tel Aviv to the ground," calling for the end of Israel as their solution to this conflict?

You can have compassion and a functional bullshit detector. Right now, your speech shows that you have plenty of the former, and none of the latter.

@andrewrgross @waldoj @migurski In any case, no, I will not join you in your fantastical quest — not because I do not share your aims or your values. It is because I think your methods are achieving the opposite of what we both want: an end to bloodshed, and both nations enjoying security and an imperfect measure of justice.

Peace will not happen so long as people believe there's a possible future without Israel. You want peace, start putting energy towards denormalizing those who hold that up as a viable option.

@idan @waldoj @migurski

I get that we're coming at this from very different places. I think you have insights from proximity that I don't have, but I also think that I have insights from distance that you don't.

I'm going to keep an open mind to what you say, and I hope you'll do the same.