Accusations of anti-semitism have been used repeatedly to defend Israel's actions, not just in the current genocide but during decades of Palestinian persecution in Gaza and the West Bank. As a result, fighting anti-semitism has been deeply undermined with 'liberals' who would have been strong supporters being deeply offended and turning away. It does not help when the likes of the Jewish Chronicle and Board of Deputies are amongst the most strident.
As Rachel suggests, it is the far Right who are the real anti-semites with an underpinning of extreme versions of evangelical Christianity. Just the people that Netanyahu's government and followers are aligning themselves with. That will not end well. Years of crying wolf, but when the real wolf comes...
Israel's reputation as any kind of a democratic, civilised state has been utterly trashed. Gaza has brought to many more people's attention that Israel's genocide in Gaza is the perversely logical end point of what it has been doing for years. The wider Jewish community will have to live with that stain, as others have had to do be, they Germans, Serbians, Rwandans or others whose countries have committed appalling crimes. And yes that is unfair to those genuinely liberal Jews who are as offended as anyone, both within and outside Israel. The likes of JFJFP or Btselem, +972 or Haaretz whose courage and integrity has been outstanding.
According to Israel, would the fact that I don't eat Matzos (because I can't get them in this rural area) and am vegetarian therefore salt beef is also off the menu make me anti semitic. Probably, after all they claim the anti war organisation "Jewish Voise for Peace" is.
Accusations of anti-semitism have been used repeatedly to defend Israel's actions, not just in the current genocide but during decades of Palestinian persecution in Gaza and the West Bank. As a result, fighting anti-semitism has been deeply undermined with 'liberals' who would have been strong supporters being deeply offended and turning away. It does not help when the likes of the Jewish Chronicle and Board of Deputies are amongst the most strident.
As Rachel suggests, it is the far Right who are the real anti-semites with an underpinning of extreme versions of evangelical Christianity. Just the people that Netanyahu's government and followers are aligning themselves with. That will not end well. Years of crying wolf, but when the real wolf comes...
Israel's reputation as any kind of a democratic, civilised state has been utterly trashed. Gaza has brought to many more people's attention that Israel's genocide in Gaza is the perversely logical end point of what it has been doing for years. The wider Jewish community will have to live with that stain, as others have had to do be, they Germans, Serbians, Rwandans or others whose countries have committed appalling crimes. And yes that is unfair to those genuinely liberal Jews who are as offended as anyone, both within and outside Israel. The likes of JFJFP or Btselem, +972 or Haaretz whose courage and integrity has been outstanding.
According to Israel, would the fact that I don't eat Matzos (because I can't get them in this rural area) and am vegetarian therefore salt beef is also off the menu make me anti semitic. Probably, after all they claim the anti war organisation "Jewish Voise for Peace" is.