Somewhere in Western newsrooms and political backrooms, there must be an instruction manual or playbook entitled “How to make accusations of antisemitism with hardly any facts.” I imagine that Steve Paikin got hold of it and employed it to write his latest column. I am afraid that the piece is seriously lacking in intellectual honesty.
Oh my lord I’m so tired of this crap. I’m sick of anti-Zionist Jews who tokenize themselves when they represent a small fringe minority of the Jewish community. I’m tired of these Jews saying idiotic things like, “I’ve never experienced antisemitism, so it must be blown out of proportion.”
And I’m sick of people falling back on the “criticism of Israel isn’t antisemitism” bullshit. The angry mobs on our streets and university campuses aren’t “criticizing Israel.” Calling for intifada is not criticizing Israel. Calling for the destruction of Israel is not criticizing Israel. Vandalizing businesses and Jewish buildings is not criticizing Israel. Telling Jews to go back to Poland is not criticizing Israel. Saying things like “Zionists aren’t welcome here” is not criticizing Israel. Pressuring organizations to cancel Jewish film festivals or art shows is not criticizing Israel. Assaulting Jewish students on campus is not criticizing Israel. Etc, etc, etc.
And yet, regardless of your level of fatigue, it remains true and nothing else you said refutes that.
Kinda missed the point, didn’t ya?
You don’t have a point. Antisemitism exists therefore criticism of Isreal is illegitimate isn’t a point worth entertaining.
Perhaps you should actually read my initial comment. Or is that too difficult for you?
Your initial comment doesn’t say anything relevant to your thesis. Simply typing words isn’t an argument, and plenty of criticism of Isreal remain perfectly legitimate, and bombing children, even if you contort yourself into pretending that’s self-defense, remains wrong.
My initial comment describes all the things anti-Israel protesters are doing that aren’t “criticism of Israel.” That’s the point. They’re not criticizing Israel, they’re calling for its destruction.