Rep. Lori Trahan of Massachusetts visited occupied Hebron in February with a congressional delegation of 15 Democrats and was shocked to see the segregation and persecution of Palestinians. Trahan’s answer? “Sprinkle magic dust.”
The media hypes threats by industry to leave Israel over Netanyahu’s “judicial coup.” But Palestinians have demanded divestment for years without press. The double standard shows anti-Palestinianism.
The Jewish communal reality is that all the members of Jewish congregations across the world, Zionists and non-Zionists alike, adhere to the uniform code of silencing: “Thou Shalt not oppose Israel’s War on the Palestinians in the Jewish Community”. Jews are allowed to question Israel privately but are required to remain silent in public, Jewish spaces. That’s the price of admittance that even nonZionists must pay to be included in a Jewish congregation. Selfcensorship is not sufficient. In addition to self-censorship, members are required to join in enforcing that censorship on all others.
Jonathan Greenblatt of the ADL says anti-Zionism is antisemitism, and as dangerous to Jews as white nationalism. His speech is strategic. Greenblatt’s core audience is the political establishment and the Jewish establishment. He is trying to make sure that Democratic Party doesn’t accept the growing number of human rights reports accusing Israel of apartheid. And he is trying to keep more young Jews from saying Israel has no right to exist.
Amnesty International USA Executive Director Paul O’Brien is being attacked by lawmakers for saying Israel “shouldn’t exist as a Jewish state.” 25 Jewish Congressmen put out a statement condemning the remarks as allegedly antisemitic. O’Brien “has added his name to the list of those who, across centuries, have tried to deny and usurp the Jewish people’s independent agency, the statement reads.
Amnesty International’s bombshell report on Israeli apartheid has unleashed angry attacks from Israel lobbyists who say that the report endangers Jews, is “steeped in antisemitism,” and its “real agenda” is “Jew hatred.” And by the way, it dismisses 2000 years of Jewish history. While the liberal Zionist group J Street, which rejects the report, says that such accusations are inappropriate; and Americans for Peace Now says that the mainstream organizations are manufacturing outrage without having read the report, which reflects Palestinian experiences.