The Real Test
When an antizionist professes to care about antisemitism, do take a closer look.
Both Mamdani and, most recently, Sayed in their campaigns have rather passionately addressed their concerns about antisemitism. AOC often does the same.
So what’s the problem, their supporters ask?
Here’s the problem.
It has become increasingly common for antizionists to condemn antisemitism. But it is a selective condemnation … The real question is whether they recognize how antizionist rhetoric and activism can fuel hostility toward Jews — and whether they dismiss Jewish concerns when those concerns become politically inconvenient.
If a candidate repeatedly accuses Israel of genocide, embraces many of the movement’s core narratives, aligns with some of its most strident voices, and then ALSO condemns antisemitism, that doesn’t really tell us a whole lot.
Jewish constituents who hear politicians condemning antisemitism may take comfort in their words. They may believe they are hearing a promise: I see you. I care about you. I will stand up for you. Non Jews who otherwise support the person are all in on hoping that puts that charge to rest.
But they all should resist being pacified and make an honest attempt to look more closely at whom that concern actually includes.
Does it extend to Jews who do not share the candidate’s views on Israel and Zionism? To the many Jews who identify strongly with Israel? To Jews who reject the genocide accusation?
How about to Jews who believe that some of the very rhetoric the candidate embraces is contributing to the hostility and fear they are experiencing?
Caring about Jews cannot mean caring only about Jews who hold the “right” views about Israel.
Condemning antisemitism is important. But it is not, by itself, the test.
The test is whether you will stand up for Jews when their concerns collide with your own politics including when doing so requires you to question the rhetoric, people and movements you have chosen to embrace.
To date, we are seeing quite the opposite.
I question why we still use the term antisemitism as an umbrella term for bigotry towards Jews, especially when you look at its origin. The term was coined by Wilhelm Marr, who founded the League of Antisemites in 1879, the first political organization in Germany created specifically to combat the alleged threat posed by Jews to German society. It’s like if the official term for hatred against Black people were a word invented by the Ku Klux Klan.
It’s time to stop using antisemitism as an umbrella term and focus on exposing and fighting antizionism, which is now the more dominant mutation of bigotry towards Jews: https://nayalekht.substack.com/
An obvious goal of the Red/Green Alliance is to push Jews who are Zionists (which is most) out of public life, employment opportunities, university life, foundation participation and so on. By abusing our Western free-speech rights to further intimidation and isolation tactics toward that end.
How to fight back? The weak link in the Alliance is Islam's inability to tolerate criticism. So, we must use out freedom of speech rights to that end, like they do against us. See my suggestions here: https://allenz1.substack.com/
These ideas, which are perfectly legal, may sound simplistic and a bit dopey. However, if implemented, at scale, I'm convinced it will severely undermine the RGA and can lead to self-deportation of many Islamists living in the West. At present, these types of counter-jihad ideas are only being promoted by the political right. It's important that political moderates and liberals join the battle.