About a week ago I recorded a podcast regarding the slippery slope we create when we try and justify the mass slaughter of 34,000 innocent civilians in Gaza…13,000 of whom were children. This death and destruction was Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s response to the brutal attack by Hamas on Oct 7 which killed 1200 innocent Israelis. Two hundred and fifty two hostages were also taken that day – some have been released in a trade off to free Palestinian prisoners, some have perished including being mistakenly killed by the Israeli army, and many are still being held some six months after the October massacre.
I also raised the growing anti war cries of students across the world, and especially the US. I maintained that despite nefarious elements infiltrating student protests many, many protests were peaceful and focused on one theme: peace not war. Life not death. I spoke about the US female professor standing peacefully during what was a calm protest who was knocked to the ground by police, forcefully held down despite her pleas of “I can’t breath”, and zip tied. Distressing, terrible images.
In Israel over the weekend tens of thousands are protesting for release of hostages, ceasefire and removal of PM Netanyahu. Signs displayed saying “enough”, are mirroring how we are all feeling. We are desperate for the end of suffering…and peace. Israel’s Opposition leader has called for an election during ‘wartime’ such is the desperation of citizens who blame Netanyahu for the failure to secure hostage release despite the unprecedented killing of innocent Palestinians and the destruction of much of the GAZA strip.
When I recorded my podcast, I expected a barrage of criticism, a raft of allegations of antisemitism and downright abuse. Rather, I got only rational and compassionate calls for the end of suffering in GAZA and the release of hostages. A very small number accused me of antisemitism. Of course I pulled them up on that one. With the current US Congress passing a bill that would outlaw antisemitism, it’s important to remain calm about populist, politically tempting and far reaching legislation. I quoted Jewish author Sim Kern who had an excellent Twitter post on the meaning of antisemitism.
Firstly, the word semite is both Jew and Arab. No amount of arguing will change that meaning. Antisemitism is a modern day term “coined in the 1860’s by Wilhelm Marr, the original redpilled, alt-right racistbro,” says Kern. And Kern goes onto say that the word morphed again with “the violent, colonial creation of the state of Israel in 1948. Because Zionists, at this point, start claiming that any criticism of their Jewish state, is antisemitism. (A conflation that’s always been contested by antizionist Jews).” So antisemitism has undergone many meanings depending on the politics at the time and Jews themselves disagree with the actual meaning.
It is illogical to infer that the meaning of antisemitism is the criticism of Israel…that would result in an unchecked moral right to colonise/conquer no matter what, how, when and who. This would also mean jewish people protesting against Netanyahu’s government in Israel are antisemitic. Kern goes onto say that if you’re looking for a word that means hatred of Jews then Judanhass would be that word. Hatred of Jews would suffice for me, and anyone that has a hatred of Jews is not welcome within my orbit, nor are they tolerated if they harbour an explicit or implicit hatred of Muslims.
Politically, it is a very confusing time. Many find themselves abhorring the actions of Hamas on Oct 7th, followed rapidly by a disbelief and growing shock at the death and destruction in GAZA. Democratic Party members are also split on the continued funding and weapon supplies to Israel without conditions that such use of the weapons must be in accordance with international humanitarian law. (Israel has been accused by the International Court of Justice of plausible genocide). Meanwhile the spectre of another disastrous term of the former president Trump looms in the middle of an unprecedented attack on women’s rights in America.
Much is at stake in the coming months…freedoms, life and death, and absolute clarity that voters must reject at every level, the possibility of failed coup leader, Trump’s return. If the world is perceived as volatile at this time, throwing open the doors to the current MAGA iteration of the Republicans and their despotic leader Trump, would be disastrous for us all.
As a starter, many of Trump’s MAGA policy advisors want GAZA “cleansed of Palestinians”. Trump recently said he would not prevent Russia from invading NATO countries, and incredibly alarming, that US states would be allowed to monitor pregnant women to ensure they do not obtain an abortion.
Clarity, not confusion, is required at this time. We must all agree on that…
Postscript: Three important stories in the media emerged this week. Axios reports the Biden government may have stopped a shipment of ammunition to Israel. This comes amidst President Biden’s warning against laying siege to Rafah, where over a million Palestinian refugees are sheltering. The second story is Netanyahu’s rejection of hostage release and ceasefire and mass protests within Israel calling for his removal. The third is the release of a 2018 secret letter from Netanyahu seeking Qatari payment to Hamas of $30m a month from 2018 onwards. Here is the Axios story. I believe Rafah is a red line in the sand for President Biden.