Posts Tagged ‘Antisemitism’
Colleyville Antisemitism
January 18, 2022
In the aftermath of the hostage crisis in Colleyville, Texas, authorities, and the synagogue itself equivocated and dithered on the motives behind the attack. But there can be no doubt: the incident at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas was clearly an anti-Jewish hate crime. In fact, it exhibited four different manifestations of antisemitism: Targeting Jews for violence, scapegoating, a blood libel, and nefarious stereotyping of Jews. Read the rest of this entry »
Understanding IHRA
November 27, 2020
Discussions about Israel, often passionate, occasionally get sidetracked by a descent into—or accusations of—antisemitic rhetoric. When does criticism cross the line from legitimate debate into antisemitic hate speech? Are Israel’s antagonists really bigots hiding behind a veil of political disagreement, or are Israel’s overzealous advocates falsely alleging antisemitism to deflect the conversation? Read the rest of this entry »
So Wrong
June 28, 2017
At a recent gay-pride march in Chicago, organizers asked a number of women to leave because they were carrying Jewish Pride flags. The flag—a rainbow with a Jewish star—was deemed “offensive” and made other participants feel “unsafe.” The reason? Besides being about LGBTQ rights, participants were told, the march was also “anti-Zionist” and “pro-Palestinian.” This is so wrong on so many fronts. Let me count the ways. Read the rest of this entry »
Anti-Zionism and Antisemitism
April 3, 2016
The University of California has almost a quarter of a million students, making it the nation’s largest institution of higher education. In recent years, it has also become the “epicenter of the campus war against Israel.” Realizing that the problem has gone well beyond student politics or protests, the UC Board of Regents—the governing body of the 10-campus system—finally decided to take action. The Regents recently issued a statement denouncing “antisemitic forms of anti-Zionism” along with antisemitism. Many have hailed this as a major achievement for Jewish students and the broader community; others lamented that it didn’t go far enough. Perhaps at the University of California, with its pervasive intimidation and toxic environment for Jewish students, the statement of condemnation is indeed a significant accomplishment. But it the wording is also highly problematic. Read the rest of this entry »