Is criticism of Israel antisemitic?

[WarGamer]

https://www.annefrank.org/en/topics/antisemitism/all-criticism-israel-antisemitic/

Criticism of the policies of Israeli governments is not necessarily antisemitic. For instance, anyone is free to reject or criticise the political decisions of Israeli governments concerning the Palestinian territories – this is not uncommon in Israel itself. However, denying the State of Israel’s right to exist does constitute antisemitism.

So... looks like saying Nuttyahoo is a murderous cretin who is intent on flattening GAZA for political gain and vengeance in his heart IS NOT antisemitic.

Accusing the IDF of war crimes thus is not antisemitism.

Blaming Israel (gov't) for locking millions of people in an open air prison is NOT antisemitism.

Playing the ANTISEMITISM card is soooo common right now. It's the kneejerk response to ALL criticism of Israel by some folks... the same folks who equate pro-Palestine with Pro-Hamas

[NCIndie]

4. Who is "they"?

In this quote:

They oppress, they murder and think they are above their victims.

Who is they?

[WarGamer]

5. Those in power to make decisions about the Palestinians ?

[paleotn]

34. Those in power in Gaza

who make decisions to murder innocent Israeli children? Lots of murder to go around.

[AnrothElf]

64. Hamas. They're talking about Hamas. Who else?

Context is king.

[lapucelle]

80. The billionaire terrorists roosting in Qatar have the power

to make decisions about what does or does not happen in Gaza.

[Lonestarblue]

19. Israeli leaders like Netanyahu who has bowed to prevent Palestinians from ever having a state.

I have seen zero posts here saying that Israel does not have a right to exist. Posts criticizing Israel are not because they are Jewish but because they are denying all rights to Palestinians and imprisoning them in the equivalent of interment camps.

[NCIndie]

20. Posts saying Israel has no right to exist would be deleted

And you have no more idea than I do about the extent of antisemitism buried in anti-Israel posts.

[MadameButterfly]

39. We can't presume racism underlying any or every post that is expressing horror at mass casualties of any population

Unless there is reason to consider such a concern racist, the accusation should not be made

[NCIndie]

43. Agree 100%

[TeamProg]

47. Funny! That's not unlike the saying "When did you stop beating your wife?" Do you see what I mean? To create a scenario

that does not exist is not reality nor the norm... unless.. you know, someone is a Republican.

[NCIndie]

92. It's nothing like that.

A person cannot say with any certainty that a person is or is not racist/antisemitic/misogynist simply based on a post on a discussion board. Your simile has no merit.

[TeamProg]

99. What I said is pretty much it. False accusations.

[NCIndie]

101. Sure. Have a conversation with yourself.

Do not let the flow of the thread interfere.

[TeamProg]

108. I would, but you keep talking!

[yardwork]

32. Referring to Palestine as internment camps is antisemitic.

[paleotn]

37. Does that make terrorism OK? Just checking.

[marybourg]

49. There is very little in this paragraph

that is accurate. Is that anti-semitism?

[yardwork]

29. The word "exterminating" when used to describe Israelis is considered antisemitic.

[MadameButterfly]

38. Is there a rule that only non-Jews can be guilty of estermination?

i understand the uncomfortable association with the Holocaust. But does that make the earlier comment referring specifically to Netanyahu antisemitic?

[yardwork]

40. It's not a rule. Human rights groups consider this usage to be antisemitic.

[AnrothElf]

66. The stated objective of Hamas is to exterminate Jews.

"From the river to the sea."

Whereas, that is NOT the stated objective of the Israeli government, or the IDF, which is to destroy Hamas, once and for all. Hamas, famous for one tactic above all: remorselessly using Gazans as human shields.

Everyone needs to stop conflating Hamas with Palestinians, and Israel with Jews. It's not hard.

[MadameButterfly]

142. The stated goal of Israeli govt. is to destroy Hamas

which i agree with.
i just wonder if there is an unstated goal by some parties (Netanyahu) to use this as an excuse to kill as many Palestinians as he can. Note that Palestinians are being killed in the West Bank too, where there is no Hamas.

I agree to stop conflating, as you said, and in addition we shouldn't conflate Israelis with Netanyahu. Imagine if we had Trump back in office handling a situation like this, and all Americans were blamed for his actions.

[TheKentuckian]

148. No that is Hezbollah territory

Same trash, different sect.

[brush]

157. Ahhhh...Islamophobia raises it's ugly head.

[tritsofme]

151. Hamas and its supporters certainly exist in the West Bank

They are just not in charge, today.

One of the main reasons “President” Abbas is in year 18 of his 4 year term is fear that any new elections would see Hamas routing Fatah not just in Gaza, but the West Bank as well.

[Sympthsical]

2. Strawman

People deliberately conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitic activities that are proliferate in the current protests. When calling out blatant antisemitism, the reply is, "It's just criticism of government!" knowing full well it is not.

Would you like to explain to us how Jewish shopkeepers in America and Jewish students on American campuses who are targeted for harassment and "protest" are all a part of this government criticism? Would you like to explain why throwing Nazi rhetoric and symbolism in Jews' faces is all part of this, "I just don't like Netanyahu, you guys!"

Sounds to me like people aren't enjoying being called out on their obvious bigotry.

D'aw. All of the sad faces.

[WarGamer]

3. I think the knuckle dragging Jew haters... the neo Nazis and extremists of all flavors are a small minority

There are MILLIONS of young (and old) people around the world angry about the war (and angry about the Hamas attack) for other more noble reasons... mostly humanitarian reasons and feelings of compassion and empathy.

[Sympthsical]

6. Open your eyes. They are not some vanishingly small minority

Forget head in the sand, one would need an entire dune to not see the historic and contemporary anti-Jewish forces at work, both globally and domestically in many of the protests we're seeing. This anti-Jewish ideology has been hard at work for decades now.

It is a willful act not to see it.

We all make our choices, and studied silence is very much a choice.

[WarGamer]

7. When yo look at someone in the street shouting abusive comments...

You must ask yourself, are they doing it from bigotry against Jews in general... are they following 1000 year old stereotypes and hate?

Or are they genuinely angry about the Palestinian problem?

If there was no Palestinian problem, how many of these folks would still be out there shouting nasty things?

[NCIndie]

8. Can both be true?

[EarnestPutz]

127. Indie - It appears that you're new here. I gave up a long time ago trying to express sentiments like yours.....

…..when Palestine vs. Israel was the topic of discussion. It isn’t that the absolutists, on either side, exist here in great numbers, but that they respond so consistently and with such opprobrium when challenged, that one just gives up eventually.
That said, welcome to this forum. New voices are always welcome here.

[NCIndie]

130. It's gotten to where I cringe when someone says, "Welcome to DU"

Too often, that welcome is used as a euphemism for, "I do not like your opinion, and I don't trust you."

Thank you for your welcoming comment. I am not here to take a side in this issue or to join a throng that thinks just like me. I value differences of opinion and critical thinking.

[EarnestPutz]

141. You're welcome.

[GoneOffShore]

12. The Palestinian problem gives them the excuse that they need to justify their hatred.

[Mossfern]

28. Exactly my thoughts

n/t

[Sympthsical]

70. Look, you're just advertising you're unfamiliar with this stuff

Which is fine. We don't all follow the same news stories. However, when I don't know what's going on, I usually don't try to lecture people about it. But that's my self-awareness working.

American campuses have had a very strong anti-Israel and anti-Jewish problem that stretches back several decades. If you scratch the surface of the BDS movement, for example, you will find a lot of antisemitic ugliness underneath. Not anti-Israel - antisemitic.

Now, I know this exists, because it existed back when I was in college in the late 90s/early 00s. I watched it then. I continued to watch it when I worked around UC Berkeley for ten years. The activists, the protests, the gatherings. It is very, very hostile to Jewish people. Not Israel - Jews.

The professors teach this stuff. The students repeat it. The activists stoke the fires of it. It is oppression ideology with Jews - not, Israel, but Jews - coded as oppressors. And once someone is coded in such a way, you have a free pass to hate them and be hostile to them as much as you want. Because it doesn't count as bigotry if the Other you're attacking is an oppressor.

These protests are the fruition of an ideology that has been formed and reinforced for as long as I've been an adult.

If you aren't familiar with that. Fine. Now you are. A whole internet awaits with examples to peruse at leisure.

I don't worry about being called antisemitic. I've criticized Netanyahu and Likud, I've said I support the US using leverage to put a stop to West Bank settlements, and I vigorously support a two-state solution. You know why I never worry about being called antisemitic?

Because it's a big, bright, joyous line between being anti-Israeli government and antisemitism that is super easy to spot. You could spot the fucker from space.

The only people who need to constantly iterate they aren't being antisemitic are usually the ones who don't know where the line is and keep marching on up to it, then getting frazzled when others point it out.

But that's their problem. Not really mine. Maybe stop marching up to the line. Simple problem, simple solutions.

[Hekate]

73. Sympthsical -- just wanted to thank you for your contributions to this thread

Yes, I do.

[Sympthsical]

74. Thanks, I appreciate it

Sincerely.

[yardwork]

121. Boom.

Thank you.

[JustAnotherGen]

71. They are taking

Advantage of a situation far away to let their mask slip.

They've not liked Jews all along - but now its like all of those white folks who let their hatred of black Americans fly after 45 got elected. They are no different.

I really wish they would all leave America and go to places where it is acceptable - like The Netherlands and Belarus and Russia.

[brush]

158. The Netherlands? Is it acceptable to be racist in Holland?

[Beastly Boy]

90. When yo look at someone in the street shouting abusive comments

at a a Jew who never harmed a single Palestinian, that's antisemitism.

[JI7]

102. Worse has happened in Yemen, Syria , and many other places

these people just love to get their hate on when it comes to Jews .

[yardwork]

122. The U.S. abandoned our allies the Kurds to likely genocide.

DU talked about it for a day or so. Everybody agreed it was sad. There were no protests.

The Kurds didn't have a Russian-funded PR campaign.

[CincyDem]

156. Absolutely. It ain't who or how many are being killed...it's who's doing the killing that has everyone's hair on fire.

And Hamas (along with their handlers) know it. Hamas was banking on the world's latent anti-semitism to jump to their defense. And the world did not disappoint.

If Assad, MBS or El-Sisi pounded on the Palestinians like this...the whole world would wake up, read the news and say..."hmm...what's for breakfast...are you gonna eat that last piece of toast ?".

[TheKentuckian]

149. No, I must not. It all spends the same.

[NoRethugFriends]

153. Or are they clueless. And know zero of any history

This is somewhat typical, based on other studies.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/watch-clueless-protesters-on-pro-palestine-march-say-they-are-not-sure-hamas-invaded-israel/ar-AA1jFyNJ

There is cluelessness, antisemitism, and of course for some concern about the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.
There is little or no condemnation of Hamas.

[Chainfire]

16. Why do you think that is?

Don't you think that both parties have their cheering section. I have seen a lot of Rah, rah, rah, coming from Israel as well as coming from Palestinian supporters. Of course if someone believes that Israel is incapable of crime or sin, the may have some special motives or prejudice of their own.

There are hateful people among us who will jump on any bandwagon to vent their pent-up anger. It may be the Chinese one day, the South Americans, gays or blacks the next; the haters are willing to throw rocks at anyone, if they think that their peers will see them as heroes. Last week one of those heroes shot up some students in Vermont because they were the wrong religion.

If, in order to not be considered and anti-Semite, we have to accept, without question, the brutality that we see happening every day in Gaza, then there are a lot of us who, at one time, supported the government of Israel, who will need to wear the label. Over 15,000 dead and counting, the majority of them women and children. Don't suggest that we should look the other way, for that is exactly what happened to the Jews in the 30s and 40s; people accepted what they saw, or looked the other way. Never again.

15,000 women and children. Where is the justice?

[MadameButterfly]

45. and for the survivors, their whole world is destroyed.

Who is going to put that back together? Will Israel pay to rebuild those cities? Will we? How does a people that has had that experience make the sound and democratic choices that might create a better life? A generation of children will be consumed with hate.

[JustAnotherGen]

72. Germany

Got over it with one generation.

It was the communist terrorists living there in the 1970's that made our lives miserable. Not the former Nazis or their children and grandchildren.

[MadameButterfly]

144. A lot of money, education, and an occupation by Allied forces went into that

as well as a European heritage held in common. I don't see the same happening in the Middle East.

[JustAnotherGen]

146. They also

Have a zero tolerance policy of threatening genocide against Jews. Its wonderful!

As for shared European heritage? Eh?

The European Jews were just that . . . European - but being Jewish was the reason for the hate.

Hamas is no different than the Nazis.

[MadameButterfly]

160. The non-Jewish Germans who cleaned up their act

were Europeans. As were the German Jews. As were most of the Allies. There were a lot of differences, but some basic experience in common.

[MadameButterfly]

161. I agree about Hamas and Nazis

I just think we have more common language with German and American Nazis and some (not all) could reform in a different political climate: reduction of the income gaps and other conditions that fuel the desire for a scapegoat. I don't see any way to reach Hamas, or how to begin to solve the conditions in Gaza that will inevitable recruit more Hamas.

[lapucelle]

129. Hamas terrorist billionaires living the high life in Qatar should pay.

[MadameButterfly]

145. Well, they should. is anyone going after them?

[EX500rider]

54. "15,000 women and children" Wow, so all the suspect numbers reported by Hamas are now just women & children?

Amazing the IDF who is targeting Hamas hasn't hit any of them.....

[Chainfire]

112. Thank you for the correction. The generally reported number is 15,000 total deaths

and the number of women and children is estimated at 10,000. I suppose that I should be greatly relieved, that only 2/3 the total number killed were innocent victims. Israel is making war on the the people of Gaza, if they happen to kill Hamas victims, so much the better.

In the neighborhood of 10,000 innocent people killed and you choose to challenge the numbers rather than adress the conduct of the "war." Israel is not making war, they are slaughtering the population of Gaza and rendering the infastructure incapable of supporting the survivors. It my opinion, the way they are handling the "war" is criminal.

Israel is not justified in committing a pogram because it happend to them in the last century. Gaza has suffered too much, it is time to end the killing.

[EX500rider]

115. I believe the numbers are a unknown

Unless I should trust the same terrorists who claim that they only killed IDF soldiers when they crossed the border among other outrageous lies

And what does Hamas count as children? 17 and 18 year olds working on rocket teams?

They already admitted they counted dead Hamas soldiers as civilians.

[Chainfire]

125. You dispute the numbers of killed, then what numbers would you suggest as an alternative?

If you dispute that half of the homes in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, then what number and what source would you suggest.

[EX500rider]

132. As I said, as the only number come from a terrorist group with lots of reasons to lie it is unknown

My own guess is 1/2 the numbers and then 1/2 the women & children numbers from that number

[Chainfire]

133. Ok, that is your guess. Fair enough, are you happy with the thought that only 5,000 women and children

died under the bombs and shells? Would 5,000 dead American women and children be considered a fair price to pay? It is less painful to bear because the the women and children are Arabs and Muslim. This is a human disaster, and the brutality is sowing the seeds that will bear bitter fruit in the future.

The killing and destruction needs to stop. A few short months ago, we all thought it was terrible when the Russians were shelling Ukrainian civilians. Now some of us hunt for excuses for the widespread destruction and death in Gaza. My how quickly times change.

By the way, and I mean no offense, but to me, your guess does not carry the weight as the estimates make by the relief organizations an the UN.

[EX500rider]

134. The relief orgs and the UN have just passed along Hamas numbers

[Chainfire]

136. I will not quibble with you over the exact number. The rest of the message is stil the same.

It is a human disaster.

[EX500rider]

137. "It is a human disaster." Wars usually are

[MadameButterfly]

51. There is a rise in antisemetism but it's not the people you are attacking

Antisemitism is rife in the Republican Party where there is full support for Israel's attacks. Either they hate Muslims more than they hate Jews, or they think violence is a solution and people are expendable.

Of the people criticizing Israel, yes there are people who identify with Palestinians who are so angry they have turned to hate want to fight back. Violence brings more violence. But I'd wager most of the antisemites in this country are not in that group.

The people you are attacking are just capable for having compassion for humanity outside of their culture, and are horrified by both Hamas and Netanyahu.

[Kennah]

105. I see antisemitism across the political spectrum today and in full view

[MadameButterfly]

143. I hope you see the people who in solidarity with Jews are against it

[Kennah]

159. Absolutely

There are those in clear and convincing opposition to antisemitism--regardless of what they think of the Israeli government and the PM.

[Cha]

25. Talk to HAMAS they Violated the Ceasefire.

Blinken Says Hamas Is Responsible for Resumption of Fighting

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken blamed Hamas for the broken truce on Friday and said that he was already seeing signs that Israel had taken new steps to protect civilians as it resumed its military campaign.

Speaking just before his departure from Dubai at the end of a two-day Middle East visit, Mr. Blinken said it was “important to understand why the pause came to an end: It came to an end because of Hamas. Hamas reneged on commitments it made.”

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218496247

Three murdered by Hamas terrorists in Jerusalem shooting attack

Three people were killed and five other people were wounded in a shooting attack at the entrance to Jerusalem on Thursday morning, according to emergency services.

A 73-year-old man, a woman in her 60s, and 24-year-old woman were killed in the attack, while three other people were seriously wounded, and two more were in light to moderate condition.

The man murdered in the attack was Rabbi Elimelech Wasserman, who served as a rabbinical judge in the rabbinical court in Ashdod, according to Religious Services Minister Michael Malchieli. One of the women murdered in the attack was Chana Ifergan, the principal of Beis Yaakov Bnot Hadassah in Beit Shemesh. Livia Dickman, a resident of Har Nof, was named as the third victim.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=18491860

Link to tweet

[yardwork]

30. Obviously the number of antisemites is larger than you thought.

[Hekate]

76. Like the "compassion and empathy" toward random Jewish shopkeepers just selling falafels?

It just warms my heart, I tell you.

[Beastly Boy]

89. I think the knuckle dragging Jew haters, the neo Nazis and extremists of all flavors

are a small minority among antisemites.

[Happy Hoosier]

117. War is ugly... no doubt about that.

But the fact that war is ugly doesn't mean that war crimes are being committed.

Fights in Urban areas are terribly destructive and result in a lot of civilians getting killed. Sometimes, it's necessary.

My Mom's home growing up (she was 6 at the end of the war) Berlin in 1945:

[MadameButterfly]

42. Remember the people who were carrying tikki torches and chanting 'Jews may not replace me"

are just fine with what Israel is doing in Gaza.

Antisemetism and objection to Israel's actions must be assessed separately.

[LexVegas]

9. The far left and far right bend and meet at antisemitism. nt

[Hekate]

77. Nauseatingly true

[CincyDem]

10. Referring to him as Nuttyahoo kind of diminishes your credentials as an expert on antisemitism. n/t

[WarGamer]

11. I'm not an expert... that's why I posted the linked article from an expert.

I can't summon the respect to address BN with his given name.

[David__77]

13. He is a fascist and a hardcore racist.

[Mossfern]

31. I have not seen any - any at all

support for Netanyahu on this site.

[yardwork]

35. I haven't either. Not one.

So it kind of deflates the argument that both sides blah blah blah.

The fact is there are plenty of us who manage to criticize the Israeli government without being antisemitic. It's not that hard.

[Kennah]

106. I support Bibi

being hired by the Trump org. It seems to land a lot of its employees in court as a criminal defendant.

[Behind the Aegis]

14. Don't forget...

A line is undeniably crossed when Israel’s right to exist contested or when Israel is likened to Nazi Germany. Comments such as, “What Israel is doing to the Palestinians now is the same as the Nazis’ systematic extermination of Jews during the Second World War” are not only inappropriate and inaccurate but also antisemitic. Although the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has claimed many victims on both sides, it cannot be compared to systemic extermination.

Holding Jews individually or collectively responsible for Israel’s policies and actions is also a form of antisemitism. No one is personally responsible for the deeds of their compatriots or fellow believers, or for governmental policies.

[Hekate]

78. This

[Kennah]

107. Worst components of Godwin's Law are being realized

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law

[MOMFUDSKI]

15. No.

It is anti-bibi. There is a reason the people have been out in the streets for months on end. He belongs in the slam.

[tritsofme]

17. When they attack and deface a Jewish deli with anti-Semitic slurs, is that just "anti-Bibi"?

[MOMFUDSKI]

88. I am speaking for myself in my post.

Don’t want to include “they”.

[electric_blue68]

104. Wait...is anyone here defending that disgusting action?

[tritsofme]

123. I believe most of the posts have been removed, but yes, it was quite a disgusting display

[electric_blue68]

140. Ok. good.

Having (waaay back) gotten take out at a lsraeli Jewish shop in midtown NYC I can easily sympathize with the difficulties the shop in Philly had very recently. : (

[Igel]

52. The Israeli SC is a mess.

Listened to an interview from somebody very anti-Netanyahu who was honest and above board.

In the last couple of decades the ISC has abandoned pretense and if they don't think a law or an appointment is "reasonable" they revoke it. What's reasonable? Dunno, whatever the ISC thinks. No laws need be referenced, no legislation. They can overrule anything.

Now, they aren't elected. They basically select their own membership. So if at some point their majority is Ideological Flavor 2B, they can ensure that continues.

The anti-Netanyahu legislature was clear: the ISC was a disaster and needs to be reined in--it has no democratic backstop and is more powerful than the legislature. But since there's essentially a two-power government, executive/legislature vs ISC, it's a choice between majoritarianism and oligarchy. She was ideologically closer to the oligarchy, but ideologically predisposed to democracy.

A tripartite government--king, oligarchy, legislature, with a legislature divided between populace and constituent members of the federation--was genius. Each sucks--but can you balance the flaws to get something reasonable? Sure, that's an impediment to Will to Power on the part of the king, the oligarchy, each subdivision of the People, true, at leas when not corrupted by malfeasance, but that just makes the form of government both genius and prescient.

[Mosby]

113. What they need to do is put together a bipartisan commission

To create recommendations and then bring that to the kenesset. Bibis' coalition can't be trusted to do the reform, but the SC needs reforming, for the reasons you mentioned.

[lapucelle]

82. ...

Link to tweet

==============================================

“It is Antisemitic and completely unjustifiable to target restaurants that serve Israeli food over disagreements with Israeli policy, as Governor Shapiro has underlined,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement. “This behavior reveals the kind of cruel and senseless double standard that is a calling card of Antisemitism.”

“President Biden has fought against the evil of Antisemitism his entire life, including by launching the first national strategy to counter this hate in American history,” Bates added. “He will always stand up firmly against these kinds of undignified actions.”

https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/04/us/palestinian-protest-philadelphia-solomonov/index.html

[Mosby]

18. Israel didnt lock millions of people in an "open air prison".

I don't know it that's antisemitic, but it's not true. It's a lie.

[Lonestarblue]

21. Gaza is an open-air prison. Israel controls their water, their food, the Internet, their lives.

They are not fee to leave Gaza. How is that not a prison?

[EX500rider]

57. Does Israel control the Gaza border with Egypt?

[IronLionZion]

124. Yes

Israel and Egypt control the crossing. There is a buffer zone and border wall with monitoring for any tunnels or smuggling.

[JustAnotherGen]

69. But I keep seeing

Posts saying that leaving Gaza would be ethnic cleansing.

Also - the money to build their own infrastructure was wasted on weapons and building tunnels for Hamas.

[TheKentuckian]

162. A closed border is not a prison

If one would like to negotiate with a nation to cross its borders it may help to cool it with the bombing, killing, and rape gangs.

I guess amnesia/memory hole has set in on how things got so hardline in the first place. The people in any way inclined toward positive solutions got run out because wicked crazy shit just kept on happening on their watch.

"Hey, some of us are cool so can you just pay no mind to your kids being blown up in the night club or your sister at the traffic light", only stretches so far before the kindest and most sympathetic folks want to be damn sure you're cool, at a bare minimum.

Then some of the problem is that a lot of places they would go to won't allow it anyway.
Not being able to get a visa is not prison and if it is then it would be of the country denying's construction somewhere in La-La Land.

[Tomconroy]

111. The lies about 'genocide', 'war crimes' and 'open air prisons,'

to me, are all indicative of anti Semitic tendencies.

[Autumn]

22. No. Criticism of Israel is not antisemitic. Are some people antisemitic? Yes.

Every government, and that includes Israel has done something that deserves criticism and can and will be criticized.

[yardwork]

27. Happy to rec this post.

[Faux pas]

23. Nope

[Roy Rolling]

24. Always the opposing teams

[Oneironaut]

139. Sorry to be anal, but, no he did not.

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-quote-divided-world-nelson-idUSKBN26X1Y3/

Also, I find that quote somewhat absurd - especially when thinking about racism in the US. It reminds me of the "I don't see color" people.

[yardwork]

26. Criticism of Israel doesn't have to be antisemitic but lots of it is.

This statement of yours, for instance, is not factually true:

Blaming Israel for locking millions of people in an open air prison...

Is it antisemitic? It's tending that way, I think. You avoided the words "concentration camp" and "genocide" and "ethnic cleansing," which are considered antisemitic tropes when used against Israel, but it's getting close.

Other examples of antisemitism being used to criticize Israel include:

- Blaming all Jewish people for the actions of Israel is antisemitic.

- Stating that American Jews are morally responsible for Israel's actions is antisemitic.

Blaming Joe Biden for "genocide" isn't antisemitic it's just effing stupid.

[Polly Hennessey]

36. No.

[Basic LA]

41. Is criticism of Italy anti-Catholic?

[Trueblue1968]

44. No ..... I am Not anti semetic !!!i think israel has commitedcrimes just like all countries

No country is perfect. No human is perfect. Everyone has committed wrong.

[Celerity]

46. Like any massively large, complex situation, some forms most definitely are and some forms most definitely are not.

All criticisms have to be judged on a case-by-case basis.

[gulliver]

48. It's not deep or morally correct lately, but it's usually not antisemitic.

Criticizing Israel is fine, but it's usual not "good criticism." It's usually pretty morally and intellectually sloppy and superficial. Therefore, in effect, it is pretty immoral and "dumb."

Unfortunately, with a lack of commitment to moral and intellectual hard thinking, often comes a tendency toward lazy resentments and oppressor/oppressed dichotomy simplism. That can lead to antisemitism and other forms of instability and error.

[grumpyduck]

50. For me personally:

Answering the OP:

Criticizing the Israeli government for what it's doing to civilians in Gaza: No.

Using what the Israeli government is doing in Gaza as an excuse to show one's dislike (or worse) of Jewish people in general: Oh hell yeah.

[BidenRocks]

55. Simply put,

Does Israel criticize America? Yes.
Free speech regardless?
I prefer a small muzzle on that.
Make your point without the hate and animosity. All of us.
Thank You.

[patphil]

56. No. If you can't criticize someone who you think is doing something wrong, what can you do?

Personally, I think the whole idea of labeling criticism of Israel as anti-semitic is pure, plain, and simply bullshit.

[yardwork]

60. And nobody is doing that. It's a straw man.

It's entirely possible to criticize Israel without being antisemitic. Unfortunately, some people aren't managing to do that.

It's pretty easy. Reserve your criticism of Israel without blaming all Jews for Israel's actions.

[GiqueCee]

58. I recently remarked...

... that calling all Palestinians terrorists is no different than calling all Americans Republicans. Both reflect simplistic stupidity, and both are wrong.
Netanyahu is not a good person; he's just like Trump in his ruthless self-interest, but he's light years smarter, and thus, infinitely more dangerous. A sizable percentage of the Israeli electorate would like to see him take a long walk off a short plank – figuratively speaking, of course – but they're stuck with him for the moment.

[yardwork]

61. Exactly.

[Ksout]

59. Meaning of antisemitic

By actual definition, are not Jews, Palastinians, and Arabs all semites?

[KS Toronado]

68. It's just a Google away

Semitic people or Semites is an obsolete term for an ethnic, cultural or racial group[2][3][4][5] associated with people of the Middle East, including Arabs, Jews, Akkadians, and Phoenicians. The terminology is now largely unused outside the grouping "Semitic languages" in linguistics.[6][7][8] First used in the 1770s by members of the Göttingen School of History, this biblical terminology for race was derived from Shem (Hebrew: שֵׁם , one of the three sons of Noah in the Book of Genesis,[9] together with the parallel terms Hamites and Japhetites.

In archaeology, the term is sometimes used informally as "a kind of shorthand" for ancient Semitic-speaking peoples.[8]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semitic_people

And Welcome to DU !

[Mossfern]

75. Here ya go

The term antisemitism was made common by Wilhelm Marr, a German publicist and agitator. Unfortunately, his 1879 pamphlet, “The Way to Victory of Germanism over Judaism,” in which he used the term Antisemitismus, was very popular. That same year, Marr founded the League of Antisemites.

https://njop.org/the-origin-of-word-anti-semitism/

[lapucelle]

84. Dictionaries are helpful.

anti-Semitic
Characterized by prejudice, hostility, or discrimination towards Jewish people on religious, cultural, or ethnic grounds; anti-Jewish.

https://www.oed.com/dictionary/anti-semitic_adj?tl=true

[marble falls]

85. Yes.

[TwilightZone]

126. The term is specifically associated with Jews.

anti-Semite
noun

: a person who has a hostile, prejudiced attitude toward Jews : an anti-Semitic person

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anti-Semite

[GreenWave]

62. There are ample oil and gas reserves for Gaza.

This is a somewhat forgotten factor these days.

I lived in an oil rich nation. Now they have to beg another nation (but resource empire) just to power up their oil fields.

[AnrothElf]

63. True, but crying "genocide" is. And "Free Palestine from the river to the sea" is.

Targeting Israeli civilians, or dual-citizens in the Diaspora, to pressure them to somehow magically impose their individual will on the Israeli government... is. Like falafel makers in PA, for example.

Likewise, blaming Gaza or Palestinian civilians for Hamas' rockets, or for Oct. 7, is collective punishment. And it is WRONG.

Attacking random Muslims for what Hamas has done is Islamaphobia, plain and simple. A hate crime.

Collective blame is wrong no matter who's doing it to whom. Here in the states, half the time it's not even the Who or the Whom doing it, it's random Americans without a dog in the fight, just venting their particular, noxious brand of hate.

We can easily be better than this, Dems. So let's do that.

[ismnotwasm]

65. No

But it seems very difficult for far too many people to criticize Israel without being antisemitic.

[ForgedCrank]

67. Everything is

subject to criticism, as it should be. I don't care who they are, or what political or religious affiliations they align with.
However, I expect common sense and reason to be applied.
If someone breaks into my home in the middle of the night when my entire family is in bed and starts shooting, they will meet their demise if I can make that happen, regardless of criticism. I will not risk myself or my family hoping for a different outcome, nor will I apologize. I consider Israel to be in the same position.
When evil finds you, you don't negotiate with it.

[Sky Jewels]

79. Not at all.

But many, many people do their best to conflate the two in an attempt to shut down any criticism of Israel ASAP.

[womanofthehills]

81. Bernie criticizing Israel - from Senate floor today

https://x.com/sensanders/status/1731798894319702199?s=46&t=YZgyyp4w_z7vW3neKxa6cQ

[Emile]

150. Bernie Sanders is a Jewish American politician.

[Happy Hoosier]

83. Depends upon the criticism. NT

When criticism of policy veers into broad hyperbolic accusations devoid of context and leveraging long-standing Antisemitic tropes, then….

[Beastly Boy]

86. Obviously, you didn't read the article to the end.

Holding Jews individually or collectively responsible for Israel’s policies and actions is also a form of antisemitism. No one is personally responsible for the deeds of their compatriots or fellow believers, or for governmental policies.

You do realize that you are holding all Jews of Israel collectively responsible for Israel's policies, don't you?

[WarGamer]

93. Not sure what you're reading...

My criticism of Israel is limited to the government, the IDF and the far right extremists in the government threatening to nuke GAZA...

I NEVER blamed all Israelis or Jews for anything... that's silly.

[Beastly Boy]

95. I am reading your post prior to your edit at 11:03 pm,

when your criticism of Israel was not limited to the government, and when you blamed Israel, with no further distinction, for "locking millions of people in an open air prison"

"Never" appears to last only about 10 minutes in your case.

[WarGamer]

96. You're trying REALLY hard to paint me as something I'm not... and it's not fair.

[Beastly Boy]

97. It was easy. I had help.

But let me ask you a fair question: do you consider the two million Israeli Palestinians to be enablers of "open air prison" policy, as you put it, or its detractors? Same question with regard to Israeli Jews.

Let me know, and I just might surprise you with my response.

[Jilly_in_VA]

87. Absolutely NOT!

If you see a kid doing something wrong, do you automatically blame all kids of his color or race, or do you blame that specific kid? Hopefully, if you are the right kind of person, you blame that kid. You don't automatically tar all kids of his particular color or race with what he did.

Likewise, if a country's government is doing wrong, you can't blame all the people of that country for what the government does. They didn't ALL vote for him. (In fact, to digress, on the case of T***p, he really didn't get the popular vote.) IIRC, Bibi didn't either; he had to make a coalition with other groups to gain power. Likewise, Hamas doesn't represent ALL Palestinians.

So criticizing Israel is definitely not anti-Semitic. It's criticizing the actions of a particular government--Bibi's--and not the whole Jewish people.

[H2O Man]

91. Interesting.

I'd say that one can say negative things about Israel's government and not be antisemitic. Yet one can say things about Israel's government, and sure as heck be antisemitic.

Talking about "Israel" often betrays a belief that it consists of mono-citizens, rather than a wide variety of individuals. Talking about "the Jews" is always offensive.

[WarGamer]

94. I think most people understand...

When one says the US attacked Iraq... or Israel is attacking GAZA means the gov't, the military and those in power and NOT all citizens.

[H2O Man]

98. Right.

I want to be clear -- I'm not offended by what I've been reading on DU, including this OP/thread. If I came across that way, I apologize.

What I'm talking about is the growing hatred in this country and others directed at Jews and Palestinians. I think that a better example of what I had intended to say might be the related inability on some people's part to recognize that not all people in Gaza are part of Hamas. I think the government of Israel is attacking Gaza as if every human being there is "the enemy." Likewise, the October 7 attack was conducted as if every human being was "the enemy."

Thus, I am not offended by people protesting against the violence. I am concerned about attempts by some to de-humanize the innocent people being killed in this horrible violence. I am encouraged by the majority of those I see speaking out against this war.

[treestar]

100. No.

Using that is a cheap shot from those who can't defend whatever Israel is doing at the moment.

[Iggo]

103. Only when they're wrong.

[herding cats]

109. Sadly, the point of the article you posted isn't in the excerpt you shared.

Yes, Netanyahu is a part of the problem. He's a terrible human being and his policies are equally as terrible as himself. I have much to say about him and his supporters, as I also have much to say about Hamas and their supporters.

However, the article you posted was about not painting the people of Israel with a broad brush and laying the blame at all of their feet for bad policy by Netanyahu. It also lays bare the generalizations being used to smear the global Jewish population and the citizens of Israel.

From the article:

Opposing the policies of the Israeli government or advocating for the rights of Palestinians is not inherently antisemitic. Nevertheless, engaging in conversation or critical debate about Israel has become increasingly challenging. Positions have hardened, and emotions run high, especially when tensions in the region rise.

A line is undeniably crossed when Israel’s right to exist contested or when Israel is likened to Nazi Germany. Comments such as, “What Israel is doing to the Palestinians now is the same as the Nazis’ systematic extermination of Jews during the Second World War” are not only inappropriate and inaccurate but also antisemitic. Although the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has claimed many victims on both sides, it cannot be compared to systemic extermination.

Holding Jews individually or collectively responsible for Israel’s policies and actions is also a form of antisemitism. No one is personally responsible for the deeds of their compatriots or fellow believers, or for governmental policies.

It feels like you cherry picked the lead without giving even a cursory acknowledgment to the actual point. Which is antisemitism is being excused and hidden behind a veil of dislike for Netanyahu and his current government.

[Lunabell]

110. Both sides are evil.

War and violence against innocents is evil.

[Chakaconcarne]

114. Nope

[DenaliDemocrat]

116. No!

You can criticize Israel’s policies without being anti-Semitic and anyone who says you can’t is an idiot.

Story time: I was working (actually running that morning) a homeless breakfast and someone donated a box of bacon. I started cooking it and unbeknownst to me, two ladies I was working with said they would not cook or serve it because they were Jewish. I told them “You’re not eating it - they are - what’s the problem?”.

I was then accused of being Anti-Semitic for not respecting their religion. Told them I had as much respect for their religious beliefs as I did Christians and Muslims - none! So maybe I’m an anti-Semite but I’m also anti-Muslim and anti-Christian. So either cook the bacon or leave the griddle and go find something else to do because I didn’t have time for this nonsense.

So the popular opinion here seems to be that you CAN criticize Israel but you better not criticize Judaism to which I say - fuck that. That religion is as fucked up as any and all the rest. I’ll criticize where I feel it’s deserved.

[David__77]

118. Criticism of Israel is necessary.

Opposing racism means opposing anti-Semitism.

[IronLionZion]

119. If we criticize US government policy do we hate America?

There was a lot of that during the Bush wars and Vietnam. I'm told that I'm "not American" by racists all the time.

Some people don't want any criticism of Israeli government policy and are using antisemitism as a strawman. They don't want any critical analysis of the actual policies and strategies or even asking what comes next for Gaza after the last Hamas person is dead. They like the status quo and don't want to change it.

[SocialDemocrat61]

120. Jon Stewart said

Some will immediately shout antisemitism, but that is just a way to shut down any discussion.

With regard to the policies of the Netanyahu government, that is definitely true. However, some have been using the current conflict as an excuse to unleash their antisemitism.

As Jewish person in the US or Europe is in no way responsible for the actions of the Netanyahu government and should not be harassed.

Also for the record, I don't think that Helen Mirren playing Golda Meir in at movie is in any way anti-Semitic and shame on those who have said that it is.

[claudette]

128. How many

Hamas members have been killed among the over 15,000 dead innocent Palestinians? Is all this death and destruction working to reach the goal to eliminate Hamas?

[Caliman73]

131. As with anything, the answer is... "it depends"

Criticizing the Israeli government for being right wing, and fostering fear so that they can continue to expand and encroach onto Palestinian land, or in their treatment of Palestinian people would not be antisemitism.

The problem is that often times the "Jewish identity" is thrown in as a reason for what the Israeli government is doing. People couch it in terms of "Zionism" and think that this shields them from antisemitism. The hard part is that for a lot of people, their identity of being Jewish is intertwined with a lot of what happens to and because of Israel.

"Playing the ANTISEMITISM card" is common because ANTISEMITISM is common right now. The problem is that people do not seem to be able to be nuanced in their criticisms.

There are definitely groups and the Israeli government is a big one, that equates any criticism of their actions as anti-Semitic but that is typically pretty obvious to people who are not emotionally invested in supporting Jewish people through support of the Israeli government. The two are not synonymous in the same way that supporting the Palestinian people is not synonymous with supporting Hamas.

People need to keep their emotions in check and have discussions about actions, policies, and consequences.

[LeftInTX]

135. No! We criticize the US, we can criticize other countries.

Israel is not better than the US!

[bif]

138. You can NEVER say anything negative about Israel

Or you'll be called an anti-semite

[TheKentuckian]

154. False. The actual issue is so many struggle to

criticize without also letting their masks slip and/or wickedly flail about with their targeting and absurd accusations.

Netanyahu is a criminal authoritarian who belongs under a prison.

I've called him such for many years now yet I am a strong advocate for Israel and would rather die with them than live with their enemies.

[pfitz59]

147. no

Israel is a nation. Not a religion or race. Fair game for criticism of its policies and actions.

[walkingman]

152. Nope

[egduj]

155. No. But it's often used as a disguise.