> The protests aren't antisemitic. I believe that Israel's behavior will increase antisemitism around the world, but antisemitism has been conspicuously absent at the protests. American university campuses simply are not antisemitic places.
The genius here is the extent to which they've managed to so closely link together:
- The IDF
- The Israeli government
- The country of Israel
- The residents of Israel
- The Jewish ethnicity
- Judaism itself
Criticism of one (in a vacuum) has become criticism of all, and therefore antisemitic. So, everything related to any of those topics has become the third rail--you can't touch any of it.
Almost everyone I talk to who is critical of Israel is very careful to separate Israel from Jews.
In my experience, it's actually supporters of Israel who are adamant about equating the two, because it allows them to accuse anyone who criticizes Israel or its actions of being antisemitic. I think that's a terrible thing for Jews outside of Israel, and will lead to increased antisemitism, because Israel's actions are quite rightly leading to outrage practically everywhere.
Criticism of one (in a vacuum) has become criticism of all,
Absolutely not true of the movement as a whole, by my lengthy and up-close observation. And by what my Jewish friends tell me on the subject.
The distortion you are promoting here (especially in regard to items 5 and 6) is plainly unrealistic, and definitely not helpful to the current discussion.
The genius here is the extent to which they've managed to so closely link together:
- The IDF
- The Israeli government
- The country of Israel
- The residents of Israel
- The Jewish ethnicity
- Judaism itself
Criticism of one (in a vacuum) has become criticism of all, and therefore antisemitic. So, everything related to any of those topics has become the third rail--you can't touch any of it.