Israel/Palestine post 10/7 - follow-on events/thoughts as relate to other countries

The situation is complicated further in the UK by the whole Corbyn business. Many people on the Left will say that antisemitism was weaponized to destroy Corbyn - by largely the same people who are 100% (or claim to be) supportive of Israel's current policies. Uncomfortably though, the Jewish people I knew, who were not right wingers by the way, all considered Corbyn an antisemite and used the "Who are you to tell me what antisemitism is or isn't?" line of argument.

It seems like all posts in this thread must go through a single user, and if that single user disagrees with you, then you are very bad and the implication is clear from there.

Yeah it's a mess.

Still, can you imagine arguing any other person's lived experience with "that's true to some extent, but..."

Like, this isn't a hard thing to ask people to do, is it? Just accept what I experienced.

My point was about the two being artificially intertwined. Like yes obviously they are discrete forms of oppression but there has been a real effort to play the two groups off against each other. I didn’t do that to discredit any part of your experience (how could I?), I did that in hope of writing about how this works in contemporary Europe today.

The situation is complicated further in the UK by the whole Corbyn business.

Yes I can see that. gyac is the one who explained that to me actually.

. I didn’t do that to discredit any part of your experience (how could I?), I did that in hope of writing about how this works in contemporary Europe today.

― mojo dojo casas house (gyac), Friday, December 8, 2023 5:14 AM bookmarkflaglink

Ok you can write about that. I just don't care for the "but" because it makes it seem like you're not open to listening and only to explaining. If that makes sense to you.

It seems like all posts in this thread must go through a single user, and if that single user disagrees with you, then you are very bad and the implication is clear from there.

― butt dumb tight my boners got boners (the table is the table), Friday, 8 December 2023 bookmarkflaglink

Table, seriously can you just post on the things you are focusing on and just leave it with this elevation of Felicity as some kind of filter or judge on what's being posted? She has asked me where I'm coming from with some of what I'm posting. I've answered the best I could. It's hardly ended in a great place but that's where it's ended.

Others have queried back at what she has posted too.

Indeed. Not sure how he squares the (repeated) “I’m not interacting with you!!!!” with leaping to agree with people who disagree with felicity and repeatedly commenting about her behaviour via passive aggressive posts of the type quoted by xyzzzz__. As I said to aimless, find a way to killfile.

Got it, thanks for the check xyzzz.

I hate to be a substacck person but I started reading (and now I can't find it) an essay someone posted this morning, essentially saying "hey, the enemy of my enemy is not always my friend." Doubtlessly there are incidents of antisemitism happening on campuses, but the extent to which the far-right GOP is jumping on it is rather ironic considering Trump's 'good people on both sides' after Charlottesville, a very explicit antisemitic march led by the far-right. I don't recall Stefanik freaking out about that, or about Tucker Carlson's continual push of the Great Replacement Theory, all of which he pins on Soros. If I were jewish (I'm not) I'd be rather dubious of these people suddenly jumping in as if they are my great defenders in the US.

The far right are coming out in support of the Israeli government all over Europe too - including literal antisemites. They hate Muslims more than Jews.

... in support of Israel, I don't know why I qualified that. Confusing times.

exactly. doubtless there are people on the right who earnestly believe this; but Stefanik? saying 'broken clock right twice a day' is tantamount to saying "bin laden was right in his criticism of the US". yeah ok... there is no reason to give credence to a cretin of that sort, they are not operating in good faith. To utterly ignore their motives behind their support is to be gullible. Sorry, I'm native american, I was raised to deeply distrust everyone.

Stefanik has in fact invoked the Great Replacement Theory. The hearing also featured Mary Miller, who infamously said at a campaign rally: "Hitler was right on one thing. He said, 'Whoever has the youth has the future.' Our children are being propagandized." Her questions for Magill were about trans women accessing women's locker rooms (I guess under the umbrella of "Holding Campus Leaders Accountable")

yes, exactly.

Yes it's terribly cynical. It's not as if we haven't noticed. Laurence Tribe tweeted about this.

Sadly, all 3 university presidents played into Stefanik's hand. They were trying to thread a needle where they needed to show some human empathy. People I know are losing sleep over it.

they bungled their appearances and testimony, but I'm also not entirely sure what else they could have done, because, again, you cannot give a short succinct answer to some of these questions and they were being badgered to remove all nuance and context. they could have said "I'm not showing up to this farce, GTFO" i guess, but they'd have gotten shitcanned for that. I don't envy their positions.

Evangelicals love Israel in part because it’s a necessity for the Second Coming.

I know you wont watch the hearing but it did cover some other things besides the clip that went viral.

The videos of McGill and Gay that cane out the following day were also terrible though. They had all the time in the world with no one interrupting, but also seemed extremely fake.

Yes the evangelical Christian thing is weird too.

Stefanik has in fact invoked the Great Replacement Theory. The hearing also featured Mary Miller, who infamously said at a campaign rally: "Hitler was right on one thing. He said, 'Whoever has the youth has the future.' Our children are being propagandized." Her questions for Magill were about trans women accessing women's locker rooms (I guess under the umbrella of "Holding Campus Leaders Accountable")

The impression I got over the first hour was that it had a kangaroo court vibe, that the goal of the hearing was not-at-all to prevent anti-Semitism on campuses, but to impugn the reputations of three presidents of three universities with a liberal rep in the eyes of same university’s respective donor blocs… the goal was to get these women fired. Asking Prof Gay about whether or not “diversity inclusion” extends to Conservative thinkers (or more explicitly, Trump supporters) was pretty galling

Yeah it's pretty sad that fewer people are interested in the conditions on campus than the spectacle.

I didn't see the part from Mary Miller. That sounds horrifying.

I’m gonna keep listening, tbh, I don’t think “the first hour” was enough to get the full picture of what transpired. Pain! Suffering! I’ll be walking my dog tho so it’ll be fine

full disclosure: I didn't watch Miller's segment. I read about the exchange in a liveblog of the hearing at the Daily Penn (https://www.thedp.com/article/2023/12/penn-magill-congress-hearing-antisemitism-recap).

Rereading, it was likely only one question, not "questions" as I wrote

Respect. Hope we can get past being asked if my interest in the hearing means I support loathsome House member x or y though. As if I cannot be interested in the topic of campus antisemitism itself and need enlightenment from well-meaning gentiles.

xp

Open Letter from Professionals at Jewish Organizations

to President Biden and Congress

Add your name:
https://bit.ly/JProsLetterSIGN
We are individuals who work for a wide array of Jewish organizations across the United States, coming together across the broad range of beliefs, practices, backgrounds and identities that make up the rich fabric of the American Jewish community. We are uniting together in this moment to call for a ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and a commitment towards a long-term political solution that ensures the freedom and collective safety of Israelis and Palestinians.
When we read in Beresheit (Genesis) that God created human beings in God’s image, we learn that each and every human life is sacred. Jewish tradition teaches that every death is another world destroyed. We mourn for the 1,200 Israelis who were killed on October 7, and pray for the hostages to return home safely. We mourn for the nearly 16,000 Palestinians who have been killed since that day*. Over 17,000 worlds have been destroyed in this war, and many more hang in the balance.
Our texts read, “God, listen to my cry; let Your ears be attentive to my plea for mercy.” (Psalm 130:2).Our hearts are heavy for Israelis and Palestinians who have suffered brutal loss of life, for whole communities that have been destroyed and displaced, for millions of children who deserve so much more than this. We write this letter from a place of deep love and grief for all of these worlds lost, and for all who are living through this horror. The price is too high to pay, the burden too much to bear. This violence must stop.
As a group of professionals from a wide spectrum of Jewish organizations, many of us have devoted our life’s work to building thriving Jewish communities. Our organizations may or may not join the call for a ceasefire themselves, but we feel moved to speak as individuals to demonstrate broad support within the Jewish community for a ceasefire. Whether inspired by our Israeli and Palestinian loved ones, guided by the wisdom of our ancient texts, or motivated by principles passed down to us through the generations, we feel we must speak now.
We know there is no military solution to this crisis. We know that Israelis and Palestinians are here to stay — neither Jewish safety nor Palestinian liberation can be achieved if they are pitted against one another. We know that freedom for one people cannot be reached through the oppression and killing of another. We know that Israeli and Palestinian safety is deeply intertwined and that no one wins a forever war. The only way to lasting peace and security is through diplomatic means that move us towards an equal and just future for all.
We urge President Biden and Congress to work for a ceasefire, the release of the hostages, and a diplomatic solution that guarantees equality, justice, and a thriving future for all.

encouraging to see a lot of names of people on that list that are not from particularly left or anti-zionist orgs.

yes, that is one of the reasons that i posted it, as some of the affiliations of the signatories were unexpected. quite heartening, tbh!

I would gladly sign it if I worked for a Jewish org

I’ve been noticing two different things: explicit anti-semitism, evidenced by the vandalism, direct hate speech delivered in person, and mostly-online conspiratorial thought that’s surging higher than normal. I’ve only witnessed the latter in person, the others are from reporting I’ve read.

The other is more highly-reported, the idea that implicit anti-semitism exists among protests and on college campuses and is evidenced by commentary on the state of Israel and the use of chants/phrases. Language is important but often imprecise and I’ve seen a number of groups change the words and phrases they use in response to feedback. I think that’s wise, but in analysis (for instance, that article linked above where protestors were asked to break down what “from the river to the sea” means) I think deeper meaning is being ascribed to chanting than the actual demands (a ceasefire, ending the direct funding and arming of the current state of Israel, the release of civilian prisoners who had no charges or trial).
In recent history, I’ve heard and read arguments that “no justice, no peace” is an explicit call for riots and violence before, despite the long history of its use as a chant. It’s important to understand how language will be commonly interpreted and adapt, but it’s worth remembering that regardless of what’s said, someone will attempt to interpret words to craft a different narrative, especially when public protest involves heterogenous groups that may have different interpretations and goals.

I understand the perception of implicit anti-semitism is unnerving but it’s also the creeping anxiety of constantly trying to figure out if someone in the room has a deep-seated bias against you, for reasons beyond your control. I haven’t experienced anti-semitism targeting myself, but I understand that anxiety. It’s where you can write a thousand words and spend much of your time inside your own mind. The swastika someone spray painted near a synagogue? We know exactly what that is.

sorry for dropping that in after that excellent link to the open letter. that deserves much more conversation than my rambling

and then it becomes a game of social media telephone where laypeople are dismayed that college professors could not condemn "people calling for the genocide of all jews." which...is not what the people in the protests were calling for.

i know we've already had this discussion, but i'm frustrated by folks in my circle posting social media propaganda about this without digging into what was actually said at these hearings at all. reminds me of the "global day of jihad" phenomenon, where people are reacting to propagandized commentary about the news rather than the news itself.

*presidents, not professors

I don’t think I cared this much about college students when I was a college student

sorry for dropping that in after that excellent link to the open letter. that deserves much more conversation than my rambling

― ɥɯ ︵ (°□°) (mh), Friday, December 8, 2023 11:31 AM (thirteen minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

no that was a v good post, well put

Another thanks for sharing that open letter. Not sure if it's appropriate for me to sign it as a non-Jewish person working at a Jewish institution but I've already shared it with a number of colleagues who are strongly pro-ceasefire

Guardian has a long report on the Solomonov situation with new details: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/08/michael-solomonov-philadelphia-restaurant-israel-antisemitic-protest

That is a good letter. I like how it includes releasing the hostages and diplomatic solution with ceasefire, and expresses not pitting Jewish people against Palestinian people.

Serious question: is there a reason non Jewish groups wouldn't also sign such a letter? I tried to find some reference to release of hostages in the SNP amendment that the UK Labour front benchers were resigning over a couple weeks ago, for example.

Was that in the SNP amendment or omitted as an oversight or... ?

I mean aside from the Bible stuff maybe - which doesn't particularly resonate with me but doesn't offend me either

Thanks for sharing the letter, tabes, and thanks mh for your not-at-all-rambling post

It seems to me to be an important argument that is best argued by Jewish people (Jewish scholars especially), to attempt to dissociate a call for a ceasefire (let alone an argument that Israelis and Palestinians should be able to co-exist peacefully) from allegations of anti-Semitism. Letters such as these have a more concentrated effect if they are limited in their signatories, no Gentiles allowed. The inclusion of the first line of Psalm 130 quote in particular is pointed and effective-- part of the Yom Kippur liturgy, attributed to David-- Christians know the same Psalm as De Profundis and it's an important prayer of penitence to them as well-- in that it is a supplicant, an acknowledgement of the iniquities one has visited upon others, verbatim asks G-d to forgive Israel for its iniquities; the significance of its inclusion is notable

Ok, thanks.

Again - maybe naïve question: has anyone tried to ask for the release of the hostages with ceasefire and been called antisemitic for doing so?

It seems like I have read a lot saying the hostages really were the sticking point, not this sort of scripture confession of iniquity.

Harvard President apologizes for not doing a better job at that hearing: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67662871?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

Stefanik gunning for DEI programs at universities as a result of this. Surprise!

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/08/stefanik-colleges-antisemitism-israel-hamas-00130890?cid=politico_bsky

House Republicans plan to proceed with document requests of universities and colleges to determine the scope of antisemitism in higher education.

“I believe we’re going to find this is ingrained in the universities themselves,” she said.

cool, sounds super objective

Remember when the CIA murdered the UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld in 1961 when he tried to invoke the same Art. 99 in the DR Congo. https://t.co/V9UNfzVOgg pic.twitter.com/pZpMWrss5s

— K.Diallo ☭ (@nyeusi_waasi) December 8, 2023

It's sort of ironic because Harvard's admission practices in the 20th century were strongly driven by antisemitism:

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/11/9/legacy-admissions-scrut/

And I believe "diversity" was partly to keep Jewish quotas down.

Now it looks like antisemitism will be the excuse for going after DEI.

In before people start blaming Jewish US college students for this.

Just watching the repulsive Jake Wallis Simons on Sky TV bringing up Dresden yet again.

thought this article about the large Palestinian community of Paterson NJ was really good:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/05/nyregion/palestinians-paterson-nj.html

In dozens of interviews over the last month, many Palestinians in this part of New Jersey expressed grief and fear for relatives in Gaza. They felt overwhelmed by television coverage and were glued to their phones, desperately checking social media and messaging apps for news from the war.

Mohammed Abuassi, 29, a real estate investor, said he sends daily messages on WhatsApp to his cousins in Gaza. When one replies, he knows that cousin is alive. Nine of his family members were killed by a single Israeli airstrike early in the war, he said.

The conflict has also hardened long-held feelings among many Palestinians in New Jersey of alienation from American institutions, even as they witness and participate in the largest pro-Palestinian demonstrations in American history.

“The protests give me hope,” said Diab Mustafa, chairman of the Palestinian American Community Center in Clifton, a suburb of Paterson. “But the reactions to the protests, I don’t like. You should be able to march for Palestinian rights without being called antisemitic or a terrorist sympathizer.”

Making my way through this.

"Hamas’s gambit, then, may have been to sacrifice municipal governance of a besieged Gaza to cement its status as a national resistance organization. Hamas is not trying to bury Fatah: The various unity agreements between Hamas and Fatah, particularly those led by prisoners of both factions, demonstrate that Hamas seeks a united front. The PA is unable to protect West Bank Palestinians from the increasing violence of Israeli settlements and entrenched control, let alone to meaningfully respond to the bloodshed in Gaza. Under the cover of Western backing on Gaza, Israel has killed hundreds of Palestinians, arrested thousands, and displaced entire villages on the West Bank, all the while escalating its state-sponsored settler attacks. In so doing, Israel has further undermined Fatah among the population and pushed them in the direction of Hamas."

https://archive.is/frDO7