Thanks so much for such a thoughtful post. From what I'm seeing, hearing and reading it is not college students that are unable to make these distinctions but media outlets pulling out soundbites to get outrage engagement and other folks with vested interests who benefit from the oversimplification of the conflict. Being against genocide and opposing the practices of the Israeli government is not anti-semitic, no more than opposition the Iraq and Vietnam wars are anti-American or unpatriotic or un-Christian. Though for many communities they are conflated. The vast majority of pro-Palestinian college students especially those at Columbia are full of diversity including religious diversity with Jewish, Muslim and Christian activists together as well those across racial assignments and nationalities. The forced removal and extermination of Jewish people fueled by antisemitism is atrocious. So too is the forced removal and extermination of Palestinians. We must oppose genocide in all of its forms and press into the complexity, honoring the image of God in all people amidst our dialogue and dissent. I pray that we are able to do that.
Thank you for sharing the Vox article. I confess this is a subject I didn't fully understand. I work for a call center which from time to time is contracted to making fundraising calls for AIPAC, and I cannot tell you how many Jewish Americans tell me they don't want to donate until Netanyahu is out of office. From what I have heard about him, I think of him as Israel's Donald Trump, his behavior being a stain on Judaism just as Donald Trump is a stain on Christianity. While I see the value in making a statement against any government that commits human rights attrocities--Israel, Russia, China--I do worry that some of the college protestors aren't making the proper distinction between the Jewish people, and Israel's government. The oppression of Palestinians by Israel's government is heartbreaking, but so too is the antisemitism experienced by Jewish students who had nothing to do with Netanyahu's policies.
Thanks so much for such a thoughtful post. From what I'm seeing, hearing and reading it is not college students that are unable to make these distinctions but media outlets pulling out soundbites to get outrage engagement and other folks with vested interests who benefit from the oversimplification of the conflict. Being against genocide and opposing the practices of the Israeli government is not anti-semitic, no more than opposition the Iraq and Vietnam wars are anti-American or unpatriotic or un-Christian. Though for many communities they are conflated. The vast majority of pro-Palestinian college students especially those at Columbia are full of diversity including religious diversity with Jewish, Muslim and Christian activists together as well those across racial assignments and nationalities. The forced removal and extermination of Jewish people fueled by antisemitism is atrocious. So too is the forced removal and extermination of Palestinians. We must oppose genocide in all of its forms and press into the complexity, honoring the image of God in all people amidst our dialogue and dissent. I pray that we are able to do that.
Thank you for sharing the Vox article. I confess this is a subject I didn't fully understand. I work for a call center which from time to time is contracted to making fundraising calls for AIPAC, and I cannot tell you how many Jewish Americans tell me they don't want to donate until Netanyahu is out of office. From what I have heard about him, I think of him as Israel's Donald Trump, his behavior being a stain on Judaism just as Donald Trump is a stain on Christianity. While I see the value in making a statement against any government that commits human rights attrocities--Israel, Russia, China--I do worry that some of the college protestors aren't making the proper distinction between the Jewish people, and Israel's government. The oppression of Palestinians by Israel's government is heartbreaking, but so too is the antisemitism experienced by Jewish students who had nothing to do with Netanyahu's policies.