Anti-Semitism: One Jew's perspective about recent events (long read)

[TygrBright]

10. Thank you. And thank you for the shout-out.

I can definitely resonate with the "Jews are not loyal citizens" form of anti-Semitism as I have family members who suffered from similar discrimination related to being Roman Catholic in the 1950s and 60s, when it was feared that a RC, if elected to public office, would "take orders from the Pope first." Jewish people, presumably, would thus be feared as "taking orders from Israel first," which would be the same kind of offensive.

This is an excellent awareness-raising on a topic that really NEEDS awareness raising right now. Our Executive Branch is now riddled with appointed staff with a clear history of subscribing to anti-Semitic groups, causes, communications vehicles, and policies. The presence of a prominent Jewish staffer or two seems directed very specifically at Israel-related foreign policy, without any wider brief to address the Administration's standing and relationship with American Jewish communities.

The net effect looks to me like a very right-wing implementation of anti-Semitism, but in order to push back, Americans are going to have to address all kinds of anti-Semitism, including the Left's own history of conscious and subconscious bias and bigotry.

Not being Jewish, I've tried to stay the hell out of the discussion about the complexity of American Jews' relationship to Israel. That discussion is a lightning rod for many varieties of anti-Semitism, but I also believe that it's helpful to non-Jews on the left to be aware of that complexity and the diversity of viewpoints within American Jewish communities.

In your opinion/experience, BtA, is there a way to usefully separate the discussion of the broad anti-Semitism experienced by American Jews, from the discussion of American foreign policy in relationship to Israel? And if so, what would that be?

curiously,
Bright