I would like to suggest an excellent, easy to read, book by Noa Tishby, called Israel, A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth. It sets out the historic connection of the Jewish people for millennia to the land of Israel. I will donate a copy to the Lincoln library.
Faye Sent from my iPad On Jan 4, 2025, at 10:26 AM, S Brown <sdbr...@gmail.com> wrote:
Friends,
Over a year ago, I invited people on this forum to read the book Mapping the New Left Antismitism ,with a note that I would be happy to discuss the issues over coffee or tea with anybody at any time. Nobody took me up on that offer. As someone who concurs with the legitimacy of many criticisms that have been leveled in this forum about Israel’s actions, I remain dismayed at how critically unexamined some of the rhetoric around the criticism has been. The result has been a perpetuation and normalization of antisemitic rhetoric that is wholly unoriginal, and very purposefully divisive to unfortunate effect, damaging the fabric of this community, in which I now find myself deeply uncomfortable after 20+ years of so many warm relationships.
The language used by GRALTA, which initiated these difficult conversations, is a prime example. Take this claim that GRALTA has put out in its public massaging here on this forum: "Zionism today, as ideology, theology, and political project, has emerged as an _expression_ of neocolonialism, Christian nationalism, and fascism.”
This statement reflects a troubling alignment with narratives rooted in Soviet-era antisemitic propaganda, which rebranded attacks on Jews as attacks on Zionism. While it purports to critique a political ideology, it uses rhetoric designed to demonize and dehumanize, perpetuating harmful stereotypes that have long been used against Jewish people. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union systematically reframed its antisemitic agenda as anti-Zionist rhetoric. Zionism, a movement for Jewish self-determination born out of centuries of persecution and exile, was portrayed as a form of neocolonialism and racism. The Soviets accused Zionism of being an imperialist conspiracy, using antisemitic tropes about Jewish control over global systems like finance, media, and politics. By associating Zionism with fascism, Soviet propaganda created a morally repugnant equivalence that ignored the Jewish people's experiences of genocide and displacement during the Holocaust. This tactic was not only deeply ahistorical but also dehumanizing, casting Zionists—and, by extension, Jews—as existential threats to global justice. The original Hamas Covenant (1988) echoed Soviet propaganda, conflating Zionism with conspiratorial global domination. Article 22 of the charter accused Zionists of orchestrating wars, revolutions, and economic oppression—directly mirroring Soviet antisemitic narratives. It presented Zionism not as a response to Jewish persecution but as a force of imperialist aggression, erasing the historical and spiritual connection of Jews to the land of Israel. This shift from targeting Jews explicitly to demonizing Zionism has made antisemitism more palatable in political discourse. By focusing on Zionism, the same dehumanizing tropes and stereotypes about Jews were perpetuated under a different guise. The phrase from GRALTA directly reflects this legacy. Zionism is reduced to a colonial project, ignoring its roots as a liberation movement for a persecuted people with deep historical ties to their ancestral homeland. Associating Zionism with fascism invokes the Soviet tactic of aligning Jewish self-determination with ideologies of oppression and genocide. The claim mirrors narratives of Jewish conspiratorial power, subtly dehumanizing Jews who identify with or support Zionism. By framing Zionism as a uniquely evil force, such rhetoric legitimizes exclusion, marginalization, and even violence against Jews in the name of opposing Israel. While legitimate criticism of Israeli policies is necessary and valuable, language like this moves far beyond policy critique. It perpetuates harmful stereotypes and fosters division within communities, as it has ours. There are now many Jews in our town - friends, neighbors, classmates - who, like me, feel deeply uncomfortable in it. This is highly regrettable and deeply troubling. And I would like to thank the neighbors of mine who, over the past 15 months, have reached out with expressions of concern for our safety and well-being. As a practical matter, I would endorse using a #POLITICAL tag for any emails that have political content, with the possible exception of matters related to town governance. Best wishes, Stephen Brown
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