Thank you Stephen for this important message!
On Sat, Jan 4, 2025, 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 > <https://www.routledge.com/Mapping-the-New-Left-Antisemitism-The-Fathom-Essays/Johnson/p/book/9781032344713?srsltid=AfmBOoqtg66VC-kIiEw-o7nAl0t4hAyahYJb5iqrIlIr1Urdo5PPCVOc>,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 > -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/ > . > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. > >
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