Thank you to all who are speaking out very articulately. It is valuable to have views aired in the open. I particularly agree with the statement that there is a difference between anti semitism and the criticizing of Israel's political stance. This dilemma has caused a lot of grief inside the liberal Jewish community as well as in the world. We all need to be able to think critically, but it is too easy to revert to simplistic thinking.
My objection to the particular films that have been shown is that they give a partial picture of the entire situation. They not inherently bad films, but they miss perspective when shown separately to a group of people who may or may not have a well-rounded historical, emotional and political perspective of the situation. This is particularly the case since October 7 of last year. I believe the films would be more valuable as part of a well rounded approach to the Issues that present themselves in Israel and Palestine--perhaps a series of films with a variety of viewpoints, followed by discussion that can examine all aspects of what has been happening. Otherwise these films run the risk of perpetuating a black-white view of the situation, which I believe is potentially dangerous. Jane *Jane Appell, Ph.D.* 781-259-1049 www.janeappell.com CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE - The information in this transmission is intended only for the individual indicated and may include confidential and privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any review, disclosure, copying, distribution or the taking of any action relevant to the contents of this transmission are prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify the sender. On Fri, Jan 17, 2025 at 3:37 PM Jonathan Sheffi <jshe...@gmail.com> wrote: > No, that's not what I'm saying at all. Definitely skip the "Zionist > conspiracy theory" movies. > > On Fri, Jan 17, 2025, 15:11 Sara Mattes <samat...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> All, >> We have heard from a number of very articulate voices as to concerns over >> the GRALTA series >> Jonathan has told us what he thinks we need to alerted to regarding this >> upcoming movie. >> As Rachel reminds us, this is one voice. >> >> The only way to sort some of the statements out is to go view and >> critique the movies ourselves. >> New aware and be sensitive. >> >> I trust we are educated and sophisticated enough to reach informed >> conclusions on our own. >> >> >> >> >> >> On Jan 17, 2025, at 2:32 PM, Jonathan Sheffi <jshe...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> I genuinely appreciate your earnestness, and you make a great point for >> why anti-Zionism is inherently antisemitic: Criticism of Israel's actions >> *is* different from criticizing Israel's right to exist as a Jewish >> state, which is typically leveled at it only because it is Jewish, as in >> these movies. >> >> *A nation is not required to be perfect in order to be legitimate* (see: >> USA, Canada, England, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, not to mention >> China, Syria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, etc). This is what is so dangerous about >> these movies and speakers. They criticize not only Israel's actions (in a >> highly biased and inaccurate way), but also claim that the Jewish people >> therefore do not deserve equal rights to political power or >> self-determination the way that other people do. By creating a "Jews bad, >> Arabs good" narrative, not only do the movies falsely demonize the Jewish >> people, they rob everyone of the opportunity to take a broader perspective. >> >> I think this is the healthiest back-and-forth we've had on this topic so >> far. Thanks, Rachel. >> ᐧ >> >> On Fri, Jan 17, 2025 at 2:18 PM Rachel Marie Schachter < >> rachelmarieschach...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> I know you’re not calling for censorship. I do think that some other >>> responses on LincolnTalk were saying this series shouldn’t be allowed to >>> take place. >>> >>> To answer you directly — I believe, and work daily to live into the >>> belief, that any speech or actions against Jewish people based on being >>> Jewish is absolutely wrong, which isn’t anywhere near a strong enough word. >>> I don’t know you and you don’t know me, so I can’t convince you of that >>> over email, and I’m not trying to. >>> >>> When people trying to criticize Israel, a political power, conflate that >>> criticism with demonization of all Jewish people, it delegitimizes any >>> argument being made. Period. There are people advocating for the people of >>> Palestine who are working hard to not do that, and to actively combat it. I >>> was trying to agree as someone who believes in a free Palestine that >>> antisemitism isn’t somehow suddenly fine, and you’re right, a lot of the >>> loudest voices are acting like it is. And I wanted to remind people that no >>> one person is the voice of a movement or viewpoint. >>> >>> Thanks for taking me at face value and having a genuine conversation. >>> That’s all I’m trying to do. >>> >>> Rachel >>> >>> >>> >>> On Fri, Jan 17, 2025 at 9:15 AM Jonathan Sheffi <jshe...@gmail.com> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> Nobody is calling for censorship. However, these movies (with which I >>>> happen to be familiar >>>> <https://5a55e4ca.streaklinks.com/CRxaqkMJySZHSrNlWQjEey_U/https%3A%2F%2Fpairlist9.pair.net%2Fmailman%2Fprivate%2Flincoln%2F2024-December%2F067572.html>) >>>> each promote the delegitimization of equal rights for the Jewish people in >>>> different ways, whether opposing their right to free speech, to >>>> political power, or to self-determination. And so they are being called out >>>> for promoting hatred against a minority group. >>>> >>>> You say that calling out antisemitism in any movement is important, and >>>> I agree with you, but you haven't yet said what that means to you. Which >>>> beliefs, speech, or actions against the Jewish people do you oppose, and >>>> which beliefs, speech, or actions against the Jewish people do you not >>>> oppose? >>>> ᐧ >>>> >>>> On Thu, Jan 16, 2025 at 7:07 PM Rachel Marie Schachter < >>>> rachelmarieschach...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>> >>>>> I apologize if this falls in the category of something that shouldn't >>>>> be continued on LincolnTalk, but I don't want to respond to you privately, >>>>> Steve (Brown), and have you think that I'm saying something privately that >>>>> I wouldn't be willing to say publicly. I've also had this general idea >>>>> floating around my brain for a while, and since I don't know you >>>>> personally, I think it makes more sense to respond on LincolnTalk. >>>>> >>>>> I want to acknowledge your pain and trauma, your lived experience, and >>>>> the very true and real history and present rise in antisemitism in >>>>> America, >>>>> including in our town and locally. I truly hope it doesn't make that seem >>>>> insincere to say I just want to remind people that Steve Low is just one >>>>> person, GRALTA is just one organization made up of more than one person >>>>> who >>>>> I assume don't all share exactly the same viewpoints, and not everyone who >>>>> believes in a free Palestine (myself included, and I have for a long time) >>>>> approaches their advocacy with antisemitic rhetoric, by conflating Zionism >>>>> (which I don't believe has a simple cut-and-dry definition, but I'm also >>>>> just one person) with the state of Israel with Jewish people in general. >>>>> Steve Low obviously doesn't believe he's doing that, and I'm not here to >>>>> argue that one way or the other. There *is* a ton of antisemitic >>>>> rhetoric within factions of movements advocating for a free Palestine. >>>>> It's >>>>> not every person or every organization, but it absolutely exists, and it >>>>> shouldn't, and it detracts from everyone's goals because it's deflective >>>>> and misguided. >>>>> >>>>> In my view, true liberation demands calling out antisemitism within >>>>> *any* movement, the same way it demands calling out *any* legitimately >>>>> harmful rhetoric. I don't believe in censoring the series (for >>>>> transparency, I haven't seen any of the films) because I don't believe in >>>>> censorship in general. I just hope it gives literally anyone comfort to be >>>>> reminded that no one person or group is the face of any movement or >>>>> outlook, and the loudest voices are very much not necessarily the voice of >>>>> a majority, let alone a consensus. >>>>> >>>>> Rachel >>>>> >>>>> On Wed, Jan 15, 2025 at 10:23 PM S Brown <sdbr...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> As we ponder the implications of the question raised in the message >>>>>> below: *“Could this happen in Lincoln?”,* we might also consider >>>>>> once again how antisemitic rhetoric has become normalized in Lincoln. The >>>>>> implication is that a Zionist conspiracy is encroaching dangerously upon >>>>>> our town, seeking to control the media, the educational system, and the >>>>>> government. >>>>>> >>>>>> For those who don’t see how disturbingly insensitive, offensive, >>>>>> inflammatory and utterly frightening this sort of rhetoric is to so many >>>>>> Jews in this town, I weep. >>>>>> >>>>>> For those like my family, who have long had our children under armed >>>>>> guard at their schools, camps, and places of worship, who have been so >>>>>> repeatedly traumatized by events over the course of the last 15 monhts, >>>>>> and >>>>>> who feel so deeply the pain of all those who have suffered in the war, I >>>>>> weep even more, as I see this town we love, once a sanctuary, succumb to >>>>>> a >>>>>> venomous rhetoric that is poisoning our community, and labels us as the >>>>>> enemy. >>>>>> >>>>>> Steve Brown >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Begin forwarded message: >>>>>> >>>>>> *From: *"Stephen R. Low" <steve....@gordianconcepts.com> >>>>>> *Subject: **[LincolnTalk] Reminder: GRALTA's Israel-Palestine Film >>>>>> Series continues on Thursday (Jan 16) and Sunday (Jan 19)* >>>>>> *Date: *January 15, 2025 at 7:03:36 PM EST >>>>>> *To: *"Lincoln Talk" <lincoln@lincolntalk.org> >>>>>> *Reply-To: *steve....@gordianconcepts.com >>>>>> >>>>>> *The GRALTA Foundation screens the second film in our winter film >>>>>> series* >>>>>> *The Lobby-USA (Part 1)**, a 2017 documentary produced by Al Jazeera >>>>>> Investigations.* >>>>>> >>>>>> *“A superb undercover investigation”* >>>>>> *~** Middle East Monitor **~* >>>>>> >>>>>> *Two screenings in Lincoln, MA—a weekday evening and a Sunday >>>>>> afternoon.* >>>>>> >>>>>> - *Thursday, January 16 at 7 PM at Bemis Hall, 15 Bedford Road* >>>>>> - *Sunday, January 19 at 2 PM at the Lincoln Public Library, 3 >>>>>> Bedford Road* >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> [image: image004.png] >>>>>> <https://zoa.org/2018/04/10377872-zoa-mort-klein-convinced-qatar-to-cancel-anti-semitic-al-jazeera-jewish-lobby-series/> >>>>>> >>>>>> Regards, >>>>>> Steve Low >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>>> 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. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>>> 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. >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>> 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. >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>> 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. >>>> >>>> -- >> 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. >> >> >> -- > 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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