this post was submitted on 27 Dec 2023
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[–] doublejay1999 137 points 6 months ago (3 children)

The meme is you can’t do any such thing without being labelled antisemitic

[–] PM_Your_Nudes_Please 66 points 6 months ago (3 children)

Yup, it’s an issue that goes both ways. Israel has historically used the “antisemite” label as a shield for any criticism. And that has all recently come to a head, where any valid criticism of their literal fucking war crimes is treated the same as if you’re a neo-nazi. You can criticize Israel’s actions without stooping to antisemitism. But that won’t stop Israel (and Israel’s supporters) from labeling you an antisemite anyways.

It’s the same strategy that conservatives have used with things like Critical Race Theory. They work to undefine the term, so anything they don’t like can be labeled as such. Don’t like a classroom lesson? Label it CRT. Since conservatives have been taught to hate CRT, they’ll hate that lesson. Even if the lesson has nothing to do with CRT, that doesn’t matter because the conservative voters have already made up their minds about whether or not they’re against it. Antisemitism has become an undefined term for Israel’s supporters, where anyone they don’t like can simply be labeled an antisemite.

[–] kaffiene 18 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Yuo. Conservatives di this all the time. See: woke, politically correct, commie They use terms as cudgels without concern for meaning

[–] mojofrododojo 12 points 6 months ago

they pride themselves on not being able to even define what woke, CRT etc are in their own words.

chuds.

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[–] themeatbridge 10 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (27 children)

It's a tough needle to thread, because there is both a lot of antisemitism and a lot of opposition to genocide that is not motivated by antisemitism. Any support for Palestinians is joined by a chorus of calls to end the existence of Israel entirely, something that would require killing a lot of Jewish people. So it's difficult to untangle the legitimate criticism from the antisemitism.

So I don't disagree with you, but I also understand why people are quick to slap labels on critics.

[–] Eldritch 42 points 6 months ago (20 children)

Israel is not "Jewish people". Israel "could" end without a single Jew dying. Also, Jews lived there when it was Palestine. I dunno did they die when it became Israel? How are you arriving at the end of a concept being mass murder?

I think if Israel stopped trying to run itself as an ethnostate they'd be fine. I think there's an argument that the "concept" of what currently constitutes Israel may be too tainted to realistically save. Many unwilling to admit fault, apologize, and return what was stolen. And many unwilling to forgive them for doing it. It would take real concession and change. Something those in charge don't want. So the people both Israeli and Palestinian will continue to suffer for the gains of wealthy genocidal bigots.

[–] themeatbridge 7 points 6 months ago (3 children)

Many Palestinians were killed or died in the transition when Israel was established.

I agree with you that Israel needs to change, and that they aren't going to change unless they are forced to change. But the Jewish people living in Israel will not leave peacefully. To "end" Israel is to kill a lot of Jewish people living there.

And the antisemites are counting on everyone making a distinction between the two.

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 6 months ago (22 children)

Fuck that. Anti Zionism isn't antisemitism. Israel is a fascist state with no right to exist. Anyone who associates that fascist state to Jewishness is the true antisemite

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[–] Viking_Hippie 13 points 6 months ago (2 children)

It's a tough needle to thread

It really isn't as long as both parties are arguing in good faith and refraining from strawman arguments or other logical fallacies.

Sadly, even that is usually too much to ask for, as evidenced by your apparently good faith post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy of assuming that you can't argue that genocide of Palestinians is a bad thing without people agreeing with you by arguing that genocide of Israeli people would be super neat.

Of course, claiming that what other people say apart from agreeing with you that Palestinians shouldn't be murdered is the responsibility of you for some reason is in itself an association fallacy.

Come to think of it, ARE you arguing in good faith or are you just taking this chance to apply guilt by association without appearing to? 🤔

Anyway: NO it's NOT difficult to defend Palestinians without being antisemitic and benignly doing so does NOT make you responsible for antisemites agreeing with what you're saying and then adding a lot that you did NOT say.

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[–] Linkerbaan 92 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Big shout out to all the Jews protesting against israel they completely destroyed this narrative.

https://youtu.be/7I7W99OVcjo

[–] MashedTech 29 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (5 children)

Are others going to label them as "anti-semitic Jews"? I feel like it would be ironic and ridiculous but I'm not that smart.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil 24 points 6 months ago

Wouldn't be the first time "self-hating Jew" has been used to shut down any kind of anti-Zionist critique. Bernie Sanders had his face shoved in that turd all through 2016. I remember hearing it tossed around since at least the Bush Era, when being against the Iraq War was framed as a form of anti-Semitism.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 6 months ago (2 children)

I've already seen it. I think the common term is "self-hating Jew".

"anti-Semitism" used to be a term with a lot of weight and serious connotations. Now, it's been misused and abused so often that the power it once had is gone.

If anyone who disagrees with the genocidal far right government of Israel is an anti-semite then, of course, the term will lose it's power to shame actual bigots. It should surprise nobody that actual anti-jewish bigots are coming out of the shadows.

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[–] clearleaf 65 points 6 months ago (1 children)

This is one of those memes where you can't really be sure who it's talking to.

[–] Kase 20 points 6 months ago

Agreed. One one hand, some people have been using 'antisemitic' (sorry I have no idea how to spell that, and autocorrect isn't helping lmao) to dismiss just about anyone who criticizes Israel's actions. On the other hand, there absolutely are people going around being blatantly antisemitic.

I'm assuming that's what you're talking about, but correct me if I'm wrong ofc lol.

[–] breadsmasher 64 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Condemning the deaths of Palestinians is not inherently antisemitic

FTFY

[–] dlpkl 71 points 6 months ago (72 children)

Anti-zionism =/= anti-semitism.

Pro-Palestine =/= pro-Hamas.

Anti-Hamas =/= Pro-Israel.

[–] [email protected] 29 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Since October it's been a really easy concept to grasp. Hamas is a terrorist group that murdered and kidnapped a bunch (don't know the exact number something around 200+) of Israeli civilians, the IDF responded in a predictably overzealous way and have now killed somewhere in the neighborhood of 20,000 civilians in Palestine. Neither Hamas nor the IDF have a moral high ground here. They both need to stop killing civilians. Super easy.

[–] dragontamer 9 points 6 months ago (60 children)

Neither Hamas nor the IDF have a moral high ground here. They both need to stop killing civilians.

The one thing both have in common is refusal to take peace talks seriously. Hamas refuses to let go of their hostages, and Israel continues their bombing campaign against Hamas.

Its a difficult situation because these are the "adults" in the room. The civilians involved have little power at all.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 months ago (3 children)

Hamas did let some hostages go fwiw.

Both Hamas and the Israeli government do not want peace, though. They're on the same side in that. (Hence Israel sending cash and stuff to keep Hamas in power.)

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 months ago

Judaism =/= the Israeli government

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago

I'd make this into a T-shirt but the amount of people that have no idea what ≠ means is too damn high.

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[–] Wilzax 50 points 6 months ago (1 children)

some of the most chill, accepting, and compassionate religious people I know are jews. Funny how what those people all have in common is hating zionism.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Sadly they're not the ones running Israel right now :(

[–] [email protected] 21 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Jews who stand against zionism don't usually have a lot of motivation to live in Israel. It's a structural issue with the country.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 months ago

There are some! At least some who stand against these atrocities. It's definitely less attractive a prospect, though.

[–] randon31415 39 points 6 months ago (1 children)

"Those that shoot missles and kill civilians are responsible for their death regardless of circumstances."

"If you think I am criticizing Israel instead of Hamas then you are admitting you can't tell the difference - and that's a 'you' problem"

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[–] vegantomato 37 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (3 children)

Antisemitism can be defined arbitrarily by Zionists. Criticizing Zionism is often labeled as antisemitic. You cannot win by playing this game.

The easiest is to ignore this label and look at the facts. If I am an antisemite for not wanting psychopaths to kill Palestinian children, and want said psychopaths to be justly charged for their crimes, then so be it, I am an antisemite. I don't care.

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[–] Roccobot 35 points 6 months ago (2 children)

I say fuck Israel, not fuck the Jews. Not sure who's the target audience here

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[–] dipshit 26 points 6 months ago (2 children)

And if it’s all too complicated, you’re always free to STFU.

[–] Kase 10 points 6 months ago

This was me for most of the time since this started lmao. I read a lot of news about it, but had pretty much no idea what was going on (still don't 100% ofc). No shame in STFU-ing :)

[–] blazeknave 7 points 6 months ago

We've lost the art of stfu if you have nothing to offer, and apologizing or admitting you're incorrect or your opinion isn't defensible. Marc Maron does a bit in his most recent Netflix special. We used to say "oh man, I'm so stupid, how'd I miss that, you're right, sorry" .. there's no regular old stupidity anymore

[–] Mango 14 points 6 months ago

Those PARTICULAR Jews suck!

[–] [email protected] 13 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Authoritarians don't want you to know this, but:

The people are not the state.

The state is not the people.

Nobody is born anywhere on purpose.

You can condemn the Israeli state without being a Nazi.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 months ago

Some people can, others... well... i think the antisemitic comments are the point for some.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Did anyone else never notice Double D is pointing at a page that's double the width of the book and has been folded out?

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[–] crsu 7 points 6 months ago

My god can beat up your god, nuh uh, bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb

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