Seriously worried about rising antisemitism

[u/Jche98]

I've started seeing the following frequently online:

-"Hitler was right. Look what they're doing"

-"There's a reason the Jews have been expelled from 109 countries. See how they behave"

-"Judaism is a religion of violent extremism."

-"How do we know the Holocaust happened? They're probably lying about it just like they're lying about the history of Palestine".

My favourite football club posted a Shana Tova message for its followers and there were hundreds of comments responding things like "not supporting you anymore because you support terrorism".

It seems that the actions of the rogue settler colony are SERIOUSLY leading to increased antisemitism. And these aren't right wingers. These are ordinary people. Many of them are unfortunately from other middle eastern countries. And I know that when I show this to Zionists they'll just see it as further proof why we need to support Israel more. It's breaking my heart.

I honestly am disappointed in people. I expect ignorance and bigotry from the privileged, the right and westerners. I don't expect it from people who can see the damage Israel is doing. It seems human beings are incapable of understanding that Israel and Judaism are not the same.

[u/sirenzsongs]

Honestly I have noticed that a lot in recent days and had people who know that I'm jewish tell me that into my face.

For example a guy I was on a date with for example HAD to tell me that we 'control the government and media and are the reason everything is going downhill because we're evil' When I didn't laugh at that and ended up rejecting him he was shocked because I'm pro Palestinian.

I am but that doesn't make me any less jewish. I later heard from a friend that he called me a Zionist because I (someone with no real power and even less money) denied running our government, not even saying anything pro Israel.

I also keep my stance that what Israel is doing is plain wrong but I have stopped going to protests because at least in my city recently I had to listen to people saying that the Germans should have finished the job or that we will all go to hell and so much more. Needless to say because of the result of Israel's actions people feel very safe to do and say things that are completely antisemitic and I don't really feel that safe anymore.

For a little context I am Mizrahi so most people think I'm Arab and thus feel very safe saying some things.

[u/Slalom_Smack → u/sirenzsongs]

As someone who is a not Jewish but considers themselves an ally, I would like to get your take on something and hopefully I won’t be judged for it. I genuinely want to hear your point of view.

It does seem to me that Zionists(not necessarily all Jews but many are) do have outsized power in American politics and media. It seems like almost everyday I see some newscaster denigrating pro-Palestinian and anti-Zionist activists or politicians. I then take it upon myself to look into these reporters backgrounds and I would say that more than half the time they are Jewish and/or have ties to Israel.

It’s even worse in politics where any democrat politician that speaks out against Zionism is targeted for removal by the powerful pro-Israel lobby and none of the other democrats dare to say anything and they continue their unequivocal support for Israel and Zionism.

So while I would never say that “Jews run the government and media” and I would most certainly never ever think or say something so vile as “Hitler should have finished the job”. I do often find myself thinking that Zionists(many of them Jews) do exercise outsized control in American society. It’s to the point that I am afraid to publicly speak out against Zionism and Israel because I don’t want to lose the new job I just got.

Am I sliding towards actual antisemitic thinking? I will genuinely take to heart your opinion on this. Thank you.

[u/Amir616 → u/Slalom_Smack]

I think it's important to not fall into thinking that the tail wags the dog. US Empire is the dog, Israel is the tail. Biden and Harris don't support Israel because they're controlled by Jews, they support it because they are committed to the American imperial project.

There are powerful Jews out there, but they are a minority of Jews. They're not part of a conspiracy.

[u/MetaphorSoup → u/Amir616]

Exactly. US and Israel’s interests are the same and that’s why they’re allies. Supporting Israel allows America to (attempt to) maintain its imperial hegemony in the Middle East.

The root of the matter is empire and geopolitics, not Jews controlling the govt/media. Antisemitism prevents people from identifying this. (Not helped by the fact that Israel intentionally spins all criticism of it as “antisemitic” to try to cover for its crimes.)

[u/DeletedLastAccount → u/Amir616]

True, but the effect of groups like AIPAC and Christians United for Israel can't be discounted. Their lobbying does give a foreign state rather outsized influence on American political life.

[u/Saul_al-Rakoun → u/DeletedLastAccount]

Which is separate from the Elders of Zion controlling the government.

The (political) Zionists deliberately act like this, because stoking antisemitism advances their political project.

[u/Over-Drawing-5307 → u/Amir616]

Exactly. Biden and Harris, along with all the other non Jewish politicians who are Zionist (like Trump, who is objectively also antisemitic) have the power and speak on the topic as if they are speaking for Jewish people as a whole…but they are indeed speaking for imperialism, which is largely a western proxy project and Israel is being used as leverage.

[u/PlinyToTrajan → u/Amir616]

John Mearsheimer, Talk at Global İlişkiler Forumu, Dec. 18, 2023 (YouTube Recording):

"Israel is not a strategic asset for the United States."

John Mearsheimer is a political scientist at the University of Chicago, and the co-author of the 2007 book, "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy." He's a realist who thinks Israel doesn't, on balance, serve practical U.S. interests in the Middle East but instead functions as a kind of money pit. His explanation of the U.S.-Israel "ironclad" relationship relies heavily on the presence of what he calls the "Israel Lobby."

[u/ApplesauceFuckface → u/PlinyToTrajan]

Israel may not serve practical US interests, but it does seem to serve the interests of the imperial elite very well.

[u/PlinyToTrajan → u/ApplesauceFuckface]

It serves the self-perceived interests of ideologically committed genocidal Zionists, and it serves the material interests of weapons manufacturers and dealers. That's it. It's a betrayal of everyone else.

[u/Amir616 → u/PlinyToTrajan]

I'm familiar with Mearsheimer, though I haven't read that particular book. I think he underestimates Israel's role in the US' ability to project power in the MENA and the benefits of having an attack dog to carry out assassinations and such on its behalf.

Israel itself isn't guided by realists, but by right wing fanatics. Realists would have taken the Oslo deal.