Responding to Hate: A Week of Personal Observations
Some of my observations and comments posted this week
Some of my observations and comments this week on Substack and X
****
Responding to Caitlin Johnstone's hate for Israel and Zionism and advocacy for its destruction. @caitoz "You either support the existence of the Israel you see before you, or you support the end of the apartheid Zionist entity. There is no hidden third option."
You screaming words to the effect "Exterminate the Jewish State" are disgusting but speak to you.
The fact remains that Israel does exist. It's a state primarily of Jews. Most of those Jews were born in Israel.
The central problem is not Israel's existence. It's the fact that there are those both in the region - and clearly those far away - who openly seek to destroy an existing State; the one Jewish State which has as much right to exist as Australia or New Zealand; Russia or the United States. Or of course so many of those states in the Middle East which weren't separate states - starting with Lebanon and Syria
The criticism and condemnations of Israel are not new - and obviously not everything Israel does is so great. But the fact remains: Israel is defending itself. It was attacked. It was attacked and threatened before. Time and again. Does Israel control more land than it did in 1948? Absolutely. Israel is attacked or threatened. Israel responds. And there are consequences.
Your hatred of Israel clearly precedes the last couple of years of fighting. You have no problem with Arab attacks on Israel (or seemingly attacks on American supporters of Israel)
Zionists do not all have the same view. Some support or would accept or welcome a Palestinian State. But What Zionists do have in common. That Israel should not be destroyed. That clearly is very much not your goal. Screaming it time and again; doesn't make it so. It may get you more followers. And more paid followers. But hatred tends to have that effect
Basically you blame the victims, Israel, for responding to attacks on them. The solution is to stop attacking Israel. Stop defending those attacks. Learn to live in peace with Israel. And then Israel would live in peace with its neighbors.
And as have seen time and time again, your response is to call me "AIPAC Man" (I'm of course a FORMER AIPAC staffer. As I myself note on my Twitter. And Substack. Being once of AIPAC doesn't make me any more or any less in my views expressed) And of course you may be a better writer than I am. But it doesn't make you views any more hateful
*****
We live in an Alice in Wonderland World where haters of Israel calling for the extermination of the Jewish people characterize themselves as the Good Guys. And the Israelis (far from perfect) are depicted as the evil ones. You see supporters of Israel - at least most supporters of Israel - see problems and have regrets. But as the old saying goes for Israel. And we see from the hate. “Ein Breira.” Personally if I was a hater of Israel; I’d be more than a little ashamed at all the antisemites out there posting and commenting on their very own threads. People are not responsible for how others post responses to their posts. But At very minimum, these ostensibly “only anti-Zionisist, not antisemitic” would be denouncing and repudiating. As for those who post things such as “Wipe Israel Off The Map.” Well that’s certainly a point of view! But it merely reaffirms for Israel and its supporters the end of goal for some (or many) people. It’s not “just” a Palestinian State in Gaza (or Gaza and the West Bank). It’s no Israel
*****
Such visceral hatred for Israel and supporters of Israel. And such hatred seems to extend to all Jewish supporters of Israel - and absence of concern about threats to and attacks against Jews around the World
*****
Think if this week's firebombing attack on the "Free the Hostages" rally in Boulder, Colorado had been an attack on a LGBTQ rally or an African American or Hispanic or Asian American rally or against a local "Womens March" or a school shooting; or "undocumented immigrants" etc; the responses and condemnations would have been so much-more vociferous.
And NONE would have dared to have give a "chickens come home to roost" type response or downplay the attack (or asssert a "False Flag" action claim.) And none would have tried to say this wasn't "anti-Gay" or "anti-Black" etc; but merely a response to certain views.
There would instead have been joint statements and demands and calls for joint rallies and marches and statements from all the "Civil liberties" and "Church" and peace groups...(And of course numerous Jewish groups and individuals would have been in the forefront of leading such calls)
********
Numerous efforts to analogize Israel to the Nazis - photos, cartoons, memes, etc. Something some haters of Israel have been doing for decades. A far better analogy would be between those who seek to destroy the Jewish State and those who sought to exterminate the Jewish people
************
Didn’t read all the comments. But yes there are quite a few posters with large followings which included rabid antisemites. Are people OBLIGED to “disavow” comments on their threads by such people? Perhaps not. But by not doing so; they send a statement. Just as by offering such disavowals they send out another statement. That’s between them and their conscience!
******
As always, will be "interesting" and instructive who condemns yesterday's attack in Colorado; who seeks to "explain"/"mitigate" it - the "What about what Israel...; who is silent; who defends the attack; and who justifies or denies it - "What about.." and "False Flag"
********
"History will certainly remember" - @medeabenjamin who worked for the destruction of the one Jewish State on the planet. And who didn't. And those Jews who worked for that goal: That's not love for humanity. A Shandeh!
*******
I say to @CodePinkStop seeking the Destruction of Israel. It's one thing to criticize Israeli actions (I can agree with or not). But that's not your final goal: It's the dismantlement of Israel https://codepink.org/palestine
********
When was the last time @CodePink protested at those promoting violence against Jews and Israelis?
*****
Israel gets repeatedly attacked from Yemen. It responds…And here comes Human Rights Watch: “Israel, Yemen: Investigate Airport Attacks as War Crimes - Israeli Airstrikes Devastate Sanaa Airport; Houthi Attacks Target Ben Gurion Airport” with its opening sentence "The Israeli airstrikes on Yemen’s Sanaa International Airport on May 6 and May 28, 2025, were apparently unlawful indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks on civilian objects and should be investigated as war crimes..."
*****
Numerous efforts to analogize Israel to the Nazis - photos, cartoons, memes, etc. Something some haters of Israel have been doing for decades. A far better analogy would be between those who seek to destroy the Jewish State and those who sought to exterminate the Jewish people
*****
To be clear: Should the day ever come that Israel is destroyed -which is what quite a few posters on social media advocate; it would result in the largest slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust. True evil:Those who dehumanize all Israelis and Zionists and urge #WipeIsraelOffTheMap
******
Your ongoing dehumanization of all Israel and all Israelis using such terms "demons" ..."force of darkness..."
******
"Critics" vs "Haters" - Those condemning Israel's actions in Gaza; perhaps look at what they said: Did they condemn October 7th or say it was justified - or actually Israel? Demand Israeli hostage release? Call for peace with Israel? From literally Day I scream "Genocide"?
*******
Of course if it's considered legitimate to advocate the destruction of Israel; then no nation and no people are safe
******
When was the last time @CodePink protested at those promoting violence against Jews and Israelis?
*****
The former founder and head of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) @NIACouncil Trita Parsi@TParsi seems not unhappy that "Iran hawks" are "disappearing from admin." #Iran #USIsraen
*******
Every case is different; but generally believe in criticizing, condemning, pointing out errors etc rather than taking steps and saying thing which may merely worsen things or harden positions. Obviously some out there are rabid antisemites. But others may not be. Be sure before
*******
Certainly the ongoing surge of Antisemitism (Not "Just Anti-Zionism" is one of the phenomenons of our lifetime. As people should have learned by now; it's never going to be "Just the Jews."
*****
I just know that those "Anti-Zionist but not antisemitic" seem to devote little effort to swiping down the clear antisemites responding to their posts.
******
Oped in the @NYTimes by @NCJW's @SheilaKatz "Jews Are Afraid Right Now" (which the New York Times on its cover page titles the oped "American Jews Are Paying for the War in Gaza") https://nytimes.com/2025/06/03/opinion/antisemitism-jewish-attacks-colorado.html #AmericanJews #Antisemitism #Israel
I see the @NYTimes has now changed its cover page title for @SheilaKatz1’s oped "American Jews Are Paying for the War in Gaza" to what the oped was titled "Jews Are Afraid Right Now" #NewYorkTimes
******
From the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) President @NIACouncil @jabdi characterizing the "Pro-war crowd" (as opposed to perhaps calling them "opponents of Iran having nuclear weapons?") #Iran #NIAC
*******
Don't know enough about @piersmorgan to say. BUT think you should be really careful about accusing people of being antisemitic unless sure. There are many who clearly are. And others; pretty sure based on what say/don't say. Being "Critical of/or Wrong on Israel" isn't enough.
******
Think of all the Palestinian, Arab, Al-Jazeera "hate Israel" clips you don't see on US or UK mainstream news @mehdirhasan
*******
So looking for where @Amnesty posted "While the world celebrated Simchat Torah, Hamas is slaughtering, raping and kidnapping Jews in Israel." Absolute Eid Mubarak to Muslims around the World. But perhaps #Amnesty work harder for peace and reconciliation and less for hatred
********
Even if Israel was doing everything that haters of Israel claim (or fabricate); that might speak to the country's leadership. But it wouldn't invalidate Israel's existence of Israel- any more than the actions of China, Russia, US or any other country loses its right to exist
************
Well we saw how “tough” U.N. forces were in the South of Lebanon were - @UNIFIL_ were in stopping Hezbollah forces from attacking Israel. And we saw what U.N. agencies did vis-a-vis Hamas in Gaza….
**********
No. What Israel insists - including most liberal Israeli leaders - Is that the Palestinians (and their allies/backers/funders) stop their efforts to destroy Israel. Let's hear from you the call for Palestinians to live in peace alongside and accepting. the state of Israel
**********
Trita Parsi is always identified as being with the @QuincyInst without it also being noted that @Tparsi was the founder and former long-time head of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) @NIACouncil (Also posts so much about "Bad Israel;" so little about "Bad Iran.")
**********
Your way of phrasing things reflects perfectly on your thinking. It just doesn't always happen to be a reflection of reality.
********
It's @GretaThunberg ..Wonder how much Greta Thunberg actually knows of the history of Israel and Zionism. The History of the Arab-Israel conflict...What actually occurred on October 7th. And so forth. OK if you the facts; then "judge." But without knowing?
***********
Susan Abulhawa @susanabulhawa once again advocating the destruction of Israel "Wipe Israel Off The Map" #WipeIsraelOffTheMap
And again from @susanabulhawa "Spawns of Satan"
***********
Sometimes the truth doesn't change just because it's been said for many, many years. No one suggests Israel is beyond criticism. But as is clearly-evident: The root cause of the conflict - amplified by the many haters on Social Media - is non-acceptance of the existence of Israel
**********
I'd suggest that some haters of Israel seem to "live in the past century for real." Say, the 1933-1945 period...
***********
I just hate using either term "Kapo" or "self-hating" - even if I may disagree with someone
**********
So if you oppose Israel; that's showing integrity. But if you support Israel; you're displaying lack of integrity? Maybe it's just because you like his views re Israel?
**********
That's the key phrase from @UN @FranceskAlbs - showing she goes far beyond "just" what Israel might be doing in Gaza or the West Bank. It's "dismantle apartheid" (which of course Israel is not; but it's the phrase used by those not accepting "even" the Jewish State.
*********
But we keep hearing that Jews in the Arab World - until Israel came along - were treated as complete equals in the Arab World.
*****
Not so sure about admiring him. But his views - and anti-Israel hypocrites should follow this approach: - Focus on "policy views or public actions: not personal, private actions - As said yesterday.
********
But we keep hearing that Jews in the Arab World - until Israel came along - were treated as complete equals in the Arab World.
******
Killing Jews is not green