(Jewish Group) An Open Letter To The American Left: Don't Make The Mistakes We Did In Britain

[Behind the Aegis]

(THIS IS THE JEWISH GROUP! RESPECT!!)

For those of us watching from the UK, seeing the Democrats grapple with allegations of anti-Semitism in their ascendant left flank has brought on a serious case of déjà vu. For British progressives, it was only a few years ago that we cheered the rise of the left wing of the Labour Party, and the leftward tilt on domestic and foreign policy that followed.

Today, we are spectators from the near future, a place where a full-blown anti-Semitism crisis led to a literal split of the party last week. Viewing American progressive politics today is like seeing the beginnings of a slow-motion car crash, one we’ve already been through.

I have some advice for Democrats looking to avoid the scorched earth on which UK progressives now stand. First, deal with anti-Semitism on the left — and yes, that’s an actual thing, not a smear concocted by political opponents. In fact, this might be the most important advice, namely: Do not let your opponents define the terms of your response to a very real problem.

When accusations of anti-Semitism come from the right, it is all too easy to react defensively, rail against double standards, and cast the issue solely as a weapon of attack rather than a genuine problem. After all, isn’t the right — and especially its Trumpist, far-right faction — far more anti-Semitic? Why is everyone going after one of the first Muslim women in Congress, rather than the white supremacist president and his cronies? Don’t supporters of a rightist, expansionist Israeli government use accusations of anti-Semitism to shut down criticism of its policies?

It’s true: Cynical exploitation of anti-Semitism is as real as anti-Semitism itself.

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[still_one]

1. Conspiratorial comments, and accusing Jewish members of Congress of dual loyalities is nothing

new, and it is no surprise that those slurs have been hurled predominately by those from the far left and right. It has been going on for a long time

[Behind the Aegis]

2. Nope, not new at all.

In fact, we see it at sites which aren't far-left as well. Some Jew pisses them off and suddenly it is "Schumer (D- Tel Aviv)". Wait until the first right-wingers start posting "Omar (D-Mogadishu or Ramallah or Damascus)" (they won't care what Muslim capital it is) and watch people rage about the Islamophobia. Remember the PBS interview where Sanders was questioned about his "dual loyalty/citizenship"? It was actually defended as "something of interest"! It amazes me and pisses off how little people actually know about anti-Semitism and the tropes used against us for fucking centuries!

[still_one]

3. I forgot about that BTA. I believe it was a PBS interview of all things, and it was Diane Rehm

In fact It was more of a statement, she said something like, you have dual citizenship with Israel, and when Sanders corrected her, she still continued spewing it.


I thought for the most part there was rightful outrage by most here, but not surprisingly that outrage didn't seem to extend uniformly when applied to someone they didn't agree with politically on an issue. Some of the same folks who were outraged when it was hurled at Sanders, had no problem hurling that dual-loyalty toward Schumer.

Not only is that a double standard, that is an even more insideous example of anti-Semitism, because you are only outraged when it suits your purpose.

Excellent example BTA.

Thanks