Im getting private messages from people - Jews and non-Jews alike - telling me they are afraid to express their opposition to Israels invasion of Gaza. I understand that fear. And as a Jew and son of Israelis, with all but a few members of my family living in Israel, I will say this: dont let anyone accuse you of being anti-Semitic or anti-Israel for speaking out against Israels actions in Gaza. And dont let them silence you. At best, equating criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism is short-sighted nationalism. At worst, it is calculated bullying, plain and simple, and I believe it is a disgrace to the members of my family who died in the holocaust and the many other millions who were murdered. Have no doubt this bullying is part of a coordinated campaign to manipulate genuine concerns over anti-Semitism into a callous tool to silence opposition, with many good people taking the bait. The only way to stop bullying is to speak out, all of us. Please, regardless of your religion / ethnicity: if you speak with love for all people and criticize Israels treatment of the Palestinian people, you are not only helping Palestinians. You are standing for truth, freedom and democracy. And while many Israelis may not know it, you are helping Israel to hang on to what is left of its soul and have some hope of embracing policies that will protect the safety of all people in the long run. Please speak out - loud, clear and often. Your voice is so needed right now, by Palestinians and by Israelis. And you have every right refuse to be attacked for your expressing your views. Debate, yes. Attacks, no.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Jul 2014 06:31:05 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015