Comment Response on Anti-Semitism
Someone just sent me a comment asking how I felt about anti-semitism that seems to have arisen in the wake of the war in Gaza. As readers of this site know, I have mostly stayed out of it, though I did write something after the October 7th attack and have dipped a toe in now and again. I don’t write about it because I understand emotions are high.
My mother, for instance, who is not Jewish (my father is) is very angry about Netanyahu and the victims of what she believes is a genocide. She watches a lot of mainstream news, which shapes her opinion. Naturally, she is pro-war in Ukraine but anti-war in Gaza.
She is probably also someone who thinks that “illegal immigrants” are the same as immigrants and will be against deportations. I always know the media narrative by how my mother responds to any given issue. These are all touchy and painful subjects because they deal with real people. It’s easy to slip into an unfeeling place where you forget that they’re people, of course. So we have to remind ourselves not to get there.
Do I share Tucker Carlson’s feelings about the war and about Israel? I do not. It isn’t a matter of knowing about it - I know about it — I feel conflicted about it and haven’t yet decided on which side I stand. But I know I stand against Jew hate. I know where that leads. So count me out.
That said, there is anti-semitism everywhere all of a sudden that is not only accepted but encouraged. I hate that word, anti-semitism; it sounds like a cleaning product. Let’s just call it what it is: Jew hate. Jew hate is not hard to spot. I had a guy on Twitter fairly recently say I had a “Jew face,” which I suppose I do. Funnily enough, I don’t take after my father’s side, but my mother’s side, and not a Jew in sight.
I disagree that criticizing Israel is Jew hate, however. I can see how it would go there. I listen to people like Dave Smith, so I hear that side, and I listen to a lot of Ben Shapiro and hear the other side. And that is why I don’t have a strong opinion on it. Some people find that frustrating.
I don’t agree with many of Tucker's statements, but I listen to him and watch his videos because he is an honest broker. He doesn’t hide what he thinks. I am attracted to those kinds of voices now because I overdosed on the deceptive language and lies of the Left for so long. Tucker is open-minded and forgiving, I have found. Despite what people say about him, he is not a hateful person. He is a learner, and I appreciate that, too.
This is just to say that you are welcome here, no matter your side. If you see a comment that you think crosses the line, report it. I am responsible for the comments and what I post, so I must be careful about what I allow to be published. My reputation is mostly scorched, but that’s the last thing I need.
So go ahead and have the Israel conversation but please try to remember that there are people on the other end of the comments…
Antisemitism is like pornography, you know it when you see it. As far as not knowing what “side” to be on, that is already a choice. Taking the side of the barbarian head choppers tells you everything you need to know. Taking the side of the murderers who videoed their crimes and called their mother’s extolling the fact that “I have killed 10 Jews with my own hands!” and their mother praising them is damning evidence of which side moral people should be on.
Whatever the debate, I find it curious that while many nations share the hatred of Israel with the Palestinians, none of them have offered to take them into their country. Reminds me of the Martha's Vineyard residents who were for unchecked immigration but also quickly ushered out the illegals that had been sent to live on their large, expansive vacation estates.