The following announcement was provided by Watertown Citizens for Peace Justice & the Environment:
The Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice & the Environment, Working Group for Peace & Common Security is hosting a panel discussion entitled “Concerned Jewish Faculty Speak Out On Palestine, Israel & Resistance” at the First Parish Church on Wednesday, May 28th at 7 p.m.
Jewish Faculty Speak Out on Palestine, Israel, and Resistance
Please join us as members of Concerned Jewish Faculty discuss Jewish resistance to Israel’s policies, Jewish support for Palestinian rights, and Jewish support for protest over Palestine in the U.S.
PROFESSOR MARJORIE N. FELD, Professor of History, Babson College
Author of The Threshold of Dissent (2024) which chronicles the long history of American Jewish dissent over Israel and Zionism & argues for the value of open and safe conversations and criticism to a healthy American Jewish communal life.
PROFESSOR JONATHAN FEINGOLD, Associate Professor of Law, Boston University
Expert in antidiscrimination law, affirmative action, and education law. He has analyzed the spread of discriminatory censorship laws designed to demean inclusionary values. Host of #RaceClass Podcast.
PROFESSOR MNEESHA GELLMAN, Associate Professor of Political Science, Emerson College
Author of Misrepresentation and Silence in United States History Textbooks: The Politics of Historical Oblivion. Founder & Director of the Emerson Prison Initiative and expert witness in U.S. immigration courts.
Sponsored by Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment (watertowncitizens.org) and Concerned Jewish Faculty (concernedjewishfaculty.org). Wednesday, May 28 at 7 p.m. at First Parish of Watertown, 35 Church St.
Parking is available in Church lot accessed off of Summer Street, and in CVS lot off of Church Street. Use front entrance facing Church Street.
“Criticism of Israeli policy is not, in and of itself, antisemitic,” say the Concerned Jewish Faculty at their website. Then why is so much of it? I may criticize Netanyahu sometimes, but only for not doing more to protect the people of Israel. Criticism of Israeli policy can be philosemitic, but almost never is.
“Weaponized accusations of antisemitism make Jewish people and all people less safe, not more,” CJF continues. Weaponized antisemitism itself makes Jewish people and all people a whole lot less safe than that. Jews must call antisemitism, without apology. The world can agree or disagree, pay attention or ignore. But Jews have nothing to regret in naming and shaming. The shame always—always—lies with the antisemites. They own it.
Equating criticism of Israel with antisemitism is an increasingly popular tactic that only degrades the debate and makes the situation more intractable. It is tantamount to saying that one’s tribe can do no wrong, which any sensible person realizes is a position that is contrary to human nature. All humans, all governments, all ethnicities can do bad things. The tragedy playing out has many authors on both sides.
To claim justification for the wholesale slaughter in Gaza beggars belief and fuels anger toward Israel, which is not antisemitism. More constructive approaches are needed. And don’t call me an antisemite because I have supported Israel all my life, but when a friend does wrong one must say something.
Yet you neglect mention of Hamas. You’re not alone in that; almost no one does. Hamas started the war, and could end it in an instant. Everything else is an excuse, a dodge.
No Hamas did not start the long term conflict. That has been going on for better than a century or longer. Hamas started this round, no doubt. But the conflict reaches back well into history. The British and the Ottomans also bear lots of responsibility.
The bible may say “. . .an eye for an eye. . .” but what is happening now is a thousand eyes for an eye.
Neither party could end hostilities in an instant. The conflict is too entrenched and complicated. It will take generations to untangle this tragic mess.
In the circles in which I run, most of the criticism of Israel comes from American and European Jews, some of whom are children of Shoah survivors. They tend to be bitterly disappointed and feel that the extent of Israel’s actions are not supportable.
To equate criticism of Israel or support of the Palestinians with antisemitism is a dishonorable way of trying to shut down a and win a debate that is complicated. Surely there is antisemitism in our time. It has been with us for centuries. But misusing the term dishonors the historical victims of antisemitism.
“Hamas started this round, no doubt.”
That was like pulling teeth. And “this round” was a holocaust (lower case, from the Greek, “whole burnt”): 1,200 men, women, and children shot, stabbed, incinerated. Hamas was calling for more October 7ths on October 8th, 9th, 10th, etc.: a planned and determined genocide to eradicate the Jews, now and forever, the world over. They weren’t shy about saying so, even if the US media were queasy in reporting it.
Israel fights to return its hostages and to defeat Hamas, both laudable and necessary goals. If Hamas surrendered and returned the hostages, the fighting would stop. Immediately. To those who pray for peace in Gaza, beseech that outcome.
Joe, thank you for your reply about criticism of Israel not being antisemitic. I agree totally. It is good to hear a voice of reason. I disagree on one point, though. In general, Jews and Palestinians lived and worked together, mostly peacefully, until around 1947, when Zionists started coming in large numbers and displacing the Palestinians. Before 1948 they had forcibly displaced at least 750, 000 to refugee camps in “Israel”, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Those people have never been able to return to their ancestral homeland. Many still have the keys to their homes and the deeds to their land from the Ottomans. I visited a lot of refugee camps when I was there and they are horrible places. Generations are still living in camps. A tragedy. You may be interested in watching some videos of Eran Efrati, a former Israeli soldier who decided to tell the world the terrible things he did as a soldier and his regrets for following immoral orders. The organization called “Breaking the Silence” has testimonies of many former soldiers who regret what they did to Palestinians and are telling the truth.
about the terrible things he did while in the military.
Making facetious, patronizing remarks doesn’t gain Israel any supporters. Rather, it does the opposite. Most Americans, even American Jews, cannot justify the the disproportionate response to October 7.
Nor do such remarks change the illegality of the settlements for instance. Nor do they justify settlers shooting Palestinians with the apparent support of the IDF.
There is wrong on both sides. There has been for decades. Many Americans realize this. Calling them antisemitic does nothing to solve real problems.
“Making facetious, patronizing remarks doesn’t gain Israel any supporters.”
If Jews had waited for “supporters” to weigh the pros and cons of massacre—the latest in millennia of massacres—Israel never would have become a modern state. I have no time for “facetious, patronizing remarks”, only facts. I’m proud of Americans who reject the blood libel and support Israel. Am Yisrael chai.
Well said. Instead of shutting the debate down or making it more intractable, students on campus can learn how to debate the issue. Basic ground rules of don’t call this side the devil or that side terrorists, rather call out the leader or government or governed for actions X, Y and Z while using facts. Students can even debate US Policy regarding the conflict. Sometimes those facts will embarrass. Many Americans feel embarrassed by how we have let down our allies, but it is a fact. Our administration has treated them abhorrently. Without facts there is nothing but scapegoating and witch-hunts. When people are judged by actions, words, character or behavior, then we are all equal. Holding people to account for behaviors and actions in a reasonable manner rather than using tropes or stereotypes is to afford respect. I emphasize reasonable because the Nazi often acted under the protocol of kill one of ours, we will kill 100 of yours. In what universe is one German equivalent to 100 US Soldiers or 100 Jewish people or 100 dissidents? A mad one!