34 Comments
User's avatar
Jewn Cleaver's avatar

Always so well articulated, Pat. There is one very simple answer I might have missed in your piece and it’s the one that I think most of us continually fail to use as our first response, but it’s actually the most basic point: the land of Israel is where Jews originate. It’s just that simple. Going back was going home. After the Holocaust Jews didn’t set up a homeland in Uganda, or Argentina, or Madagascar, or Texas. Jews didn’t do that because those places WEREN’T their homeland. With all the accusations of colonization over Israel, can you imagine what the narrative would be had our ancestors landed in any of those other spots? Aside from the other reasons why it’s problematic to try to separate us from Israel, there’s a reason why the Jew-haters of 1930s Europe told Jews to “go back to Palestine.” Unlike the Jew-haters of today, they actually knew where we came from.

Expand full comment
Lynne Teperman's avatar

Of course antisemites and anti-Zionists will also insist that Jews, or at least Ashkenazi Jews just miraculously emerged as a people in Europe, with no connection whatsoever to the Levant (the long debunked Khazar myth). And even if they don't, they'll tell you that the Jews should have just accepted being forever stateless and never mind about the succession of occupying powers that followed the Romans taking measures and imposing conditions to ensure that the Jewish population remaining remained small and vulnerable.

Expand full comment
Jewn Cleaver's avatar

We have to be the only people on Earth to have emerged out of thin air!

Expand full comment
Lynne Teperman's avatar

well, we do have all those supernatural powers and space lasers too.

Expand full comment
Daisy Moses Chief Crackpot's avatar

ta use to "conquer der velt!".... (an' make them our slaves....) oy

Expand full comment
Daisy Moses Chief Crackpot's avatar

my fave is when they call us "fake" (they "tallis" zat the only "real" chews died over 3000 years ago an' we "schtole" their identities! (ancient cyber fraud! call in the Keystone Cops of Babylon!)

there's some bible quote 'bout "joos who are not" (naught?)... dunno, it ain't in torah but apparently "christians" are told ta wartch out fer us cos-players.... guess they could check our pesspurts?

OH an' one I enjoy (not) is that it's really AshkeNAZIs--yup, we'ze the original Nazis....WE ordered our own deaths to FOOL the whirled & gain sympathy....but nobuudy died! There ain't no joos, it wuz photoshop!

love yer handle ;-) cut me sum slack Jack!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6TraLJf6iw

Expand full comment
Gefen Bar-On Santor's avatar

Yes, my grandfather in Poland was told, "dirty Jew; go to Palestine." And the answer of present-day Palestinians to the idea that Israel is the Jewish homeland is to claim that today's Jews do not descend from the Biblical Israelites. Do they have the same interest in genetic accuracy when it comes to other groups--for example, who is "really" Irish and who is not? It is a fact that my great grandparents and generations before then said "next year in Jerusalem"--and that for millions of Jewish people today, Israel is their only home, just like for millions of people today, Canada is their only home.

Expand full comment
William Tuesday's avatar

I never debate with anti semites. I just remind them what year it is and that Jews fight back now. I then tell them to get over it. Anti Jewish bigots don’t deserve a civilized debate with us

Expand full comment
Gefen Bar-On Santor's avatar

Thank you for the courageous analysis. In the aftermath of October 7, I tried to politely call out the hypocrisy of a couple of people with whom I was speaking. In each case, I was told the same thing: that the person did not appreciate being the target of a personal attack. The term "personal attack" took me by surprise because from my point of view, I was having a conversation about issues. What I felt like telling them (but did not) was, "You are good at protecting your boundaries when you feel a threat. Surely, you must respect Israel's right to protect itself."

Expand full comment
Pat Johnson's avatar

Damn truth.

Expand full comment
Carol's avatar

It was well worth the expense of the computer upgrade to have your logical arguments delivered to my mailbox each day. Thank you for another one that just makes perfect sense.

Expand full comment
Pat Johnson's avatar

Thanks Carol!

Expand full comment
תמרה's avatar

Am appreciative of this column (especially after spending several days in a DM exchange with Billy Bragg who I once revered and now see for the narcissistic gaslighting hypocritical antisemitic egomaniac that he is). Feel free to reach out to him with your posts! (I blocked him after two days of his toxic messages defending genocidal death chants against Jews in Glastonbury began to take its toll.) So that’s the antisemtism of the Left. As for Gad Saad, he’s a bit of a jerk when it comes to things like feminism and LGBTQIA rights and DEI (which, of course, should always include Jews but rarely does). He fancies himself an “evolutionary psychologist” and is another ones of those egomaniacs who is adept at making smug arguments, but lacking in genuine compassion and an ability to appreciate the connections and nuances that lead people to their ethical (and unethical) perspectives. While I agree with the logic of his meme, he is just a more “charming” version of Jordan Peterson and I find that very problematic. I’ve met him personally several times and the smug ick oozes … so beware of who uses whom for whose benefit. I’m wary of memes or selected quotes but appreciate how they can hit a point.

Expand full comment
Lynne Teperman's avatar

If you're on Facebook and having yet crossed paths with Adam Louis-Klein, a McGill post grad student, he posts some brilliant essays on antisemitism and antizionism.

https://www.facebook.com/adam.klein.7399

Expand full comment
תמרה's avatar

Thank you, Lynne. Much appreciated. I looked him up and am following. Am grateful for all the thoughtful voices challenging antisemtism , especially the kind that disguises itself as social justice or progressive. Here’s my thank you tip: the podcast “For Heaven’s Sake”, with Yossi Klein Halevi and Doniel Hartmann. After almost two years and indulging antisemitic rhetoric, visible cue and biased reporting and analysis, David Remnick of The NYer finally bothered to interview an Israeli, a Jew, a progressive, a mensch who has something meaningful to say on his radio program, The NYer Radio Hour. I often recommend the FHS podcast to anyone and everyone - and then I ask if they can find anything like lit in the Muslim/Arab world … so far, no one has got back to me. Toda :)

Expand full comment
Lynne Teperman's avatar

Thanks for the recommendations. The CBC airs the NYer Radio Hour in the 5 a.m. slot on Saturdays and Sundays, when I'm barely conscious so I guess I missed that one.

Expand full comment
תמרה's avatar

And here’s a link to the For Heaven’s Sake podcast. https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/for-heavens-sake/id1522222281

Expand full comment
תמרה's avatar

Here are ways you can catch a a more reasonable hour and at your convenience

On their website:

https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-houror

via iTunes podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/id1050430296?i=1000713868146

“or wherever you get your podcasts”

(You can also listen live on NPR. I tend to listen to either Vermont Public or WNYC. Stopped donating, though, cuz … antisemitic bias 🤷🏻‍♀️)

P.S. waking up at 5 a.m. is underrated 😛

Expand full comment
Lynne Teperman's avatar

I spent about 25 years during my corporate life getting up at 5 a.m., but now that I'm a retiree and about to turn 73, I don't sleep as soundly as I did when I was younger and only get up early when I need to be up and "at 'em" for some reason.

Expand full comment
תמרה's avatar

I hear you … Sleeping soundly is an elusive and precious commodity. That said, waking up at 5am (in the summer( because one simply wants to see the sunrise … and listen to the birds … and feel the cool air before it gets schvitzy … then not run in the rat race? Priceless. It’s been fun chatting (Sorry, Pat!!)

Expand full comment
JFunk's avatar

You might want to look a little more closely at the origins of what now constitutes DEI.

This formulation is completely based in critical race theory, and if you examine foundation materials of that theory - which you can then see very clearly in what is taught as DEI now - that antisemitism is part of its framework.

Look at derrick bell “the space traders” which is widely considered foundational. Look at how ‘intersectionality’ is described by crenshaw; with ‘decolonial’ theory and its relation to jews and Israel… jews are considered‘white ‘ and ‘privileged’ in the very construction of this theory.

Suggesting’jews should be included ‘ is misunderstanding what DEI is at its very core

I really wish progressive jews would understand this

Expand full comment
תמרה's avatar

I am well aware of CRT and have never had any issues with it. CRT seeks to analyze, address and correct the systemic and often violent bias against people with higher amounts of melanin (including the Jewish ones who experience a double whammy of discrimination from those on the Left and Right).

That there are those who have misappropriated, co-opted, misinterpreted, maliciously redefined and act in bad faith when referring to CRT which is a reflection of their own crazy and hateful agenda and not in line with what the origins of CRT analyze and argue. As for DEI, there is nothing inherently antisemitic about the words: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. There is something antisemitic when people choose not to include Jews in those words.

CRT suffers the same hysterical reaction from people on the right that feminism has from so many men (and people on the right, and religious, political, legal instituioons and workplace environments).

You won’t get an argument from me that it is a pity that it has been maliciously usurped this way, but the answer is to call out the hypocrisy and intentional omissions and insist they be addressed and not dismiss the original substance and intent of the foundational analysis and goals of CRT.

Antisemitism has nothing to do with CRT at its core, in the same way that Christians who support/rationalize Donald Trump’s racism, transparent corruption, greed, misogyny, criminality and fascistic dismantling of democracy has anything to do with the teachings of Jesus - and in the same way that many nations that refer to themselves as democracies, are not actually democratic, or claiming that their jihadist regime is “peacefully Muslim” when clearly it is neither but a malicious aberration.

Your last sentence is patronizing and does a great disservice to having a meaningful conversation.

Expand full comment
JFunk's avatar

Like I said, look into the origin documents that I mentioned and then come back and tell me that 'antisemitism has nothing to do with CRT at its core". I also think that education around bias and prejudice of every kind is important, but what's dressed up as that now is inherently TOXIC. All through history people coming from a 'well meaning' place have caused harm. You can't just say because it's well-meaning that it is exempt from criticism or debate.

I am heavily involved in progressive spaces. I am a liberal. (not a 'right wing' person trying to smear anything) I did NOT say that the words behind DEI 'means' anything, but that the philosophy behind its current popular understanding IS, very much, antisemitic. Those that promote it DO NOT think that it is a double standard, they believe that Jews, as defined under that rubric, are 'oppressors' and there is ZERO compassion for Jews in those spaces. ZERO. I have a front row seat to this. Please look into how Jews are being treated, institutionally and socially in professional therapy, social work and similar spaces that are dedicated to these 'decolonialist' and 'anti racism' positions. I'm sorry, but you are just wrong.

Expand full comment
JFunk's avatar

Also, I'm not sure how pleading with progressive Jews to look more closely at this is somehow 'patronizing'.

Any time someone is blinded by their identification with a 'party' or position is dangerous, no matter what party it is. Asking people to look more carefully or with a different eye to things they take for granted as true isn't patronizing.. it suggests that people are intelligent and capable of understanding things. Patronizing would be more like "progressives are stupid and can't see through their blinders."

Perhaps your hearing it that way is reactivity to being presented with information that calls into question your belief system.

Expand full comment
תמרה's avatar

I am well aware of how we are being treated, having been on the receiving end, multiple times of the hypocrisy and double standard. My pint is to call out that hypocrisy and deviation from the original intent of CRT. I felt this way prior to October 7th but was also aware that we were, we thought, not going to be suddenly dealing with a newly emboldened threat to our existence. The hate was theirs, the mistake of not addressing our exclusion mug earlier was ours.

Expand full comment
JFunk's avatar

The hypocrisy was never a bug; it's always been a feature. And yes, I agree, it was foolish that none of us understood this early on to call it out. I suspect it's because we didn't want to 'center' ourselves, and we thought it was for a good purpose and we believed that people were good and would care about the hypocrisy, or care about us the way we care about them. It's clear they don't. I've endlessly tried pointing out the hypocrisies and there is no capacity for this to be heard or acknowledged.

Expand full comment
kathy's avatar

This could not be more thoughtfully or insightfully expressed, Pat. I really appreciate your clarity. This was exactly the argument I was having with my own godson yesterday. You put it far more clearly than I did. And I thank you for that.

Expand full comment
Chaya Iliza Siobhan Cartwright's avatar

Another brilliant column, Pat!! Thank you!!

Expand full comment
Maxim's maxims's avatar

Look forward to your further writing on this. Criticism of the Israeli government and its policies goes on in Israel all the time, much like Canadians criticize our government, and the Americans criticise theirs. Criticising a government in a democracy is a sign of a healthy functioning of said democracy. Denying a democracy the right defend itself or exist, is genocidal.

My favourite is an Irish fellow I know telling me that, "of course Israel has a right to defend itself, but they have gone too far in civilian casualties". When I asked him about his source for casualty numbers, he proudly replied "BBC!" - bahaha! He also didn't seem to have an answer how far is ok, and how far is too far. This was about a year into the war.

Expand full comment
Pat Johnson's avatar

Israel has a right to defend itself until the moment it does. Then it's gone too far.

Expand full comment
Ruth Vanita's avatar

It cannot be defended rationally because it is visceral, not rational, like Antonio's irrational hatred of Shylock and of all Jews:

https://ruthvanita452091.substack.com/p/how-shakespeare-invented-what-we

Expand full comment
Daisy Moses Chief Crackpot's avatar

all brilliant, true, an' clear ta "da choir"--now if ONLY all the Auntie Seem-ites could hear ya (how?) but I gotta say THIS made me spit out may pep-o-mint tea (with glee)!:

"As you know, I’m on the take from the Zio paymasters, so I do not need your paid subscriptions."

Lol, I see this -- seriously zo often.

An' who are these paymasters? Do they have anythin' in common with the late Suzanne Sommer's "thigh master?" Do they pay in hanukkah gelt (dark chocolate preferred)?

Anybuddy that, gawdferbid ,says sumthin' nize 'bout "ve chews" an' you'll see poppin' up like a whack-a-mole at least one chucklehead's shri'in' bout the zio paymasters. Oh an' Mossad.... "mossad agent be GONE!!" or "mossad and/or zio cuck"... (zey even say this ta meeee? me? haha...so "'rich")

an' yes they ALL have an anti-zionist friend name David--methinks he's the same guy!

Expand full comment
William Tuesday's avatar

I love black Americans, but they need to end their racist occupation of Virginia and the rest of the Confederacy.

Expand full comment
Chaya Iliza Siobhan Cartwright's avatar

Well played, sir!

Expand full comment