The man who killed ten people in Buffalo on Saturday published a manifesto. I’m in it. My photo appears in a typology of Jewish faces, each of which has a label: “Goblin,” “Troll,” “Demon” etc. To the right of my face is Ben Shapiro’s. To the left is a photo of a rat.
To hear this from a Palestine apologist such as Beinart is bitterly ironic. Both Palestinian nationalism and white nationalism are threats to Jews. Palestinian nationalists have slaughtered Jews in their homes, synagogues, restaurants, and anywhere Jews can be found. Palestinian nationalist activists in the West can’t seem to get enough of harassing Jews and even engaging in violence against them.
If Peter here is truly opposed to violence against Jews, then I would like him to give a full throated condemnation of not only Palestinian nationalist terrorism but Palestinian nationalist activism, including such groups as “Jewish” Voice for “Peace,” Students for Just Us in Palestine, and their allies. And no, the usual “All Lives Matter” bullshit isn’t going to fly this time. 19 Jews have been killed in the past two weeks by Palestinian nationalism and many more Palestinians have died as a result of it.
Everyone with a brain agrees that white nationalism is a threat to Jews. That’s been true longer than Beinart has been alive. But it appears not everyone agrees that Palestinian nationalism is a threat to Jews. Beinart must use his platform to communicate that message, again, if he truly cares about Jews.
I take issue with Prof. Beinart's: “Isaac Chotiner made an admirable attempt to unravel [Greenblatt’s] incoherent claims”. I too read the New Yorker piece and I came away thinking that Greenblatt was on target. At the end of the day Isaac Chotinger is left with the following: Zionism is the political belief behind the creation of the national home for Jews, being anti-Zionist means to be against the creation of national home for the Jews. How is this not anti-Semitism?
This is an illuminating article, thanks for it. It addresses white supremacist antisemitism, which I have not been exposed to much growing up (I'm from a Muslim-majority country), and helped me to understand the nature of white supremacist antisemitism.
The article does not address Muslim antisemitism, however, which isn't associated with anti-black racism, Islamophobia, or anti-immigrant sentiment. Muslim antisemitism is also an interesting phenomenon that should be examined. If you could do an article or something on the topic, that would be nice. I think non-Muslim Western progressives tend to ignore Muslim antisemitism because they think it doesn't matter, but it matters a lot when it comes to the Israel/Palestine issue (and is very deeply connected to and almost inseparable from Muslim anti-Zionism and anti-Israel sentiment), and Muslims make up the most numerous group of antisemitic people in contemporary times.
Caution in the face of the unknown is healthy, but when caution becomes a phobia it is like an autoimmune disorder. It is always dangerous, especially since fear is contagious. Islamophobia, antisemitism, melanophobia are such disorders. They are rarely confined to one group. This is why the post-p/11 Islamophobia quickly affected other "alien" groups. G.W. Bush tried to stop this, but Rupert Murdock seized the day.
Yes, be safe and take care Peter. Though, as a white, Ashkenazi (the preferred, "Superior" kind of your upcoming guest - the utterly despicable Brett Stevens) Jew, your chances of being a victim of a hate crime are less than random compared to the Black and Brown bodies that bear the brunt of racist hate in the Western world. Curiously, all you had to say about the murder/assassination of Shireen Abu Akleh - among your "Other Stuff" - was: "the slain Palestinian-American journalist... " Anodyne and utterly devoid of empathy, sympathy or analysis.
Well said. Please take extra safety precautions for yourself and your family. It must be more than a little unnerving to see your photo in a hate filled, racist screed published on the internet.
To hear this from a Palestine apologist such as Beinart is bitterly ironic. Both Palestinian nationalism and white nationalism are threats to Jews. Palestinian nationalists have slaughtered Jews in their homes, synagogues, restaurants, and anywhere Jews can be found. Palestinian nationalist activists in the West can’t seem to get enough of harassing Jews and even engaging in violence against them.
If Peter here is truly opposed to violence against Jews, then I would like him to give a full throated condemnation of not only Palestinian nationalist terrorism but Palestinian nationalist activism, including such groups as “Jewish” Voice for “Peace,” Students for Just Us in Palestine, and their allies. And no, the usual “All Lives Matter” bullshit isn’t going to fly this time. 19 Jews have been killed in the past two weeks by Palestinian nationalism and many more Palestinians have died as a result of it.
Everyone with a brain agrees that white nationalism is a threat to Jews. That’s been true longer than Beinart has been alive. But it appears not everyone agrees that Palestinian nationalism is a threat to Jews. Beinart must use his platform to communicate that message, again, if he truly cares about Jews.
I take issue with Prof. Beinart's: “Isaac Chotiner made an admirable attempt to unravel [Greenblatt’s] incoherent claims”. I too read the New Yorker piece and I came away thinking that Greenblatt was on target. At the end of the day Isaac Chotinger is left with the following: Zionism is the political belief behind the creation of the national home for Jews, being anti-Zionist means to be against the creation of national home for the Jews. How is this not anti-Semitism?
I think it became pretty clear after the Tree of Life shooting that white nationalism a) contained anti-Semitism and b) was a threat to Jews.
This is an illuminating article, thanks for it. It addresses white supremacist antisemitism, which I have not been exposed to much growing up (I'm from a Muslim-majority country), and helped me to understand the nature of white supremacist antisemitism.
The article does not address Muslim antisemitism, however, which isn't associated with anti-black racism, Islamophobia, or anti-immigrant sentiment. Muslim antisemitism is also an interesting phenomenon that should be examined. If you could do an article or something on the topic, that would be nice. I think non-Muslim Western progressives tend to ignore Muslim antisemitism because they think it doesn't matter, but it matters a lot when it comes to the Israel/Palestine issue (and is very deeply connected to and almost inseparable from Muslim anti-Zionism and anti-Israel sentiment), and Muslims make up the most numerous group of antisemitic people in contemporary times.
If you haven't seen Eric Ward's writing on this (the relationship between anti-Semitism and white nationalism), in my view it's best in class: https://politicalresearch.org/2017/06/29/skin-in-the-game-how-antisemitism-animates-white-nationalism
Peter, thanks for the Ilse Stanley links. She was a brave talented lady. Looking forward to seeing Jason on Friday.
Caution in the face of the unknown is healthy, but when caution becomes a phobia it is like an autoimmune disorder. It is always dangerous, especially since fear is contagious. Islamophobia, antisemitism, melanophobia are such disorders. They are rarely confined to one group. This is why the post-p/11 Islamophobia quickly affected other "alien" groups. G.W. Bush tried to stop this, but Rupert Murdock seized the day.
Yes, be safe and take care Peter. Though, as a white, Ashkenazi (the preferred, "Superior" kind of your upcoming guest - the utterly despicable Brett Stevens) Jew, your chances of being a victim of a hate crime are less than random compared to the Black and Brown bodies that bear the brunt of racist hate in the Western world. Curiously, all you had to say about the murder/assassination of Shireen Abu Akleh - among your "Other Stuff" - was: "the slain Palestinian-American journalist... " Anodyne and utterly devoid of empathy, sympathy or analysis.
Great piece, like really great, but I’m surprised to see it published while the Celtics are playing a Game 7!
Thank you for this powerful piece. I'm sick to my stomach. And yes, be safe.
Well said. Please take extra safety precautions for yourself and your family. It must be more than a little unnerving to see your photo in a hate filled, racist screed published on the internet.