Is this antisemitic?

If I make a social media post or article criticizing IDF soldiers for intentionally destroying or mocking civilian property, and criticizing the IDF leadership and Israeli leadership for failing to confront this problem, is it antisemitic?

If I make a post claiming there is a double standard because when IDF soldiers destroy or mock Palestinian culture it is excused as "a few bad apples", yet when a Palestinian supporter mocks or defaces Israeili culture, the comment is "they are all hateful terrorists" - Is that being antisemitic?

If a news organization refers to Hamas as a "militant group" rather than "terrorists", yet also avoids a double standard by calling Israeli settler violence "mob violence" instead of "terrorism", are they being antisemitic?

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Bumbles · 51-55, M

Criticizing the IDF for their tactics is obviously not antisemitic. No one says it is, either.

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Bumbles · 51-55, M

@trollslayer Can’t speak to what they heard or the basis of their opinion. In this conflict antisemitism seems both over and under reported.

Leftist antisemitism is quite real, especially on college campuses, and complaining about facts as antisemitism seems overreach as well.

Some facts without context can certainly be propaganda

trollslayer · 46-50, M

@Bumbles [quote]Leftist antisemitism is quite real, especially on college campuses, and complaining about facts as antisemitism seems overreach as well.[/quote]

I read an interesting take on this a few months ago. Many of the "free Palestine" groups/protests existed long before the current conflict. The basis is that these groups argue that Palestinians are being and have been oppressed by Israel for years, and there is a lack of pressure from western governments toward Israel regarding this situation. Israel is a focus vs other similar situations because Israel is allied with western countries who supply them military aid. To them, the current conflict only highlights the situation that has existed for decades. The criticism seems to be rooted in Israel's policies and US support for a country that has such policies. I don't universally view such activity as "antisemitic", and I wouldn't universally declare a person antisemitic who does not overtly denounce Hamas, because the same is not being required of Israel supporters to denounce settler violence as terrorism.

Where it crosses the line to antisemitism is when these protesters declare Israel has no right to exist as a country, that Jewish people have no right to live there, or that the criticism of Israel applies to Jewish people as a whole. Nonetheless, ignorance to how certain terms or phrases are used by true antisemites is no excuse. In other words, someone could claim that "from the river to the sea" does not necessarily mean the other side should be eradicated, but they can't claim ignorance here - they know darn well that that phrase has been used with genocidal intent by others, so their use of that phrase is a conscious decision to (hurtfully) inflame the situation. It's like the folks who insisted on using Obama's middle name. They would say, "well that is his middle name, so I am not being racist", yet they knew their intent when they used that name.

Bumbles · 51-55, M

@trollslayer I think that’s fair. For the left once you are labeled “oppressor” it’s all fair game. They dismiss the Oct 7 attack” with a “yeah but…” and then any response is genocide.

Northwest · M

There seems to be a high level of vigilantism out there, that does not distinguish between criticism of bad practices and actual semitism, and it's justified under "if you're totally committed to a state of Israel can do no harm dogma" then you're an anti-semite.

AIPAC spends heavily to enforce that, and prods its supporters to do the same.

Which goes totally against the spirit of activism, that sets apart the US Jewish population (whether or not they are practicing).

I stand with J-Street on this,

Dolimyte · 41-45, M

The IDF is not Jewdism, so no, criticising them is not antisemitic, unless your criticism is how it's full of Jews.

Julien · 36-40, M

We live in a world where everyone must be labeled :(

trollslayer · 46-50, M

@Julien indeed. Even the "no labels" party is labeled.

travelguy01 · 41-45, M

No, it’s not anti-semitism. But many people who push the belief that criticizing the IDF is anti-semitism, also push the “bomb more Muslims plz” card.

Many things, including this and “Trump support”, are a means for people to launder their hatred and racism toward certain people and religions, without explicitly saying it out loud.

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