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I’ve long supported @jstreetdotorg in their work for a 2-state solution, & defended other org’s in the Progressive Israel Network. I can no longer support them as they work so vigorously to prevent the adoption of a common-sense antisemitism definition at a time we badly need one https://twitter.com/jstreetdotorg/status/1349030777363853320
While @jstreetdotorg & other Progressive Israel Network (PIN) members insist that they respect the work that went into drafting the definition, they take issue with some of the examples integral to it, claiming that they unfairly cast criticism of Israel as antisemitism.
This is not true. The IHRA definition of antisemitism explicitly states that “criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic.” The IHRA definition doesn’t curtail substantive criticism of Israel. https://www.holocaustremembrance.com/resources/working-definitions-charters/working-definition-antisemitism
What the IHRA does call antisemitic is “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination” by claiming, for example, that practicing that right is inherently racist or illegitimate. https://www.holocaustremembrance.com/resources/working-definitions-charters/working-definition-antisemitism
After all, denying Jews self-determination in our indigenous homeland is just as anti-Jewish as denying Palestinians self-determination is anti-Palestinian. How could it not be?
But @jstreetdotorg & PIN want to defend expressions of “a wide-range of political opinions,” including “critiques of the legitimacy of Israel’s founding.” I.e, their objection to the definition is partly based on the assertion that “you shouldn’t exist” is a “political opinion.”
Perhaps those who deny Jewish self-determination in any part of our indigenous homeland should be smeared, just as some members of the Israeli far-right & settlement community deserve our ire. I’m not interested in protecting the reputations of people who say we shouldn’t exist.
“Jews out of Palestine” is as antisemitic a slogan in the 21st century as “Jews go to Palestine” was in the early 20th c. “You shouldn’t exist” is an opinion that I have every right to correctly ID as anti-Jewish. It’s implementation would lead to cultural & physical destruction.
Furthermore, @jstreetdotorg & PIN mischaracterize the examples in the IHRA definition that they object to. They says the IHRA definition examples include claiming that “Israel is a racist endeavor,” but that was actually a part of the example denying Jews self-determination.
In other words, arguing that specific Israeli policies are racist - or even calling Israel racist - is not necessarily antisemitic according to the IHRA definition unless the claim is meant to explicitly deny Jewish self-determination. https://www.holocaustremembrance.com/resources/working-definitions-charters/working-definition-antisemitism
Saying you are serious about combating antisemitism without the adoption of an explicit definition or conceptual framework to identify what actually constitutes antisemitism is meaningless.
Speech - even hate speech - should never be prosecuted as a crime, but we need to adopt/codify definitions regarding what actually constitutes hate speech, in this case antisemitism. I’ve been dismayed by how the IHRA definition has been mischaracterized at a time we need it.
If Not Now is also promoting an explicit mischaracterization of the IHRA antisemitism definition today, making it harder to fight all forms of antisemitism by obstructing all attempts to clearly define antisemitism. The IHRA definition has been adopted by many countries & org’s. https://twitter.com/rabbireuvane/status/1350104377692979204