re: #131 ObserverArt

I don’t want to poke a hornets nest, but could some of the Jewish contributors clear something up for me. I have what must be a historic misunderstanding.

Has any criticism of the government, politicians and policy of Israel always been tied to the Jewish people’s race and religion so as to be considered antisemitism?

I always separated the two. And if this is the new norm, when did this start or has it always been like this and I just never saw and understood it?

To me this all seems somewhat recent as with all crazy politics of the late 20th century now into the new.

Is it the politics that has tied the two together to eliminate criticisms or what is the reason? I don’t see any government as untouchable from criticism. But at times there seems to be an untouchable element to Israel the political entity.

And it sure is being used as a hammer these days.

I wonder if this attitude is more an American way of thinking for both American political and religious interests?

There have always been a few people and groups who treat any criticism of Israel as anti-semitic, and, like other fringe groups, they are very loud.

There have always been people who cloak their anti-semitism as criticism of Israel. (“I’m not ani-semitic, I’m anti-zionist!”)

Since open anti-semitism is becoming more and more prevalent, this whole area of discourse is a lot more fraught than it has been in the past.