Nice to read some common sense every now and then.
"Extremists on both sides share one tactic: to treat Israel and Jews as identical. This is where we must draw the line. We can't allow disagreement with Israeli policy to devolve into attacks on Jews. And we can't allow those who criticize Israeli policy to be called antisemitic."
@exador23
"we can't allow those who criticize Israeli policy to be called antisemitic"
I see. It's this last sentence what this is all about. To immunize "critique of Israel" against being labelled antisemitic. That is, to circumvent, e.g., the 3-D-rule (double standards, demonization, deligitimation).
Perhaps people first learn about the history of the conflic(s). It would cuation them from making grand claims that, in their generality, are prone to vocie antisemitic sentiments.
@simsa02 It's not an 'immunization'
critique of Israel combined with generalizations like: They're monsters. They always do that. etc. etc. can and should be legitimately labeled as anti-semitic.
But simply looking at the current policies of Netanyahu's government and their war tactics and pointing out the moral and strategic failings of those is no more anti-semitic than criticizing GWBush's government and the invasion of Iraq was anti-American.
Automatic association of anti-semitism with criticism of Israel is itself a form of bigotry that assumes Jewish people everywhere are monolithic and indivisible from Israeli policies. That's a very dangerous way of thinking that cuts both ways
@exador23
Indeed, stepping away from generalisations ("settler colonialism", "genocide", and all the other crap) towards critique of concrete actions is a first step to avoid anti-Semitism.
That doesn't mean that the critique of individual actions is no less anti-Semitic, e.g., when in the current conflict cause & effect are reversed or when the IDF is blamed for atrocities that are not raised in the conduct of the Russian army in Ulkraine (double standard).
So, no, I don't buy your way out.
@exador23
BTW, "common sense" is the most dreadful feature of the human mind. It's historically pretty much equivalent to the permission to kill and slaughter.
So what does one call the double standard where Russia is criticized for indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas, targeting civilians, destroying infrastructure & hospitals, etc. But pointing out any of those same acts by another nation is simply brushed away by asserting that any criticism is bigotry?