A few days ago, in my continuing sadness about what is happening in Gaza, I posted on Twitter.
“One Palestinian child is killed every hour in Gaza.”
People all over the world have taken to the streets to call for an end to Israel’s military assault on what is the prison called Gaza.
I am part of that.
A blogger who writes anonymously at South Bronx Teacher (I won’t provide a link), chose to reply to my tweet with name-calling.
“Self-hating Jew.”
I am Jewish.
I am not an observant one.
I come from a family of religious Jews, a rabbi and a cantor. I also come from a family of socialist Jews and progressive secular Jews.
They are all a part of me.
Be clear about this also. The term self-hating Jew is an ethnic slur.
He might as well have called me a kike.
It would not have been the first time I was called that.
Historically the slur “self-hating Jew” refers to court Jews. It has roots in the anti-semitic image of Jews as money-changers and bankers for European kings and monarchs.
I earned this slur by opposing the killing fields of Gaza.
Fred Klonsky 
Personally we left that crap in the old country.We are Americans.
Bob,
Apparently many brought it with them.
Fred, I don’t think you are a self-hating Jew. But I think Israel has a right to exist – and from the moment of its birth, in 1948, it has been attacked. Hamas has made it clear that one of its goals is to destroy Israel.
Unquestionably Israel has made many mistakes. But it is a tiny country surrounded by countries that have tried to destroy it from birth.
So I think we’ll make progress when Israel agrees to withdraw from some of the West Bank and Hamas agrees that Israel has a right to exist. I also favor a “2 state solution.” Our family contributes to J Street, an organization that promotes these ideas.
“I don’t think you are a self-hating Jew. But…” This is how you respond to racial slurs? “But…?” The issue here, Joe, is how do you respond to attack on my views which are based on the fact that I am a Jew rather than on what I said. The response ought not to be “but.” It ought to be an unequivocal blast at the racism embedded in the term.
Can you imagine?
I believe in equality.
Yes. But you are a Jew.
I believe in peace.
Yes. But you are a Jew.
I believe in justice.
Yes. But you are a Jew.
Totally unacceptable.
No buts.
Personally, I think Palestine has a right to exist too, but Israel has done and continues to do everything they can to eliminate that right, or at least restrict it to the point that the Palestinians have no real existence at all.
Yes, a 2 state solution makes sense. Details have been elusive for decades.
I am not Jewish.I realize it is a very complicated situation, but I stand with Israel on this one. Hamas stores weapons to be used against Israel, including civilians, in churches, schools, and hospitals in Gaza.The resulting carnage provides Hamas with great photo ops to sway public opinion. They care nothing for their own people, using even their children as nothing more than pawns. Yes, very sad indeed.
It has its complexity. But I know we agree that we can disagree with US policies AND Israeli policies AND Hamas policies without casting aspersions on someone’s religion, lack of religion or nationality, all irrelevant to the issue.
“The resulting carnage provides Hamas with great photo ops to sway public opinion”
Return of the “telegenically dead children” — really, this stuff.
Is there any other place where such egregious racism is tolerable?
No. It is unacceptable in this place.
I muted this individual on Twitter some time ago; I can’t even remember the issue, but it was some kind of ugly hostility or aggression. Anonymity— it does not bring out the best in people.
He’s not that anonymous. People know who he is.
Yes, of course, Fred. Casting aspersions has no place in the discussion of the issues. I got sidetracked from your initial blog. 🙂
Thanks.
Both sides have to realize that nobody wins in war. I think more people all over the world should familiarize themselves with the concepts and ideas that were taught to us by the late Howard Zinn.
My daughter knew someone whose family had gotten out of Palestine. Grandmother had a lock box filled with papers and photos. She would bring it out and show photos of their old home and business. They owned a print shop, I think.
She still had the title and the keys to the front door. She would take them out and show them to her grand daughter’s friends. Their property had been taken, without recompense, and given to others. Now they could not be citizens in their own land.
We have a hand in this. US policy tilts heavily toward Israel. We support the things Israel is doing. How are we not responsible? If we treat people this way, how is there not going to be trouble?
What choices are the Palestinians given? Of course there will be war. War is US policy.
Why would a government that tried to wipe out the indigenous people of it’s land not side with another government that is attempting to do the same? Just asking.
I think Native Americans would be in the running——and still are.
Fred, you’re entirely correct. This war, like all wars, is a war on children. I’m appalled and angry at our elected officials in Washington for their collective cowardice, which sadly includes Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Unlike Syria, they’re in the position to apply pressure to the warring parties, particularly Israel, to stop this horrific carnage and destruction.