I don’t seem to post to this blog much these days, but I find myself moved to today. And somewhat depressingly, the topic is one that I posted on back in 2012—the Palestinian conflict, and the type of social media post that the conflict inspires amongst those who are critical of the Israeli state. Back then I was questioning whether photos of blood and gore were really an effective way to win people over. Today, my topic is anti-Semitism.
The situation in Gaza is appalling. So appalling that even the governments of the UK, France and Canada have reached the point of feeling they need to call out the Israeli state for its actions there. Jeremy Bowen’s piece on the BBC this morning makes a clear case that what is happening in Gaza is a war crime. Some of those he cites in the article are even prepared to call it genocide. Many people, including me, are horrified by the actions of the Isreali state, and by the words of Israeli politicians such as Netanyahu. We want to express that horror.
It is always right to criticise the actions of a person or a state which acts without humanity, as Netanyahu and Israel have done. To massively paraphrase Thoreau, where a state acts unjustly the only thing for a just man to do is to oppose it. But it is important that that opposition is done with integrity and humanity. It must not fall into the trap of being anti-Semitic.
What has inspired my to take to my keyboard is the appearance in my Facebook feed of a cartoon depicting a grossly overweight Jewish man, complete with kippah and full beard, sat at a computer. This was not a statement about the actions of the Israeli state, or a critique of some pronouncement by a member of the Likud cabinet. This was a caricature of the entire Jewish race. This was anti-Semitism.
Anti-Semitism is rightly a dirty word. It is never OK to discriminate against, mock or abuse someone on the basis of their race or their religion. To call out the Israeli state for what it is doing in Gaza is entirely legitimate. To promote anti-Semitism is not. It is vital that criticism of the lack of humanity of the Israeli state is done with complete humanity. Gary Lineker recognised this when he recently apologised for an anti-Semitic tweet, saying
Whilst I strongly believe in the importance of speaking out on humanitarian issues, including the tragedy unfolding in Gaza, I also know that how we do so matters.
But it’s not just about the fact that anti-Semitism is plain wrong. There is a more pragmatic reason that makes it important that those who oppose the Israeli state’s action should be careful about how we do that.
The Israeli state has sought to weaponise the idea of anti-Semitism. It seeks to promote a narrative in which all criticism of its immoral actions in Gaza is painted as anti-Semitic. It is a powerful propaganda tool, which attempts to tar critics of Israeli policy with a brush that almost all people recognize as unspeakably wrong—that of the holocaust.
It is, of course, a lie. To criticise the Israeli state for weaponising food and attempting to starve an entire population out of Gaza is not anti-Semitic. It is human. It is just. It is the right thing to do. But when we post material that actually is anti-Semitic on our social media feeds and our blogs, we play straight into the hands of the Israeli state. We make it easier for them to continue to propagate the lie that all criticism of the Israeli state is anti-Semitic.
Please think carefully about what you post. Don’t give the Israeli state any more propaganda ammunition.