Here is a recommended link to an excellent article from the newsletter “The UnPopulist” about the recent resurgence of anti-Semitism and it’s frequent misuse by Christian nationalist, MAGA conservatives and Israel’s war mongering extreme hard right wingers.
Anti-Semitism is being conveniently screamed by extreme right-wing war-mongers to deflect any legitimate criticism of alleged (and likely) war criminal acts, the nation of Israel, Netanyahu, and the trump regime, when it obviously does not apply.
Yet, it is attempted to be swept under the rug as hysteria when it most certainly DOES apply. Each instance uses the term for its own cynical political purposes rather than for what it is.
Like its close cousin, Islamophobia and racism, they are used as cudgels to confuse and justify horrific crimes.
But there is such an easy answer. It is called NUANCE. Surely, anyone with common sense can tell the difference and see when the word is being used as a weapon, rather than the actual meaning?
FACT: White, Evangelical Christian Nationalists are far more guilty of propagating an ideological “holy” war in Palestine, Lebanon, Iran, etc. than Jewish-Americans and even many Israelis.
Yet, this same group, White, Evangelical Christian Nationalists, while screaming “anti-Semitism” when they are critiqued, has incredibly unhealthy levels of actual ugly anti-Semitic misfits within their coalition of ideological, rigid-thinking ranks. “Us” versus “them” is their mantra.
In my travels, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend when religion is used as a weapon by extreme fringes. As a rule, they have worked in harmony for centuries, until a bad-faith (pun intended) leader or leaders use religion to divide. We learn the painful lesson eventually, then it’s back to square one, and the painful cycle repeats, or echoes.
Extreme Islamic, Jewish, and Christian theocracies ultimately have the same goals: to force-feed others their religion to comfort and justify their own beliefs.
“To save you, we may have to kill you.” When we enter this territory, red flags should arise, even if they are red flags within our own beliefs. That is when it is most important to be clear-eyed and self-reflective. Self-criticism is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of strength.
AND TO BE CLEAR – I’ve seen just enough of it, to 100% know that WAGING WAR is NOT Biblical. Nothing about war and murdering children is Biblical. It is blasphemous to suggest such. There is nothing holy or sacred or remotely good about the hellish horror of war. NOTHING. It is ALL bad. Which is why so many who lead us to war have never been to actual war themselves. There is NO redeeming quality of war. None. I can’t stress this enough… Zero.
The only just war is a defensive war. Period.
Using religion to justify the horrors of war is no better than using oil, minerals, or money. In this instance, they are interchangeable, except that religion can be a fig leaf, an excuse for the morally squeamish, to garner pure material gain under a very thin disguise of spirituality. Ironically, these are often the least spiritual among us.
And to scream racism, islamophobia, or anti-Semitism for political or ideological gain, is synonymous with crying “wolf.” When a wolf is really at the door, no one believes it. Muddying these once-clear waters is often a side benefit, if not a goal. If we are unsure of the difference between right and wrong, moral and amoral, etc., we are less likely to demand that they stop when they do something that we would previously have critiqued as clearly wrong or evil.
As emotional as this topic can be, it is VERY important to remove rigidity of thought and ideological thinking and look at each individual instance of “anti-Semitism” with clarity and without false equivocation.
Am I not making sense? Well, this article helps clarify for anyone who is confused.
