I’m still stressed out over October 7th. Even ignoring the actual events, which were all archived via GoPro cameras and WhatsApp chats, the lack of regard for global Jewry has been startling and upsetting. Immediately there were people celebrating and proclaiming this a holiday. And in the days since, as Israel marched into The Gaza Strip, the apathy and Antisemitism’s skyrocketed. It was like someone had flipped a switch akin to when Donald Trump ran for president in 2015, except the opposite end of the spectrum.
Before I blast progressives further for being hypocrites, I’ll point out that Islamophobia has also skyrocketed since October 7th. Additionally, I feel awful that so many innocent Palestinians have suffered, and it pains me that they’ve been used as pawns by their government. However, that’s as far as I’m going here. Not only am I not Muslim, hence it’d be inappropriate to speak over them, but this is often used to minimize suffering on the part of Jews. Because as much as people deny it, it’s real.
Now then, progressives…what’s wrong with you? Many Jews support your causes. We’ve fought for, and often alongside, you many times. We were reckoning with the racism in our community following the death of George Floyd, and we grappled with sexism following the election of Trump. We’ve also been battling our own power imbalances since Me Too! So to act like our community isn’t suffering? To quote Nick Fury from Captain America: The Winter Soldier: “It’s stuff like this that gives me trust issues.”
I’ve lost immense respect for people I thought were my friends. Not only have you given a machine gun’s worth of hate-ammo to some of the worst voices since October 7th, but you feel absolutely no remorse. You’ve not only demonized our existence, but you’ve actively belittled us at every turn. Whether it’s been ripping down posters of kidnapped Israelis and bragging about it, or refusing to condemn Antisemitism on university campuses, I can safely say that you’ve had me contemplate making Aliyah. I can’t afford it, but it’s never left my mind.
A part of me understands that you have no shame. But it’s necessary calling you out anyway. Because you should be embarrassed that you’re still denying October 7th happened, and you should be embarrassed that you’re protesting near Jewish communities to cause problems. I know you have grievances with Israel, but don’t take it out on my people! We have as much a right to exist as you do!
Speaking of which, your perverted views on Israel and Israelis are laughable. For one, many of you don’t know which river and which sea you want freed. For another, you assume that because Israelis live on “illegitimate” land, they’re exempt from being treated like human beings. Never mind that places like Canada and The US are also “illegitimate”, because then you’d have to be consistent! And God forbid you be consistent!
A part of me understands that you have no shame. But it’s necessary calling you out anyway. Because you should be embarrassed that you’re still denying October 7th happened, and you should be embarrassed that you’re protesting near Jewish communities to cause problems. I know you have grievances with Israel, but don’t take it out on my people! We have as much a right to exist as you do!
Speaking of which, your perverted views on Israel and Israelis are laughable. For one, many of you don’t know which river and which sea you want freed. For another, you assume that because Israelis live on “illegitimate” land, they’re exempt from being treated like human beings. Never mind that places like Canada and The US are also “illegitimate”, because then you’d have to be consistent! And God forbid you be consistent!
By the way, thank you for denying that Israeli women were abused and raped by Hamas militants. It not only makes you less-credible, it actively ruins the Me Too movement. I’d demand that #MeTooExceptForJews become the new Trend, but it’s not going to happen. I’d like it to, but it won’t. That’d require self-awareness.
Let’s not forget your attempts at deflection. Claiming that October 7th was “fabricated propaganda”? Show me the evidence. Saying that October 7th was a way to justify Israel invading Gaza? I’m no fan of Benjamin Netanyahu’s “scorched earth” policy, and I don’t doubt that some members of his coalition believe in Manifest Destiny, but no sensible person wanted this. Saying that the influx in far-right support of Israel’s “dubious”? Maybe, but they’re making an attempt to care. What’s your excuse?
That last part irks me most. I’m skeptical of the far-right, but they’re sounding more tempting daily. And I’m not alone! I’ve heard claims from Jews that they’d prefer living in Middle America because “the people there like us”. You want to convince them otherwise? Prove them wrong.
Finally, let’s get the record straight: many Jews, even in Israel, didn’t want war. And we also want it to end. But we want our hostages back, something Hamas refuses to acknowledge. Factor in that they refuse to adhere to a ceasefire, even breaking the one that was in place a while ago multiple times, and this is going nowhere fast. I wish you understood that.
My heart breaks that the citizens of Gaza are suffering. My heart equally breaks over how embedded Hamas is in Gaza, such that they’re hoarding foreign aid. I didn’t want this war! And I want Netanyahu to not be so reckless, too! But that’s no excuse to disregard the suffering of a nation the internet claims are cartoon characters.
Reading this will make some of you uncomfortable. Me even writing this was a huge risk! But I can’t keep silent anymore. October 7th may have got me to leave Twitter/X, but my dreams of escaping the toxicity have proven naïve. The lingering rot of Antisemitism’s proving hard to excise. That’s on you to fix, not the Jews.
But whatever, you keep being hypocrites…
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