Since the first Trump administration, I’ve listened to what people say closely, watching for those tell-tale signs that they are MAGA supporters. The reason why was simple: The die-hard MAGA supporters, and much of the MAGA leadership, held values and positions that were diametrically opposed to my beliefs. When they used the signaling words that said, “I’m MAGA”, it took it to mean that they aligned themselves with those beliefs (and particularly, the specific hatreds). I became fearful around them. I became disappointed that people I thought were good and decent could align themselves with people that were anti-science, that were anti-minority, that were racists and even worse. I was disappointed because they aligned themselves with people that on the surface claimed to be supportive of Jews, but who underneath spread antisemetic canards such as the fear of “Globalism” and similar world control garbage. This was came from the words they used, and what those words signaled to me.
I was happy that I didn’t hear such words from the progressive side of the spectrum.
But in the last few months, and especially since the win of Mandami, the growth of the DSA faction within the Democratic party, and the Ed Sheeran debacle, I’m hearing troublesome words more and more. Just this morning, I received a marketing email from Penzey’s, whom I considered trustworthy, using the word “Genocide”. I’ve written and shared a number of posts on Facebook attempting to explain why as this has crystallized in my head, and I felt it was time for a more permanent blog post. In particular, I’d like to talk about two of the more prominent whistles I’m hearing on the progressive side that have me fearful.
The first is “genocide”. I’ll start by saying that the actions of the Israeli (Netanyahu) government towards the innocent citizens of Gaza are wrong. However, I do not believe that the Israeli government was specifically targeting those innocents. The Israeli government was targeting Hamas, which has the specific policy of hiding in civilian areas, and launching attacks from civilian areas. They do this because they know how the Israeli government will respond, and that the response will injure Gaza citizens which has PR value to Hamas. Hamas doesn’t care about Gazans. They divert aid to their own pockets. They don’t establish governmental support to help the people of Gaza. You don’t even see other Arab nations coming to the support of the Gazans.
Genocide is an international crime defined as specific acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. Israel’s intent is not to destroy the Palestinian people. It is not to destroy all Arabs. You don’t see Israel going after Palestinians living legally in Israel. Israel’s actions, while horrific and wrong, don’t rise to the level of genocide. The key factor is intent. Did the IDF bomb hospitals and kill civilians? Yes. Did they specifically target the hospitals to kill those civilians? No. They targeted the building because they had reports that Hamas was using the building. So is this genocide? Genocide requires intent to target a national or ethnic group, and that intent was lacking. Was it horrific and wrong? Yes, and the specific actions should be condemned. But it wasn’t specifically genocide.
The problem is that the word “genocide” is bandied around (with nary a mention of the role of Hamas, or blame for Hamas). This is actually the result of a PR effort from Hamas, because they understand the power of the word, and the connection of the word with the Holocaust, where actual genocide was committed. The two are not equivalent.
When I was in college, I took a course on antisemitism. That course explored the power of words. This was shortly after the Vietnam War ended. They looked at the term used for guerilla fighters in the jungle. “Guerilla fighters” was a neutral term: it implied they were non-governmental, fighting for a particular cause they believed in. But when they were called “terrorist fighters”, it put them in a different light. When they were called “freedom fighters”, that light drastically changed. The terms chosen and used had a specific public relations intent and colored our reaction to what happened. Hamas, and the Hamas supporters, have specifically spread the word “genocide” to describe the horrific actions and collateral damage from Israel’s war on Hamas, because of the specific emotional baggage it brings. Words hurt.
Now, let’s get to the term “Free Palestine”, which we’ve also been hearing this week. I wrote the following on FB, which I think captures my concern well:
I’m reading all the posts about Ed Sheeran, and wondering if all the folks shouting “Free Palestine” and cheering what happened to his tour truly believe and support a State of Israel, with a functioning democracy, living in peace with Palestinian neighbors in Gaza and the West Bank, who are also free from Hamas rule.
That I would support.
But what I fear is that’s not what a lot of people yelling “Free Palestine” and “Genocide” support. And that’s what has me fearful.
And what I fear is that the other nations in the Middle East would not support that. And that’s also what has me fearful.
And what I fear is that the hatred being expressed towards Israel will spill over into hatred of Jews elsewhere. And that’s also what has me fearful.
And I don’t think I’m alone in my fear.
Again, we have a situation where we have a slogan that Hamas has promoted bandied around without specifics. Hamas wants to free Gaza and the West Bank from what they call “the Israeli Occupation” (and “Occupation” is yet another PR loaded word that has an emotional hit). But Hamas never seems to want to free Gaza from the Hamas (or P.A.) occupation; that’s never a stated goal. Hamas wants to be able to remain in Gaza and attack Israel from there, because one of Hamas’ stated goals IS the destruction of Israel as a nation. That’s a stated goal of many in the region.
But those who shout “Free Palestine” never seem recognize that. They blame Israel. They blame Israelis. They attack Israeli citizens, even when those Israeli citizens are equally critical of the Netanyahu government. Their actions are equivalent to attacking all Americans for the behavior of Donald Trump.
Words hurt. I never know the specifics of what those shouting “Free Palestine” mean, so I assume the worst.
And here, my friends, is why these words matter. It was best captured in another post I shared:
Because something very ugly is happening with antisemitism, and I don’t think those of us who call ourselves liberals or civil-rights advocates get to pretend it isn’t happening simply because some of it is coming from our own side.
I expect antisemitism from Nazis, white supremacists and people carrying tiki torches.
What has been much harder for me to process is watching people who would NEVER hold a Muslim American responsible for the actions of Iran, or an Asian American responsible for the Chinese government, suddenly treat a Jewish person in Florida, New York, London or Paris as personally answerable for the Israeli government.
That makes no sense.
A Jewish American is not Benjamin Netanyahu.
A synagogue is not the Israeli embassy.
A Jewish college student is not the IDF.
And criticizing the Israeli government is not inherently antisemitic. Of course it isn’t. Israelis themselves fiercely criticize their government. Palestinians are entitled to human rights, dignity and safety. Palestinian children are not responsible for Hamas, any more than Jewish children are responsible for decisions made by the Israeli government.
We should be capable of holding all of those thoughts in our heads at the same time.
But context matters.
“Free Palestine” said as an expression of concern for innocent Palestinians is one thing.
“FREE PALESTINE!” screamed in the face of a Jewish person simply because they are Jewish is something else entirely.
And I think people need to understand why those words can land differently on Jewish ears today.
They have been shouted during attacks on Jews. They have accompanied threats and violence against Jewish people thousands of miles from Gaza. Jews have been confronted at synagogues, on campuses and on city streets over the actions of a government they may not support, in a country where they may not even live.
So when a Jewish person tells me that those words frighten them in a particular context, my response isn’t going to be, “Well, that’s not what I mean, so you shouldn’t feel that way.”
I’m going to listen.
Here’s the full post:
Essentially, people are taking their anger over the actions of the Israeli government, which has been fed by the PR machine of Hamas, into anger against people who broadly support the right of the nation of Israel to exist, just like any other nation in the world. As those folks are Jewish, they are then extending that anger into antisemitism, under the mistaken belief that American Jews — that is, individual American Jews — influence the behavior of and support the Israeli government. They take that anger and write antisemitic words on synagogues, and attack people’s homes, and attack people.
Words hurt. Words incite actions.
There is a Jewish story, which you can fully read on the Chabad website. It tells the story of a man who wanted to apologize for the damage done by the rumors he told, and the words he used.
The rabbi looked at him. “Do you have any feather pillows in your house?” “Rabbi, I am not poor; I have a whole bunch of them. But what do you want me to do, sell them?”
“No, just bring me one.”
The man was mystified, but he returned a bit later to the rabbi’s study with a nice fluffy pillow under his arm. The rabbi opened the window and handed him a knife. “Cut it open!”
“But Rabbi, here in your study? It will make a mess!”
“Do as I say!”
And the man cut the pillow. A cloud of feathers came out. They landed on the chairs and on the bookcase, on the clock, on the cat which jumped after them. They floated over the table and into the teacups, on the rabbi and on the man with the knife, and a lot of them flew out of the window in a big swirling, whirling trail.
The rabbi waited ten minutes. Then he ordered the man: “Now bring me back all the feathers, and stuff them back in your pillow. All of them, mind you. Not one may be missing!”
The man stared at the rabbi in disbelief. “That is impossible, Rabbi. The ones here is the room I might get, most of them, but the ones that flew out of the window are gone. Rabbi, I can’t do that, you know it!”
“Yes,” said the rabbi and nodded gravely, “that is how it is: once a rumor, a gossipy story, a ‘secret,’ leaves your mouth, you do not know where it ends up. It flies on the wings of the wind, and you can never get it back!”
When people use the PR-intentional words “genocide” and “Free Palestine”, they are spreading a submessage of hate and creating fear. That is not likely their intent, but it is the message they convey. Just think about the message that is conveyed when people you know are good wear MAGA hats.
Why am I posting this message today? Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, starts Sunday evening. In the days leading up to Yom Kippur, we apologize for any unintentional wrongs we may have done. I always strive to be careful in my words, to not spread hateful speech, to not use my words to hurt. If I have done so, I sincerely apologize — that was not my intent.
I hope that those reading this — and especially those who are now using the terms “Genocide” and “Free Palestine” — are aware of what those words are conveying to Jews around the world, and the fear those words are raising. I hope that those who support a better life for those innocent civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, as I do, will choose better words.
I leave you with this: Consider the difference between the phrases “Free Palestine” and “Let Gazans Govern Gaza”.
