Misunderstanding Antisemitism

By Noga Wizansky, As published in The Union

Congressman Kevin Kiley, and sadly also too many Democrats need a primer on antisemitism: hostility and prejudice toward the entire Jewish People. Criticizing the acts of the state of Israel or its political ideology is not antisemitism. Criticizing the state of Israel for its genocidal assault on the Palestinians of Gaza is not antisemitic. As a Jewish-Israeli-American, I am appalled by the way Kiley and his Republican party that harbors verifiable antisemites, are weaponizing antisemitism to distract from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) massacre of Palestinians in Gaza. I am outraged by the false and dangerous equivalence so many of our political representatives and institutional leaders across the political spectrum have made between criticizing Israel and antisemitism. Given that I support a ceasefire and stand in solidarity with Palestinians in their struggle to end the Israeli occupation and gain equality throughout Israel-Palestine, this purported equivalence would absurdly and incorrectly label me an antisemite. Scott Rodriguez attacked the BUSD in these pages for promoting the Liberated Ethnic Studies Curriculum (LESC) that he alleges teaches antisemitism. My Jewish-Israeli daughter teaches in the BUSD and stands together with her colleagues in support of the embattled LESC. It is heartbreaking that members of my cultural community would join the forces of the Right in maligning students protesting genocide and trying to cancel curricula that teaches the cultures and histories of diverse non-white students simply because they include Palestine. Nothing about these widespread attacks on speech, learning, and protest makes me feel safe.