We reject antisemitism in all its forms, including when it masquerades as criticism of Zionism or Israel’s policies. This October just marked the five-year anniversary of the worst antisemitic attack ever committed in the United States: the eleven worshipers at Tree of Life – Or L’Simcha in Pittsburgh, who were murdered by a gunman who espoused conspiracy theories that blamed Jews for the arrival of Central American migrants, and in so doing, dehumanised both groups. We have studied the long histories of persecution and violence against Jews, and we take seriously the ongoing antisemitism that jeopardises the safety of Jews around the world. Our families have escaped wars, harassment, pogroms, and concentration camps. In our grief, we are horrified to see the fight against antisemitism weaponised as a pretext for war crimes with stated genocidal intent.Īntisemitism is an excruciatingly painful part of our community’s past and present. We condemn the recent attacks on Israeli and Palestinian civilians and mourn such harrowing loss of life. Now, this insidious gagging of free speech is being used to justify Israel’s ongoing military bombardment of Gaza and to silence criticism from the international community. ![]() Israel and its defenders have long used this rhetorical tactic to shield Israel from accountability, dignify the US’s multibillion-dollar investment in Israel’s military, obscure the deadly reality of occupation, and deny Palestinian sovereignty. ![]() We are Jewish writers, artists, and activists who wish to disavow the widespread narrative that any criticism of Israel is inherently antisemitic. The writers share this letter in solidarity with those who continue to speak out in support of Palestinian freedom. ![]() Editors at a corporate-owned magazine were prepared to publish the letter, but their lawyers advised against it. A group of Jewish writers drafted this letter after seeing an old argument gain new power: the claim that critiquing Israel is antisemitic.
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