I hate to say this to you, but you would not have peace of mind even if you disavowed the state of Israel. Because it wouldn't stop you being Jewish. The truth is people once again found someone to blame all the troubles of the world for, and now they can even cover themselves with pseudo morality
I am amazed to see how the nearly universal favor of the Jews has not held up in a just war of defense. If anything has been shown through Jewish history is Am Yisrael Chai, those who attempt to destroy the Jews are destroyed, those who are their friends are blessed.
when was there a universal favor of the jews? where was that universe? People seriously don't like jews. that's why the outburst .... no one had to "think about it".
You can definitely make the argument you presented above. I think I'm saying something slightly different.
I grew up in the 90s in the USA, I never heard anyone bad talk about Jews. When I was a university student anything Palestine-related was fringe, and Jews on my campus wore Piyyut and Yamakas without harassment.
Today feels like 1930s Nazi Germany, replete with zombie-like hatred from the abyss.
That's what I mean about "nearly universal favor" seeming to disappear - maybe not 100% everyone liked Jews before O7, but there was an air of tolerance, and at least a willingness to ignore them even if there was distrust or dislike. Maybe what I meant was more like, the freedom to be invisible, or the freedom to be ignored, not to mention the philo-semites.
I heard that about your people your age. I got plenty of antisemitism growing up so I was slightly blindsided but not completely. My our dear friend who was born in 84 is still shocked by the apparent change in her “friends “. Sorry. But I think the antisemitism is)as ayaan hirsi Ali said) baked in. Taught around the dinner table. It didn’t take much for them to rip off the masks of being cool with jews
I was at a Jewish secondary school in the 80s and believe me, we saw nothing but hate from the local community. Every month there would be a bomb threat. Every month there would be beatings on public transport. Every month, other schools would hurl pennies from buses. I think Nancy is correct. It's learned behaviour from parents around the dinner table.
Given your replies, I can see many people have prejudices underneath their outer respectability. When it becomes acceptable to express these prejudices publicly, they so do loudly, this I think is the change we are observing.
The current risk in speaking out in favor of Israel is inherently economic. Being willing to speak out at economic risk is running against the trope, so I don't see the problem.
A couple of months after the attack, Hadassah sent out a petition calling for an end of the silence about the sexual assault of women. 100% something all of my female friends could agree on. Oh no. Not at all. I was either cancelled or spit on for promoting Zionist propaganda. Never having considered living in Israel,i was flummoxed by the “Zionist “ part. My husband had to tell me that Zionist was now a euphemism for Jew.
The issue is never the issue, the issue is always the Revolution (however imaginary, silly, incoherent or malevolent).
Your friends don't care about raped and tortured Jewish women because Jews code as white oppressors in the Social Justice faith, which is the official belief system of all educated upscale urbanites, whether they know it or not.
For some reason all egalitarian faiths always arrive at the same place: for their utopia of Justice and Equality to appear, first the Jews must be eradicated (or at least punished and humiliated).
We are living in a time of intense ideological and social-media-policed conformity and now all Good People agree Israel has no right to exist—its existence has wounded the feelings of the marginalized!
I try to steer clear of anyone too deeply immersed in the Social Justice faith, they cannot be trusted, because anyone who has outsourced their brains and souls to the mob can never be trusted.
I am a solid Gen-Xer five years past 50 and every day I shake my head in shock over the level of punitive conformity that's swallowed my friends whole. It's like living through "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"!
I've had my best friends insult me with bigotry accusations or ask if I watch Fox News if I offer even the gentlest quibbling with sacred narratives like BLM or Trans children. And we marched for Mandela together and Gay Pride 30 years ago before it was a state-sanctioned holiday!
Something about tribalism, the potent Manichaean ideology of Social Justice, and the brain-melting propaganda devices we carry everywhere called smartphones is my guess—it's like watching every brain turn into the same brain at the same time.
We seem to be living through a top-down ideological takeover of culture and society, which will not end well.
I don't regret marching against the Afrikaaners and their apartheid, theirs was an ugly system predicated on mass oppression, though now that I'm older, wiser and more jaded, I'd probably vote for the muzzling of all Western college kids as a class, as we/they really know nothing but ourselves, for better or worse. Read your Johnson, Burke and Carlyle before you open your mouths, children! ;)
But I think we'd have to pretty cynical not to express any political sentiments based on how they might play out 30 years down the road, as the only thing we know for sure about the future (and the past), is that it could have been better but it also could have been much worse.
I'm a Christian, and I solely support Israel. I've got a different t-shirt for every day of the week which I proudly wear anywhere I go. I get dirty looks sometimes, but I don't care. "God blesses those who bless you, and curses those who curse you." I hate the Hamas and other terrorists! I will always stand with Israel!
It’s time to bring back the recognition of the new cohort of Righteous Gentiles, even though really it’s just good people standing against hate. More famously Douglas Murray, Nate Buzolic, others who have to risk their livelihood and names to stand against hatred.
I’ve been suspended for seven months and my courses for the fall have been reassigned. I’ve been denied any defence because I didn’t sign their wild NDA. I can’t say I have any regret for saying I stood with Israel and that Hamas were Nazis - if I taught till 69 and died at 85 I’ll be out $2 million though. But I won’t starve. I’ve certainly been blessed with many new Jewish friends. But U of G and Humber have clearly said that if you say you stand with Hamas and the Houthis no prob. If you stand with Israel and it makes an anti semite feel emotionally unsafe you get effectively fired. I hope these institutions come to their senses - on free speech grounds and not favouring supporters of terrorism over non supporters. But the apology I’ve been advised to make ? 😂 https://open.substack.com/pub/paulfinlayson/p/i-am-being-thrown-in-the-slowly-grinding?r=iy2ds&utm_medium=ios
IF the Jews were eradicated, who'd be next? My guess would be the Christians (if the Muslims have their way that is...) So much bloody hatred based on nothing other than differences between groups who have a need to point their skeletal fingers at everyone else. If the Muslims win this 'world war,' they themselves won't last long because they slaughter their own women. Neanderthals... Christians have historically declared war against non-Christians and the Muslims are currently doing the same against non-Muslims. I believe the Jews are the only ones who've historically tried to live their own lives in peace and expect all else to do the same - over and over and over again.
The Hamas/Iran plan is to first kill the Jews, then the gay men, then Christians. Probably then each other since Iran and Hamas are Shia and Sunni respectively.
Thanks for sharing, brother. I can only start to imagine a little bit of how you feel. I hope it’ll help others understand that compromising with these people is useless. Marxist antisemites will always hate you but not because you are Jewish or because 🇮🇱 is Jewish, but because you are hardworking, enterprising, successful, risk taking, innovative and productive. Where they can offer only grievance, war and hate, you offer so so much more. All that, added to the unquestionable validity and integrity of your religious and moral principles will always make others less successful, jealous. Hence the attacks. Trying to appease them never works. I thank you for your testimony and I pledge to always fight antisemitism. God bless. Stay strong. Israel shall prevail.
Since the Biden regime has been in power, the U.S. has degenerated into something I do not recognize. So, if anybody wants to know, I'd fight and die with the IDF before I would fight and die for this goddamn country in the shape it is now in.
I’ve thought about that movie, the Donald Sutherland iteration more than once lately. My optimism forces me to remember that there is no closure in nature, everything is temporary except, apparently, the Jews. That Jews survived the Romans is the miracle.
It breaks my heart that you, or any Jew, has ever felt the need to hide your faith and heritage for fear of raised eyebrows at best and violence at worst. As Christians, we make a big deal about not hiding our lamp under a bushel. That also means standing with our Jewish friends to help them protect their light. You’re not as alone as it feels.
If October 7 should teach us anything, it should be that this is very likely what a realization of the “right to return” would look like if it ever came to fruition. That October 7 was not solely an expression of resistance to an oppression (past or present, perceived or real) by killing a few on the other side to bring the worlds attention to the plight of the Palestinian people. October 7 was that attempt to carry out that dream of claiming the entirety of Israel for Palestine rule. They likely thought that “this was the day of liberation,” the reason for the elation of butchering innocent children and their families that was captured on video. This is what “Free-ing Palestine from the river to the sea” would look like in reality. Not a collapsing of a wall where Palestinian families would come in holding hands and their suitcases, building their new homes and growing vegetables alongside their Israeli neighbors. Israelis who now, in the course of 70+ years have also lived in Israel for generations, and know no other home. THIS is what that dream would look like.
I hate to say this to you, but you would not have peace of mind even if you disavowed the state of Israel. Because it wouldn't stop you being Jewish. The truth is people once again found someone to blame all the troubles of the world for, and now they can even cover themselves with pseudo morality
I am amazed to see how the nearly universal favor of the Jews has not held up in a just war of defense. If anything has been shown through Jewish history is Am Yisrael Chai, those who attempt to destroy the Jews are destroyed, those who are their friends are blessed.
when was there a universal favor of the jews? where was that universe? People seriously don't like jews. that's why the outburst .... no one had to "think about it".
You can definitely make the argument you presented above. I think I'm saying something slightly different.
I grew up in the 90s in the USA, I never heard anyone bad talk about Jews. When I was a university student anything Palestine-related was fringe, and Jews on my campus wore Piyyut and Yamakas without harassment.
Today feels like 1930s Nazi Germany, replete with zombie-like hatred from the abyss.
That's what I mean about "nearly universal favor" seeming to disappear - maybe not 100% everyone liked Jews before O7, but there was an air of tolerance, and at least a willingness to ignore them even if there was distrust or dislike. Maybe what I meant was more like, the freedom to be invisible, or the freedom to be ignored, not to mention the philo-semites.
I heard that about your people your age. I got plenty of antisemitism growing up so I was slightly blindsided but not completely. My our dear friend who was born in 84 is still shocked by the apparent change in her “friends “. Sorry. But I think the antisemitism is)as ayaan hirsi Ali said) baked in. Taught around the dinner table. It didn’t take much for them to rip off the masks of being cool with jews
I was at a Jewish secondary school in the 80s and believe me, we saw nothing but hate from the local community. Every month there would be a bomb threat. Every month there would be beatings on public transport. Every month, other schools would hurl pennies from buses. I think Nancy is correct. It's learned behaviour from parents around the dinner table.
Given your replies, I can see many people have prejudices underneath their outer respectability. When it becomes acceptable to express these prejudices publicly, they so do loudly, this I think is the change we are observing.
i don't want to judge so please forgive me if what i about to say sounds like judgment- why to follow antisemitic trope (i.e., money)?
The current risk in speaking out in favor of Israel is inherently economic. Being willing to speak out at economic risk is running against the trope, so I don't see the problem.
my comment related to internalizing antisemitic trope of viewing Jews more "attached " to money than anyone else.
I’m not Jewish anyway.
you lost me by now. sorry.
A couple of months after the attack, Hadassah sent out a petition calling for an end of the silence about the sexual assault of women. 100% something all of my female friends could agree on. Oh no. Not at all. I was either cancelled or spit on for promoting Zionist propaganda. Never having considered living in Israel,i was flummoxed by the “Zionist “ part. My husband had to tell me that Zionist was now a euphemism for Jew.
I can say I was in shock for a couple of months.
The issue is never the issue, the issue is always the Revolution (however imaginary, silly, incoherent or malevolent).
Your friends don't care about raped and tortured Jewish women because Jews code as white oppressors in the Social Justice faith, which is the official belief system of all educated upscale urbanites, whether they know it or not.
For some reason all egalitarian faiths always arrive at the same place: for their utopia of Justice and Equality to appear, first the Jews must be eradicated (or at least punished and humiliated).
We are living in a time of intense ideological and social-media-policed conformity and now all Good People agree Israel has no right to exist—its existence has wounded the feelings of the marginalized!
I try to steer clear of anyone too deeply immersed in the Social Justice faith, they cannot be trusted, because anyone who has outsourced their brains and souls to the mob can never be trusted.
We are all well over 50 years old. Seriously, what gives?
I am a solid Gen-Xer five years past 50 and every day I shake my head in shock over the level of punitive conformity that's swallowed my friends whole. It's like living through "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"!
I've had my best friends insult me with bigotry accusations or ask if I watch Fox News if I offer even the gentlest quibbling with sacred narratives like BLM or Trans children. And we marched for Mandela together and Gay Pride 30 years ago before it was a state-sanctioned holiday!
Something about tribalism, the potent Manichaean ideology of Social Justice, and the brain-melting propaganda devices we carry everywhere called smartphones is my guess—it's like watching every brain turn into the same brain at the same time.
We seem to be living through a top-down ideological takeover of culture and society, which will not end well.
> And we marched for Mandela together
BTW, have you ever looked into the current situation in South Africa to see how that turned out?
I don't regret marching against the Afrikaaners and their apartheid, theirs was an ugly system predicated on mass oppression, though now that I'm older, wiser and more jaded, I'd probably vote for the muzzling of all Western college kids as a class, as we/they really know nothing but ourselves, for better or worse. Read your Johnson, Burke and Carlyle before you open your mouths, children! ;)
But I think we'd have to pretty cynical not to express any political sentiments based on how they might play out 30 years down the road, as the only thing we know for sure about the future (and the past), is that it could have been better but it also could have been much worse.
I'm a Christian, and I solely support Israel. I've got a different t-shirt for every day of the week which I proudly wear anywhere I go. I get dirty looks sometimes, but I don't care. "God blesses those who bless you, and curses those who curse you." I hate the Hamas and other terrorists! I will always stand with Israel!
It’s time to bring back the recognition of the new cohort of Righteous Gentiles, even though really it’s just good people standing against hate. More famously Douglas Murray, Nate Buzolic, others who have to risk their livelihood and names to stand against hatred.
Me too, Crystal.
I’ve been suspended for seven months and my courses for the fall have been reassigned. I’ve been denied any defence because I didn’t sign their wild NDA. I can’t say I have any regret for saying I stood with Israel and that Hamas were Nazis - if I taught till 69 and died at 85 I’ll be out $2 million though. But I won’t starve. I’ve certainly been blessed with many new Jewish friends. But U of G and Humber have clearly said that if you say you stand with Hamas and the Houthis no prob. If you stand with Israel and it makes an anti semite feel emotionally unsafe you get effectively fired. I hope these institutions come to their senses - on free speech grounds and not favouring supporters of terrorism over non supporters. But the apology I’ve been advised to make ? 😂 https://open.substack.com/pub/paulfinlayson/p/i-am-being-thrown-in-the-slowly-grinding?r=iy2ds&utm_medium=ios
IF the Jews were eradicated, who'd be next? My guess would be the Christians (if the Muslims have their way that is...) So much bloody hatred based on nothing other than differences between groups who have a need to point their skeletal fingers at everyone else. If the Muslims win this 'world war,' they themselves won't last long because they slaughter their own women. Neanderthals... Christians have historically declared war against non-Christians and the Muslims are currently doing the same against non-Muslims. I believe the Jews are the only ones who've historically tried to live their own lives in peace and expect all else to do the same - over and over and over again.
The Hamas/Iran plan is to first kill the Jews, then the gay men, then Christians. Probably then each other since Iran and Hamas are Shia and Sunni respectively.
Time to prosecute the haters under the Civil Rights Laws. Time for legal Whack A Mole against the Hamas leftist Nazis.
Awesome essay. Agree 💯.
Thanks for sharing, brother. I can only start to imagine a little bit of how you feel. I hope it’ll help others understand that compromising with these people is useless. Marxist antisemites will always hate you but not because you are Jewish or because 🇮🇱 is Jewish, but because you are hardworking, enterprising, successful, risk taking, innovative and productive. Where they can offer only grievance, war and hate, you offer so so much more. All that, added to the unquestionable validity and integrity of your religious and moral principles will always make others less successful, jealous. Hence the attacks. Trying to appease them never works. I thank you for your testimony and I pledge to always fight antisemitism. God bless. Stay strong. Israel shall prevail.
Since the Biden regime has been in power, the U.S. has degenerated into something I do not recognize. So, if anybody wants to know, I'd fight and die with the IDF before I would fight and die for this goddamn country in the shape it is now in.
Love that commitment Scott
I’ve thought about that movie, the Donald Sutherland iteration more than once lately. My optimism forces me to remember that there is no closure in nature, everything is temporary except, apparently, the Jews. That Jews survived the Romans is the miracle.
Thanks so much for the callout, Reuben.
It breaks my heart that you, or any Jew, has ever felt the need to hide your faith and heritage for fear of raised eyebrows at best and violence at worst. As Christians, we make a big deal about not hiding our lamp under a bushel. That also means standing with our Jewish friends to help them protect their light. You’re not as alone as it feels.
No!
If October 7 should teach us anything, it should be that this is very likely what a realization of the “right to return” would look like if it ever came to fruition. That October 7 was not solely an expression of resistance to an oppression (past or present, perceived or real) by killing a few on the other side to bring the worlds attention to the plight of the Palestinian people. October 7 was that attempt to carry out that dream of claiming the entirety of Israel for Palestine rule. They likely thought that “this was the day of liberation,” the reason for the elation of butchering innocent children and their families that was captured on video. This is what “Free-ing Palestine from the river to the sea” would look like in reality. Not a collapsing of a wall where Palestinian families would come in holding hands and their suitcases, building their new homes and growing vegetables alongside their Israeli neighbors. Israelis who now, in the course of 70+ years have also lived in Israel for generations, and know no other home. THIS is what that dream would look like.