How words are often used to belittle and dismiss the opposition.

::::::::

Labelling is a tried-and-true method of demonizing a people or those who oppose you by giving an unacceptable label to categorize them in-order-to reject them. From "n-word lover" to "Spic" or "Yid" and a thousand other variations, to "communist", "socialist", "un-American", "unpatriotic", "un-Christian", or even accusations of treason, labelling is an attempt to demonize those who stray from orthodoxy, whatever that orthodoxy might be at the moment, so those groups can easily be seen as out of the acceptable mainstream or as heretical to the orthodoxy of the society, and, as a result, are open to the most extreme consequences.

The terms "antisemitic" and "antisemitism" are now being used in such a demonizing manner, as though in accepting Jews and Judaism means that anything a Jew does or anything the state of Israel does is somehow above reproach, even when it goes against international law and basic human rights. But it cannot, ethically, be used as a cover for ethnic cleansing or genocide. Jews as individuals and Israel as a state are not above accountability as human beings. They do not have some sort of dispensation because of their Jewishness or because of the Holocaust.

Most of us accept Judaism as a respectable religious choice and see those who practice Judaism as good and just people. Many Jews are opposed to what Israel is doing in their name. Netanyahu represents an extreme version of Judaism, more in line with Zionism with its strain of ethnic cleansing. He does not represent all Jews, nor all of Judaism, and many Jews believe he has far overstepped the tenets of Judaism.

The Holocaust was one very clear and terrifying example of attempts at ethnic cleansing, but there were many such attempts before that, many since, and many continue to this day. The Holocaust does not give the Jewish people some kind of franchise as victims of attempts at ethnic cleansing. We have the example of our treatment of the indigenous Indians and later the treatment of African Americans. We have the examples in Australia, South Africa and Turkey and the Armenians. It continues, and now we see a Jewish nation practicing its version of ethnic cleansing, this time as the perpetrator and trying to hide behind the Holocaust, and labeling anyone who questions them as antisemitic as if such name calling can absolve them of their basic responsibilities as human beings. And all of this in full view of the entire world. We all know full well what is happening, and yet our leadership, especially in the Western World, remains silent, while providing support and political cover for Israel's actions.

Calling those who oppose Israel's disregard for basic human rights in Gaza "antisemitic" is a feeble attempt to demonize their opposition and mask Israel's massive disregard for international law and basic inhumanity for a defenseless, oppressed and occupied people. This cannot, and shall not, stand.

Authors Website: http://substack.com/@bobpassi

Authors Bio:

I have been a lifelong observer of American democracy and a passionate advocate for civic engagement and social responsibility. Born at the start of World War II, I grew up witnessing the high points of the New Deal, the promise of postwar democracy, and the slow erosion of those ideals in the decades since. I am a retired educator, consultant, and social commentator, and I am able to bring decades of reflection and historical perspective to my work.
My new book is Saving Democracy: From the Warnings of 2016 to the Urgency of 2025, an updated and expanded edition of his original 2016 book that examines how the United States arrived at its current political crossroads-- and how citizen action can help reclaim the democratic promise.
I writes regularly at www.perspectives-bobpassi.org and on Substack at bobpassi.substack.com, where I write about democracy, personal empowerment, and the deeper cultural narratives shaping our time.