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hannasf407 karma

How do you differentiate between Antisemitism and disapproval for the policies of Israel? I know there is a difference and one can be critical of policies and not an antisemite. But how do you discern their motives?

hannasf26 karma

Thank you. Sometimes it is hard to discern motives. I am not Jewish. At the risk of sounding like an idiot I have known and loved many Jewish people. I have enormous concerns about antisemitism creeping back into social norms. I care about my loved ones. I do care about the issue.

hannasf14 karma

I think this is a good point, and I respect your opinion. I do wonder how criticism of these policies would be perceived if they came from someone who is not Jewish. For example, if I were to say something about the high levels of crime in certain communities in the US, would my comments be perceived as bigoted against the demographics of those communities, when I am not part of those demographics? The nation of Israel is so intertwined with Judaism; it is not merely another country. Having been raised a Catholic, sometimes it feels that the well deserved criticism of the Vatican can sometimes stray into the realm of anti Catholicism. Even if I no longer consider myself a Catholic, sometimes I feel uncomfortable because many in my family still are. It's a challenge to tease apart valid criticisms of policy from something more dark and insidious.

hannasf4 karma

These are all good points. I thought the topic was a useful one, hence my post. Like I said elsewhere in this thread, it may be difficult to discern the motives of someone who criticizes Israel and who is not Jewish. It is also difficult to discern the motives of people who claim that much criticism of Israel stems from antisemitism.

I honestly believe that someone can criticize the Vatican and not be anti Catholic. But I've seen a slippery slope here as well.

hannasf3 karma

Got any ideas for green crabs in Maine?