Apparently, some right-wing pro-Israel Jews in the UK have an expression, an "asajew" as a descriptor for Jews who criticize Israel. Because they supposedly (well, sometimes actually) say "As a Jew, I oppose..." etc. The implication being that they're only bothered about being a Jew when they're using it to justify their criticism of Israel, and otherwise have no connection to the Jewish community. Many left-wing Jews consider this, very reasonably, an antisemitic slur.
Oh damn, hadn't heard that one. I mean, I am bothered about being a Jew when Nazis go after Jews, mostly. And when Israel does a genocide and proclaims that it's doing that so that Jews can be safe. Those are the two times. Probably if the Jewish community had been more tolerant and accepting of me and my family growing up, I'd feel more of a connection to it, but the only connection I've ever felt was to the intensely secular Jews in the Palestinian solidarity committee. Who are my people in such a deep, profound way.
Well, at least the Heinrich Böll Foundation has done a U-turn, and Masha Gessen is getting the Hannah Arendt prize after all.
That's good to hear! (And takes some of the pressure off publishing this outside of my blog.)
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Date: 2023-12-21 12:09 pm (UTC)Oh damn, hadn't heard that one. I mean, I am bothered about being a Jew when Nazis go after Jews, mostly. And when Israel does a genocide and proclaims that it's doing that so that Jews can be safe. Those are the two times. Probably if the Jewish community had been more tolerant and accepting of me and my family growing up, I'd feel more of a connection to it, but the only connection I've ever felt was to the intensely secular Jews in the Palestinian solidarity committee. Who are my people in such a deep, profound way.
Well, at least the Heinrich Böll Foundation has done a U-turn, and Masha Gessen is getting the Hannah Arendt prize after all.
That's good to hear! (And takes some of the pressure off publishing this outside of my blog.)