Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, said in a livestream on Monday that the rise in antisemitism is an assault on American and progressive values, and acknowledged that there had been instances where criticism of Israel has crossed the line into the spectrum of antisemitism.She's absolutely not wrong.
Antisemitism is an assault on our values as Americans and especially as progressives, Ocasio-Cortez said at the start of a 30-minute conversation with leading experts on antisemitism. When the Jewish community is threatened, the progressive movement is undermined.
The discussion with Amy Spitalnick, chief executive of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, and Stacy Burdett, a former senior executive at the Anti-Defamation League, was streamed live on the congresswomans YouTube and Instagram accounts, as well as on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Ocasio-Cortez, who has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, said that while criticism of the Israeli government or Zionism is not inherently antisemitic, its crucial to recognize when such criticism crosses into harmful territory.
Its also important to educate ourselves about the line past which criticism of the Israeli government can slip into antisemitism, she said. Doing so protects our Jewish neighbors and protects the broader movement for a lasting piece from being discredited.
Ocasio-Cortez added that it is mutually important to recognize Jewish pain and fear in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza while also advocating for Palestinian rights. Acknowledging that fact does not take away from fights for liberation, it actually advances them, she said. It is possible for us to hold very different perspectives about these issues that often cut to the core of our beliefs, without turning our backs on each other.
At the same time, Ocasio-Cortez lambasted bad-faith actors for weaponizing the issue and falsely accusing progressives and women of color of engaging in antisemitism.
Spitalnick called Ocasio-Cortezs statements condemning antisemitism on the left remarkable and important. She said the conversation served as a unique opportunity to explain the dire threat of antisemitism to thousands of her followers and progressives across the country. We need to be engaging wherever we can to help people understand antisemitism, Spitalnick said.
It just baffles how some construe any comment that is pro Palestinian people (not Hamas) is somehow antisemitic
AOC is fucking incredible.Yeah, she's definitely the politician we need to both unite the left and center while staving off the far right. It's rare to have someone of her caliber in a position of power. As such, voters should do what they can to support her due to the amount of good she is capable of performing for others.
It just baffles how some construe any comment that is pro Palestinian people (not Hamas) is somehow antisemiticYeah there's a very nasty trick people have done where they've proclaimed that any criticism of Israel's government is antisemitic.
this is the kind of capacity for understanding nuance that is severely lacking in like 90% of this country's elected officials
you are correct of course, but that just isn't the point i was making
Its also important to educate ourselves about the line past which criticism of the Israeli government can slip into antisemitism,
Easy: It can't.
Governments are not ethnicities.
I'm sorry but the comment is stupid. Nobody says you're bigoted for criticizing America, Russia, etc. People should stop giving Israel cover with this type of nonsense.
when someones criticism against Israel goes into insane antisemitic conspiracies, seems fair to call them antisemitic.
you are correct of course, but that just isn't the point i was makingThe people elect the politicians and the politicians pander to the people. So his point seems related and relevant.
when someones criticism against Israel goes into insane antisemitic conspiracies, seems fair to call them antisemitic.There are more things to criticize Israel for than just genocide unfortunately.
Thats why I suggest people criticizing Israel stick to, you know, the whole genocide thing.
#AOC2024
literally the perfect woman
https://x.com/SxarletRed/status/1800612522636066982
Sorry, not a fan of her anymore after this
This was something worth protesting
Wow, some people are accusing AOC of being a centrist now.Twitter. Most people can't be taken seriously there. Too many people with biased/extreme opinions and no common sense.
Wow, some people are accusing AOC of being a centrist now
Not a centrist but acting like criticism of a government can be bigoted is definitely pulling some both sides'er style nonsense.
Do you think it's possible for criticism of a country to cross into racism?
And notice how barely anyone's talking about Islamophobia regarding critics of Palestine. When a talking point is nigh exclusively used in defense of an apartheid government that's a good sign that it's bullshit.AOC does a lot
https://www.reddit.com/r/SocialDemocracy/comments/1dcvnev/antisemitism_and_the_fight_for_democracy_panel/
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/5/5b2def4b.png
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/7/7415c127.jpg
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/5/5ced9c6e.png
Do you think it's possible for criticism of a country to cross into racism?
Criticism of a country can certainly be informed by racism, but bad actors try to use this to attack principled arguments against ethnostates and apartheid states, which are inherently racist forms of government.
At the same time, Ocasio-Cortez lambasted bad-faith actors for weaponizing the issue and falsely accusing progressives and women of color of engaging in antisemitism
Do you think it's possible for criticism of a country to cross into racism?Definitely.
Wow, some people are accusing AOC of being a centrist now.To be fair, AOC would be considered centre left in Western Europe
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/9/9744e68d.jpg
I don't see how criticism of a government can "go into" hatred of a faith or ethnicity. Those are simply two different concepts.
Not for any other country have I seen people try to associate criticism of the government with bigotry.
So far, she's been able to maintain a sizeable portion of leftist supporters while garnering trust from more moderate voters who tend to be wary of the left.She keeps lefties happy by actually being a lefty on a lot of policy and stands just enough ground to not be a phony.
She keeps lefties happy by actually being a lefty on a lot of policy and stands just enough ground to not be a phony.
She keeps the wary centrist libs happy by being a white passing poc girl boss that plays just nice enough with party leadership for them to not press the instruct libs to hate this progressive button.
Not sustainable for a presidential run though. Party leadership will slam that button unless she agrees to turn heel Fetterman style.