Antisemitic? Moi?

There are talking heads, pundits, actors and comedians who express an opinion regarding the most recent installment of Israel’s War for Independence (also referred to as the Israel Hamas war), who take offense at the accusation that they are antisemitic if their opinions are critical of Israel. One who is critical of Israel, they claim, does not necessarily mean that they dislike Jews.  

I think it does. 

It may not be fire-breathing/Nazi-Jihad/kill all the Jews antisemitism, but it is antisemitism.

The humanitarian aid issue serves as a good example from a couple of angles. Civilians caught in an armed conflict usually do what they can to get out of the way. Sometimes they flee to another town, sometimes to another country. But they flee. The civilians in Gaza have nowhere to go, because no one will take them. That might be because potential hosts fear a threat from these innocent civilians; it might be because these different potential hosts have an interest in a weaker Israel. That would of course include those with whom we have some sort of diplomatic peace. Let us not forget that the terror tunnels under Gaza include Egypt. It might be both these things. Yet, we are held responsible not only for their safety, but also their sustenance. We are in fact being required to aid and abet the enemy. During the 2014 installment of this war for independence, a spokesperson for the UN suggested that we supply Gaza with air defense missiles. I would ask,  How is this different? 

Furthermore, anything we do to alleviate the danger to the civilians is either criticized for not doing enough, or is labelled with some evil-connoting tag, like killing fields, or concentration camps. But it is a given that we should protect the enemy from our own military. How can an objective view not pick that up? 

It is also of note that one of the demands Hamas is making in order to agree to a ceasefire is that distribution of humanitarian aid be returned to the U.N. I wonder what that could mean. But I digress. 

There is a guy on YouTube by the name of Preston Stewart. He makes videos about the military, national security and foreign affairs. He was talking about Israel in Gaza, and he dealt mainly with just the military facts. He might comment on the professionalism and effective military actions of the IDF, but that is because it is. I found myself thinking, to the anti-Israel side, this is likely to be viewed as having  a  pro-Israel bias. 

I have long held that anyone who looks at the Israel – Arab conflict objectively, and reports the information without any agenda other than to inform, as opposed to influence, would come out with a more sympathetic view toward Israel. I think that those who weigh in should consider this conflict in comparison to others around the globe (it’s not as if there is a shortage), and maybe that will help clarify their position to themselves.

Let me know when I start turning blue.