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Vivienne Grace Ziner

Just desserts: Welcome to anti-Semitism: 2020

A few years ago, when one of my sons was truly traumatized after having been bullied, harassed, threatened and demonized by anti-Semitic BDS supporters at McGill University over his strong and powerful support of Israel, I obviously became very involved in monitoring what was happening on campus. The vicious attacks on him increased substantially before yet another BDS “vote” was to be foisted on students at McGill through their student union…for the third time in eighteen months.

The BDS supporter thugs have a simple, yet effective method for implementing their discriminatory and racist policies; the tactic is simple- keep voting on the same BDS sanctions, over and over again, until you get the response you want, until the ever so weary students eventually give in and vote in pro-BDS initiatives.

After this particular vote took place, (we lost, they won- temporarily) I spent hours watching the video footage taken of the vote, where students were given the opportunity to state their reasons for-or against — BDS.

I was particularly struck watching the testimony of one person at the hearings. She was the stereotypic vision of a university “leftie progressive”- tattoos rampant, piercings abounding, hair on its way to becoming inadvertent “dreads” through neglect, clothes “de rigueur” –sloppy sweater over dirty jeans. Her politics were consistent with her image: hating Netanyahu, unconditional support for the Palestinian peoples, strong involvement in social justice issues concerning minorities, women’s rights and all aspects of “intersectionality”.

Imagine my surprise when she voted against B.D.S.

Her position was, that although she believed in the “fight” against Bibi’s vision of Israel and she believed in Palestinian rights and freedoms, she did not believe that enforcing B.D.S. on campus was the correct way to achieve these goals.

My curiosity was piqued. I later asked my son how her “progressive friends” treated her after the vote. I was not surprised when I was informed that she was no longer welcome in any of the “progressive” groups that she had so passionately supported. Women’s groups no longer welcomed her participation because she had shown herself to be a “traitor” to their cause. Their position was that the principle of “intersectionality” no longer extended to her; she no longer “qualified” as a true” progressive”…

Any “rational” person would be correct in asking “How could this be”? How could her seemingly innocuous pronouncement that B.D.S. might not be the answer to all the supposed ills of Israel make her “persona non grata” to all the other groups that have a “progressive” agenda, even those that had absolutely nothing to do with Israel?

Let me clear in my response. In the world of the true twenty first century “progressive”, she was now clearly disavowing her leftist ideals; in the world of the twenty first century “progressive”, one cannot support Israel in any way, shape or form or one loses the right to be considered a “progressive”.

Did I mention that our young “progressive” in question was Jewish?

This “rule” applies unequivocally and unyieldingly if one is Jewish.

For those of you who don’t know the Rules and Regulations of the Left, here is one of the most important lessons.

If you are Jewish and if you are a “Progressive” (or as I now call them, “Regressives” thanks to my friend, Maajid Nawaz), you cannot, under any circumstance believe that Israel-any part of Israel- not Tel Aviv, not Eilat, not Netanya- not any part of Israel- not one inch of Israel-has a right to exist.

Period. End of story.

What began as a propaganda war supposedly against the “occupation” of Israel in Judea and Samaria is now properly and fully “outed” to show its real meaning- that the entire state of Israel, from top to bottom, side to side, should not (G-d forbid!!!!) exist.

To believe that the State of Israel has any legitimacy whatsoever- for even one inch- makes you a “Zionist”.

Anyone with a modicum of intelligence knows that to be a “Zionist” means believing that Israel is the rightful ancestral homeland of the Jewish people and that the Jewish people have the “right of return” to our Homeland.

Therefore, if you believe that Jews have any rights whatsoever to live in Israel, in a Jewish state- you are, by definition, a Zionist. Therefore, according to the “regressive/progressives”, if you believe this to be true, you no longer “qualify” to be a “true progressive”.

No room for compromise here.

More and more the truth of this heinous hatred is being exposed- but have we passed the “tipping point”?

During the past twenty years, the demonization and de-legitimization of Israel has been a well organized, planned and executed attack that was orchestrated by some of the most brilliant P.R. minds in the world and which has been exceptionally effective. A main focus of this heinous plan of consistently denigrating Israel and challenge its legitimacy has been implemented through universities, using administrations, administrators, educators and students to demonize and negatively politicize the Jewish state. Professors and teaching assistants have been part of the problem, not the solution, school administrations have chosen not to get involved or have been sympathetic to “the cause” and Jews and non-Jews who support Israel-or even the right to NOT choose at all- have been maligned, harangued, and subjected to discrimination and racism.

Students and faculty who have supported Israel in any way, shape or form have long been targeted, bullied and threatened without repercussions.

Until now, “regressive” Jews who have aligned with such groups as JVP and SJP could fool themselves that they were only fighting the “so -called occupation” vis-à-vis the West Bank and that Israel ‘proper’ was not being threatened. They could fool themselves that they were fighting for Palestinian rights but not at the expense of the legitimacy of Israel.

That sham is now over.

If you are a Jew and you want to be a “progressive”, you must renounce any and every affiliation, connection, attachment- any legitimacy whatsoever- to the State of Israel.

If you don’t completely renounce Israel’s right to exist- chances are you will no longer be accepted by your “progressive” friends.

(What never ceases to amaze me is that even the “Palestinian” main slogan chanted ad nauseum at every rally they do is so clear in its intent: –
“From the river to the sea
‘Palestine’ will be free! ”

“From the (Jordan) River to the (Mediterranean) Sea
(i.e. ALL of Israel) – ‘Palestine will be free!”)

In plain English, during the past twenty years, these “progressives” have been supporting the Palestinian claim that ALL of Israel should be ‘Palestinian’; in other words, they have been advocating, unknowingly or not, for the de-legitimatization of every single inch of Israel.

But that is not where this insanity ends. Recently, as there has finally been some push back from Israel’s supporters to this blatant racism and as more action has been taken to prevent B.D.S., in universities as well as in government, the reaction from the anti-Israel faction has become even more deranged and absurd. A new particular form of ostracizing Jews has now taken on a new and bewildering dimension.

According to the “progressives” and their comrades, Jews no longer have the right to discuss their own experiences of anti-Semitism – or any aspect of anti-Semitism whatsoever-in any way, shape or form.

Let me repeat this slowly; according to the Left, Jews no longer have the right to discuss, speak to or quite frankly, “own” anything to do with anti-Semitism-whether it takes place in the U.S., Canada or anywhere in the world. According to the Left, Jews have lost the “right” to have anything at all to do with anti-Semitism. Why? According to the “progressives’’, Jews have “lost this right” because of Israel!

This new twist, this new pernicious and topsy -turvy “Alice in Wonderland” craziness is akin to stating that African Americans have no right to deal with anti black issues or Aboriginals cannot discuss or deal with anti Aboriginal issues.

It is so outrageous as to be unbelievable, but this is the new tactic designed to further alienate, discriminate and denigrate Jews-and ironically, its first “victims” are the best of the best of the “progressive” Jews. The most “progressive” of the movement are being targeted and are falling like dominos.

This past October, the Opinion Editor of the Forward, the U.S.’s oldest and most “prestigious” “progressive” newspaper, Batya Ungar Sarson, penned an article detailing her experiences after having been asked to speak at a conference hosted by the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College. Ungar Sarson was asked to be part of two panel discussions, the first as moderator to a panel discussing antisemitism in the United States and the second one on “Racism and Zionism: Black-Jewish relations”. Instead, protestors prevented the discussion on antisemitism from proceeding, citing antisemitism as being inextricably linked to the ‘Israel question’ – this even after Ungar Sarson invited them to protest the next day when the session was to be focused on the topic of Zionism. After heckling and berating panel speakers, the Q&A was ultimately cut short. The next day, when Ungar Sarson was meant to take part in her second session, she instead gave a passionate ‘dressing down’ to her colleagues, the audience, Bard administrators and students alike, admonishing them for the antisemitism she had faced.

Before leaving the stage altogether (and you can watch her speech here) she said the following:

“The next time someone says, ‘What have you done to help Jews as anti-Semitism has spiked across the [US] nation, as Jews have been murdered at their place of worship and Orthodox Jews get beaten to a pulp day after day in Brooklyn,’ you can say, ‘I sat idly by as Jews were protested for trying to talk about anti-Semitism. I allowed a Jewish woman to be held accountable — because of her ethnicity — for the actions of a country halfway around the world where she can’t even vote. I egged the protest on, in fact. And then I went to a party.’”

So now we have a new weapon being used against Jews on the Left from the Left; Jews no longer have the right to feel threatened, harassed, maligned, discriminated against, demonized- because, according to the Left, the State of Israel exists. This attitude, in conjunction with what I have already spoken to, the Left’s belief that any “progressive” Jew who wants be ‘accepted” by the Left must fully and totally renounce Israel’s right to exist AT ALL has now reached the point of no compromise whatsoever.

The most poignant demonstrations of this attitude, and also the most ironic for Toronto Jews occurred last month.

This past December, Bernie Farber, the self-appointed ambassador of Toronto’s “progressive” movement, who created the Anti-Hate Network “in his own image” and who, along with his friend Karen Mock, is an integral part of JSpace Canada received what many believe to be his “just desserts”.

Bernie Farber, who has for years aligned himself with pro Palestinian and pro Arab groups which have been known to be hostile to Israel and her right to exist- Bernie Farber, who attacked those Jewish groups he felt were too “right” and maligned those he disagreed with by calling them “racist”, “bigots” and Islamophobes at his own discretion without legitimate substantiation to these heinous claims- Bernie Farber, who phoned a prominent Toronto rabbi to demand that the rabbi cancel a symposium to be held at his synagogue organized by some of the most prestigious and respected people in Canada because Farber considered it too “right wing” and who used what the rabbi labeled “fear tactics” to enforce his message to ensure the symposium was withdrawn (which it was)- Bernie Farber, who scurrilously labeled the Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford as being-yes, you guessed it!- a bigot, a racist and, an Islamophobe- the very same Bernie Farber who has supported imams who deride and demonize Israel, who has supported CAIR-CAN ….

THIS Bernie Farber has now been labeled by the United Dawah Organization of Canada–wait for it!- “a Zionist!”

(Thank you to my dear friend, Christine Williams for having written the
article (following) on this ‘situation’)

So now, good ole Bernie is literally between a rock and a hard place, a place he has created for himself.

For him to be truly accepted by his so-called “friends”, he must unequivocally renounce- once and for all- any support for Israel’s existence.

After all, a Zionist is someone who believes that Israel has a right to exist and that it is the Homeland of the Jewish People. As has been made clear by the United Dawah Organization of Canada- if you believe that even one inch of Israel belongs to the Jews- you are no longer welcome by United Dawah, their followers and others.

Unfortunately for Bernie and others of his ilk- this is just the beginning.

Just as I was finishing this article, my daughter – like she often does – thrust her phone into my face to show me something she’d come across on Twitter. Ariel Gold of the disgraceful and disgusting ‘Codepink’, who consistently and constantly– like, whenever she can – demonizes, denigrates and berates Israel was labeled-are you ready for it- you guessed it – a Zionist as well.

After the “removal” of General Suleimani, Ariel had the following Twitter exchange with Abbas Hamideh, founder of the Al-Awda Palestinian ‘Right of Return’ Movement.

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Any student of history can fully demonstrate the number of times that those who supported those who inherently hate or mistrust them- have been the first to suffer the dire consequences.

The liberal nobility of France before the French revolution; the liberal nobility of Russia who supported the Bolsheviks; the Jews who initially supported fascism as a way of ‘controlling” the Bolsheviks-the list goes on and on.

So, welcome to the club, Bernie Farber! And you too, Ariel Gold! Now you too can know what it feels like to be labeled, denigrated, humiliated, scorned, vilified and targeted, just for being a Jew- just like the rest of us.we’ve been waiting for you!

But certainly not with open arms…..

Am Y’Isroel Chai!

For further information on the above, please see:

https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2019/03/treatise-canadian-democracy-its-current-challenges-vivienne-grace-ziner/?fbclid=IwAR2aDfWLOx1XOnjbQLR1_MAOh4CaH8NybmUCRlUVAa9UNY8gqLavQw73JKY#.XhOsRVJulHs.facebook

WHAT IF? A Treatise on Canadian Democracy & It’s Current Challenges!

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About the Author
Vivienne Grace Ziner is a vociferous and outspoken activist, advocate, writer and speaker for international human rights, the global advancement of human dignity and the cause of Israel and the Jewish people.
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