Where Is The Boycott of the Anti-Israel Boycotters?
Sometimes I wish there really was a world-wide Jewish conspiracy, and that we Jews really did control the media, Hollywood, and the banks. In that case, we would not even have to worry about the one-sided antisemitic coverage by the New York Times, the BBC, CNN, and other media outlets about Israel, the Palestinians, the war in Gaza – because the supposed Jewish conspirators would exercise their control to quash all of it before it ever got published in the main stream media. If Jews really controlled as much as alleged by antisemites, politicians in France, UK, Spain, Australia, or Canada would not dare to recognize a Palestinian state at a time when Israel is fighting for its life yet again, in fear of the media backlash that would swamp any re-election hopes.
Alas (I guess), Jews do not have that level of control. Instead, in addition to the annual United Nations General Assembly annual Israel-only bashing session (this year on steroids), we get the performative boycott of Israel and Jews by some now 4,000 signatories in the entertainment industry, thankfully countered by some 1,200 signatories in an open letter by the Creative Community for Peace. We get performers at the Emmy Awards, epitomized by long-time antisemite Javier Bardem (a Spaniard wearing a keffiyeh of course) and “as a Jew” Hannah Einbinder (wearing the famous/infamous red-hand pin), making anti-Israel comments.
The pin is especially offensive since most Jews recognize it as symbolizing the bloodstained hands of Aziz Salha as he waved his bloodstained hands to a cheering crowd after murdering two inexperienced ununiformed Israeli reservists who took a wrong turn into Ramallah on October 12, 2000. That anyone, especially an “as a Jew” person like Hannah Einbinder, could wear this pin and claim to be ignorant of its support for killing Jews is both implausible and repellent.
Jews may not control Hollywood, but there are nonetheless many Jews and others who support Israel in positions of influence in that community. Such people can evaluate whether they want to work with antisemites, just as they can make that evaluation as to any other form of bigotry. They can state that they will not hire or work with any signatory of the industry boycott letter. The signatories may have free speech rights, but they do not have a right to be bigots and get jobs.
It is time to impose real world consequences on antisemitism, just as the signatories seek to impose real world consequences on Israel and its supporters – it must and can be a two-way street. It is great that Paramount condemned the anti-Israel boycott, but it should go further to announce that it will not work with any artist or entity that boycotts or supports the boycott of Israel.
As for those of us who are not Hollywood powerbrokers, we can do our part. We can boycott projects by the signatories to the anti-Israel letter. We can refuse to purchase products that originate in France, Spain, or South Africa and urge others to do the same. We can drop subscriptions and refuse to watch media outlets that promote a one-sided narrative, impacting their ratings and revenues.
If enough of us do it, perhaps at least some in those places will consider that perhaps (just perhaps) there might be some nuance (imagine that!), that perhaps (just perhaps) the use of false photos of supposedly starving children who actually have a genetic disorder and airbrushing out their healthy relatives is not proper journalism, that perhaps (just perhaps) casualty figures from Hamas are falsified, and more.
I, for one, will be trying to boycott the boycotters. Perhaps (just perhaps) if industry leadership can do the same to act against the inherent bigotry of the Israel-bashers, some possibility of change might bear fruit.
