23 Comments
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Leslie Benjamini #🟦's avatar

Beautifully written, sadly it will go over their empty heads if they ever read it. Your last two paragraphs were short and to the point. A 6 month vacation in Gaza is exactly what they need.

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Alison's avatar

I personally think that anyone who waves a Palestinian flag rather than the flag of their own country should move to Gaza and experience firsthand what they are extolling. If you prefer somebody else's country to your own, then why stay where you are? Put your money where your mouth is. Especially young people who don't yet know what real life is all about. It's time to find out for yourselves!

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Alison's avatar

Sorry - I didn't mean to "like" my own post! Finger trouble.

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Doug Phillips's avatar

Probably the best read about these " influencers " I have read in a long time. Right to the point and so very true. These influencers make me support and love israel that much more.

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Sylvan Changuion's avatar

Joshua - Excellent article as usual! The only wonderfully funny outcome I foresee is that these idiots will be so impressed by your "compliments" that they will attach the article to their CV - I mean after all, you have been been showering praise on them! Reminds me of a time when I attempted to defuse a near-riot by saying, in a mock-serious tone: "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears...". Before I could get to the "I have come to bury Caesar, not to praise him...", one of the leaders of the march objected to my racism in calling them, "Romans" and was genuinely puzzled as to why they would want to "lend" (sic) my ears. I gave up and went for coffee. Let us hope that these burst a-holes are consumed by their own stupidity. Oh yes- I refer to them as "burst a-holes" because there is not much that one can do with a burst a-hole. A healthy a-hole still has some use - not these prats.

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Ira Seidenstein, PhD (Edu)'s avatar

This is a compliment - reads like a Three Stooges skit. To reinforce that it IS intended as a compliment.... I LOVE The Three Stooges. Satire is valid form of activism.

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Diane Steiner's avatar

This was a brilliant piece and your delicious sarcasm woven throughout, comes in loud and clear. Read a laughable article about Mohammed Hadid crying that he has to file for bankruptcy for the fifth time. A millionaire Palestinian refugee whining about the plight of his financial state. What a legacy he left for his children, a lifetime membership to refugee victimhood.

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Ira Seidenstein, PhD (Edu)'s avatar

A superb work of Art.

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Susan Sullivan's avatar

Absolutely brilliant!!!

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Tim Goodsell's avatar

Spot on Joshua. A “Screechy Nonbinary Voice” for use in voicing catchy little “Kill All The Jews” chants is another valuable skill which the Pro-Pa’s have raised to a high art form. I suspect it will not be long before these heroes are demonstrating their skills on “The Voice” or “America’s Got Talent.”

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Marc Mayerson's avatar

This is Halloween for antisemites.

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Robin Alexander's avatar

Your best yet, hands down.

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George Lubell's avatar

Great article. Mindless social media caters to the lowest common denominator and facilitates its eager proponents to engage in superficial and self-serving discourse without having to deal with the facts and historical context. Its a feel good exercise that requires no time or effort understand the complexities of the situation and is unfortunately, completely compatible with the expectations for expediency, intellectual laziness and short attention span of today's "socially concerned" youth. Since critical thinking and argumentative balance is out the window, we are in for some dangerous times ahead.

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Eleanor's avatar

idk what i was expecting but i literally thought this was going to be an attempt at meaningful dialogue and to explain and defend your position to those of us coming from outside the echo chamber. and then you have the gall to attack anti-zionists for “shutting down what could’ve been useful conversations ”?

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Swimmy44's avatar

All the LGBTQ and other young allegedly intellectual, well read protesters fanning the flames of hatred everywhere should definitely go to Gaza. Gaza needs your help. See now long it takes for the Palestinians to learn to appreciate your rhetoric. It will open your eyes and possibly your hearts. And while there, please ask around why zero Muslims in the Arab countries surrounding Israel are lifting a finger to help their fellow Muslim Palestinians. Report back via your social media platforms. We'd really like to know.

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Hafsah  Khanom's avatar

Damn. Well this was scary to read you can be pro-Palestine whilst also condemning hamas and their disgusting actions, whilst also praying for the safety and return of the hostages and (safety of all Jewish people in general), whilst also living and learning together. By saying we’re pro-Palestine makes us want an end to the genocide, the killings of 10s of thousands of innocent Palestinians being killed every single day. That’s all. It doesn’t mean any harm towards Israel and Jewish people.

Everyone’s different, however most pro-Palestine supporters think like this.

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Larry935613's avatar

Make Palestine non existent! And make it filled with dead terrorists

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dubbydove1@yahoo.com's avatar

It was a well-written piece concerning the hysteria of the Palestinian supporters. I recently raad (and responded to) a Substack written by a very popular,, ery articulate political journalist whose writing I once admired. She said she "feels no sympahy for the victims of 10/7" because the Israelis basically should not be there. Personnaly, I don't know what to think and I would like it if you could write more about the life and policies of Israel and Gaza. From my perspective, the Palestinians have a point. What they considered to be their country was taken over by another group and they have been squeezed out. I want to understand why Israel has a right to exist, I want to know they aren't squuuuezing out and oppressing thhePalestinians. They call Israel a "settler" nation which I thinkmeans they moved in on someone else's territory. My response has been that the entire wwestern hemisphere consists of "settler" nations and if that outrages them, then they should give their own property back to the Native group from whom it was originally stolen. The Jews were just returned to the home from which they were originally exiled, but it was mandated by imperialist nations who had no moral right to make that determination and made it really because they didn't want the Jews in their own countries. Unfortunately, I've never had the opportunity to visit Israel although I would have liked to when I was younger. I think if Netanyahu cared more about his country than he did himself he would step down. We are living in a time where people with too much money and too little ethics have used their money to corrupt as much of the world as their able and I see the U.S., Israel and no doubt Palestine as well, as being very corrupt at this point. As a Jewish woman, I want to support Israel, I do support its right to exist, but the truth is alll I hear from both sides is propaganda and from the little I know, I believe both sides are right and both sides are wrong and it takes compromise and diplomacy to really settle arguments, not killing. I don't support the so-called pro-Palestinian movement in the U.S. because I saw no such anger when, a couple of years ago the Natives right here could have used some help with the pipeline nor any of the illegal wars in which the U.S. as destroyed mideastern countries - because they could. I don't see this anger at what's happening right now in Yemen or Syria. Just Israel and Gaza and it's difficult not to come to the obvious conclusion that the real issue is anti-semitism. I know I should be more informed, but I have been completely focused on the need for change in the U.S. and not paid attention to other countries . Most of us just don't have the time. Everybody's picked a "side". I 'd like to know who is right, who is wrong, without the hysterics and propaganda. What has life in Israel been like vs. life in Gaza. And if life is unliveable in Gaza, Why? Is Israel to blame? I am just very confused about what the genuine facts are and ashamed of my ignorance. But I don't see anyone addressing these issues.

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Joshua Hoffman's avatar

We are coming out with a piece this Saturday that should give you some more context! Look out for it in two days!

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dubbydove1@yahoo.com's avatar

Thanks. I'll be sure to look for it.

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Carolina's avatar

…start with Sam Harris. All his latest podcasts since the 10/07 terrorist attack . As a Jewish woman, you have to know more and know which side you stand. Bless you.

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dubbydove1@yahoo.com's avatar

Thank you. I will definitely check him out. And Bless you as well.

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Amy Williams's avatar

I think these are valid concerns you have made. These are nuanced times and no one seems to have the answers. I look forward to Joshua's Saturday posting. If only our young and "innocent" students of the Gaza/Israel war would understand that they are playing right into the hands of Hamas. Their universities aren't helping either. Taking money from the enemy, Qatar in this case, has only damaged their reputation by bowing to the enemy and allowing these students to act out their childish "moral" concern for their "love" of those "poor Palestinians".

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