I'm looking just now at Andrew Pessin fighting anti Zionism. /critical study of....I heard Alan Dershowitz on radio saying he is readying legal challenges to the antisemite mayor's boycotting of businesses that do business with Israel and Israeli businesses.....I see that there are well known Jews especially one warbling somewhere over the rainbow as his heartfelt salute to the antizionist/antisemitic mayor...so this form of Jewish negation of Jewishness to support a rabid Jew hater goes on....yes Jon Stewart you do represent the bizarrro world you're screeching about on comedy central....dark times for the Jewish people in NYC and the USA.
Excellent article. Shall I add that when they blame "Zionism," is really is, fundamentally, about the Jews. If Israel did not exist, Venezuela would simply say, "the Jews," just like every country in the past did when they were in trouble; we've seen that throughout history. And, every country in history that has ever abused, thrown out or killed their Jews, ended up collapsing. I realize that "Zionist" has become the new way of saying, "the Jew" and Israel stands as the collective Jew, but with "Zionism" the haters try to make it political; but really, in essence--it's just plain and simple about the Jews.
Right now I’m seeing Trump as our last hope. The Left worldwide is totally onboard with Jew-hatred as is a growing part of the Right. Trump needs to start calling this out loudly and clearly. I’m not particularly religious but perhaps G-d sent the very-imperfect Trump to save us Jews from another Holocaust. With help from Bibi and the Mossad of course. The situation is very quickly deteriorating to the point of no return. They said “it will blow over” in Germany too, about 100 years ago. It didn’t.
Don’t forget this classic from Mamdani at a DSA event in 2023: “When the boot of the NYPD is on your neck, it’s been laced by the IDF” (by the way, he owns four acres of land in Uganda, valued at $150,000 - $200,000)
Thank you, this helps me clarify my thinking about the utility of Zionism for bad faith actors. In ways I'm reminded of David Nirenberg's elucidation that antisemitism / Jew hatred rests on whatever it is that bad faith actors want the Jew to be in order to deflect from their own faults.
This is called Projection. The antisemites in The State use this the whole time. Projection is the psychology of claiming and blaming the very worst failings in their own Characters on the Out group. This is the deepest form of political corruption.
The other thing which Third World Socialist Regimes do is arm guerrilla militias, so that their rule is enforced by terrorist force. These then become self-financing through monopolisation of the Narcotics trade. Thus the long spiral downward starts, through Civil War and then mass poverty to gangland chaos. The end result is countries like Haiti and Syria, where Assad eventually secured his rule in the short term financially and physiologically by supplying his own men with the drug Captagon, till in the end they were too weak to fight: The Ruler and Leader as the parasitic State, in just the way Hitler was.
"And gone was New York City’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, which accurately labels anti-Zionism as a serious, pernicious form of antisemitism."
All that happens when you insist failure to support Smotrich/Ben Gvir's apartheid and ethnic cleansing plans is some sort of antisemitism is you make antisemitism morally acceptable. What a terrible idea. Insisting on support for Israel is backfiring, and everyone can see it. (Yeah, I know it's OK to tut-tut about Smotrich and Ben Gvir as long as you don't support anything that might stop them like, say, suspending arms sales. Talk is cheap.)
While all this intellectual examination of why the Zionists are the code word for and a excuse for anti Jewish actions and failures of governments, on this media its just preaching to the choir and does not really help to mitigate the violence and hate soon to be visited on the Jews of NYC.
Its really time for the Jews in NYC to form and maintain some sort of physical defense of their homes and places of worship along with making sure that if attacked they can and should in many cases physically fight back. You cannot have a "intellectual" discussion with a bunch of Goons looking to harm you and yours through violence. You cannot depend on the police to come to your aid because for the most part they are reactive not pro active before anything happens. No intellectual discussion among ourselves will avoid bodily harm when someone goes after you physically while going about your daily routine.
Not to defend physically when being attacked at some future date is the height of folly. What ever is legal to arm yourself within NYS and other areas of the country should be considered to be a accessory to your well being when going about your daily business. Yes this is a pretty grim reality. But in my opinion I think its the new reality that we have to face and overcome.
The Venezuelan people are celebrating the success of removing Maduro and Rodriguez now posturing playing the victim. She and other members of that government have to answer to their Cartels, Iran, China. Israel's strength, intelligence, uncanny strategizing, and ability to survive is always perplexing to those who miss the mark. Add jealousy, bitterness, and frustration for not being able to achieve what Israel has, and what comes out of it is hatred of Jews. There is also a fear brewing that when one dictatorship collapses, others may follow, i.e., Iran. In both Iran and Venezuela, it had to get bad enough for something to happen. Perhaps we will have a 'House of Cards' effect. Time will help to make that decision. Great essay, Joshua, as always.
Whenever I read of this "blame the Jews" rhetoric I'm always amazed that with a VERY small proportion of the world's population this decided minority must be THE most powerful force on Earth to be constantly blamed for EVERY trouble in any country. Wow! That's real power. (cue the sarcasm).
"When governance collapses, Zionists are accused; when Zionists are accused, failure is excused; and when failure is excused, nothing improves." I love this because it touches on something I've been thinking lately.
A lot of people write about how nations / empires who have oppressed their Jews ended up collapsing. Some people may think of this as a cosmic punishment; that doesn't work for me.
But this idea that when you scapegoat the Jews (or anyone) instead of trying to improve your society, then there's a good chance your society collapses because you weren't focussed oj fixing it!!!
Absolutly brilliant analysis of how Zionism becomes the go-to excuse for regime failures. That line about Zionism being "a cipher for competence" is just perfect—it really captures why autocrats reach for it when they can't deliver. In grad school I did some research on scapegoating mechanisms in failing states and the pattern you describe here is exactly what we saw again and again. Its always easier to blame an external enemy than fix your own broken system. The Mamdani section hit hard too—seeing this same playbook deployed in NYC is genuinly alarming.
I'm looking just now at Andrew Pessin fighting anti Zionism. /critical study of....I heard Alan Dershowitz on radio saying he is readying legal challenges to the antisemite mayor's boycotting of businesses that do business with Israel and Israeli businesses.....I see that there are well known Jews especially one warbling somewhere over the rainbow as his heartfelt salute to the antizionist/antisemitic mayor...so this form of Jewish negation of Jewishness to support a rabid Jew hater goes on....yes Jon Stewart you do represent the bizarrro world you're screeching about on comedy central....dark times for the Jewish people in NYC and the USA.
Glad to hear Dershowitz is readying the paperwork!
He can have a trial...
Right after I shoot them!
It is only dark times if we fail to fight back!
The time has come to take a stand; Jews, Christians and anyone with an ounce of integrity!
Excellent article. Shall I add that when they blame "Zionism," is really is, fundamentally, about the Jews. If Israel did not exist, Venezuela would simply say, "the Jews," just like every country in the past did when they were in trouble; we've seen that throughout history. And, every country in history that has ever abused, thrown out or killed their Jews, ended up collapsing. I realize that "Zionist" has become the new way of saying, "the Jew" and Israel stands as the collective Jew, but with "Zionism" the haters try to make it political; but really, in essence--it's just plain and simple about the Jews.
Right now I’m seeing Trump as our last hope. The Left worldwide is totally onboard with Jew-hatred as is a growing part of the Right. Trump needs to start calling this out loudly and clearly. I’m not particularly religious but perhaps G-d sent the very-imperfect Trump to save us Jews from another Holocaust. With help from Bibi and the Mossad of course. The situation is very quickly deteriorating to the point of no return. They said “it will blow over” in Germany too, about 100 years ago. It didn’t.
my thoughts exactly.
Don’t forget this classic from Mamdani at a DSA event in 2023: “When the boot of the NYPD is on your neck, it’s been laced by the IDF” (by the way, he owns four acres of land in Uganda, valued at $150,000 - $200,000)
Thank you, this helps me clarify my thinking about the utility of Zionism for bad faith actors. In ways I'm reminded of David Nirenberg's elucidation that antisemitism / Jew hatred rests on whatever it is that bad faith actors want the Jew to be in order to deflect from their own faults.
This is called Projection. The antisemites in The State use this the whole time. Projection is the psychology of claiming and blaming the very worst failings in their own Characters on the Out group. This is the deepest form of political corruption.
Time to fight back!
Time to take a stand!
The other thing which Third World Socialist Regimes do is arm guerrilla militias, so that their rule is enforced by terrorist force. These then become self-financing through monopolisation of the Narcotics trade. Thus the long spiral downward starts, through Civil War and then mass poverty to gangland chaos. The end result is countries like Haiti and Syria, where Assad eventually secured his rule in the short term financially and physiologically by supplying his own men with the drug Captagon, till in the end they were too weak to fight: The Ruler and Leader as the parasitic State, in just the way Hitler was.
excellent as usual.
"And gone was New York City’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, which accurately labels anti-Zionism as a serious, pernicious form of antisemitism."
All that happens when you insist failure to support Smotrich/Ben Gvir's apartheid and ethnic cleansing plans is some sort of antisemitism is you make antisemitism morally acceptable. What a terrible idea. Insisting on support for Israel is backfiring, and everyone can see it. (Yeah, I know it's OK to tut-tut about Smotrich and Ben Gvir as long as you don't support anything that might stop them like, say, suspending arms sales. Talk is cheap.)
Well written but could have made your points in half the space.
It takes a lot more time to write concisely.
While all this intellectual examination of why the Zionists are the code word for and a excuse for anti Jewish actions and failures of governments, on this media its just preaching to the choir and does not really help to mitigate the violence and hate soon to be visited on the Jews of NYC.
Its really time for the Jews in NYC to form and maintain some sort of physical defense of their homes and places of worship along with making sure that if attacked they can and should in many cases physically fight back. You cannot have a "intellectual" discussion with a bunch of Goons looking to harm you and yours through violence. You cannot depend on the police to come to your aid because for the most part they are reactive not pro active before anything happens. No intellectual discussion among ourselves will avoid bodily harm when someone goes after you physically while going about your daily routine.
Not to defend physically when being attacked at some future date is the height of folly. What ever is legal to arm yourself within NYS and other areas of the country should be considered to be a accessory to your well being when going about your daily business. Yes this is a pretty grim reality. But in my opinion I think its the new reality that we have to face and overcome.
Rodriguez is the head of the cartels.
It has been said that if Jews didn't exist the tyrants and haters would have to invent them.
The Venezuelan people are celebrating the success of removing Maduro and Rodriguez now posturing playing the victim. She and other members of that government have to answer to their Cartels, Iran, China. Israel's strength, intelligence, uncanny strategizing, and ability to survive is always perplexing to those who miss the mark. Add jealousy, bitterness, and frustration for not being able to achieve what Israel has, and what comes out of it is hatred of Jews. There is also a fear brewing that when one dictatorship collapses, others may follow, i.e., Iran. In both Iran and Venezuela, it had to get bad enough for something to happen. Perhaps we will have a 'House of Cards' effect. Time will help to make that decision. Great essay, Joshua, as always.
Whenever I read of this "blame the Jews" rhetoric I'm always amazed that with a VERY small proportion of the world's population this decided minority must be THE most powerful force on Earth to be constantly blamed for EVERY trouble in any country. Wow! That's real power. (cue the sarcasm).
"When governance collapses, Zionists are accused; when Zionists are accused, failure is excused; and when failure is excused, nothing improves." I love this because it touches on something I've been thinking lately.
A lot of people write about how nations / empires who have oppressed their Jews ended up collapsing. Some people may think of this as a cosmic punishment; that doesn't work for me.
But this idea that when you scapegoat the Jews (or anyone) instead of trying to improve your society, then there's a good chance your society collapses because you weren't focussed oj fixing it!!!
Absolutly brilliant analysis of how Zionism becomes the go-to excuse for regime failures. That line about Zionism being "a cipher for competence" is just perfect—it really captures why autocrats reach for it when they can't deliver. In grad school I did some research on scapegoating mechanisms in failing states and the pattern you describe here is exactly what we saw again and again. Its always easier to blame an external enemy than fix your own broken system. The Mamdani section hit hard too—seeing this same playbook deployed in NYC is genuinly alarming.