Separating Anti-Israel Protests and Violence

The recent killings of a Jewish/Israeli couple and a Molotov cocktail attack on people at a rally for Jewish hostages in Gaza are tragic events and there is no justification for them.  However, the immediate efforts by the Trump regime and MAGA world to associate these acts of violence with the general protests against Israel’s war on Gaza and treatment of the Palestinian people are entirely misplaced and reprehensible.

There are protests against Israel taking place around the world.  European nations have taken strong stands against the disproportionate Israeli response to the October 7^th attacks and the recent use of humanitarian aid restrictions as a war strategy.  There have been sharp increases in anti-Jewish actions in these countries, though I know of no murders having been committed despite a far higher degree of anti-Israeli feeling and expression than in the USA.

 

Whether these are also associated with latent antisemitism is very difficult to discern.  The simple fact is that Jews are very closely associated with Israel, and the passionate feelings about Israel’s conduct of its war find expression in protests and opinions that are focused on Jews. 

 

Violent acts are often coincident with passionate protesting and criticism.  During the Vietnam War protests, a small number of people took violent action in expressing their rage against the war and the ‘system’.  During the civil rights era, an armed section of the Black Panthers committed violent acts in their belief that peaceful protest would not bring equality.  But in neither case were those violent acts seen as a justification for clamping down on peaceful protest and differences of opinion.

 

Violent acts like the two most recent ones would probably have taken place even if there were no protests on campuses.  Let’s face it, violence is endemic in our country.  Every effort should be made to prevent these acts, but denying people the right to protest and express opposition to US policies and deporting everyone who has voiced any concern about Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian people are the behaviors of a despotic regime.