By David Harris-Gershon / tikkun.org
On
the ground in Gaza, Israel’s war against Hamas has been devastating.
Online and in the public sphere, a different sort of war has been taking
place – a broad initiative to delegitimize those who raise questions
about and critique Israel’s actions.
This initiative is being carried out both by so-called ‘pro-Israel’ individuals as well as student volunteers enlisted by Israel’s government in its ‘social media war.’
The result: those who merely express empathy for the suffering in Gaza,
where over 800 people have been killed and 5,000 injured, are tainted
as anti-Semitic or pro-Hamas, and those who offer dissenting opinions
are labelled as enemies who seek Israel’s destruction.
The
goal is to shut down dialogue and debate, something Jon Stewart nailed
in a recent bit in which he attempts to discuss Israel, only to be shouted down as a self-hating Jew.
It is not a new phenomenon or initiative, though it has become much
more intense and widespread as emotions run high over the ongoing
violence in Gaza and continued rocket attacks in Israel.
It seems to be affecting everyone who publicly offers critical opinions about Israel’s Gaza offensive, whether celebrities,journalists or anonymous individuals.
The
horrible irony is that, as propagandists try to defame dissenters by
slandering them as anti-Semitic, thus diluting its meaning, real
anti-Semitism is rearing its head in Europe.
Anti-semitism is still a real danger, and that danger is being made
graver by those who are participating in this online initiative to
falsely tar concerned voices as enemies of Israel.
Anti-Israel. It Makes Me human.
Anti-Israel. It Makes Me human.
Newest Documentaries
How TV Ruined Your Life (2011)
The Lottery of Birth (2013)
Earth Whisperers - Papatuanuku (2009)
Reclaiming Their Voice: The Native American Vote in New Mexico & Beyond (2010)
World Peace Is a Local Issue (2014)
PBS Frontline: The Persuaders (2005)
Speciesism: The Movie (2013)
The Call of the Hummingbird (2007)
The Great Fallacy (2013)
Singapore: Biophilic City (2012)
No comments:
Post a Comment