It is critical that we have a robust debate about the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. And it is also critical that this debate not be marred by antisemitism – or by weaponized false accusations of antisemitism.
In just the last few days:
- We’ve seen antisemites pounce on the opportunity to blame Jews for this conflict.
- We’ve seen legitimate criticism of the timing, legality, and goals of the war get labeled as antisemitic.
- We’ve seen well-intentioned debate fall into dangerous traps of simplistic analysis and antisemitic tropes.
Let’s talk about what’s happening on the ground and how we’re talking about the war.
The Facts On The Ground:
- The U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran beginning Saturday. They are now at war with Iran — and the conflict is expanding throughout the region.
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Secretary of State Rubio has said “We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. And we knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties.”
- He later clarified that the mission would need to happen anyway, but the timeline was in part spurred by this concern.
- Prime Minister Netanyahu has said “…We are also bringing to this campaign the assistance of the United States, my friend, US President Donald Trump, and the US military. This coalition of forces allows us to do what I have yearned to do for 40 years.”
What Isn’t Antisemitic When Talking About the War:
- Discussing the geo-political role of Israeli actions and decisionmaking in this conflict is a legitimate and important part of the conversation.
- Pointing to the comments from U.S. and Israeli leaders as indication of Israeli policies and actions playing a significant role in the U.S. decision to go to war at this moment is not antisemitic. And lobbing accusations of antisemitism at those who do so is irresponsible.
What’s explicitly and unquestionably antisemitic when talking about the war:
- Assigning responsibility to “Jews” rather than Israeli and American leaders.
- Using dehumanizing language such as referring to Jewish people in Israel running for shelter as “rats”
- Saying that “Jewish imperialism” requires “goyim” to die.
What’s feeding antisemitic tropes when talking about the war:
- We are seeing discourse that feeds the dangerous trope that Jews control global conflicts and have dominion over global governments.
- Placing the entirety of the responsibility for the current war on Israel — and not on Trump, who has threatened war on Iran over his tenure as president and who ultimately made the decision for the United States to go to war — is an overly simplistic and irresponsible conclusion at a moment that requires careful, thoughtful analysis. And it will inevitably be used to attack Jews.
- Blaming Jews for the actions of Israel is antisemitic. So is claiming that Jews sacrifice non-Jewish lives to advance their own interests or that Jews are disloyal to the countries in which they live. We know antisemites will do this no matter what. But commentators and policymakers need to be cautious about when their rhetoric can be used as ammunition to point at the Jewish community or plant the seeds of antisemitism in their listeners.
The bottom line:
- When antisemites jump on this war as an opportunity to blame or target Jews, we must call them out.
- At the same time, we must protect the integrity of legitimate debate about this war, the countries involved in it, its reasons and causes, and its consequences — not seek to malign or silence those engaged in legitimate criticism and discourse.
- And we must build understanding about when language and ideas cross the line into antisemitism and hate speech — and push back when they do, regardless of the source or intent.
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