It's pretty jarring to see the full-court press of arguments, often (but not always) facile or simply disingenuous, against extending government protections to Jews—the same protections already in place for others groups—at a time of rising and increasingly deadly antisemitism.
2/ On @OnPointRadio this morning, @MeghnaWBUR repeatedly insisted that the EO defined Jews as a nationality (it doesn't) while a guest seemed to suggest that the administration is sowing the seeds, perhaps intentionally, of a new Holocaust.
3/ Also: so what if the EO *did* consider Jews as a nationality for the purpose of fighting antisemitism? We are a religion, but not merely a religion. We have long called and considered ourselves a People—"Am Israel."
4/ So, I hear some argue, it is a problem, because Jews have been oppressed and murdered in the past as a separate nationality.
Is that supposed to be an argument *against* protecting Jews against such oppression?? How many ways does this not make sense?
Is that supposed to be an argument *against* protecting Jews against such oppression?? How many ways does this not make sense?
5/ Jews have also been murdered based on the understanding that we're a separate, and problematic, religion. Does acknowledging that we're a separate religion mean we're aiding and abetting antisemites?
6/ Blacks have been oppressed because they've been considered a separate, and problematic, race. Does that mean Title VI protections somehow validate the bigots? Discrimination against Mexican Americans focuses on their different national origin. Does Title VI encourage that?
7/ I've heard no such arguments. So why is it that suddenly, when it comes to protecting Jews, even as we're being gunned down, efforts to protect us against discrimination by bigots seizing on our differences—differences we're proud of—means we're abetting the bigots?
8/ Here's one Federal definition of national origin protections that popped up when a Googled. So I don't know—maybe it's not the definition that's applied here? (Anyone? @AkivaMCohen?) But tell me why it's an outrage to apply this to Jews: 
9/ We indeed consider our ancestors to have a particular place of origin. We indeed have unique cultural and linguistic characteristics that are part of our Jewishness. And yes, many of us even have certain physical characteristics.
10/ Many of us are, on campus and beyond, are indeed discriminated against based on "membership in, or association with an organization identified with or seeking to promote the interests" of our people. We are indeed targeted for our unique temples, and our unique names.
And like black, Mexican, Asian, and other Title-VI Americans, we're proud of our differences. Even if those differences have been described by bigots as deficiencies. Even if those differences have led people to kill us. Acknowledging what's unique about us isn't the problem.
