Thread by @JewishSpaceLazr

Gotta love @RepRitchie, a progressive voice who stands by Israel! Young, Progressive, Democrat, Puerto Rican, Gay, and an unwavering supporter of Israel.
A THREAD that will inspire you!
bariweiss.substack.com/p/can-you-be-a…

"Not only is Israel under siege from rocket fire, but the truth itself is under siege. There’s been an ongoing propaganda war and the narrative that is dominating is one that attempts to normalize Hamas and delegitimize Israel."

"Wiping Israel off the map is the objective of the BDS movement..My issue is not criticism. My issue is the lack of nuance in the democratic socialist critique of Israel. What is often directed toward Israel is not criticism. It feels like hatred."

"I’ve been demonized as a supporter of apartheid, genocide and ethnic cleansing and it’s certainly painful to me..But I feel an obligation to speak out, because if I’m silent, if I censor myself, then I'm part of the problem, I become complicit through silence."

"I’m a product of the Bronx(where people)have their feet firmly planted on the ground rather than their heads in the skies..prevailing opinion is..more academic, more ivory tower..than the practical sensibilities of the South Bronx and..the rank and file of the Democratic Party."

"There's nothing more important than freedom of thought and conscience..Wherever there’s fear, there can never be freedom..if you believe something is right, you have an obligation to say it and to stand by it and not relent in the face of a Twitter backlash."

"Twitter is a cesspool of antisemitism. I’m not suggesting that all criticism of Israel is antisemitic. But Twitter is just a cesspool of antisemitic invective. It has the effect of amplifying the ideological extremes."

"A proper understanding of intersectionality recognizes the Jewish struggle for liberation. If you are ignoring the Jewish struggle for liberation, that to me is a problem..there's a historical context that explains the necessity of a Jewish state."

"The trajectory of the party is going to depend on us. I'm part of the party and I'm hoping to shape it in the direction of preserving Israel as a Jewish state..and I encourage others to do the same."