Thread by @albyselkie

This is a 🧵and it’s about Zionism. Yeah, I know: some of you are sick of seeing it in my TL. Here’s your chance to look away, I guess. Although it’s telling you’ll listen to me talk about the abuse I suffered as a kid but not about Jewishness or Israel. Even if I haven’t been as

Outspoken about the latter until recently. But this thread isn’t about me, not entirely. It’s about how antiZionism is becoming a disguise for antisemitism, particularly when Zionism is simply the belief that Israel should exist & has the right of self determination, the right

To defend itself and its people. Just like any other nation. Like the one we live in. We can (should) criticize the US & still think we should exist, right? Sure there’s some who don’t. Likely many of the FauxLefty socialist/libertarian/sh*tpost crowd who think Assad is cool.

Republicans also seem pretty intent on destroying this country. But most of US, those who fight for voting rights & support candidates & hold each other up in wins & losses, despite every awful thing our own nation is *indisputably* guilty of, both historically & present-day.

Despite also having some pretty horrible people here who claim the same national identity & want to erase those crimes. Point is, we’re really not in a position to judge. But, lol: we do. One thing I’ve heard a lot recently is “I can criticize Israel without being antisemitic”.

In my head I always think, “can you though? <obligatory Thor gif>” In truth, some of you can. Some of you don’t really quite know how the Israeli govt functions—& that’s ok, I’m not an expert either. Some of you just mean you want to call out human rights abuses & that’s ok too.

But a lot of you see Israel as this hulking aggressor—just like many of you see me, Alby, as incredibly strong, capable of anything, fearless, what a survivor. A LION. And the reason you think this of me is bc I lived in the same house w/someone who wanted—no, tried—to kill me.

I left, yup: he still tried to kill me. I’m sure you can see where I am going with this. Why? Well bc a lot of you are making this “disproportionate response” argument that makes sense if you have zero idea what it’s like to live in a house with someone who wants you dead.

Some of you have read the story in which I waited by the door waiting for my father to return home. Waited, with his gun in my hands. Desperate, wanting to end his abuse at any cost. I didn’t make that choice but a lot of you think I should have, or wouldn’t criticize if I had.

It’s not a perfect analogy; no analogy is. But the point is I have a right to exist free of harm, to love who I love, to worship (or not) how I choose. And if anyone tries to take that away: to do whatever I have to to survive & protect my family. & I still have that right

Whether I am “weaker” or “stronger” than my assailant, or when the only “strength” I have is the weapon in my hand. When I tell you about the times my dad tried to kill me, you don’t say “well you’re alive & safe, & he’s dead, therefore he’s right” like wtf is that nonsense?

But that’s exactly what you’re doing regarding Israel when you talk about disparate body count or “well this floating explosive didn’t kill anyone *this* time” etc. The stated goal of Hamas is to eliminate Israel. Until they change that, unless they accept the IDEA of coexistence

It’s literally their fault. All of it. Note I say *Hamas*, not Palestinians. It’s Hamas who hurt Palestinians (sometimes literally, when their rockets misfire), not Israel. Oh, but SONGS? You’re going to downplay floating IEDs as “balloons” but mean songs are instigating? If so

The number of times I wished, prayed, chanted for my father to die & leave me alone may disappoint you. But does it make his hurting me, right? & this is the crux: when the Jewish people are weak, people are either trying to kill us or looking the other way as we are hurt/killed.

In Israel, the Jewish people now have a sliver of strength. Strength that we deserve & without which we quite obviously are NOT safe. Look around, seriously. I won’t apologize for my survival & I don’t think Israel should apologize for theirs either. That makes me a ZIONIST.

Does that mean Israel is perfect? No. There’s much I wish they did differently. But I’m not there. I live in a state where neither voting rights nor electricity are guaranteed. What I do know is they’ve done nothing to put their existence on a chopping block for your edification.

What about the children? Well right this very moment Hamas is recruiting Palestinian kids to fight & die bc they can’t accept any peace that doesn’t include the elimination of Israel. That’s not on Israel, that’s on Hamas. Shouldn’t orgs that use child soldiers be stopped?

What about the evictions? This is one of the points that just makes me angry. A) Google is your friend B) do you know how many evictions are served in this country? How many family farms lost? How many properties taken by eminent domain? Is that fair? They don’t get hashtags, tho

Just like I watch with dismay as a fake story about a kid getting “run over” for flying a Palestinian flag (didn’t happen) gets RTed hundreds of thousands of times while I struggle to get a handful of likes on the condition of #FosterCare & the children who are harmed by it here.

I’ve been on this bird app for far too long to be easily fooled. I’ve given several warnings about people/orgs who take advantage of others & my experience is that few will thank you for being right. So I don’t expect praise for saying antisemitism is manifesting as AntiZionism

But it’s true. It’s like antisemitism puts on glasses & all of a sudden people laugh & say, “oh that’s just antiZionism!” & some of us are like so what do you think “from the river to the sea” means, exactly? What’s the plan here? The plan is, predictably: “kill the Jews”

That part is currently being ignored bc, well: Jews. And interestingly, every time I see that happen? All the recent antisemitic attacks? The Iranian bot farms spreading disinformation? Just makes the need for Israel’s existence more & more indisputable. 🇮🇱