Yesterday, I wrote to over 200 Parliamentarians and provided them with key resources that provide depth, nuance and detail on how to tackle anti-Semitism on the left and build a movement that truly opposes all forms of anti-Jewish oppression and other forms of racism (THREAD):
The vast majority of these resources are available online and can be downloaded so that individual politicians, activists and academics - indeed people from all walks of life in society - can access them entirely for free and engage meaningfully with the materials provided.
Firstly, the most recent resource available comes from Jews For Racial & Economic Justice (@JFREJNYC) in the form of a 44-page document that draws on the experiences of Jews from all different backgrounds and communities - Understanding antisemitism: jfrej.org/wp-content/upl…
Next we have the groundbreaking resource from April Rosenblum, who was already tackling the serious problem that the left seem to have with anti-Semitism way back in 2007. Her pamphlet goes into real detail and explores almost every aspect (archived copy): web.archive.org/web/2007081122…
Yet another key resource, though much shorter than the JFREJ and Rosenblum publications, is this leaflet provided by the exceptional folk over at JEWDAS here in the UK (@geoffreyjewdas): jewdas.org/how-to-critici…
Closely tied to the Jewdas document is this extended blog post by the same title from the 'This is Not Jewish' blog on How to Criticise Israel without being anti-Semitic: this-is-not-jewish.tumblr.com/post/343443244…
There is also the collection of essays, notes and other collected material as edited by @jvplive in their fantastic book: On Antisemitism - Solidarity and the Struggle for Justice onantisemitism.com
A more direct and straightforward critique of activists who can't seem to leave Jewish people alone or who constantly try to litmus test Jews can be found here from the lovely @davidschneider who put a basic anti-Semitism test out last month:
The very same @davidschneider with his rather unique way of getting this across made a similar thing way back in 2016 on the subject of anti-Semitism and I encourage all left-wing activists to engage with this and really reflect:
Another crucial source of information that provides some nuance on how right-wing sources are actually using language to cloud the issue of anti-Semitism was done by none other than the amazing @lieb123456789 just recently for @ajplus -
Perhaps the most recent intervention into the issue of left-wing anti-Semitism and the lengths that the Israel lobby go to in order to muddy the issue was this long reflective piece by Israeli activist Tom Pessah for @972mag - 972mag.com/how-the-sjp-ta…
Tom Pessah also explored the issue of what he has dubbed anti-Semitizing back in 2016 in this piece for @972mag where he also discusses the dangers of repeatedly using false allegations of anti-Semitism to defend Israel: 972mag.com/anti-semitizin…
At the end of the day, there are countless resources that have been put together by Jews on the subject of tackling anti-Semitism within the ranks of the left. There are also resources on how we can avoid the entryism of white supremacists into the pro-Palestine movement.
One of the main things that has been missing for decades - if not half a century or more - is a collective of left-wing activists and organisations coming together to create a mass movement opposing anti-Jewish oppression, bigotry and discrimination in society at large.
If there is anything that this short thread proves is that there are highly articulate and very nuanced resources available that have been produced by Jewish individuals and communities. Another thing missing though is a lack of willing to engage with and endorse these resources.
I'm sure there are numerous items that I have missed out - and perhaps some that may not be appropriate due to the accompanying political agendas at play - but one thing is for sure is that in the above thread you'll find the resources that, if engaged with, can make a difference
So if you're out there reading these tweets of mine please do go ahead and read the links I've provided, share the items yourself on your own twitter and also give me a retweet. This is about fighting anti-Semitism and encouraging engagement with the resources. It's so important!
Oh and for goodness fucking sake - this thread with the resources linked is NOT, I repeat NOT part of some 'Zionist plot' or 'Zionist smear campaign'... It's about equipping people with the knowledge and detail to be able to actually tackle anti-Semitism (which is VERY REAL).
P.S. - Don't just 'like' my tweets... share them by retweeting if you really want to help draw attention to the resources available and join in the discussion. It's also really important to raise up Jewish voices in all of this so that we empower and enfranchise them.
