Antisemitism Comes In Many Forms #376
By Hank Silverberg
I am having a great deal of trouble understanding fully the distinct rise in antisemitism in America.
Let's be clear. I am not naïve. The bigots have always been here. They pick on Jews, and often other minorities, because somehow it makes them feel better about themselves. There is someone else to blame for their misfortune in life-- Jews, Blacks, immigrants. That has always been here, and probably always will be.
Here's a good example: what happened with the Israeli bobsled team at the Olympics. Just being there was an accomplishment for Israel, which traditionally doesn't send athletes to the winter Olympics. There's not much snow in Israel. The bobsled team was out of contention in something like 24th place and was not going to qualify for the finals. The team was made up of four Israelis, three Jews and a Druze. Druze, who are Arabs are a minority in Israel, about 143,000 people out of a population of 9.3 million. The Jewish bobsledders made a mistake and lied to the Olympic committee, claiming one of them was injured. That was so their Druze teammate, the alternate, could become the first of his people to compete in the Olympics.
When the Israeli Olympic committee found out, they immediately withdrew the bobsledders from competition. A lie, no matter how well intended it was, was not permissible to the Israeli Olympic committee. This was before anyone else was aware of the move. So what was the reaction when word got out? An immediate response of "Jews lie, Jews steal, typical Israeli deception."
It was much milder antisemitism than we have seen after the war in Gaza. There the world has quickly forgotten that the war was started when Hamas invaded southern Israel, killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostages, some of whom they raped, starved and then murdered over the course of two years.
The war is not Jews against the Palestinian people. It's Israel, a recognized Democratic state, against Hamas, a terrorist organization that has killed many of its own people and Israelis for decades.
That war is the main drive for antisemitism in the United States and Europe right now.
We have heard words like "Colonialism" and "Genocide" and "Zionist" misused in a propaganda war not against Israeli policy, but against all Jews everywhere. This despite opposition to the broad scope of the war, both in Israel and among many Jews worldwide.
So for those of you confused by it all, let me clarify a few things.
First, as noted above, the war is NOT against Palestinians. It's against Hamas.
Second, Jews did not "colonize" Palestine. The land the British had designated as Palestine during World War Two had a Jewish population for 3,000 years, and before 1948, the Jews who lived there were called Palestinians.
Third, "Genocide" is not a brutal war against an attacker, but rather the stated, organized, intentional murder of an entire people by a nation state. That is NOT what is happening in Gaza or the West Bank.
Fourth, "Zionists", believe in the right of the Jewish people to sovereignty in their own historic homeland. Zionism arose in the late 19th century in response to the systemic persecution of Jews in Europe and desire for Jews dispersed across the world for centuries by conquest, decree or racism to return to the home of their ancestors.
All of these terms have been misused and abused in propaganda and have mislead millions to discriminate against Jews everywhere.
There needs to be some strong education of the public on how these words have been distorted and have swayed public opinion. Otherwise the bigots win.
One final thought on this. An anti-Semite is also likely to be a racist and spread hate against anyone different from them.
News You May Have Missed!
New Memorial at Slave Auction Site
It's Black History Month. With Donald Trump in office it's getting very little attention. But there is recognition in cities and counties across the country. In Fredericksburg, Virginia, site of a major battle during the Civil War, the city has decided on a permanent memorial at the intersection of William and Charles Street in the heart of downtown. It will
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| (I took this in 2017) |
Delay For The Moon Launch
There's been another delay in NASA's attempt to go back to the Moon. In a post on X on Saturday, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman indicated a problem with the rocket's upper stage will require
rolling it off the launchpad at the Kennedy Space
Center in Florida to make repairs. And that will make the March launch window impossible. The next possible window for the Artemis Two launch will be April 1 to April 6. The mission will send four astronauts to the Moon, around it, and then back to Earth over ten days. It's the first such mission since the Moon landings more than 50 years ago. 
(Courtesy NASA)
The astronauts had completed a smooth dress rehearsal of the countdown last week, and it went well. But then NASA found an unexpected problem with the helium flow to the spacecraft.
This mission is seen as a vital link in the planned manned missions to Mars set for the 2030's.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/21/science/nasa-artemis-helium-flaw.html
Dumbest Quote Of The Week!
This week's dumb quote goes to the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who stupidly let himself be interviewed by right-wing, anti-Semitic lunatic, Tucker Carlson.
Carlson set Huckabee up by claiming the Bible had given the descendants of Abraham land that today would include most of the Middle East.
Huckabee responded:
"It would be fine if they took it all."
This, of course, attracted an immediate hostile response from Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and other Arab states.
"The ministries reaffirmed that Israel has no sovereignty whatsoever over the Occupied Palestinian Territory or any other occupied Arab lands."
Israel has never made such a claim. Huckabee, an Evangelical Christian, has been a strong supporter of Israel based on "end times" theology. That theology has always made Jews feel uncomfortable, though Israel has always been thankful for Evangelical support.
Jerusalem, under Israeli control, plays a major role in end times rapture and tribulation theology along with the second coming of Jesus.
(You suggestions and comments are welcome)
My recent book "The Campaign" can be purchased at the links below. Or you can buy a copy by emailing me at: HankSilverberg@gmail.com for instructions on how to get a copy at a reduced price and with my signature)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084Q7K6M5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-campaign-hank-silverberg/1126429796
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