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Zionist Jewish Authors Are Being Blackballed; Freedom of Expression Is Under Attack
My life and career would be a lot easier if I just announced that #AsAJew, I denounce Zionism, and that I have a manuscript telling the story of how I cannot support the apartheid, settler-colonial, white European project in “Palestine.” Phone calls would be returned, emails would be read, and literary agents would compete in bidding wars to see who could give me the biggest advance.
Unfortunately, for my writing career and reputation, I don’t believe any of these things. And, frankly, I’d have to be a major Jewish household name like Naomi Klein for that fantasy to come true. Speaking of Naomi Klein, I recently read her book Doppelganger, in which she complains about being constantly confused with conspiracy theorist Naomi Wolf. Great book, until I reached the end, which was unreadable because of her belief that Israel mirrors European “settler colonialism.” Recently, Naomi Klein was prominently featured in a letter where renowned authors declared their withdrawal from the PEN World Voices Festival, citing the organization’s failure to adequately address what they termed as the ongoing “genocide” in Gaza.
That word. Genocide. It’s a word that is carefully chosen to troll Jews. Its purpose is to rob us of our claim to a specific kind of grief and to say, “See? You Jews are no better.” It is how the world absolves itself of guilt and complicity. It’s called Holocaust inversion, and is a form of antisemitism.
Writers, of all people, should know that words have meanings, but when it comes to Israel, they usually turn off their brains and begin sloganeering. The harder thing for them to do would be to look at the real history of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Writers have a critical role to play in public discourse, but when they refuse to look at all claims with a critical eye, they’ve abdicated their responsibilities.
All this would be a somewhat dull academic game over definitions if it weren’t for the fact that anti-Zionist Jewish authors are the only ones being platformed by the general media. Not only that, but Zionist Jews are being de-platformed in literary spaces.
I’m currently working on a book called From Outrage to Action: A Practical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism. What began as a small section of my book is turning into a lengthy chapter. In fact, I could probably write an entire book about this subject alone. Many of the authors I interviewed for my book spoke to me on the condition of anonymity because they’re worried about their careers. It’s too late for me. Just Google me, and you can tell just how Zionist I am.
Even Jews who are not Israeli and don’t write about the Middle East are having doors slammed in their faces. Word in the industry is that editors, agents, and publishers just don’t want to hear from Jews now. There’s a great deal of fear among Jewish authors. They are losing contracts, calls are not being returned, and books are canceled because of a perception in the industry that there’s not really a market for Jewish voices, except those of the #AsAJew anti-Zionist variety. In addition, they are being harassed and bullied at literary events.
Stranger Things star Brett Gelman had numerous book signings cancelled because of his “Jewish identity,” and his support for Israel. Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian authors are frequently platformed, and championed as “diverse” voices.
One author told me how her agent expressed hesitation about one of her book ideas, which focused on a Jewish woman. Several publishers rejected or delayed considering her work after she submitted proposals, with some editors citing issues like “too much anti-Zionism” or a “saturated market” for books about certain Jewish topics.
Another author told of a friend who enthusiastically recommended her Jewish-themed book to an acquaintance working at a major Canadian cultural institution. The suggestion was to feature her book prominently within their programming. However, the response was shockingly dismissive: “We don’t want any Jews right now,” not referring to Israelis, but Jews in general.
Despite these challenges, Jewish authors are finding ways to respond. Many are more determined to write about Jewish issues, and efforts are underway to counter the anti-Zionist narrative through online petitions and public letters. An Open Letter on Antisemitism in the Literary Community is still open for signatures and seeks to address these issues head-on. I signed it proudly. Again, likely to the detriment of my career.
The Jewish Book Council (JBC) has been trying to get a handle on the extent of the problem. They’ve set up a hotline to understand the scope of issues that Jewish authors face, and are actively working to create practical resources. Naomi Firestone-Teeter, CEO of the JBC, stated, “We want to know, is it happening on a larger scale? Are these isolated incidents or a wider problem?” She is not sure what will be done with the data and stories being collected, though. My sense is that Jewish authors have been caught off-guard.
None of this is to say that Jewish authors, stories, and voices should receive preferential treatment in the marketplace of ideas. Publishing is a tough business, regardless of current events. The issue, however, is the hostility toward Zionist perspectives and general Jewish narratives. If you don’t endorse the narrative of “genocide,” you are quickly labeled a racist oppressor.
Most of the Jews I’ve interviewed, like myself, are left-wing but feel betrayed by the left for supporting what they see as murderers and fascists. They are frustrated not only because this view is wrong, but because it silences those whose lived experiences lead them to different conclusions. Antisemitism is so entrenched in the culture now that there is a tendency to lecture us about what antisemitism is — and isn’t. They assert repeatedly that anti-Zionism is not antisemitism, shouting over our lived experiences that suggest otherwise. And at the forefront of these “lectures” is the literary community, which is failing horribly to meet this moment in history and write about it with a critical eye. In fact, they are the bullies leading the charge.
What is the answer? Well, all I know how to do is write. I have a novel coming out next year called Found and Lost: The Jake and Cait Story. It’s about music, fame, aging, and second chances. Although one of the protagonists is Jewish, it’s not really about Judaism. This character is, to steal from Naomi Klein, sort of my doppelganger. He experiences his music as filtered through his perspective #AsAJew. I was fortunate to have found a publisher, Vine Leaves Press, that amplifies the voices of marginalized communities and counts Jews among them. See, publishers and agents? It isn’t hard to do. We all deserve to have our voices heard.
Howard Lovy is an author and editor based in Michigan, who is currently working on a book, From Outrage to Action: A Practical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism. His novel, Found and Lost: The Jake and Cait Story, will be released in 2025.
The post Zionist Jewish Authors Are Being Blackballed; Freedom of Expression Is Under Attack first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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US Senators Urge Secretary of Homeland Security to Secure Northern Border From Gaza Refugees
US Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) speaking at a press conference about the United States restricting weapons for Israel, at the US Capitol, Washington, DC. Photo: Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Six US senators sent a letter to US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas this week requesting that he increase security measures along the northern border in response to Canada accepting an influx of refugees from Gaza, the Palestinian enclave ruled by the terrorist group Hamas.
The six Republican lawmakers — Sens. Marco Rubio (FL), Ted Cruz (TX), Joni Ernst (IA), Tom Cotton (AK), Mike Braun (IN), and Josh Hawley (MO) — said they were “deeply concerned” that refugees from Gaza could sneak into the United States. The senators warned that allowing unvetted Palestinian refugees to cross the border poses a serious national security threat.
“On May 27, 2024, the Government of Canada announced its intent to increase the number of Gazans who will be allowed into their country under temporary special measures,” the senators wrote. “We are deeply concerned and request heightened scrutiny by the US Department of Homeland Security should any of them attempt to enter the United States at ports of entry as well as between ports of entry.”
After arriving in Canada, the Palestinian refugees will be given a “Refugee Travel Document,” which serves as a valid form of identification, the letter claimed, adding that US Citizenship and Immigration Services recognizes these documents as a valid substitute for a passport. The senators warned that “individuals with ties to terrorist groups” could potentially enter into the United States.
The letter argued that the US should maintain “common-sense terrorist screening and vetting” for any individual attempting to enter its borders from a foreign country. The lawmakers lamented that the Biden administration’s “”ax border enforcement” has rendered the country vulnerable to potential terrorist attacks. From April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024, the US Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations intercepted over 233 suspected terrorists at the northern border, according to the letter.
“[T]he possibility of terrorists crossing the US-Canada border is deeply concerning given the deep penetration of Gazan society by Hamas,” the senators wrote. “It would be irresponsible for the US to not take necessary heightened precautions when foreigners attempt to enter the United States.”
On Oct. 7, Hamas launched the ongoing war in Gaza with its Oct. 7 invasion of and massacre of 1,200 people across southern Israel. The Palestinian terrorist group also kidnapped over 250 hostages.
In response, Israel launched defensive military operations in Gaza with the aim of freeing the hostages and permanently dislodging Hamas from the neighboring enclave.
The vast majority of Palestinians in Gaza, as well as the West Bank, still support Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel that started the ongoing war, and they would prefer a “day after” scenario in which Hamas remains in control of Gaza rather than the Palestinian Authority, which governs in the West Bank, or other Arab countries, according to recent Palestinian polling. The same polling found that, when asked about support for Palestinian political parties and movements, a plurality chose Hamas.
US lawmakers are split along party lines as to whether the United States should accept refugees from Gaza. Republicans are largely opposed to importing refugees from Gaza, arguing that individuals from the war-torn enclave present “a national security risk” to the United States.” In May, Ernst and Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) sent US President Joe Biden a letter, urging him not to accept any refugees from Gaza.
In June, however, a group of 70 Democratic lawmakers sent Mayorkas a letter, requesting he create “pathways” for more refugees of the Israel-Hamas war to resettle in America.
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Video of Masked Man Vowing ‘Rivers of Blood’ at Paris Olympics Over Israel Support Appears to Be Fake, of Russia Origin
Screenshot of a widely circulated video published on social media showing a masked man vowing that “rivers of blood will flow” at the 2024 Paris Olympics due to France’s support for Israel. According to reports, the video appears to be fake and of Russian origin.
A widely circulated video published on social media this week showing a masked man vowing that “rivers of blood will flow” at the 2024 Paris Olympics due to France’s support for Israel appears to be fake and of Russian origin, according to reports.
The video — published on Tuesday on social media networks including X/Twitter and Telegram — featured a keffiyeh-clad man with his face covered, delivering an Arabic-language address threatening France with violence due to the country’s alleged support for Israel amid its ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza.
Addressing “the people of France” and “French President [Emmanuel] Macron,” the masked individual said, “You supported the Zionist regime in its criminal war against the people of Palestine. You provided Zionists with weapons; you helped murder our brothers and sisters, our children.”
“You invited the Zionists to the Olympic games. You will pay for what you have done!” continued the man, who wore a shirt adorned with a Palestinian flag. “Rivers of blood will flow through the streets of Paris. This day is approaching, God willing. Allah is the greatest.”
The video, published on X/Twitter by the account @endzionism24 and retweeted by Palestinian activist Ihab Hassan, ended with the speaker holding a prop severed head complete with fake blood up for the camera.
He is not a Palestinian:
A video clip has surfaced showing an individual wearing a keffiyeh and a Palestinian flag badge, threatening France with a “river of blood” at the Olympic Games.
It is glaringly obvious to any Arabic speaker that this person is not Arab; his dialect… pic.twitter.com/rwWGkkbiAi
— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) July 23, 2024
Hassan and other social media users immediately noted that the man speaking was clearly not a native Arabic speaker, citing his reasonably fluent but awkward and occasionally incorrect pronunciation.
Many social media users aware of the mispronunciations seemed to blame Israel for the video, implying the clip was a false flag meant to fearmonger and demonize Palestinians and Muslims. They did not address the fact that Israel has access to hundreds of thousands of native Palestinian Arabic speakers who would sound far more convincing than the man in the video.
On Wednesday, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that “French secret services and their partners have not been able to authenticate the veracity of this video.”
According to researchers at Microsoft, however, the video appears to be part of a Russian-linked disinformation campaign meant to disrupt the Olympics, which began with the opening ceremony on Friday.
The researchers from Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center told NBC News that the clip appears to have come from a Russian disinformation group known as Storm-1516, an outgrowth of Russia’s Internet Research Agency.
The latest clip was linked to a similar disinformation video falsely alleging that Ukraine had sent arms to Hamas — a claim for which there is no evidence. According to the researchers, the more recent video appears to be part of a Russian scare campaign meant to disrupt the Olympics.
The video came just days before France’s rail infrastructure was hit on Friday, ahead of the start of the Olympics, with widespread acts of vandalism including arson attacks, paralyzing travel to Paris from the rest of France and Europe just hours before the opening ceremony of the Olympics. French authorities described the acts as “criminal” and “malicious.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said that the sabotage of France’s high-speed rail network was directed by Iran, which Western intelligence agencies have for years labeled as the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism.
“The sabotage of railway infrastructure across France ahead of the Olympics was planned and executed under the influence of Iran’s axis of evil and radical Islam,” Katz wrote on X/Twitter. “As I warned my French counterpart [Stéphane Séjourné] this week, based on information held by Israel, Iranians are planning terrorist attacks against the Israeli delegation and all Olympic participants. Increased preventive measures must be taken to thwart their plot. The free world must stop Iran now — before it’s too late.”
Katz was referring to a letter he sent on Thursday to Séjourné raising alarm bells about what he described as a plan by Iran to attack Israel’s Olympic delegation.
Darmanin and French National Police both announced previously that they are taking increased security measures to ensure the safety of Israel’s Olympic delegation while they are in Paris amid mounting threats. These measures include providing them with round the clock security from French police. The Israeli delegation will also receive additional security details from Israel’s Shin Bet security agency during the Olympics.
The post Video of Masked Man Vowing ‘Rivers of Blood’ at Paris Olympics Over Israel Support Appears to Be Fake, of Russia Origin first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Top St. Louis Newspaper Endorses US Rep. Cori Bush’s Opponent, Argues Incumbent’s Israel Stance Is ‘Disqualifying’
US Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) raises her fist as US Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) addresses a pro-Hamas demonstration in Washington, DC. Photo: Reuters/Allison Bailey
The editorial board of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the largest daily newspaper in Missouri, has endorsed the opponent of US Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), pointing to the incumbent congresswoman’s lack of legislative accomplishments and stance on the Israel-Hamas war.
The Post-Dispatch argued that Bush’s position on Israel and the Gaza war should be “disqualifying” for any elected representative. The outlet took umbrage with Bush for equating a close democratic ally of the US with a genocidal terrorist organization.
“Israel’s conduct of the war has been far from perfect, but it remains a democracy fighting for survival against an evil terrorist organization. Bush’s tendency to equate both sides — and even to side with the terrorists, as when she cast one of just two House votes against a resolution to bar Hamas members from the US — should in itself be disqualifying for re-election,” the editorial board wrote.
Bush has established herself as one of the most vocal critics of Israel in the US Congress. Only nine days after Hamas’ Oct. 7 slaughter of roughly 1,200 people in southern Israel, Bush called for an “immediate ceasefire” between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist group. As the war dragged on, Bush’s rhetoric toward Israel sharpened, with the congresswoman accusing the Jewish state of committing “genocide” in Gaza and “apartheid” in the West Bank. Bush has also accused Israel of inflicting a “famine” in Gaza without providing evidence.
Bush seems more interested in pandering to the far-left fringes of the progressive movement than serving her constituents, the Post-Dispatch argued. Bush’s membership in “The Squad” — a clique of far-left progressive, anti-establishment lawmakers in the House of Representatives — has rendered her completely incapable of “accomplishing anything” in the halls of Congress, according to the newspaper.
The editorial board urged its readers to vote for Wesley Bell, pointing to his moderated approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as an example of his pragmatism and moral clarity.
“On Israel, Bell offers an appropriately measured stance, acknowledging the need to protect Gazan civilians and work toward a two-state solution, while supporting America’s closest ally in the Middle East,” the outlet wrote.
In contrast to Bush, Bell has expressed more sympathy to Israel’s military operations in Gaza, emphatically rejecting the notion that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute “genocide” or “ethnic cleansing.”
Moreover, Bell has strengthened his ties with the Jewish community over the course of his campaign. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the foremost pro-Israel lobbying group in the US, donated a reported $5 million to Bell’s campaign through its United Democracy Project super PAC. A group of 30 St. Louis-area rabbis penned a letter endorsing Bell, accusing Bush of a “lack of decency, disregard for history, and for intentionally fueling antisemitism and hatred.” Bell also brought about an official “director of Jewish outreach” to increase turnout among the Jewish community.
A poll commissioned by McLaughlin & Associates and sponsored by the CCA Action Fund, a pro-Bell super PAC, showed Bell with a commanding 56 percent to 33 percent lead over Bush.
Supporters of Israel see the primary race as a prime opportunity to oust another opponent of the Jewish state from the halls of Congress. Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), a progressive lawmaker, lost his primary race to a pro-Israel challenger on June 25. Over the course of his reelection campaign, Bowman accused Israel of committing “genocide” and enacting “apartheid” against Palestinians. Bowman’s comments incensed Jewish constituents in the leafy suburbs of Westchester County, New York.
Furthermore, observers are looking to the race as a potential indicator of the Democratic electorate’s position on Israel. Opinions of the Jewish state among Democrats have soured in the months following Oct. 7, calling into question whether anti-Israel views are still a liability with American liberals.
The post Top St. Louis Newspaper Endorses US Rep. Cori Bush’s Opponent, Argues Incumbent’s Israel Stance Is ‘Disqualifying’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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