There’s some trouble brewing in our home and native land (or someone’s, anyway). Their right-wing party has been taking unprecedented steps to quell opposition to Israel. Many Canadians fear these policies, arguing that they punish people and aid groups trying to do the “right thing,” even if that means condemning Israeli policies. Groups like KAIROS, which works for justice in Africa, have “backed a boycott of Israel for oppressing Palestinians.” As a result, they have lost their support from the Canadian government.
Before examining the issue in greater detail, it’s important to take a look at this specific action. Canada is a great supporter of Israel, and as such, both nations have an interest in protecting each other. If KAIROS is a group seeking to do damage to a Canadian ally, then the government cannot legitimately support such a group.
However, what the linked article indicates is that there’s a deeper level of indignation with Canadian policies toward Israel. In repeating comparisons to McCarthyism, the writer clearly believes there is a Canadian campaign of intimidation at work against those who do not support Israel. This is where the controversy starts to get a little bit more complex. The Israel supporters “have since been backing the Parliamentary Coalition to Combat anti-Semitism.” A competing NGO, the more liberal Independent Jewish Voices, has stated that Coalition’s goal is to “criminalize criticism of Israel and Zionism” and says that it is “a danger to…the genuine and necessary fight against anti-Semitism.”
Canada is a place where the lines are being drawn between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism. When we equate the two, we seriously impair our ability to engage in intelligent discussion. We are taking the easy way out when it comes to making arguments. If you do not like what your opponent has to say, call him a racist and take the applause. However, bad language leads to bad thought. We do not want to give equal credence to arguments based on racism and legitimate criticism against Israel, as doing so legitimizes anti-Semitic arguments. Instead, by understanding the distinction between anger at Israel and hatred of Jews, we can better steer the debate toward productive solutions.
It is a mistake, albeit an attractive and easy one, for Jewish people to equate anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism. If the Coalition really is a group meant to eliminate anti-Israel criticism by calling it anti-Semitic, then it is doing a disservice to productive discourse.
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