It’s hard to believe that people are being excoriated, left and right, for daring to speak their minds on the topic of Israel. That’s right. Unless a person is gushing with love and respect for the State of Israel, they are labeled antisemitic. That’s the equivalent today of being labeled a racist 20 years ago. It can be the death knell for anyone socially or worse, professionally. Why is it a person may be again the government of a clearly secular state, and be brushed with such a toxic label?

In the United States, we sit in a unique place in history: we can freely criticize our government. We don’t fear the police showing up at our workplace or home taking us away in handcuffs because of public statements rendered against the government in general, or specific policies implemented. So it’s unexpected when we have our fellow Americans shout to the masses that those that dare to criticize the State of Israel, you know, the secular state, implemented by democratic means by the Israeli people, as somehow being antisemitic. Yes, to the point of being called Nazis.

There might be an opposing argument that is reasonable, but it’s hard to filter it, if it exists, from all of the detritus that vomits itself into the media, whether online or on TV. What is heard is clearly propaganda. Seriously. how can anyone justify the campaign Israel took, and is still taking, in Gaza. Look at the photos (before and after). When I first saw some of them, I thought of the constant bombing of Germany by the allies in World War II. Not a building left standing in a lot of places. Rubble. Miles and miles of nothing but debris. This was in response to the horrible attack on the Israeli people on Oct 7, 2023. Yes, there should be some justice leveled at those that participated in the worst massacre of Israels since the holocaust. But is genocide a just punishment?

So goes the continuing argument against the State of Israel. Let me repeat: The argument is against the policies of the government of the State of Israel, not the citizens. And, of course, it has nothing to do with any citizens faith whether it is Judaism, Islam, or Christian. We, as Americans that have supported the State of Israel in every meaningful way since it’s founding in 1948, have a right to criticize those in that country that seem to go beyond the pale as to meeting their own security needs. Yes, Israel still have their enemies, like Iran and their proxies in the once Gaza – Hamas, and the newly rubbled south Lebanon (by Israel) – Hezbollah. And yes, just as if one of our neighbors were to indiscriminately  launch attacks on our borders, we would have the right of response. The difference is the measure of that response.

With some of these that use the broad brush of antisemitism, it’s become unAmerican to criticize a foreign government that a growing number, a majority, now see as being detrimental to our own security in the Middle East. They scream into microphones and television cameras, making all sorts of accusations against those that have legitimate questions. They go so far as to make outrageous claims agains popular personalities that disagree with them, possibly placing those and their families in jeopardy simply because they have a different opinion about a very difficult topic. Currently, there is a move to actually silence any of those that would speak against the State of Israel. No, not in the United Kingdom (where it is illegal) but here in the United States. Deplatform those with a microphone that might have a convincing argument for the United States to distance itself from its most violent of allies.

The term fascism has been tossed around a lot in the last few years, especially from those on the far left fearing the administration of the government by a right-wing cabal under Donald Trump. But the fascists, if that is truly what they are, exist in both spaces and it’s time for the left and the right to purge their political selves of people that have nothing good to add to any conversation. The fascists are the ones that want to have the only word and want to jail and yes, eliminate any of those against them. Sadly, they have a following. Luckily, it’s now just fringe.