I’m a Jew, a leftist, a former DSA member, and a person that supports the pro-Palestinian movement and sympathizes (but doesn’t partake in) the BDS movement. I also desperately want the DSA and the left at large to start caring about foreign policy that isn’t completely focused on Israel. The fact of the matter is that outside of the Saudi bombing campaign of Yemen for about five seconds a couple of years ago, it does not. Up until after the Tree of Life synagogue massacre, the American Jewish left focused entirely on Israel/Palestine. Even your newsletter has seemingly conflated progressive foreign policy almost exclusively on the basis of Israel. Saying that the DSA is motivated by anti-Semitism is a vile lie, but by seemingly not giving a shit about anything else regarding American foreign policy, they give ammunition to people in the City Council and elsewhere.
I know that NYC DSA established an Internationalist Caucus not too long ago. That’s a great start, as there is no shortage of other people being oppressed by world governments (Kashmiris by India and Rohingya Muslims by Myanmar, to name two). But I hate having to defend the left from these accusations. They’re not doing a good job of educating themselves on and advocating against American foreign policy.
1) Ross, you need to ask Palestinian-Americans in NYC if BDS support is just virtue-signaling.
2) The current BDS movement is only 15 years old. It took South African BDS 35 years to succeed (1959-1994). By that metric, current BDS is on course to attain its goal faster that its predecessor, since there are now 2 Congresspeople (Tlaib, Omar) supporting it who were elected thirteen years after the start of the movement (2005); when its anti-South African predecessor turned 13, in 1972, only one Congressperson (Ron Dellums) supported it.
3) The wording did not call for a blanket travel ban. There is a dependent clause " in solidarity with Palestinians living under occupation.." The only types of travel to be banned are, therefore, those that violate the Palestinian-led boycott of Israel.
1. I can’t speak for Palestinian-Americans, but I can speak as a leftist American Jew when I say that DSA’s support for BDS absolutely feels like virtue signaling and leftist trend chasing by people who otherwise couldn’t care less about this issue. The fact of the matter is that for Palestinians, this is a lived experience, and for diaspora Jews, this is a learned experience counter to what we learn from the Jewish establishment (as Seth Rogen recently stated). In contrast, the bulk of DSA membership goes after this conflict with the zeal of someone who read a Wikipedia article on it two weeks ago. Ross also gives them way too much credit for what should replace a Jewish state. I don’t even think a solution has ever crossed their minds.
Palestinians should be at the front of this struggle, then Jews. Goyishe lefties need to stay firmly in the back and shut the hell up. I normally don’t subscribe to this kind of essentialist worldview when it comes to politics, but given that this issue can (and, sadly, sometimes does) cross into actual anti-Semitism and its general third rail nature, I am willing to make an exception.
2. The left severely overestimates the power of the BDS movement. There is no social movement more worthless and ineffectual than a boycott. Ask anyone who plays video games- you’ll always find enough saps to buy whatever. It’s more effective to push for a conditioning or lessening of funding for the Israeli government, as a Congressional candidate in Washington state has done.
3. That’s a pretty significant oversight by Ross. It puts things more into perspective.
"Goyishe lefties need to...shut the hell up." What an awful racist remark. You have no moral authority to moan about anti-Semitism when you exhibit corresponding bias. As for boycotts, the Montgomery Bus Boycott was quite effective, as was the anti-South Africna BDS movement.
To echo some of Sheldon's measured criticisms, to say that Israel is "a modern, heavily militarized nation-state that has forced its poorer neighbors to live in squalor, restricting their rights and movement" euphemisms, because, in fact, Palestinians are not the "neighbors" of Israel, but its subject people as recognized by the UN (which sees Israel as the "occupying power" and acknowledges that Israel has been consistently in violation of a number of international laws since its founding).
Not sure why banning trips to Israel is useful. Seems to me that first-hand knowledge of the State is valuable even if it is sponsored by pro-Israel groups. I doubt I'd make a decision on who to vote for for City Council based on the candidates foreign policy agenda. It is a distraction from what they are responsible for.
Similar measures were proposed by the anti-South African BDS movement. The anti-occupation group IfNotNow has testified how useless trips organized by pro-Israel groups are in conveying the truth of Palestinian oppression.
I’m a Jew, a leftist, a former DSA member, and a person that supports the pro-Palestinian movement and sympathizes (but doesn’t partake in) the BDS movement. I also desperately want the DSA and the left at large to start caring about foreign policy that isn’t completely focused on Israel. The fact of the matter is that outside of the Saudi bombing campaign of Yemen for about five seconds a couple of years ago, it does not. Up until after the Tree of Life synagogue massacre, the American Jewish left focused entirely on Israel/Palestine. Even your newsletter has seemingly conflated progressive foreign policy almost exclusively on the basis of Israel. Saying that the DSA is motivated by anti-Semitism is a vile lie, but by seemingly not giving a shit about anything else regarding American foreign policy, they give ammunition to people in the City Council and elsewhere.
I know that NYC DSA established an Internationalist Caucus not too long ago. That’s a great start, as there is no shortage of other people being oppressed by world governments (Kashmiris by India and Rohingya Muslims by Myanmar, to name two). But I hate having to defend the left from these accusations. They’re not doing a good job of educating themselves on and advocating against American foreign policy.
1) Ross, you need to ask Palestinian-Americans in NYC if BDS support is just virtue-signaling.
2) The current BDS movement is only 15 years old. It took South African BDS 35 years to succeed (1959-1994). By that metric, current BDS is on course to attain its goal faster that its predecessor, since there are now 2 Congresspeople (Tlaib, Omar) supporting it who were elected thirteen years after the start of the movement (2005); when its anti-South African predecessor turned 13, in 1972, only one Congressperson (Ron Dellums) supported it.
3) The wording did not call for a blanket travel ban. There is a dependent clause " in solidarity with Palestinians living under occupation.." The only types of travel to be banned are, therefore, those that violate the Palestinian-led boycott of Israel.
1. I can’t speak for Palestinian-Americans, but I can speak as a leftist American Jew when I say that DSA’s support for BDS absolutely feels like virtue signaling and leftist trend chasing by people who otherwise couldn’t care less about this issue. The fact of the matter is that for Palestinians, this is a lived experience, and for diaspora Jews, this is a learned experience counter to what we learn from the Jewish establishment (as Seth Rogen recently stated). In contrast, the bulk of DSA membership goes after this conflict with the zeal of someone who read a Wikipedia article on it two weeks ago. Ross also gives them way too much credit for what should replace a Jewish state. I don’t even think a solution has ever crossed their minds.
Palestinians should be at the front of this struggle, then Jews. Goyishe lefties need to stay firmly in the back and shut the hell up. I normally don’t subscribe to this kind of essentialist worldview when it comes to politics, but given that this issue can (and, sadly, sometimes does) cross into actual anti-Semitism and its general third rail nature, I am willing to make an exception.
2. The left severely overestimates the power of the BDS movement. There is no social movement more worthless and ineffectual than a boycott. Ask anyone who plays video games- you’ll always find enough saps to buy whatever. It’s more effective to push for a conditioning or lessening of funding for the Israeli government, as a Congressional candidate in Washington state has done.
3. That’s a pretty significant oversight by Ross. It puts things more into perspective.
"Goyishe lefties need to...shut the hell up." What an awful racist remark. You have no moral authority to moan about anti-Semitism when you exhibit corresponding bias. As for boycotts, the Montgomery Bus Boycott was quite effective, as was the anti-South Africna BDS movement.
To echo some of Sheldon's measured criticisms, to say that Israel is "a modern, heavily militarized nation-state that has forced its poorer neighbors to live in squalor, restricting their rights and movement" euphemisms, because, in fact, Palestinians are not the "neighbors" of Israel, but its subject people as recognized by the UN (which sees Israel as the "occupying power" and acknowledges that Israel has been consistently in violation of a number of international laws since its founding).
Anyone have any idea what the response to the questions by actual candidates have been?
Not sure why banning trips to Israel is useful. Seems to me that first-hand knowledge of the State is valuable even if it is sponsored by pro-Israel groups. I doubt I'd make a decision on who to vote for for City Council based on the candidates foreign policy agenda. It is a distraction from what they are responsible for.
Similar measures were proposed by the anti-South African BDS movement. The anti-occupation group IfNotNow has testified how useless trips organized by pro-Israel groups are in conveying the truth of Palestinian oppression.