It might be a bit of stretch to add this here, but i think the role and importance of the media is also huge in the way antisemitism is getting weaponized, particularly how this is done in Germany might also be a case in point. No doubt, the Germans have a historic responsibility in this issue, but many have gone completely overboard in their pro-Israel stance during the recent war. The German discourse is completely lopsided when it comes to Israel/Gaza. The main difference being, there is (almost) no progressive left expressing solidarity with Palestine. As someone who lives in these parts i can tell you from experience, it is quite uncomfortable. The "German Denkverbot" mentioned by Butler in her piece in London Review of Books is real, palatable. Almost any form of solidarity with Palestine or critique of the Israeli government gets framed as antisemitic. Even Judith Butler and Naomi Klein, both of them jewish, get shunned for their articles. BDS, antisemitic. The slogan "from the river to the sea", in the process of getting outlawed. After Greta Thunberg expressed her solidarity with the Palestinian people recently at a climate demonstration, she was declared a "Persona non Greta" in the TAZ, a supposedly leftist newspaper.
An older article describing how Germany's atonement to the holocaust has started to carry strong xenophobic undertones: https://jewishcurrents.org/bad-memory-2
Thank you for sharing this. I never trusted a lot of corporate news sources, but particularly during the genocide taking place in Palestine I have become increasingly disillusioned. I had to completely stop reading the guardian because their coverage of what was happening was so incredibly demonizing and biased that I was becoming emotionally triggered by it. I hope you are feeling well and I wish you a strong and healthy recovery and road ahead. I always look forward to your writing.
Thank you for this. I hope you can find things outside the mainstream conversation that help you get motivated and inspired again, but I guess sometimes you also have to accept that life has its rhythms and its seasons.
Thanks so much! About to start the second med soon, curious which one's worse, or if it's the accumulation cycle after cycle... and kinda impatient to lose my hair??
I found it was both the accumulation AND my second drug (which I ended up being allergic to) which kinda did me in. Happy to chat about anything whenever! I was also very anxious for my hair to go so I wouldn’t have to dread it anymore lol.
Damn, Peter. This is the first I've learned about your treatment/illness. Hoping for the best for you. I've learned a lot from you over the years, and I'm hoping to learn much more still.
It might be a bit of stretch to add this here, but i think the role and importance of the media is also huge in the way antisemitism is getting weaponized, particularly how this is done in Germany might also be a case in point. No doubt, the Germans have a historic responsibility in this issue, but many have gone completely overboard in their pro-Israel stance during the recent war. The German discourse is completely lopsided when it comes to Israel/Gaza. The main difference being, there is (almost) no progressive left expressing solidarity with Palestine. As someone who lives in these parts i can tell you from experience, it is quite uncomfortable. The "German Denkverbot" mentioned by Butler in her piece in London Review of Books is real, palatable. Almost any form of solidarity with Palestine or critique of the Israeli government gets framed as antisemitic. Even Judith Butler and Naomi Klein, both of them jewish, get shunned for their articles. BDS, antisemitic. The slogan "from the river to the sea", in the process of getting outlawed. After Greta Thunberg expressed her solidarity with the Palestinian people recently at a climate demonstration, she was declared a "Persona non Greta" in the TAZ, a supposedly leftist newspaper.
Here are some links:
The article on Greta (in German): https://taz.de/Greta-Thunberg-und-der-Nahostkonflikt/!5969485/
On the same topic in Der Spiegel 5000 words by 6 authors: https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/a-potential-rift-in-the-climate-movement-what-s-next-for-greta-thunberg-a-2491673f-2d42-4e2c-bbd7-bab53432b687
A critical look at the Greta debacle by a German climate activist: https://steadyhq.com/de/friedlichesabotage/posts/a95eed18-885d-473d-b9ce-ec9ad4758b34
Deborah Feldman (author of Unorthodox), who currently lives in Germany, on what it means to be a jew critical of the Israeli government: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/nov/13/germany-jewish-criticise-israel-tv-debate
Another jewish person living in Germany while being critical of Israeli government: https://www.daddy.land/stories/stop-calling-jews-who-support-palestinians-anti-semitic-it-only-strengthens-the-far-right
An article on the "antisemitism of the progressives" (again in TAZ again in German): https://taz.de/Free-Palestine-from-German-Guilt/!5967918/
Dave Braneck on how German is weaponizing their historical guilt: https://jacobin.com/2023/11/germany-weaponizing-historical-guilt-demonize-israel-critics-holocaust-antisemitism-palestine-war/
An older article describing how Germany's atonement to the holocaust has started to carry strong xenophobic undertones: https://jewishcurrents.org/bad-memory-2
The debacle with the Documenta committee, one member was ousted for expressing solidarity with BDS in 2019(?): https://hyperallergic.com/856486/years-before-its-opening-trouble-brews-for-documenta-16/
The resignation letter by the rest of the Documenta committee: https://www.e-flux.com/notes/575919/documenta-resignation-letter
The Biennale für aktuelle Fotografie, a contemporary photo exhibition due to be held in the German cities of Mannheim, Ludwigshafen and Heidelberg, cancelled for alleged antisemitic statements by one member in the curating team: https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2023/11/22/german-photo-biennial-cancelled-after-curators-posts-are-deemed-antisemitic
And i almost forgot, best of luck with your chemo!!!!
Thank you!
Thank you for sharing this. I never trusted a lot of corporate news sources, but particularly during the genocide taking place in Palestine I have become increasingly disillusioned. I had to completely stop reading the guardian because their coverage of what was happening was so incredibly demonizing and biased that I was becoming emotionally triggered by it. I hope you are feeling well and I wish you a strong and healthy recovery and road ahead. I always look forward to your writing.
Thank you for this. I hope you can find things outside the mainstream conversation that help you get motivated and inspired again, but I guess sometimes you also have to accept that life has its rhythms and its seasons.
All the best.
Thank you for this! Solidarity and wishing you all the best for chemo. Let me know if I can support you through that ughhhh process in any way!
Thanks so much! About to start the second med soon, curious which one's worse, or if it's the accumulation cycle after cycle... and kinda impatient to lose my hair??
I found it was both the accumulation AND my second drug (which I ended up being allergic to) which kinda did me in. Happy to chat about anything whenever! I was also very anxious for my hair to go so I wouldn’t have to dread it anymore lol.
Thanks for this! Okay, taking the first dose of the second drug tomorrow night... not gonna make any heavy plans for Tuesday!
Thinking about you and sending you love and healing.
Damn, Peter. This is the first I've learned about your treatment/illness. Hoping for the best for you. I've learned a lot from you over the years, and I'm hoping to learn much more still.
thank you, that means a lot
Thanks so much, and all the best with your organizing!