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Making Jews Choose: Our Progressive Values or Ourselves
(Forward) Batya Ungar-Sargon - In the past three weeks, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar attempted to discuss the U.S.-Israel relationship three times. And each time, her words descended into anti-Semitic tropes. Instead of expressing support for American Jews, the progressive left started a hashtag on Twitter: #IStandWithIlhan. But a more disturbing rationale emerged among some of Omar's supporters: a kind of resentment towards Jews over the fact that House Democrats would come to our defense. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested that Jews "call in" Omar instead of calling her out, apparently unaware that Omar's Jewish constituents have been unsuccessfully trying to do just that for a year now, thanks to yet another anti-Semitic tweet from 2012 accusing Israel of "hypnotizing the world." When Jews hear racist stereotypes, the onus is on us to not go "nuclear" and to stay silent, to reach out to the offender privately (again and again and again) and if that doesn't work, to never, ever involve the authorities. Are Jews supposed to stay in a progressive movement that resents us for standing up for ourselves? That has leaders who are "hurt" when they see Congress defend us? A movement that is lionizing a woman for the fact that she has offended us? America - and its progressive wing - will surely be worse off if Jews can no longer find a political home there, and it's for the soul of this country that we are fighting as much as for ourselves.