Letter: Separate valid political speech from antisemitism

[Regarding “Repeat Trauma: Local Jews Endure Ongoing Antisemitism,” Nov. 6, Xpress:]

I agree with the author of this article when he writes that antisemitism is nothing new. It is a dangerous and regrettable phenomenon, and it is disturbing to see instances of it in our community. It’s particularly important to discern what acts are expressions of hate toward a person or group because of their ethnicity or religion and what is political speech which expresses perhaps unpopular but valid views.

This article seems to lump together expressions of “anti-Jewish” feeling such as swastika painting or defacing campaign signs with sincere expressions of disagreement with U.S. foreign policy (military and weapons deliveries, “diplomatic” and political cover) that is resulting in horrific and ongoing suffering for the Palestinian people and in wider war in the region.

The journalist has centered “Jewish trauma” both historically and currently in his article. Those including myself who have supported a local ceasefire resolution to stop the killing in Israel/Palestine, who have participated in public demonstrations, who have met with local and regional leaders for an end to U.S. enabling of the plausible genocide are not the people painting swastikas on restaurants or campaign signs, or calling in bomb threats. As a Jewish person, I shudder when I learn of such expressions of real hatred.

Perhaps the author could have written a companion article or integrated into this article the very real racism in our community toward Muslims, Palestinians and Arabs, which has been expressed by some of the people named in your article. Many who aren’t given a voice in this article are experiencing the trauma of family members being killed, injured, starving or displaced in Gaza and Lebanon.

It is beyond time to separate out legitimate criticism of the U.S.’s and Israel’s actions from real “antisemitic” behavior and speech expressed predominantly by white supremacists. The people I know who are advocates for an end to the Palestinian genocide are the real human rights defenders — human rights for all. My question is: Whose suffering matters in this community, and whose suffering is ignored?

— Anne Craig
Asheville

Editor’s note: Reporter Pat Moran responds: “Thank you for writing, Anne. If you believe the article equates antisemitism with pro-Palestinian/anti-genocide activism, then I owe you an apology. That was not the intent of the story. Keeping with Xpress’ local focus, the story looks at Western North Carolina’s legacy of antisemitism. As part of that story, I attempted to place local activism on either side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict within that broader context.

“In the wake of a fracas at the West Asheville Library mentioned in the article, it seemed most local media presented the Zionist/pro-Israel view exclusively. So I interviewed 11 peace activists versus two self-described Zionists — along with two rabbis, three local Jewish Americans who did not self-describe as activists but expressed disapproval of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, and spokespeople from the Jewish Community Relations Council, Asheville Jewish Community Center and Carolina Jews for Justice. Of the peace activists, four were Jewish American and three were members of historically marginalized communities.

“If I have one takeaway from writing the story, it’s that people along the continuum from pro-Israel to pro-Palestine aren’t hearing each other.”