agnellina:

I really want to write something about how it’s not just that antisemitism is displayed differently from other forms of racism (Jews as the center of conspiracy theories subjugating non-Jews versus racial minorities as inferior non-humans). It’s also that the history of antisemitism has been both those in power and those at the bottom killing or forcing Jews out in pogroms. When there have been uprisings from those who have been victimized by those in power, Jews are painted as being central to control of the majority/establishment. That’s why you’ll find many Jews uncomfortable (at best) with the idea of the “proletariat” overturning the upper class. That has, historically and globally, ended up with us being forced out of homes or killed (see all of Eastern Europe). Because we are still the outsiders.

So, when anti-racist leaders and activists say that Jews should be concerned with “real antisemitism” (while conveniently never stating what would count as “real antisemitism”) or that antisemitism from the left is not as important as antisemitism on the right, they’re showing their complete ignorance of antisemitism and history and their refusal to listen to us. It’s not an either-or thing for us. And Jewish expulsion is not a relic of the past; it still occurs. And it’s only in America where there isn’t a deep history of Jewish expulsion. 

There has been Jewish expulsion and governmentally sanctioned antisemitism in the United States, but even if there was no history of them? Do we really think that gentile immigrants to the US brought over all of their own history except for that little piece? Because that genuinely strains credulity. 

Some of the problem with antisemitism on the Left is that it’s been reimported into the west by non-western immigrants and correspondents… who borrowed the conspiracy-theory tropes from the west (and/or Russia) in the first place. Apparently part of “listening to the oppressed” is taking on their misinformed views of minority groups who are less oppressed for the time being. And it’s totally OK for white people to be antisemitic if it’s in solidarity with brown people, right?