#@ ‘Regarding zionism do you think’ Anon

[parkerstorms]

hey, all love bc im sure it wasn’t intentional, but xclowniex is a Zionist. quick scroll through their blog shows that, as does their definition of Zionism in the post.

oh shit idk how the hell i missed this, this is literally from april

thank you for telling me! sorry for such a delay. i’m on mobile rn but when i can look at what you sent/my posts i will and delete + learn accordingly

also if this is someone i’m following i’ll go rectify that rn

[persephoneflouwers]

-

[batwynn]

I’ve gotten a few insistent anons lately demanding I state my thoughts and opinions on the current and past history of Palestine on this blog. (You can tell they don’t follow my more personal side blog, I guess.) On the one hand, I do understand people wanting to know that someone they follow has similar opinions on severely important things like this. But on the other hand, most of the asks have that certain… tone that gives me the feeling that they are more interested in ‘catching’ me in something, than any actual concern over my politics or the actual people involved. They’re worded in a way that is very immature—in a way that leaves very little room for anything other than the exact statements parroted back to them that they expect. Which I can’t do. One, because I can’t read their minds to say exactly what they want me to say. Two, because I’m an entire person with a whole life that they know nothing about—something that comes with all the flaws of being a human person with my own history and education based on where I lived and who I knew. And three, because I don’t want to parrot someone else’s words to appease a random person I don’t know. And the thing is, I’ve had this conversation already with nearly everyone in my life. I’ve gone over it at least a dozen times with friends and family from all walks of life. Some conversations were harder than others. All of them were hard. Partially because what is happening is hard to talk about, and partially because I don’t really know what to say. What do I say that changes anything? What do I say that isn’t speaking over someone who is directly affected? What do I say that won’t be misinterpreted by someone willingly misinterpreting/looking for a fight? What can I say that doesn’t hurt anyone at all? Because someone out there will always be hurt, no matter how carefully I try to word things. And I have tried. I’ve written this post 80+ times for months now. I’ve read other’s words and found parts that spoke to me and for me very well, but then have that certain edge that goes into the harm territory. Some lean into Zionism, some lean into antisemitism. Some are just outright racist, some are full on fascist. And that’s really the entirety of it. I just don’t want people to be hurt anymore. So to answer your questions, anon:

I don’t know what the right thing to say is and no matter how careful I am, it will never be correct enough for you. I am angry and horrified at the harm that has been done over many years to the Palestinian people. None of my words can really summarize that history, or what is happening to them right now. Every single day I learn something new, and every single day it is someone doing irreparable harm to innocent people. I am disgusted by the never ending terrorism and harm done by people who think that killing innocents is a worthy way to get them what they want. And that goes for anyone who does this, including but not limited to the Hamas, the Israeli army, or my very own colonizing country. I am alarmed at how black and white people are treating this, and how no consideration is allowed for those who fall between the cracks or who dont follow their strict narrative. That people forget that Jewish Palestinian people exist when they go on their rants, or what people from every ‘side’ or corner of the world can want the end of the harm. That people have hatred for Jewish and Muslim people with no regards to who they actually are and what they believe. That there are so many who support Palestinian freedom, and then parrot outright fascist talking points. That many come to support their Jewish friends, but then say that Palestinian children deserve to die because _____. So, no. There is nothing I can say that really matters. Because no matter what I say someone out there will twist my words, or misunderstand, or tell me that I’m supporting something I don’t support. Because no matter what I say, I just can’t write the right words on fucking Tumblr to stop the harm from being done.

[clarabosswald]

I've been reading your posts about the Israel-Palestine issue and I'm messaging you without going on anon to show that I have a genuine desire to understand. You've said you don't support apartheid and you're not a zionist so I want to ask why you believe the issue is that complicated, and get your genuine response. I'm from Pakistan, a country created in the name of religious protection and it has been at the helm of several genocides and displacements to this day. I lived in South Africa where the settler population coexists after the abolition of apartheid. I'm now a settler in Canada and I support the fight for land back and the dissolution of the colonial state even as I reside in it because I would prefer to be welcomed on this land after Indigenous sovereignty has been returned. I am just curious if you really do feel such an attachment to Israel's existence knowing that from its conception it has been a settler colonial apartheid state. Certainly Netanyahu has worsened it but the ethnic cleansing, ghettoization, displacement, imprisonment without grounds, and torture of Palestinians has been ongoing for decades. I do believe that most people currently advocating for Palestine's liberation and the dissolution of Israel as a state don't want to kill or even displace all Israelis, there is just an understanding that Israel's existence depends on the subjugation of Palestinians. And as for Hamas, most people would not want Hamas as a governing body but Israel has backed all Palestinian resistance efforts especially peaceful ones into such a corner that at this point Hamas is like any violent resistance force such as the ones in Ireland, Algeria, Haiti, Vietnam or elsewhere. Would you disagree that the violence they enact is rooted in Israeli violence? Decades of brutal oppression can only lead to radicalization in this way. I hope that you will understand I'm genuinely trying to gain your perspective on these issues and not trying to attack you. This situation is personal to me because the loss of lives is heartbreaking and I've lived in so many countries where violence not only paints the history but the present and I wish we lived in a world where borders and militaries did not exist. But I've come to learn that unfortunately peace is often achieved when there is violent resistance to oppression.

I already sent follow up direct messages so I'm SO SORRY for spamming you but I guess I'm nervous about you misreading my tone since it's easy to do that online and people have attacked you regarding all this. I just want to reiterate I make no claims to knowing everything and certainly not to knowing you and your allegiances or politics. I can tell you care about people and that's why I want to have a genuine conversation, if you'll engage with me

hi - first of all, you seem to be coming with good faith and nowadays that's not obvious at all, so thank you for that

the first thing i want to address is that yes, i'm not a zionist. at the same time i've got no fucking idea what constitutes "zionism" in western eyes at this point in time. but i don't believe jewish people have got some super special holy right of "owning" israeli lands or whatever, just because they're jewish and it's the people's ~promised land~. that's zionism how i understand it. and i don't believe in that because i'm a secular (non-believing) jew.

"why you believe the issue is that complicated" is a question that on the one hand seems extremely weird to me, and on the other hand... really makes complete sense. i say that it's complicated because there are literally decades upon decades at the very least of history behind the events that started on october 7th. and i've found that westerners seem to be desperate for some easy-to-digest, eli-5 version of it. they want fairytale morality where they can say that one side is 100% good and the other side is 100% evil. they don't want to think, to have mental/moral struggles. i think it's... naive at best, to expect something that involves decades/centuries of history and millions upon millions of people, to be that simple.

"I am just curious if you really do feel such an attachment to Israel's existence" - because it's where i was born, where my family was born, where my friends were born, the only place i've ever lived in. it's my home. it's hot and humid, the people are often rude and inconsiderate, every time it rains there's a stupid amount of flooding in the streets... and it's the only home i've ever known. is that really that hard to understand?

"I do believe that most people currently advocating for Palestine's liberation and the dissolution of Israel as a state don't want to kill or even displace all Israelis" - you know, i believe so too. that's why it's so flabbergasting to see many of the same people repeat the speaking points of different organizations that for many years have called for exactly the killing/displacement of all israelis (or at least all the jewish ones). the absolute lack of critical thinking and source-checking is infuriating. or just... the general ignorance. 99% of the people who are involved in the recent protests have probably never even heard of hamas before october 7th. honestly, considering what i've seen and heard, some of them probably still are ignorant of its existence. for fuck's sake, i've seen people think that the gaza strip is the west bank because it's located to the west.

"And as for Hamas, most people would not want Hamas as a governing body but Israel has backed all Palestinian resistance efforts especially peaceful ones into such a corner that at this point Hamas is like any violent resistance force such as the ones in Ireland, Algeria, Haiti, Vietnam or elsewhere." - can you give examples to the most recent peaceful palestinian efforts? the most recent attempt at the peace process i can think of off the top of my head is the oslo accords... possibly camp david? and i assume i don't need to explain what those were and what happened after them? but i might be missing something more recent. your mentions of other locations in the world are an excellent shout because i do believe the israeli-palestinian conflict is nothing like them. i do believe it's a unique conflict in global terms. i do think the ongoing comparisons in the west to other historical conflicts is part of the same western attempts to simplify it and make it more palatable (?) to the western audience.

"Would you disagree that the violence they enact is rooted in Israeli violence?" - to be as thorough about it as i can? no, i don't, because this (arab-jewish tensions/clashes/violence in the region of palestina/palstine/israel) goes way before the state of israel was declared. at the same time i think this is infantilizing towards palestinians. neither side's violence is just reactionary or devoid of responsibility and choice.

"Decades of brutal oppression can only lead to radicalization in this way." - what's maddening to me about this specific argument point is that the exact same thing can be said of israelis in particular and jewish people worldwide in general. (my point being that i do not accept any kind of excuse for violence against civilians and innocents, anywhere.)

"This situation is personal to me because the loss of lives is heartbreaking and I've lived in so many countries where violence not only paints the history but the present" - i appreciate your sympathy and sense of personal connection. from my perspective i can tell that since october 7th i've had to start paying a lot less attention/ignoring western opinions, or i'd have gone mad weeks ago. (not just as a form of speech. i'm so thankful for going back to therapy a few months ago.) it probably started back when i started following the russian invasion of ukraine. i've seen western reactions to the suffering of the ukrainian people and there was something very... disconnected, about those reactions. i realized that you can't... just make someone understand what it's like to live under rocket/missle/drone fire. the sound of them hitting around you. or exploding overhead. feeling the shockwave hit your body while you hide in shelter and can only hope that the roulette won't land on you this time because it was, 100% directed at you and your family and friends, at civilians, openly and unapologetically. to live in war in your own home. it's the exact same now with the current war (which is far from being the first war i've lived through). i've reached the conclusion that the only opinion that really mattes is that of palestinians and israelis. the rest just cannot begin to comprehend.

"But I've come to learn that unfortunately peace is often achieved when there is violent resistance to oppression." - and after over 75 years of violence (if we're only counting since the establishment of israel, which, i repeat, is really not the starting point of any of this, neither is the current war since october 7th), where did that get us? what did that achieve?

to which i can segue to one of my main opinions: the whole reason this conflict has been going on for so long, and only gets worse, is because more importance is being given to the past than to the future. the heads of both israeli and palestinian leaderships are stuck in the past and up their own assholes (either alternatively or at the same time, it's a true biological miracle). the only thing that will truly make a change is when people will realize that the wheels can't be turned back and we can't replicate what used to be. the only way to create a sustainable and peaceful future for both israelis and palestinians would be to give up the glorification of the past. but to be clear, i'm well aware that i'm an idealist and the chances of my ideals actually happening are nonexistent.

this post is long enough as is but i want to touch on a few more points and attempt to paint a slightly more complete picture here.

the old yishuv (if you're interested, the hebrew version of this wiki article is a lot more comprehensive, and google translate should do a good enough job on it)

Expulsions and exoduses of Jews

Jewish exodus from the Muslim world

Mizrahi Jews in Israel

Ethiopian Jews in Israel

Arab citizens of Israel

The Hamas Networks in America: A Short History

fuck bibi, fuck ben gvir, fuck smotrich, fuck levin, fuck their coalition of religious nutjobs and rightwing extremists, fuck the west bank settlers, fuck jewish terrorism, fuck jewish supremacy.

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

Thank you for the response. It really shows how much white privilege shields you guys away from everything and I shouldnt expect much from you guys. That was hardly half of the statements Black people have been making about this dude's antiblackness and you still cover it up with "it's not that bad though". Anyways do your research cuz unless you are willing to pay us we are exhausted repeating ourselves to a crowd that refuses to listen to us all these years we have pointed out this show and the creators' racism and zionism. "It's a new thing people are throwing out" no we have literally pointed this out for years.

Hi Anon! Thanks for responding again! I was trying to make my point in my last post that that is exactly what I worry we are dealing with, white privilege. I understand my white privilege is shielding me, I admitted that and tried to show you that was something that quite a lot of people deal with. My point however is we would in fact like to step out of that, and you're right, it's not the job of people of color to come out and explain racial strains to us, that's why I read a lot of books by black artists and writers about racism to try an understand that perspective. While I agree you shouldn't have to teach us about racism, I do think it's helpful for your narrative if you have places where you've already explained your point in the past that show real facts about the specific people you're referencing. The problem with the internet, as mentioned before, is there's too much to parse through. I could read for hours and probably not find what you're talking about. (It doesn't help that algorithms make that worse, you're most likely to see more things on your browser regarding the search terms you've used -- which is why I try to use incognito window, and not turn on shared apps).

I've tried looking into the idea that "Taika is a Zionist" thing multiple times, and aside from literally people just yelling "he's a zionist" I have not found anything aside from the original letter from October. That's why I asked for a good source where people have explained it before because unfortunately there's no wikipedia for this sort of thing.

I don't mean to sound defensive either, although I know I am coming off that way (I have ADHD and an uncomfortable need to be understood). I would also like to say, at no point did I say or mean "it's not that bad though". It's that bad to you, and I get that and that's 100% valid. What I very specifically tried to explain was why me, as someone who has had to accept that they've been ignorant, sees it differently. I have empathy for people who came from a place of ignorance and are actively trying to do things to better themselves. We are human after all.

That doesn't diminish or degrade the very real pain you feel, it just means I'm more likely to give people the benefit of the doubt and need corroborated evidence because I am a flawed person and I've been humbled by how much I don't know. This is why I wanted to find out exactly where some of this information was. I appreciate that you don't have the spoons and that you don't want to go through the effort again to find it. It's not your job, for sure, and every anti-racist feedback I've read makes that a huge point, and I agree, that's why I did try to go first to the internet. I'm happy to make a another attempt.

If I may point out a point out something though, we see you taking the very real time and emotional energy to write an anonymous message about how we aren't paying attention, but when someone legitimately tries understand, you're dismissing them which sends a mixed message as well. Just something to think about. It's a tough place to be in because I'm sure you're so exhausted of having to explain something that means so much to you and here we are wanting to understand but you've already given so much that you can't do it anymore. But then for people who can't find the information it's also frustrating because we want to help and do the research but there's an ocean of info to parse through and it's not as easy as just "looking it up". I hope we can find a good place in the middle to support each other, and if not, if all you need is a place to vent, feel free, I'm happy to listen, just let me know that's what you need and you can blow up my DMs.

Again, sending love your way anon. Take care.

[theexodvs]

The Handy-Dandy Exo Intro and FAQ!

27. Married. PCA deacon. My pronouns are uses/bathroom/standing. I am the intersection of BLM Tumblr, Christblr, and the part of Tumblr that criticizes MRAs.

Limited atonement and human sexual dimorphism are beautiful wonderful things.

Scrupulosity, touch starvation, and adolescence are figments of the psychoanalytical imagination.

I block all porn accounts I come across and unabashedly kink-shame.

My anons have anger issues.

When and why did you reject the men’s rights movement? The explanation can be found here.

Suicide-baiting is bad, m'kay? Yes, I know that now. I have apologized for the post you’re talking about, and have removed it.

Do you really think autistic people are perpetual children or think Autism Speaks is a reputable organization? Not anymore, and I haven’t in some time. I have redacted these statements publicly. However, most of my disagreements with other statements made by Temple Grandin and John Elder Robison still stand.

Are you a feminist? Depends largely on the definition. I don’t go about self-identifying as a feminist, but the fact I recognize women are vulnerable, even in rich, western countries, causes other people to see me as one. I stopped caring what people called me a while ago.

Doesn’t your refusal to call yourself a feminist make you as bad as Mpov or SirYouAreBeingMocked refusing to call themselves MRAs? It doesn’t make them “bad,” it makes them look ridiculous. The MRM is a much newer, smaller, and ideologically homogenous movement than feminism, and thus there are still major, definitive tenets it adheres to, all of which Mpov and SirYouAreBeingMocked agree with. The tenets of feminism vary widely by school of thought. I’m not even sure any feminist school of thought would want me in their ranks, while MRAs of all stripes will reblog posts from Mpov and SirYouAreBeingMocked like they’re God-breathed. They should just admit that they’re MRAs, and get on with their lives. It’s not like non-MRAs believe them when they deny being in the movement, anyway.

Why do you police other men’s masculinity? They have a very twisted view of what it means to be a man. They think that leaving scathing reposts towards angry lesbians with stupid haircuts is a good use of their time.

What’s with you and criticizing Israel/Zionism? I find myself under a religious umbrella term that includes those people who consider even the slightest questioning of modern Israel’s place in Biblical prophecy to be an unforgivable sin. Thanks, Jerry Falwell Sr!

Do you believe in replacement theology/supersessionism? These terms are meaningless neologisms invented by Christian apocalypticists in recent centuries to describe anyone who holds a different viewpoint regarding Biblical covenants. The only thing either of these terms has ever meant is “not dispensationalism.”

Which version of the Bible do you generally read? In English, I tend to use the NASB or ESV, depending on the context, as they are both devoted to accuracy in translation. Since I was able to find a bilingual Chinese-English Bible with ESV, that’s the one I use in print, while the NASB is what I use on my phone. For Chinese, I use either the CUV or RCUV (the latter I use in print).

What is your political philosophy? I'm a theonomist.

Are you an advocate for purity culture? The main issue I have with purity culture as it is currently practiced in American evangelicalism is that it expects more from women than from men. If we shamed men who slept around (regardless of their political affiliation) and stigmatized men in revealing clothing, I believe that purity culture can be viable.

Why do you generally refuse to engage SirYouAreBeingMocked? He is not actually interested in truth. He is interested in having a debate.

Why is a doctrine that teaches there are some people who are hellbound a beautiful, wonderful thing? Because the important part of Malachi 1:2-3 is not, “Esau I have hated,” but, “I have loved Jacob.”

I’ve found your account on a different website/know your actual name! And?

[multiplicity-positivity]

Hii hope you&'re having a good day/night! Here's the thing uhm, one of our sysmates really likes Judaism and wants to convert; however the body isn't Jewish and conversions are finicky in our country, not to mention not free and we're disabled and unemployed... It's only them; not all of us. We were wondering if any Jewish system can help us on what to do responding on this post as we're unsure on going off anon out of fear of judgement.; while we do support them, it's a process of their own; not a collective one.

hi! we’re actually in the process of converting to judaism! it’s definitely a long road for us (we’ve been walking this path for 4 years now!) but it’s absolutely enriched our lives and helped us find purpose.

we’re not jewish (yet!) but we will say that you don’t have to be jewish to learn about judsism! you don’t have to speak to a rabbi or attend a synagogue in order to begin the learning process.

we’ll open this up to any of our jewish followers! but we’re adding a potential reading list and a personal note under a cut :)

🐢 kip and 💫 parker

here are some excellent books we’ve added to our jewish library which have been insightful for us!

1) the tanach!! you don’t have to be jewish to read the tanach - we bought ours at a used bookstore for $14 usd :)

2 & 3) choosing a jewish life and living a jewish life, both by anita diamont

4) essential judaism by george robinson (an essential read - it’s a big text but it’s easy to digest!!)

5) jewish literacy by rabbi joseph telushkin (also a big text, but chock-full of info)

6) to life! a celebration of jewish being and thinking by rabbi harold kushner

also we’re a system who’s really into podcasts - here’s some jewish pods we listen to!

1) unorthodox

2) queer yid podcast

3) rabbi shais taub’s soulwords

4) take one - daf yomi

5) unsettled podcast

and here’s a note, from one convert-in-progress to, potentially, another:

one thing we wish we knew more about when we started learning about judaism is palestine, its people’s struggle for freedom, and the occupation of its land by israel. this is an incredibly difficult topic, and one that many jews we’ve spoken to are incredibly willing to ignore. information and news surrounding the israeli occupation of palestine and the ethnic cleansing of the palestinian people is rife with propaganda and disinformation. even our own rabbi for our intro to judaism class would not field questions regarding palestine, and refused to acknowledge the displacement and suffering of the palestinian people in our class.

please, please educate yourself and learn from all sides, if you can. israeli sources regarding the state’s formation are vague, secretive, and delicately worded. the truth is, over 700,000 people were displaced by zionists in the nakba of 1948, and even today 5.6 million palestinians are refugees. we’re including some links to sources where you can learn more. it’s worth noting that the unsettled podcast is an anti-occupation podcast put together by jews fighting for palestinian liberation! there are anti-occupation jews out there, but they can be hard to come by, especially in public spaces.

(^ this is the first in a documentary series. if you can stomach it, we suggest watching the whole series!)

[sage-lights]

Hey, first off I want to say thank you for creating a space where we can have a respectful but honest discussion about everything that’s been going on with smosh. I just want to put something put there regarding Olivia. I’m not excusing her in any way, but I find it interesting how people bash her for things that other smosh members have done without receiving the same amount of criticism.

A lot of people are calling Olivia ableist, and she may well be, we don’t have anything to go off of apart from the handicapped spot l, but declaring that based only on the parking spot thing from who memed it seems unfair. First of all, while not an excuse, Olivia seemed to be trying to play up the clueless persona she has established and in doing so dug herself deeper into a hole the more she spoke. I actually saw the clip before they edited it out, and it seemed that she tried to make a joke, albeit an unfunny and insensitive one, but that does not necessarily make her ableist. Smosh’s pathetic attempt to cover it up by editing out the clip and deleting comments speaks more to how the company tends to sweep things under the rug. Also, it was mentioned in a funeral roast that Courtney has also parked in the handicapped spot in the smosh parking lot, which relatively few people have called them out on compared to Olivia.

I love Tommy, but in one TNTL he made a quadriplegic joke that he acted out that involved stiff limbs and head head lolling to the side, which no one had a problem with. Maybe it’s not the same, but it stood out to me. There is also the infamous OCD reddit stories, and while there was justifiable backlash, Shayne, Chanse, and Kimmy didn’t have people calling them out specifically as being ableist after the initial backlash and the fandom as a whole seems to have forgiven and forgotten.

Moving away from ableism, other cast members have said questionable things, such as Keith defending michael jackson on an old SmoshCast episode. I feel like if we call Olivia out on her bullshit (as we should) we should extend the same standards to the rest of smosh.

Regarding zionism (Free Palestine, always) Olivia is not the only person from smosh to say something in support of Israel on October 7. It’s not an excuse, but many of them may not have known the full story. American media on that day basically reported it as “terrorists attacked innocent people” and while that is a load of bs, without context, I can see how people might believe it. Again, I am not defending Olivia or any other smosh member who has stayed silent since then, I am only pointing out that people tend to jump to conclusions when it comes to Olivia while letting her cast mates off the hook for similar things. N*ah of course is a different situation I don’t want to get into here, this os long enough.

Again, I am not justifying Olivia’s actions and I am not saying we should not hold her accountable. I just wanted to point out the discrepancies between holding different smosh members accountable.

Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to hear your thoughts. Thank you!

hi anon! thank you for sending this! yeah, i don’t think i called olivia ableist in my post, and i apologize if i did. what she said did cause quite the stir but i completely forgot that part about courtney in the funeral roast too. after these past couple days, i have overall mixed feelings about olivia and i don’t think i’m going to avoid her in videos but you’re right, a lot of the cast has made some mistakes and said/done questionable things. i try to believe the best in people because again, we don’t know them irl but it’s the company/brand of smosh that i begin to get a little cynical about because businesses can be so okay with being gray most the time (if that makes sense).

and yeah, i agree with what you said about keith too. i’m not a fan of how he chooses to ignore all the bad that michael jackson has done so that he can keep idolizing him. but also, i’ve just never really been that big of a fan or keith (or noah) from the beginning.

again, really appreciate you leaving this long ask! the reason why i make posts about smosh and palestine (plus other discourse) is because it’s such tricky territory to navigate as fans. thank you to you (and everyone else) for sharing your thoughts and extra info!

[waitingforeddyneddy]

That anon shouldn't have mentioned Simone. I think that they wanted to say that in the industry you will always interact with problematic people. Matt put up a story, something he probably didn't see. If he were a famous Zionist like Gal Gadot or that Noah, there are no excuses. I don't justify it. I don't approve of everything my favs do, but it may be an explanation. Regarding the photos from Israel, there is no way to know for sure if they were sponsored. I've heard different versions so I don't know. A long-time fan received an anon on tumblr about the trip a few months ago. It is not a topic that has been touched upon much, but something has been said. Florence supported Israel at first but has since supported Palestine. I think that famous people, like other people, can learn or maybe they just do pr, it is impossible to know. The same thing happens with Jonny. He has either changed his mind (he has never said anything about that subject) or he didn't want to be cancelled. You have your opinion but it is normal for fans to think well of their favorite. Whether they infantilize it or not, some do but others don't. On the other hand, many fans are pirating the series (as they should). I understand that they should not interact with videos and so on, but it is more difficult and I personally do not judge them, especially in the case of people who are very supportive of the cause. I also want to say, although it may sound strange, that Simone and Jonny use Instagram in a similar way. I remember months ago a Polin fan criticizing them for not saying anything about the issue of abortion in the USA.

I still think a trip to Israel with consequent photodumping on instagram is completely gross and something that should not be easily forgiven. I would stop stanning a celebrity over this. If I was one of his fans I would keep silent in shame but no, they come in my inbox crying about how we was probably uneducated. I don’t honestly think he changed his mind, I think he didn’t want to get cancelled and that’s it.

Given how open Matt Bomer was with his support of Israel and given how we all know Fellow Traveller is a product of Zionism I don’t think this show should have gotten half the attention it is getting. Along with many other productions. Sorry but there is no excuse

[destinyc1020]

Honestly its impossible with the entertainment industry and how supportive and connected they are to zionism and funding things like the IDF you would have to boycott almost every movie b/c most of these movie studios are active supporters of zionism. This is too much of an ask for people so look to the bds movement which was created by palestinian organizations they have outlined a more focused boycott of specific organizations that include mcdonalds and starbucks so a boycott can be more realistic.

Also please yall dont be using identity politics in a way to undermine people. I am middle eastern as well but I aint gonna tell people " that they think too much" that is diminishing of people and their thought process and you have no place to judge people who boycott or who dont. In the same way Im not gonna force people to boycott.

I plan on watching the film, but some people seem to use the argument that dune is fantasy therefore its detached from real world events like no. Frank herbert was actually inspired by actual historical events and it was the frame in which he wrote the book ( the algerian war for independence 1954-1962 and the mahdist revolution from 1881-1898) terminology used, the language used throughout the book, the freeman ( based on french ethnographies of indigenous people in north africa) the themes of colonislism,rebellion, jihad, resistance, the danger of the white saviour are all a byproduct of what frank herbert witnessed and read in his time. Like its fantasy but there is grounding for why its imagined the way it is. This is why its been critiqued to hell and back for orientalism and this is why I understand why people are displeased with some aspects of the film especially the erasure of its arabic , islamic themes and jihad ( the struggle) but at the dame time its WB so we all knew it was gonna happen.

Im not saying dont like dune. I personally love dune but I feel sometimes people talk and speak about it as if its without context or wasnt written inspired by actual real world events.

Thanks Anon for your heartfelt input.

No, I know very well that parts of the book are based on real life society. I read about the complaints when the first film came out years ago. And even when you watch the first movie, you can tell that the film is saying a LOT about society as a whole.

What I meant, was that these are not real historical people, it's not a historical book or film, and these characters are not real. There are plenty of films that are fiction, but are based on REAL LIFE events or societal issues.

Just wanted to clear up what my former post meant.

Anyway, like I keep saying, ppl are FREE to do whatever they want to do with regards to "Dune". 🤷🏾‍♀️

Like you said, you'd have to practically boycott ALL of Hollywood at this point if you don't want to be offended by SOMETHING.

I'm going to end discourse on this.

[yovelknell]

Since you converted to Judaism, how did you reconcile your beliefs on Zionism and the new community you are now part of.

As someone who is strongly pro palestinian liberation and interested in converting but hasn’t made that first step, I’m quite fearful of being ostracized or being told not to bother by a Rabbi. I support that Israel has a right to exist (so still Zionism??) but not in the form of a brutal genocidal occupation that has stripped Palestinians of their dignity.

How was your experience with this during your conversion process? Thankss

Hello, Anon — Wonderful question!

I understand your fears when it comes to conversion and Zionism. I believe my politics lean even further left than yours here as I don’t think the State of Israel has a right to exist and neither does any other apartheid, settler-colonial state. This definitely includes the United States of America. So hopefully my experience can reassure you a bit.

I will start with your first question: How did I reconcile my political beliefs about Zionism with my religious community?

I will admit, the past two months have been quite painful for me. While my Rabbi herself is against the Israeli occupation of Palestine (more on her later), many in my congregation are more pro-Israel. And it has ramped up considerably in the face of the Hamas attack and subsequent Israeli mass-bombings. There has been pressure from some congregants to start saying the prayer for the State of Israel every Shabbat morning service. We pray for the return of Israeli hostages but not the Palestinians kept hostage in Israeli prisons. We pray for healing of Israelis but not for the Palestinians in even more danger.

This has been difficult to cope with. It is one of the first times in my conversion journey where I felt so at odds with the community I’ve come to love. I’ve started adding Gazans to our community Mi Sheberach, and I can feel the tension in the room every time I do so. But, I’ve talked with my Rabbi. She has been trying to push the needle on Israel for a long time. Compared to the rabbinic norm around Israel, her sermons and comments on the bima are radical. She calls for the return of hostages, she speaks of human dignity and safety, and she calls for peace and the cessation of war. That she does not outright condemn Hamas and call for the war to continue is radical, in context. It definitely helps to know that I have the support of the Rabbi in my politics and that she is unhappy with the current state of the Jewish community.

Now your second question: How was my experience in conversion regarding Zionism?

It was a minor issue at first but it felt bigger and bigger as I got closer to my Beit Din. I converted in late August this year and I was concerned even then, when Zionism in US America felt far away.

We discussed Zionism in my conversion class. My rabbi emphasized that there are many kinds of Zionists and Anti-Zionists: fascist Zionists, liberal Zionists, antisemitic Anti-Zionists, and liberal Anti-Zionists. There was no pressure from her to support the Israeli State or to not. This reassured me greatly.

When my Beit Din came, I was scared. I didn’t know these rabbis or their opinions regarding Israel. While I wanted to stick to my political values, I ended up downplaying them. I focused on the pressure to agree with everything Israel does — one of the visiting rabbis denied such pressures exist. I felt we were too far from each other to even talk about it. And I had the weight of my conversion hanging over me: if I was not deemed suitable by these two rabbis I did not know, I could not finish my conversion. I could not be Jewish, I could not be counted in the minyan, and I could not help with services.

I think the key here is to put out your feelers when meeting with a rabbi. It will depend on where you live and how liberal your community is. I live in the US midwest — a politically conservative region — and was able to find a supportive rabbi. I do have to commute 30 minutes (round trip: 1 hour total) each time I want to visit my synagogue, but it is worth it.

You should be able to get a sense of your prospective rabbi. If you feel comfortable, you can bring up the topic directly. But, you can discuss about other political issues like trans rights and social justice to see where the rabbi falls politically.

I’ve also heard of some converts lying about their political opinions in order to get through their conversion process and Beit Din. I don’t love the idea, but I understand the state of American Judaism. If you have to lie, do not feel ashamed. This is more an indictment on your prospective rabbi if they do not make you feel safe to express your true feelings and opinions.

Please feel free to reach out again, through the ask box or my DMs, if you have other questions or just want to chat!

[hockeychatstea]

https://www.tumblr.com/hockeychatstea/749791399079280640/i-absolutely-do-not-think-harmful-philosophies

Now I mean no offense to you anon, but have you actually read through this blog? There have been plenty of discussions regarding hockey players and their controversial views. Even talks about hockey culture and how toxic it is. The only reason wags get discussed more often than not is because they’re more likely to show support for their views on very public platforms. Most hockey players keep it pretty dl.

Also, there is a very distinct difference between antisemitism and calling out those who support Zionism. There hasn’t been any ask on here that comes across antisemitic, and the only one that did was deleted and given a formal apology by hockeychatstea. Now if you’re saying the way we’re discussing the Hughes brothers is antisemitic, we’re just saying that they’ve made it clear they’re culturally Jewish and didn’t really participate in all the activities most Jewish kids do. There’s nothing wrong with that. They also have a father whose family is Catholic. I’m sure they also participated in holidays and events for that as well. We’re just saying it weird that people solely focus on them being Jewish when they also have a whole other side to them. Everything that’s being said here about Sammy is just questioning her character as a person. There’s been no aspect that’s brought up her religion in a negative light. Just want to make that clear, so you can understand there is a clear difference.

.

[alvie-pines]

hey, i just wanna preface this by saying im not sending this in bad faith. like im not trying to be disingenuous at all and im not attempting to be a shit starter. but i feel like its worth checking deeper if heritageposts is actually antisemitic. because idk if its entirely useful to take an anons word for it, or trust that they were blocked for no reason other than simply being jewish. same with believing heritageposts is antisemitic based off secondhand (im assuming? sorry if thats incorrect) accounts of people just sort claiming they are. its just that zionist are throwing that word around with little regard with the whole ‘if you support palestinine/palestinians or are critical of any aspect of Israels existence or even certain actions from it etc etc etc you are antisemitic and support the suffering of jewish ppl’. (and ofc there are people who are being antisemitic on here, antisemitism is *pervasive* online. it is legitimately fucking bad and needs to be called out in people and spoken about. but im specifically talking about the whole deciding all anti-zionist are across the board antisemitic thing).

imo heritageposts has been doing some decent work so far in using their popular gimmick blog of tumblr heritage posts to help people keep themselves informed and reblogging a lot of resource posts and info on there (making some also). i mean if im totally mistaken here and they are actually antisemitic, like if they did block a jewish person for just being a jew, or anything else, thats genuinely my bad and i apologize. that said tho i cant actually find anything on that other than like, hearsay passed around by the gaggle of tumblr zionist or people who just genuinely dont know better but whos knee jerk reaction is to believe it because they dont want to support an antisemite. the latter of which i understand, like no one wants to unknowingly support or reblog from someone who is using this conflict as leverage to be antisemitic without really getting called out on it.

(i will just say because ive seen this called into question with heritageposts and many other blgos, that i truly dont think wishing death on idf soldiers is antisemitic. if someone wishes death on them for being jewish? absolutely, yes, that is 100% antisemitic. but people knowing and seeing what the idf is doing and has been doing and will continue to do if allowed to (which they probably will), coupled with watching these guys joke and tiktok dance over the death and destruction they’ve caused, i feel like its a very human reaction to respond with hoping they die/cheer for their deaths, particularly when idf soldiers already do that indiscriminately to palestinians. to me its such a big jump when people see others horrified and furious and overcome with grief at things the idf does and respond to it in a highly emotional way, and then equate that to them wanting idf soldiers dead because theyre jewish.)

like if that anon was blocked (it seems weird tho to message an anti-zionist pro-palestine blog and ask if its ok to follow simply because youre jewish? even though you agree 100% with them? when its made pretty clear on blogs like those that zionism ≠ judaism and its blatantly antisemitic to confer all jewish people to zionism) im really getting the feeling theyre possibly omitting something else they mightve said, or they were just being deliberately obtuse and aggro with how they said it. like something that genuinely warrants a block, but because theyre on anon they have plausible deniability and can just say literally whatever happened. i know saying this prob seems kinda silly coming from me, person currently sending an ask on anon. so if you ignore this ask for that reason i’ll understand lol

anyway my POINT that i literally couldve wrapped up in a single short paragraph is: i think its really important to know for sure if a big pro-palestinine/anti-zionism blog is antisemitic, or if they just have a very big target on their back for zionists who want them smeared as one because they legitimately believe they are one. because to them anything anti-zionist (and by proxy pro-palestine) is antisemitic.

im so sorry for this long ass ask, i know im a longwinded over-explainer. i dont have an excuse for accosting you with this wall of text other than i was cursed by a witch at birth to be this way.

im leaving behind this thing with heritageposts. i didnt know/follow them before that post, and i dont now. after speaking to MANY people on the topic, its become clear to me that i dont know enough about heritageposts to say anything more. ive asked for sources on any claims made to me that can reasonably be expected to leave evidence, and gotten none, so unfortunately i cant look into it further, at least not without doing some detective work that frankly, i am not equipped to do, especially not right now.

i understand and agree with your points. i would also like to know for certain if heritageposts is antisemitic, because while they seem like a valuable source for news, like i said in my original post i dont want my news filtered through an antisemite. but i just dont think i can determine that. apparently there is a lot of controversy on this particular topic and there have been accusations of antisemitism going back to before oct 7th. thats just too broad and complex of a subject for me, someone who doesnt even follow them, to make a sound judgement on.

i am leaving this situation pretty much the same as i was when i entered it: not following heritageposts. end of story. sorry i couldnt say or do more.

[katabasiss]

Hey you reblogged a post supporting BDS but I've heard they're incredibly antisemitic is that not true?

hello! first, the post in question for anyone interested is this [one] by @eyelidsep. Secondly, sorry for the late response anon, I was researching BDS. I don't know much about the movement, or in fact much about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and I'm not in a position to say whether or not a movement is antisemitic or not because I am not Jewish and so cannot dictate that. I urge you as such to go and listen to Jewish voices on the matter. In the original post, op cites a link to [this] article posted on 'Jewish Voice for Peace', which is an organisation run by a number of Jewish activists, and that article in particular focuses on Zionism and Israel. It is a brilliant starting point, especially concerning this issue of BDS and antisemitism, so I'd recommend you read that and other accounts from Jewish voices on whether something such as BDS is antisemitic or not. Now going forward, it’s not an excuse, but I am only 19, I do not and never have studied politics, and I am neither Palestinian, Israeli, Arab, or Jewish. If I am ignorant then please just tell me, and I will do my best to correct myself and my knowledge.

As a summary for those unaware, BDS (according to their own website which you can find [here]) stands for 'The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions Movement' regarding Israel's governmental oppression of Palestinians, with the intent to mirror the anti-apartheid movement in order to challenge Israeli apartheid and settler-colonialism.

According to the New York Times - which I think based off a simple google search is a Right-Wing Newspaper ?? and so should be noted as bias - (in [this] article in particular written in 2019), "many Israelis say the movement's real goal is the elimination of Israel as a Jewish state" and that the BDS movement is largely criticised because it fails the "three-Ds test" - "Does its criticism delegitimise Israel, apply a double standard or demonize it?". It's then noted that critics argue that BDS does all three, and that it "single[s]" out Israel in the treatment of its Arab citizens "when minorities in some other countries suffer far more". This in turn, is rebuked by BDS leaders arguing that "Palestinians fighting for their own rights should not be expected to give equivalent attention to abused minorities elsewhere". BDS claims to be anti-Zionist but not antisemitic, however, as noted in the article, the BDS do allow for several groups who are "designated by the United States as terrorist organisations" to "fall under its umbrella" and it is also noted that BDS doesn't actually propose a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

I don’t know anything honestly about the New York Times, but as a British person speaking from what I've seen in dominating UK media, I know the right-wing Conservative party are notably vocal against BDS, which I have to admit gives me pause, considering their continuous history of racism and antisemitism themselves. Johnson himself claims to be a "proud Zionist" - of which you can see is backed up via his 2017 statement on the centenary of the Balfour declaration [here], in which he essentially appears to be arguing for partition. The UK Government has also never formally recognised the state of Palestine - something which it has received praise for from both the US and Israeli Government. It is possible that BDS contains antisemitic groups that are affiliated with it, however from what I’ve read, it largely seems more anti-Zionist than antisemitic as a movement. It is important to note that anti-Zionism and antisemitism are not the same thing: something that I know UK politics at the very least, struggles to recognise. As numerous articles and academics state, it is possible to stand with Palestine and criticise the Israeli Government for the actions done against Palestinians in the name of nationalism without being antisemitic. Whether BDS has moved beyond that, and verged into actually being antisemitic, I honestly have to admit just isn’t something that I know and can pinpoint. I’ve read through a few responses to ops post that argue that the movement perpetuates antisemitism, seemingly on US University Campuses in particular. But likewise, I’ve read articles and responses arguing the opposite.

(Regarding the UK, for fellow Brits and others looking to do further research on the UK’s role and responses:

This is the official uk.gov petition calling for the Government to recognise Palestine

This contains a series of speeches, declarations, and articles from the UK Government regarding the conflict, and largely appears to be calling for a Two-State Nation

This is various written verbatim reports from both the House of Commons and House of Lords about the topic )

For more on the topic, because all I can do is urge you to do your own research and listen to both Jewish and Palestinian voices on this matter (again, of which I am neither), here are some further links which hopefully will guide you to that:

This is a carrd looking at Palestine and its history, and also contains information about BDS and where to go for further research

This is a website detailing information on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, in which it talks about numerous topics such as why the US and Israel are so friendly, and likewise provides places to go for further information to understand both Israeli and Palestinian arguments

This is an Aljazeera article which looks at Johnson and the Conservative 'anti-BDS' law, and provides links on further Aljazeera articles looking at BDS. I don't know about how Aljazeera is received in other countries, but in the UK, it can usually be noted as the most centric form of media we have, although it should be noted that it does have a left-leaning bias (but when compared to papers such as the Guardian or Daily Mail which are both very left and right wing respectively, Aljazeera is notably 'centric')

This is a Guardian article looking at the Balfour Declaration (mentioned above) and the UK Governments role in the conflict (as just said in the point above, the Guardian is a left wing British newspaper and so was written with a bias, but provides a very succinct summary with a multitude of embedded links about the topic)

And to finish with, this is a very good twitter thread providing resources, information and petitions/donation links for Palestine

To conclude anon, I have spent the last few hours researching this topic, I have found more arguing in favour of BDS not being an inherently antisemitic movement in itself. However, this is a very complicated issue, I’m not going to know the ins and outs of it. If it is antisemitic then please feel free to forward research and articles to me about it as i have done to you in kind. However ultimately, to reiterate, you are asking the wrong person. I’m not Jewish. I cannot simply state whether the movement is antisemitic or not. I can neither confirm nor deny based off simple research. There are many antisemitic dogwhistles that I am simply unaware of because I am not Jewish, and for all I know there may be said dogwhistles present in the BDS movement and website that I am ignorant of. That being said, I hope the above helps you conduct further research on your own.

[thatveganwhiterose]

Hi! So I'm not Jewish but I have a question. Sorry if this is weird or random but when Gal Gadot was first cast I saw a lot of stuff about how its anti Semitic to cast her or she is anti. So I haven't gone to see it. A lot of people (including one Jewish blog which is why I'm asking) are posting about how good it is and how it's good for women but yeah I wouldn't want to participate in anti Semitism what do you think about her/the movie? Second opinions are good. Thank you. Have a super day.♡

Ps. I would have asked that blog specifically but they don’t have anon on and I only like to be on anon (anxiety). Thank you!

It’s not weird or random at all! 

I haven’t seen anything about anyone not seeing it because she is Jewish, or because it’s anti-Semitic. (Maybe I’ve missed that shit?) What I’ve personally seen is people not seeing it because she is an Israeli citizen, and it is mandatory for all Israeli-born citizens to join the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) when they are 18 for two years. (This is what I remember being taught in Hebrew School so forgive me if this is old or out-dated information.)

Lots of people have problems with Israel and what is going on with Palestine in regards to Zionism, so they are not seeing this movie on the basis that Gal Gadot is an Israeli citizen who was part of the IDF and said this quote about it.

“I am sending my love and prayers to my fellow Israeli citizens,” she wrote. “Especially to all the boys and girls who are risking their lives protecting my country against the horrific acts conducted by Hamas, who are hiding like cowards behind women and children…We shall overcome!!! Shabbat Shalom! #weareright #freegazafromhamas #stopterror #coexistance #loveidf”

I personally have no problem with anyone not seeing or supporting this film or actress because of her ties with the IDF, support of it or her being from a country that they consider problematic. The problem is, TONS of people equate Judaism with Zionism, and Zionism with Judaism. Which is GROSSLY anti-Semitic as fuck and ignores what Jews have gone through throughout history and what we continue to go through.

Some links dealing with people not seeing the film.

I saw this movie, and I personally think it’s weird some people want to boycott this film and actress because of where she was from and was she HAD to do via her government. The USA and MANY other countries have been apart of wars killing millions of innocent people over land and other causes; why not boycott all of these based on this? Again, this is not to belittle or make fun of or shame anyone who boycotts this film for these reasons. 

It’s also really nice to see a Jewish woman play the role of one of the most iconic female super heroes ever. 

It’s up to you if you want to support the film or not. I recommend doing your research on Israel, Palestine, the IDF and the actress/film/production company if you want a really, really informed decision.

It’s up to YOU, not anyone else.

Also I don’t mind if people message me on anon! That’s what it’s there for. 

Though I’m probably going to get some anti-Semitic fuckwad telling me I’m a “blood-thirsty gentile child killer” for “supporting IDF/Israel” and that I’m a “Zionist” because I’m Jewish and am not boycotting this film. (Which is NOT your fault at all! So don’t feel bad please!!) (Also for reference to being a gentile child killer, please check out what blood libels are!)

This tumblr post really sums up my feelings on the issue.This also addresses other famous actors supporting other wars/militaries/military action, which I love.

*Note: lots of the links I put in here are from Wikipedia. I understand that this source and others I may have referenced aren’t super legit/peer reviewed/whatever.

**Edit: No, I do not support what Israel is doing in regards to Palestine, the IDF and Zionism. I also don’t support what my OWN military in the USA is doing. I don’t support war, or kicking people out of their homes or trying to “racially/ethnically purify” any territory ever. But I will NOT tolerate people equating Judaism to Zionism or vice-versa, I will NOT tolerate people using their hatred of Zionism to mask their anti-Semitism and I will NOT be silent about ANY of this shit.

[libraryleopard]

Hi. I’m glad to see you posting information on aiding Palestine and standing up for those being victimized both by outright military assault and mob violence, as well as the evictions. It is important to spread information about this, but the accuracy of it counts too. I don’t want to sound confrontational especially as I know that there is an issue of people crying “antisemitism” at the slightest opposition to Netanyahu’s regime and the invasions and ethnic cleansing, but I do feel I need to say a couple of things with regards to what I assume are well-intentioned reblogs, because there are in fact some sources on there which get off the topic of helping Palestine and protecting those being attacked/displaced/killed and veer into worse territory.

Please be mindful that while some of the reading materials on the list you reblogged are good, the Holocaust section is iffy, and “Victimhood of the Powerful” is outright antisemitic, as well as not being focused on Palestine. It says there is no modern oppression of European Jews and that Holocaust education and “playing victim” is to “benefit the community’s interests” literally in the abstract of the piece. I won’t go into why that’s wrong because it’s not the issue at hand (Palestine) but it’s there.

Also I know that the OP of that post was very opposed to any sort of “both sides” and confident about not trying to be unbiased, and I get it but PLEASE please please be careful especially with terms like zionism (which to a lot of people literally just means “a Jewish state needs to exist”) being used inherently derogatorily. White supremacists use them as dogwhistles all the time and if you see things that should be about the attacks, land theft and displacement veering into blaming “Zionists” for doing things like controlling media/banks/international politics run the other way. And if you start to see accusations about things which are basically blood libel (drinking/stealing the blood or organs of children, eg is one that comes up a lot) don’t pass it around unthinkingly.

I know this isn’t the sort of thing most people do on purpose but it’s very very easy to miss things like this. Accidentally-spread antisemitism detracting from attempts at activism isn’t going to be helpful, though, I’m sure you understand.

Again thank you for sharing information about this issue; it’s absolutely horrifying to see outright war being waged on Gaza and its civilians, at Eid of all times, and it’s a completely cynical move by a corrupt government desperate to hold onto power by sheer force of racist nationalism. The mob violence is also incredibly saddening, as is the prospect of the perpetrators escaping prosecution. Just when you’re reblogging long lists of things please check the links/what’s in them.

Hey anon, thanks for letting me know–I probably should have looked over those links a bit more before saving that post to reference later, so I appreciate you reaching out. Since there are definitely other reading lists I can find out there with better materials regarding the Holocaust, I’m going to delete that specific reblog and answer this ask publicly so anyone else who was thinking of consulting that reading list is aware.