Photo courtesy of AP
We as Jewish people inhabit a unique place in the world. Six million of us were brutally murdered in the Holocaust. The generational trauma from that event still haunts us to this day. We know better than anybody what mass extinction does to people, families and cultures. Yet, the nation that proclaims itself the face of our religion is committing parallel atrocities to those enacted upon us nearly a century ago.
Jewish literature surrounding the Holocaust leaves the average reader with one message: this can never happen again. But, for Jewish readers, it felt like because this happened to us, we should make sure it never happens to anyone else. Unfortunately, at this point, Zionism has squashed this message. Judaism does not mean what it should mean. Our symbols should be synonymous with advocating for human rights, but they are obscured by Israel’s actions.
Incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia have skyrocketed since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. The Anti-Defamation League, an international organization dedicated to fighting antisemitism, reported a shocking 361% increase in antisemitic incidents between the Oct. 7, 2023, attack and January of 2024. At the same time, we have seen a 172% increase in Islamophobic incidents during the same period.
It is important that neither group’s pain is minimized or used against the others. Although correlation does not equal causation, it is not hard to see how identity-based incidents between two groups may be linked to the outbreak of a war between states that identify with those groups.
Israel’s identification as a representative of all Jews is apparent. The biggest example of this is Israel’s use of the Star of David. What should be a symbol solely of our religion has been plastered onto a flag flown over war zones, sewn into the uniforms of soldiers and painted onto tanks. The Star of David is meant to be a symbol of Judaism so when that symbol is flown over the decimated Gaza Strip, how can we draw the line between what all Jews stand for and what we do not? How can we expect a victimized Palestinian to do the same?
Truthfully, the most antisemitic thing that ever happened to me was when Israel flew that flag with that symbol over their soldiers while marching into the Gaza Strip.
Beyond their use of the Star of David on their flag, there are three things that closely link Judaism with Israel: the existence of Birthright as a free ten-day vacation to Israel exclusively for those of us with Jewish heritage, the fact that any Jewish person can obtain citizenship simply by “returning” to Israel and the insistence in prayer books published by Israel. So, when a controversial nation like Israel runs with this implication and implies its decision-making comes on behalf of all Jews, some problems arise.
Returning to my point about the Star of David, I would ask you what that symbol may mean when someone you do not know wears it on a chain. It is safe to assume the wearer is Jewish and, though the assumptions should stop there, they often do not. For many Palestinians or Muslims in general, being pro-Israel can appear tantamount to supporting what Amnesty International has called, “damning evidence of war crimes,” against their fellow Muslims.
Let me be clear: this is not meant to blame the victims of any antisemitic acts. Hate such as this in any form is wrong. Jewish people should not have to hide their Judaism for safety and I will never budge on that. But by flying the Star of David over everything they do, Israel implicates all of us in its actions and politicizes a symbol that should stand for everything Israel does not. Identifying myself as Jewish thus becomes a political act because of Israel’s insistence that it represents me and that is not okay. I do not stand with Israel, but how can I blame someone for thinking my religion means I do?
Identifying oneself as Jewish raises the same eyebrows that the above hypothetical stranger wearing the Star of David raises. How much blame can we place on those who raise their eyebrows when a nation halfway across the globe committing atrocities claims to represent all of us? I do not feel the need to hide my Judaism because of antisemitism; I feel the need to hide my Judaism because of Israel.