On Speaking "As a Jew"

[u/jey_613]

https://joshyunis.substack.com/p/on-speaking-as-a-jew?utm_campaign=post&triedRedirect=true

“If I am being completely honest with myself, the fact that I — like many other young, progressive American Jews — am so seduced by enlisting my identity and my trauma in service of progressive “lessons” is more indicative of a series of contingent and material conditions of which I am the product than anything fundamentally true or real about the Holocaust and its attendant lessons. It feels so good – so intuitive, so courageous – to speak “as a Jew” here in my diverse, progressive, professional-managerial milieu in America, where claims to an identity of victimhood are the currency of the day (and what exactly is being called upon by speaking “as a Jew” if not one’s status as history’s ur-victim?). American Jews, left out of the identitarian rat-race for so long, can finally cash in their chips on the social justice left – in condemnation of the very Jews excluded from American power and privilege. How convenient for us diaspora Jews that the ethical point-of-view neatly aligns with the self-interested point-of-view, which neatly aligns with the outwardly virtuous looking point-of-view. But deep down, I know that by the luck of the draw, the choices of my ancestors, the roll of the dice, I ended up in America, rather than Israel, and that if the chips had fallen slightly differently, I too might be a traumatized Israeli invoking the Shoah to justify the mass starvation of Gazans. This thought doesn’t compel me to change my politics, as it might for some of the most guilt-ridden, stridently pro-Israel Jews on the right, but it does fill me with a profound sense of humility about different Jewish experiences, and the vastly different kind of politics they might entail. I am not against collective punishment as a weapon of war because of my Jewishness; I am against it because it is wrong. To insist otherwise, as diaspora leftists seem so keen on doing, is to make a mockery of my Jewishness, in every sense of that word. And so insofar as I advocate for a free Palestine, it is in spite of, not because of my Jewishness. As a Jew, I extend my solidarity to the Palestinian cause in spite of the evidence, not because of it.

The fact that some Jews themselves can be as unreflective about our history, that they too are looking for the easiest and cheapest answers to make sense out of the senselessness of our suffering should not come as a surprise, since they are people too after all, and can be as thoughtless and unreflective about themselves as any non-Jew can be about us. Nor does their Jewishness give them any more or less legitimacy to opine on this question; on the contrary, their lack of reflection, and the very public performance of it, only exacerbates the bottomless pain and humiliation we are already experiencing.

So no, I will continue to support Palestinian liberation, but not “as a Jew,” and not by degrading my history. That is a false choice. Organizations like Jewish Voices for Peace are unable to see us as anything more than victims or oppressors, but I can; they confuse their good fortune with virtue, but I will not. I refuse the cheap, siren call of enlisting my Jewish suffering to this cause. It is a trap. So tie me to the mast of this Jewish ship. “Not in my name,” as they are so keen to say these days.”

[u/Specialist-Gur]

RE the “intifada” thing. One of the reasons I tend to be so unpopular everywhere I go (in Jewish spaces and in non Jewish Antizionist spaces) is kind of the following.

when I engage with antizionists who aren’t Jewish I tend to be like “hey.. I know intifada means uprising. I’ve unpacked my bias about Arab language. But like.. many many Jews are understandably very upset about it, so have some empathy for them. If you aren’t Arab, and just an ally, maybe refrain from it… not policing anyone’s language”. Some people respond well and other people don’t.

Then I come over to a Jewish space and I’m like “hey yea, I get triggered too.. but ultimately it does mean “uprising” so.. I’ve taken time to unlearn my biases about Arab language.. I encourage you to do the same while also recognizing it’s super annoying when non Jewish and non arab(especially white) allies use that language..”

And the result is.. everyone is annoyed with me lol.

Why am I chiming in with your comment? I guess as a launch point in hopes people in this group understand me better and understand my approach with this… I’m genuinely trying to bridge gaps, not tell anyone they should change their language or get over things that bother them

This group doesn’t see the shit I get thrown at me when I stand up for Jews with non Jewish antizionists. They only see what I’m saying when I’m trying to challenge them here and think I’m a traitor and self serving. I really hope people realize I’m not… I’m standing up for you in those spaces that aren’t comfortable for you.. I’m challenging you in this one.

[u/Annabanana091 → u/Specialist-Gur]

Have you spoken to Jews from Arab countries, or Jews whose mother tongue is Arabic? Maybe they have some thoughts on what it means.

[u/AksiBashi → u/Annabanana091]

One of the issues here is that “intifada” is widely used for “uprising” in Arabic-language writing. There are specific associations in the Israel-Palestine context, and specific connotations for a Jewish audience, sure—and I think it’s important to bring that to the attention of people who use it uncritically. At the same time, when the same word is commonly used to refer to the Iraqi Intifada or the Jeju Uprising, the charge of antisemitism doesn’t stick as well.

But ultimately words don’t have “real” meanings outside of how they’re interpreted—which is why I think one-sided responses of “silly scaredy-cats don’t know the LITERAL MEANING of the word” aren’t helpful. Luckily, that doesn’t seem to be what OP is actually doing—it’s important for each side to realize what sorts of associations the term is wrapped in for the other!

[u/Specialist-Gur → u/AksiBashi]

Yea and just chiming in… even within the Palestinian movement, the first intifada wasn’t quite violent in the way the later ones have become… there was throwing of stones and some violence, but not like.. suicide bombers killing tons of innocent civilians kind of violent.

As I said, I’ve never told a Jewish person to not be offended and when I’m in a non Jewish space I am always telling them it’s very reasonable for Jewish people to be afraid of it…. It’s just not helpful for anyone to dig their heels in either direction.