An Oppression That Divides and Confuses
Cherie Brown, International Liberation Reference Person for Jews
Jews are a people that have been on the planet for two thousand years. We belong to all races. We are brilliant, feisty, and sometimes terrified, and lead beyond our numbers in many liberation struggles.
Anti-Semitism is the oldest hatred. In part, Jews are hated for the difficulties we’ve been set up to have.
Anti-Semitism functions to keep all oppressed people confused. Imagine other oppressed people. They are ready to fight their oppressors. Then there’s a diversion: blame the Jews. In the current period that sometimes means blame Israel.
Anti-Semitism is cyclical. It is overt in some periods and not in others. The cycle has recently turned—anti-Semitism is now overt. Those on the “right” are using it to divide progressive movements and organizations (the U.S. Democratic party, the Labor party in England, and others).
What are we discharging on?
- Internalized genocide, the message that there is something so bad about Jews that we shouldn’t exist.
- Our connection to climate change. We were once a tribal people, deeply connected to the land. Then we were not allowed to own land and were kicked out of many countries. Working on climate change is key to reclaiming what we have lost as a people.
- The Israel/Palestine conflict. An important direction is being fully for both the Israeli people and the Palestinian people.
- Taking action to end anti-Semitism.
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA