Whereas the conflict between Hamas and Israel dominates the information, the rising battle between Israel and Hezbollah is much extra harmful. Since Hamas attacked Israel final Oct. 7, Hezbollah — far bigger and higher armed than Hamas — has been waging a less-publicized conflict on Israel from southern Lebanon, attacking with rockets, artillery, drones, antitank missiles and different weapons, forcing Israel to evacuate tens of hundreds of civilians dwelling close to the border. Hezbollah might provoke full-scale conflict at any second. Its purpose: The destruction of Israel.
The USA is working intensely to de-escalate the disaster — up to now, with out a lot success.
If full-scale conflict begins, the Seattle space will really feel its results — most certainly, via an amazing new wave of antisemitism.
Visitors on native highways will once more be blocked by pro-Palestinian demonstrators calling for the destruction of Israel — “from the river to the ocean”— and the killing of its seven million Jews, virtually half the world’s Jews. The police will clear the blockades — finally. As earlier than, nobody will likely be punished.
The encampment on the College of Washington campus will rise once more. Posters will name for killing Jews in all places, banning Zionists from campus and destroying Israel. Instructing and analysis will likely be disrupted. Jewish school, workers and college students will likely be terrorized by the protesters and by colleagues and fellow college students. Non-Jewish school, workers and college students who assist Jews or Israel will face the identical therapy. There will likely be extra vandalism. Nobody will likely be punished.
I taught on the UW for 30 years, and I’m a Jew. I’d be horrified on the prospect of instructing on a campus the place colleagues and college students (presumably some in my very own courses) need me and my household useless. (Some would possibly say that colleagues and college students don’t actually imply me particularly; but when they don’t imply it, why say it?)
Synagogues, different Jewish establishments, and Jews’ properties will likely be vandalized, as they’ve been earlier than. Some Jewish organizations might really feel they need to improve the armed safety they have already got, whereas others cover themselves away in workplace buildings behind double doorways and safety programs. My very own synagogue has been vandalized, and employs armed guards to guard congregants and kids in its non secular college. The Jewish preschool my youngsters attended a few years in the past has armed safety as effectively.
In some Okay-12 colleges, college students will chant “from the river to the ocean ….” The Seattle Training Affiliation will reiterate its support of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, which seeks the destruction of Israel. It’ll do nothing to cease the unfold of antisemitism within the metropolis’s colleges, and lots of Jewish dad and mom will conclude that harassment of their little children is the brand new regular.
Public officials who are believed to support Israel or to oppose antisemitism will see their town hall meetings with constituents interrupted by hate-filled rants attacking Jews and Israel. The Washington State Democratic Celebration will repeat its latest name for prohibiting U.S. weapons shipments to Israel, making certain Israel’s defeat.
May the intensifying efforts to harass Jews and their non-Jewish allies, threaten Jewish establishments, undermine training and disrupt life in Seattle typically be stopped?
A lot might be if:
Protesters who block visitors, vandalize public and Jewish establishments, and in any other case break the regulation are arrested and prosecuted.
Leaders of cultural and academic organizations work tougher to stop the harassment of Jews and their allies and forcefully reject calls for that Jews and Jewish life be excluded from the general public sq..
Elected officers and civic leaders forthrightly acknowledge what everybody is aware of — that requires the destruction of Israel, generally claimed to be merely “anti-Zionist,” are antisemitic requires genocide.
And everybody involved about what is occurring might admit that what they’re seeing is antisemitism; that antisemitism should be fought with motion in addition to phrases; and totally soak up the concept Jews ought to have the identical rights, and the identical alternatives to stay their lives with out concern, as everybody else.
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