Whereas the battle 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 battle on Israel from southern Lebanon, attacking with rockets, artillery, drones, antitank missiles and different weapons, forcing Israel to evacuate tens of 1000’s of civilians dwelling close to the border. Hezbollah may provoke full-scale battle at any second. Its objective: The destruction of Israel.
The USA is working intensely to de-escalate the disaster — to this point, with out a lot success.
If full-scale battle begins, the Seattle space will really feel its results — most certainly, via an amazing new wave of antisemitism.
Site 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, nearly half the world’s Jews. The police will clear the blockades — ultimately. As earlier than, nobody will probably be punished.
The encampment on the College of Washington campus will rise once more. Posters will name for killing Jews all over the place, banning Zionists from campus and destroying Israel. Instructing and analysis will probably be disrupted. Jewish college, employees and college students will probably be terrorized by the protesters and by colleagues and fellow college students. Non-Jewish college, employees and college students who help Jews or Israel will face the identical remedy. There will probably be extra vandalism. Nobody will probably be punished.
I taught on the UW for 30 years, and I’m a Jew. I might be horrified on the prospect of educating on a campus the place colleagues and college students (probably some in my very own lessons) need me and my household useless. (Some may say that colleagues and college students don’t actually imply me specifically; but when they don’t imply it, why say it?)
Synagogues, different Jewish establishments, and Jews’ houses will probably be vandalized, as they’ve been earlier than. Some Jewish organizations might really feel they have to enhance the armed safety they have already got, whereas others disguise themselves away in workplace buildings behind double doorways and safety methods. My very own synagogue has been vandalized, and employs armed guards to guard congregants and youngsters in its spiritual college. The Jewish preschool my kids attended a few years in the past has armed safety as properly.
In some Ok-12 faculties, college students will chant “from the river to the ocean ….” The Seattle Training Affiliation will reiterate its help of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions motion, which seeks the destruction of Israel. It is going to do nothing to cease the unfold of antisemitism within the metropolis’s faculties, and lots of Jewish mother and father will conclude that harassment of their little children is the brand new regular.
Public officers who’re believed to help Israel or to oppose antisemitism will see their city corridor conferences with constituents interrupted by hate-filled rants attacking Jews and Israel. The Washington State Democratic Occasion will repeat its current name for prohibiting U.S. weapons shipments to Israel, guaranteeing Israel’s defeat.
Might the intensifying efforts to harass Jews and their non-Jewish allies, threaten Jewish establishments, undermine training and disrupt life in Seattle usually be stopped?
A lot might be if:
Protesters who block site visitors, vandalize public and Jewish establishments, and in any other case break the legislation are arrested and prosecuted.
Leaders of cultural and academic organizations work more durable 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, typically claimed to be merely “anti-Zionist,” are antisemitic requires genocide.
And everybody involved about what is going on may admit that what they’re seeing is antisemitism; that antisemitism have to be fought with motion in addition to phrases; and absolutely soak up the concept Jews ought to have the identical rights, and the identical alternatives to reside their lives with out concern, as everybody else.
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