Fight against hate must not be weaponized

During the past two years, there has been a very strong movement by politicians and governments in the US to confront hate. From the president down to members of Congress, diplomats and state and municipal officials, many people have spoken out against the disturbing rise in displays of hatred.

Unfortunately, however, the campaign to fight hate has been politicized and the legislation and campaigns that aim to address the issue have focused on specific kinds of hate, particularly antisemitism.

Clearly, antisemitism is immoral and a form of hate that needs to be confronted. But would it not be more effective to confront all hate, including Islamophobia and the increasing hate against Arabs?

Much of the push to confront antisemitism has come since the horrific attacks by Hamas militants that took place on Oct. 7, 2023, when some 1,200 Israeli civilians and military personnel were killed. Another 250 were taken hostage.

The attack provoked an unrestricted assault on all Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in one of the largest mass killings of civilians this century. More than 70,000 Palestinians, or about 4 percent of the population, have been killed. Most Palestinian officials believe the actual number of deaths is far higher, potentially as high as 250,000, but Israel has prevented independent media outlets from entering Gaza unless they are embedded with Israeli military units.

Israel’s response to Oct. 7 has also destroyed more than 80 percent of all buildings in Gaza and displaced the vast majority of the population of more than 2 million, in many cases pushing people to starvation and into a healthcare crisis.

The conflict has generated huge activist movements on both sides, which have spread throughout the Middle East, Europe and the US. In America, Israel has always enjoyed a special status granted to it by politicians and governments. This activism has caused an emotional national debate in the US, resulting in many assertions that criticizing Israel’s policies is an act of antisemitism.

Would it not be more effective to confront all hate, including Islamophobia and the increasing hate against Arabs? 

Ray Hanania

The response to the protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza have been far more severe than the response to protests criticizing Palestinian violence. Both have resulted in the hate being dialed up, with rhetoric and attacks targeting Jews, Muslims and Arabs alike.

As a consequence, Congress has introduced 11 different laws to punish anyone who engages in antisemitism. However, rather than focusing on hate against Jews, these also threaten to criminalize criticism of Israel.

Five of the bills target pro-Palestinian students at college campuses who protest Israel’s actions. But none have been introduced to address the protests against Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims by pro-Israel students. Two more have been introduced to control how the conflict is described in American schools.

Another two resolutions have been introduced condemning the rise of antisemitism, with one even labeling anti-Zionism as a form of antisemitism. Two more have been introduced by the federal government to confront antisemitism in government offices or by government officials.

That is a lot of legislation, with much of it becoming a platform to attack those who criticize Israel’s brutality against Palestinians, not just in Gaza but also in the West Bank.

Antisemitism is certainly wrong. The hatred of Jews is immoral, disgusting and offensive. It must be confronted and stopped. But it should be stopped as hatred, not as a weaponized political assault that undermines legitimate criticism of the conduct of Israel’s government.

Exclusively weaponizing the fight against antisemitism turns it into a political fight that undermines its importance.

Ray Hanania

Some protesters do go too far and may in fact engage in antisemitism, such as by denying the Holocaust or suggesting that Jews “control” the media, government and business.

There has been horrific violence against Jews, most recently on Dec. 14, when two men killed 15 people in an attack on a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. The killers were identified as Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed Akram, 24. Both non-Arab and not Palestinian, they are alleged to have ties to Daesh. The father was killed and the son arrested.

A fruit shop owner who witnessed the attack courageously risked his life and confronted Naveed Akram, wresting a weapon away from him and undoubtedly saving lives. The hero was a Syrian Arab Muslim and Australian citizen, Ahmed Al-Ahmed. He was injured by Sajid Akram, who shot him twice.

Still, it did not matter. The tragic massacre of humans was used to counter pro-Palestinian activism and cloud the brutal actions of the government of Israel.

Addressing the evils of all hate, including antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism, would result in a more effective, unified front. Exclusively weaponizing the fight against antisemitism undermines the campaign against all hate and turns it into a political fight that undermines its importance.

Worse, focusing only on one form of hate, as the US Congress and American politicians have done in order to defend the secular Israeli government, only fuels further antisemitism. That harms everyone.

A real fight against hate would join everyone together, including Israelis and Palestinians. That is the voice that is needed today to reverse the trend and protect Jews, Christians and Muslims alike.

• Ray Hanania is an award-winning former Chicago City Hall political reporter and columnist. He can be reached on his personal website at www.Hanania.com. X: @RayHanania