Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search


FauxKing
Idiot.com


Good Morning
Captain
Hello, how
do you do?
Wake up the
Sunshine...
Shout out
to
red dog 1
for
lounge
trivia
fun :)
Check out
all the stickies
on Grovelbot's
Big Board!

Israeli

(4,452 posts)
Fri Aug 22, 2025, 07:40 AM Yesterday

Antisemitism Is Netanyahu's Secret Weapon

Carolina Landsmann
Aug 22, 2025

Antisemitism isn't Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's enemy but his loyal ally, his secret weapon. Haaretz editor-in-chief Aluf Benn is right that "Authoritarian and messianic regimes are not frightened by external pressure – they thrive on it." But, contrary to what he wrote, the accelerated emigration of educated and liberal Israelis in recent years is not a "clear gain" for Netanyahu. That's because Israel is neither Iran nor Russia. A tiny country surrounded by enemies, it does not have the privilege of falling behind. It cannot afford to lose its educated and liberal residents. It must have technological superiority. And it must preserve its special status in the world in order to preserve and expand its alliances.

This is where antisemitism enters the picture. In response to the domino effect of countries recognizing a Palestinian state, Netanyahu sent furious letters this week to French President Emmanuel Macron and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
He accused Albanese of not knowing how to deal with what he said was "a campaign of intimidation, vandalism and violence against Jews" that in Australia "has intensified under your watch." He accused Macron of pouring "fuel on this antisemitic fire." What manipulations, Oh la la.

Netanyahu seeks to identify every protest against Israel with antisemitism. In his letter to Macron, he noted that El Al's offices in Paris were spray-painted with the slogans "El Al genocide airline" and "Free Palestine." This was a political protest aimed directly at the national carrier of a country whose actions in the Gaza Strip are being called genocide around the world. Antisemitism? Only for someone who has made identifying Israel with Judaism the cornerstone of his strategy – Netanyahu.


This identification isn't naive; it's calculated. Contrary to what he says, Netanyahu isn't interested in suppressing the spread of antisemitism, but in fanning it. Yes, you need to read that several times to digest the fact that such things are being said in all seriousness about Israel's prime minister.

Continued @
https://archive.md/6Hgin




5 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Antisemitism Is Netanyahu's Secret Weapon (Original Post) Israeli Yesterday OP
It's not working on a world-wide scale anymore Chasstev365 Yesterday #1
Could not agree with you more Israeli Yesterday #2
"identify every protest against Israel with antisemitism" PSPS Yesterday #3
So Netanyahu JustAnotherGen 23 hrs ago #4
I understand the frustration jfz9580m 13 hrs ago #5

Chasstev365

(6,011 posts)
1. It's not working on a world-wide scale anymore
Fri Aug 22, 2025, 07:52 AM
Yesterday

You can't deliberately kill innocent civilians and then declare anyone who criticizes the current rightwing government of Israel over it's needless bloodshed as "Anti-Semitic."

I believe Netanyahu is the number one reason why Anti-semitism is on the rise around the globe, but he could careless.

Much like in the United States with Trump's rightwing government, I wonder when people are going to say ENOUGH!

PSPS

(14,829 posts)
3. "identify every protest against Israel with antisemitism"
Fri Aug 22, 2025, 09:23 AM
Yesterday

That's the modus operandi used everywhere, even here on DU. AIPAC also trots it out to attack any US politician that doesn't toe the likud line. The US media plays along, of course. And it always seems to work for some reason.

JustAnotherGen

(36,674 posts)
4. So Netanyahu
Fri Aug 22, 2025, 12:08 PM
23 hrs ago

Is solely responsible for the Global Uncovering of antisemitism?

I say uncovering because it's always there just below the surface waiting to show its face.

jfz9580m

(15,777 posts)
5. I understand the frustration
Fri Aug 22, 2025, 09:44 PM
13 hrs ago

But I honestly doubt that it’s well-wishers of the Jewish community who are backing this war at this point.

I am sympathetic to both sides as a neutral outsider. But if this war is devastating Gaza, in the long run it will end up being bad for both communities. War profiteers and actual antisemites and Islamophobes would be the only victors here.

Isn’t Netanyahu facing corruption allegations? I haven’t really followed it, but he strikes me as the classic cynical politician crassly promoting self interest at the cost of both Israel and Palestine.

Really it’s all about money and resources (as most things are) while the passions on both sides are exploited for the personal gain of war profiteers. These people-Trump, Netanyahu, Putin, Xi Ping etc etc are at the end of day all about money or power. True of all politicians where I live as well.

They (industrialists, most leaders, their mouthpieces in the media) are in an alliance against the planet and all of us. When I put my most neutral lens on and look at it I see mercenaries gaming all the rest of us using divide and rule and our passions against us.

That a “they” always has to exist consisting of some specific maligned group of scapegoats (a role classically assigned to Jewish people by fascists) rather than the universal corrupt mercenary human with no conscience is a bonus for the actual they. A group into which the only entry requirement is a lack of any real conscience, principles or decency.

Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Israel/Palestine»Antisemitism Is Netanyahu...