Leah, I just finished reading this piece and checked email and shit hit the fan.
My newsletter just arrived and we are a mess. Conservative and Liberal elites are circling like sharks, eager for the kill — again. Fuck!
Dozens of liberal Jewish organizations issued statements in support of Black Lives Matter. Jews are protesting, raising money, and sending lawyers to help black lives matter protesters. Up at UCDavis, Kyle Krueger, president of the student government, vetoed a resolution supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel (passed by one of the most conservative student bodies in the nation). Krueger is trying to support both Palestinians and Jews and admits he has no real knowledge of the problems. Over on the far right, Mort Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America, tweeted: “Black Lives Matter “is a Jew hating, White hating, Israel hating, conservative Black hating, violence promoting, dangerous Soros funded extremist group of haters.” WTF?
People might hate what I have to say about this mess, but hate is the order of our day, so go ahead and hate me. Simply put, American billionaires co-opted American Evangelicals and used them as political cover to co-opt Israeli leaders. Netanyahu is a self-righteous, far-right racist — clean down to his bones. He’s also money hungry and lusts after power. Put men like that in power and divide and conquer works every time.
This last year, it took three elections before Israelis could force Netanyahu to step aside. Today he shares the government with a more reasoned man (fuck you Donald Trump!). Now American Evangelicals are in a rage because they lost power too. The road ahead is long and dangerous but go we must. Everyone knows what will happen if we fail to walk up that road.
Heed my warning. Israel today, is what it looks like when people allow their leaders to get co-opted. In colonial-speak it’s called divide and conquer.
Black people, Jews have suffered white supremacy just as long and painfully as you. Do not sacrifice your moment by repeating recent history in Israel. Build an army of leaders, and then stand by them and keep watch over them. If your leaders get co-opted, dump them — no second chances. In the meantime — and this is very surely a mean time — remember Jews are not a monolithic people any more than you are.
