Скачать или смотреть When Criticism Becomes a "Verdict": Unpacking the Israel-Palestine Discourse

Lately, I’ve noticed how quickly the word "antisemitic" is deployed in US discourse—often before a sentence is even finished. In this video, I want to unpack the "boundary maintenance" happening in our conversations regarding Israel and Palestine.

I explore why the collapse of categories—fusing a modern political state with a prehistoric ethnic identity—erodes our ability to hold power accountable. I discuss the very real reality of historical Jewish trauma and rising antisemitism, while simultaneously arguing that the Israeli government's military strategies must remain open to critique under international law.

I cover:
• Identity Fusion: Why criticism of a group feels like a threat to the self.
• The Shield of Identity: How states align themselves with the survival of a people to reduce dissent.
• Moral Contamination: Why we’ve stopped arguing policy and started diagnosing character.
• The Ethical Pivot: How to maintain precision in language so that we can protect human rights for both Palestinians and Jews without sacrificing the meaning of "antisemitism."

If we lose the ability to criticize power without being forced into hatred, we lose the structure that makes democratic debate possible. I believe we can hold these truths simultaneously: antisemitism is deadly, and Palestinian civilians deserve dignity and protection.

#HumanRights #IsraelPalestine #Sociology #PoliticalDiscourse #Antisemitism #FreeSpeech #Gaza #InternationalLaw #IdentityPolitics