Centering Antisemitism Around the Pro-Palestinian Movement

“Antisemitism from a Framework of Collective Liberation”

Hi all,

Yes, you read the subject line correctly.

A friend recently forwarded me a document, “Antisemitism from a Framework of Collective Liberation,” that she received from a parent whose child is in the Bay Area’s Los Lomitas Elementary School District. This same district is home to La Entrada Middle School, the high achieving school in wealthy Menlo Park that was featured in my latest documentary, Killing America.

When I read through the document it became clear that antisemitism was being redefined in order to fit into the oppressor-oppressed framework that serves the liberation ideology. For those who don’t know, this ideology reduces Jews to their stereotypical white skin, placing them on the oppressor side along with white supremacists. This raises the obvious question: if Jews are the oppressors under this framework then how can they also be victims here, especially of antisemitism?

When one gets past all the academic jargon the answer is quite clear: they can’t.

The main concern of the authors behind the document was not understanding or preventing antisemitism — it was redefining it to preserve the “moral legitimacy” of the pro-Palestinian movement. In "Killing America” we documented how teacher Chloe Gentile-Montgomery told outright lies in the classroom — the UN declaring Israel illegal, that Hamas attacked soldiers, and that Israel stole land — and now we have educators seeking indoctrinate young minds that are largely Holocaust-illiterate with this ideological revision of antisemitism.

Why is this wealthy district that is supposedly committed to academic excellence allowing in such a biased organization?

You can read the document here in full.

You can also read about PARCEO, the organization behind this document, here.

Below are a few highlights from the document along with some thoughts:

The need for a curriculum on antisemitism within a pedagogic framework of collective liberation resonated as particularly important for this moment as rising white nationalist violence targets many of our communities, including Jews, Muslims, Black people, immigrant communities, trans and queer people, among others. The misuse of antisemitism and charges of antisemitism repeatedly directed at those fighting for justice for the Palestinian people add another layer of urgency to this project.

On one hand, the authors say Jews can be victims of this whiteness. On the other hand, the authors clearly imply that the Palestinian victimization trumps everything, placing the Jews back on the side of whiteness. It seems the only good Jew here is one who agrees with the authors’ definition of antisemitism.

During a workshop with NYC public school teachers this Fall, a few months into Israel’s brutal assault on the Palestinian people of Gaza, we presented our curriculum on antisemitism from a framework of collective liberation. The group of 30 teachers, from kindergarten through high school, were eager for more information, analysis, and teaching tools on antisemitism from this lens. They also welcomed a chance to build community and share experiences and tactics to support each other in a rapidly hostile environment for dialogue and information about justice for Palestine. One of the realities hanging over people’s heads was the relentless accusations of antisemitism, and potential consequences, for trying to engage with their communities about what was happening in Gaza.

Not one mention so far in the document about what happened on October 7.

The Israeli state and its advocates have hurled false accusations of antisemitism at supporters of Palestinian justice since the years following the Nakba–the catastrophe (in Arabic) of 1948 when 750,000 Palestinians were uprooted from their homes and land before and during Israel’s creation.

This is historical revisionism to serve liberation ideology. History is far more complex and nuanced than what the authors present.

These accusations of antisemitism take different forms. They are being promoted through, for example, house resolutions; congressional hearings of university presidents; and ongoing efforts to criminalize and penalize those speaking out in their schools, universities, workplaces, and communities against Israel’s ongoing violence. These tactics are not about fighting antisemitism, but rather are intended to destroy our movements for justice and those who are part of them.

I highlighted the bold — the social justice movement is the victim here. We no longer have a culture of honor in this country. Whoever claims the most victimization has the power. The kids are learning this lesson very well.

I can go on, but will cut it short here. The document does go on to say that the students will be educated in the rich history of the Jews and that Jews come from a diversity of locales. That is all fine, but, ultimately, it is nothing more than lip service. The end goal is redefine and weaken antisemitism to the point that it means nothing.

Lastly, too many people believe the fight today is against antisemitism but it is only the symptom. The true fight is against what causes this symptom: the liberation ideology that seeks to reduce us to our tribal marks and now seeks to redefine antisemitism in order to give “moral” legitimacy to its mass movements. That, in of itself, is antisemitic.

My best,

Eli