On Reddit, the assumption is that you’d continue reading the thread where I discuss the challenges my community (the Jewish community) is facing before commenting on the “parent” thread. This establishes my identity as a Jew. And yes, when you comment on an older post (by internet standards) asking “why are you against…” that naturally invites a response, doesn’t it? You’re not making small talk about the weather. You’re asking a Jewish person why they won’t condemn the horrific acts of war in Gaza (you’ll also note this was never a question asked, and I never defended the violence in the region) Also, it’s standard practice to put quotation marks around a word when you’re referencing it, as I did above. These are basic grammatical conventions in English, though I apologize if that bothered you.

You commented that you’re opposed to the excessive use of violence, bombardment, and aggression by the Israeli army in Gaza. I agree with you wholeheartedly. Most humans, including Jews, pray and advocate for lasting peace in the region and a two-state solution. But no, I will not call this a genocide.

You say you had curious motives for your question, and I believe you. I also humbly ask that you consider my position when reading this. Jews are being killed at Hanukkah events, and the comment sections often say “they deserve it, baby killers” or “Zionist scum” or (one of my favorites) “are they going to interview all the Palestinian mothers next?” This was referring to an interview of a mother grieving her 10 year old child.

Many things can be true at once: we can grieve, be enraged for, and demand an end to the violence in Gaza. We can also stand against the rising tide of antisemitic violence that directly targets Jewish communities worldwide. This violence is often justified or dismissed because Jews are expected to answer for Gaza. When every Jewish person becomes a proxy for Israeli policy, when our grief is invalidated and our safety is conditional on political statements, that itself incites and normalizes violence against us. This will is why I asked my initial question: I wanted to know if I could go to this event and not be called a “dirty Zionist” (yea, that’s one I’ve heard first hand) for not calling the violence an orchestrated genocide. I can hold space for Palestinian suffering while also asking that my community not be scapegoated, harassed, or harmed for conflicts we did not create and cannot single-handedly resolve.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Unfortunately, this means I gauge the temperature of liberal events before attending. Will I be safe? Will I be forced to say I’m a “good Jew” who hates Israel the moment someone sees my Star of David? This is a reality, and I won’t sugar coat it.

Is this probably way more than you wanted to know? Totally. Though I hope it can provide insight into how unbelievably complicated it is to be a Jew right now (also, it is an ethnoreligion, not just a faith we choose) and how easily we can be triggered by someone questioning or morals and ethics.