How to Support Israel Without Being Racist/How to Criticize Israel Without Being Antisemitic

A practical guide to either supporting or opposing Israel in relation to Gaza and Palestinian issues, starting with supporters of Israel:

1. Do go ahead and criticize Hamas.
2. Don’t use racist or Islamophobic stereotypes or tropes.
3. Don’t conflate Arabs, Palestinians, and Muslims as if they were interchangeable terms or groups.
4. Don’t dehumanize Palestinians.
5. Don’t erase their existence, history, or culture.
6. Do engage Palestinians and their allies in conversation on the issues of Israel and of racism, rather than simply shutting them down for disagreeing.
7. Do try to be sensitive to the fact that Palestinians are largely powerless, poverty-stricken, and violently oppressed, and that any “war” or negotiation between Israel and the Palestinians can in no possible way be construed as a meeting of equals.

For for Palestinian supporters:

1. Do go ahead and criticize Israel.
2. Don’t use anti-Semitic stereotypes or tropes.
3. Don’t use overly expansive language that covers Jews as a whole and not just Israel.
4. Don’t use lies to boost your claims.
5. Do engage Jews in conversation on the issues of Israel and of anti-Semitism, rather than simply shutting them down for disagreeing.
6. Do try to be sensitive to the fact that, fair or not, many people take verbal or violent revenge for the actions of Israelis on Diasporan Jews, and Diasporan Jews are understandably frightened and upset by this.

To these lists I would add:

• protest outside Embassies and Consulates, not synagogues or mosques;
• non-violent only.

Any other suggestions?

This Is Not Jewish How to Support Israel Without Being Racist.

This Is Not Jewish (How to Criticize Israel Without Being Anti-Semitic)