StopAntisemitism has listed a children’s entertainer as a candidate for Antisemite of the Year. Yes, seriously.
Not too long ago, a pro-Israeli group called StopAntisemitism put out a list of finalists for an award that they call “Antisemite of the Year”:
I’ll admit, despite the several hours a week I waste browsing 4chan, I’m still woefully out of the loop on antisemitic political commentators. Aside from Tucker Carlson, I’m not too familiar with most of the other names on that list. If their pictures are anything to go by (and I’m about 99% certain StopAntisemitism intentionally chose the worst pictures they could find), Stew Peters looks like a Temu Jocko Willink, Cenk Uygur looks like some kind of third-world dictator, and Bryce Mitchell looks like a random guy from Delco who would approach me outside of a Wawa trying to bum a cigarette.
I went and searched up the names on the list, and most of them are political commentators or people who specialize in activism. But what really confused me was the inclusion of Ms. Rachel.
Ms. Rachel is a YouTuber who makes educational content for babies and toddlers. The channel is basically just Sesame Street style content, it’s harmless. What could this woman possibly have done to land herself on a list of finalists for an award called “Antisemite of the Year”? Directly after Tucker Carlson, no less?
Apparently, the issue is that Ms. Rachel has done things like donate money to rebuild hospitals in Gaza, had a Palestinian amputee on her show, and made social media posts about kids suffering as a result of the war in Gaza.
Are you guys kidding me? So it’s antisemitic to have basic compassion for civilian casualties? It’s antisemitic to be against bombing children? Is this where we’re at now?
While she’s very obviously left-leaning on the political spectrum (as is her right to be, since, y’know, this IS America still, kind of), there’s absolutely nothing offensive about Ms. Rachel or her content that I can see.
But of course, someone will ALWAYS find a reason to get offended about even the most innocuous of things. People on the right have taken umbrage to the inclusion of a non-binary person, Jules Hoffman, who uses “They/Them” pronouns. This is Jules:
I get it, there’s a huge overlap with the people who use pronouns like “They/Them” and people who are mentally ill wackadoos and go out of their way to stand out in an abrasive manner. But Jules looks like a regular person, and I see no reason to get up in arms about them (I’ll even be respectful enough to use their preferred pronouns here even though I think the whole pronoun thing is bullshit). Of course, that doesn’t stop conservatives, who have become just as obnoxious as the snowflakes they always complain about. It’s like both sides of the political spectrum just take turns putting on diapers and being whiny obnoxious crybabies. This person is singing songs for babies, who the fuck cares if they’re non-binary? As long as they’re not disrespecting people what does it really matter if they want people to use “They/Them” instead of “He/Him” or “She/Her”? They’re not hurting anyone, let them be.
Ms. Rachel also had a guy on her show who has condoned the October 7th attacks and has expressed support for groups like Hamas. The guy in question happens to be a Palestinian photojournalist who covers the war in Gaza. Did he post stuff on Twitter in support of terrorism against Israel? From what I’ve seen, yes. After watching how Israel behaves, can I really blame him? No. I don’t support terrorism or the murder of innocent civilians, and I’m not really defending the guy, but I see why he feels the way he does. I’d probably feel a similar way if I lived in Palestine.
He’s not espousing these views on Ms. Rachel’s show though, so while it’s questionable having him on there it’s certainly not antisemitic. He’s still a legitimate photojournalist. People are allowed to have their own thoughts and feelings off-camera.
Things have gotten out of control. The Holocaust wasn’t a license to do whatever the fuck you want on the world stage, and it’s not a goddamn shield to hide behind whenever people call you out on your shit. I don’t support the October 7th attack by Hamas (the entire conflict is bullshit), but Israel’s retaliation has been nothing short of brutal and excessive. If being against bombing hospitals and targeting civilians makes me an antisemite and a Nazi, then hail fucking Hitler. The craziest part is that we allow these maniacs to have nukes. I trust North Korea with nukes more than I do Israel, Kim Jong Un seems more stable than Benjamin Netanyahu. Jewish people are fine, but Israel is a rogue nation and a serious threat to global stability and world peace.
Calling someone an antisemite just because they don’t support Israel’s invasion of Gaza is disgraceful and trivializes actual antisemitism. StopAntisemitism and Israel are using the atrocities of the Holocaust as justification to silence dissent and legitimate criticism of their assault on Palestine. Including someone like Ms. Rachel on a list of candidates for Antisemite of the Year is laughable and makes me not want to take anything you have to say seriously, especially when actual self-professed antisemites like Nick Fuentes aren’t even on the list. Organizations like StopAntisemitism are hurting the image of Jews more than they’re helping with their absurd attempts to label anyone who criticizes Israel as an antisemite.
Hey, maybe this article will land me on next year’s list. If your definition of an antisemite is someone who’s against bombing hospitals and killing children then I’ll gladly accept my nomination, and I’ll do my hardest to win.