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I feel bad for the young people indoctrinated by the new Hitler-Stalin Pact and Maoist political theater that imagines Islamic Jihad to be more ‘liberating’ than even the most progressive Zionism. When will these faux progressives get a calendar? In Hamas’ Gaza or ‘Revolutionary’ Islamic Iran, it’s

her life that would be ‘canceled.’

And I love my Bronx landsman, Ritchie Torres. He knows diversity when he sees it and much more of that exists in Israel than in any nation surrounding it. Much more. BY FAR.

I’ve not met Josh though I once was

a contributing writer for Jewish Currents. I would like to ask a favor, if you could pass it along. For him to relay my warm well wishes to Arielle please.

shalom / salaam

Anna

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Aug 23Liked by Andy Bachman

Andy, I’d like to come on Monday but the Eventbrite website seems to be blocked - is there another way to sign up? Thanks, Iain

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Try again!

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I did. And got a ticket. See you Monday

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Thank you for writing Jessica and I appreciate your criticism. I suppose we can agree that we don’t really know how George might understand this moment, which I admit makes my own use of his example fraught with the potential for misunderstanding. I do agree with you that Begin and his ideological stepchild Netanyahu are examples of Jewish fascism. But then what does that make the current Iranian regime and its own stepchild, Hamas? And here precisely is where I agonize over this hellish war.

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As a student and close friend of George I am saddened to have his words put in the context of “the Gaza war” rather than “plausible genocide” as Aryeh Neier and Kenneth Roth of Human Rights Watch have declared. George would have hated cancel culture and all attacks on free speech, he despised sloppy slogans, but his work was in large part about understanding the Final Solution as you must know. The problem is not with defending Zionism as an idea, but that this identity has now blocked recognition of the crimes against humanity now being committed in its name. We are not meant to use the awareness of historical differences in fascism to deny the real thing when we see it. The current right wing leaders of Israel are a species of fascism. And remember that Arendt and Einstein considered Begin to be a fascist as well.

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You will burn eternally for your support of the murder and rape of tens of thousands of women, men and children, all because you feel entitled to the pillage of colonial conquest. Good job whining about accountability in the most verbose, self-important style imaginable.

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Surely this isn’t the composer W.C. Handy. Your vile hatred blinds and consumes you. Seek help immediately.

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Found my way here… + want to express my full support to you, Andy… for inspiring me over the years with your wise insights + for today, inspiring me to look up who W.C. Handy was.

We are all suffering—Israelis, Jews, Palestinians, and everyone who is human. And I know how deeply you feel that.

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Whose hatred is vile? He who defends the systematic rape, starvation and murder of thousands? Or he who righteously hates those who justify such unspeakable, heinous acts? History will not look kindly upon you.

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