Antisemitism and a scary shift in power...

The rise in antisemitism-- and its apparent normalization by some far-right figures-- is extremely worrying. Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, has pledged 25 million dollars to continue monitoring antisemitism through his Foundation to Combat Antisemitism and the #StandUpToJewishHate Blue Square campaign:

"The Foundation to Combat Antisemitism is establishing the blue square emoji, which is already on all smartphones, as a 'simple, but powerful symbol of solidarity and support for the Jewish community.'

During the campaign, the blue square will take up 2.4% of television and digital screens, billboards, and social media feeds. That number symbolizes that Jews make up 2.4% of the American population, yet are the victims of 55% of religious-based hate crimes" (cbsnews.com).

Then we take a look at the horrifying protests that are taking place in Israel; Netanyahu's far-right coalition has a draconian plan to hijack the nation's judicial system, giving them full control, and protecting Netanyahu from the criminal charges waiting for him. He's announced a pause in the planned shift in governmental power, but that's clearly a stalling tactic. This situation is dire: we in the United States would do well to pay attention. This is not unlike some of the proposals on the table from a few members of our own Congress. This imbalance of power threatens the democracy in Israel, and would do exactly that here as well. 

We can sit back and decry the chaos "over there" (where ever "there" is), but the factors leading to such upheaval are all too familiar. We don't have to make all of our own mistakes; we can learn from the messes others make before we do.

Take care,

C