Cincinnati rabbi disinvited from rally against Nazis over his support for Israel

[Mosby]

(JTA) — A version of this story originally appeared on CincyJewfolk, an independent journalism and engagement site for Cincinnati’s Jewish community.

When Rabbi Ari Jun learned that faith leaders were invited to speak at a rally in Cincinnati against neo-Nazis and white supremacy, he quickly responded that he would be there.

As the former director of the local Jewish community relations council who recently took the helm of a progressive Reform synagogue, Jun has experience responding to antisemitism and a passion for social justice.

But a week later, he was told he was off the docket. The reason: He is a Zionist.

"Some of your values do not truly align with the values this protest is trying to represent,” Laini Smith, an organizer of the rally being held Sunday in the city’s Washington Park, told him via text message.

Billie Pittman, another organizer with Queen City United, a progressive group, spelling things out even more clearly: “Rabbi Ari Jun is a well-known Zionist, and while this event is intended to oppose Nazis and white supremacy, allowing Zionists to participate undermines the original goal of the demonstration.”

https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-845175

They aren't even trying to hide their antisemitism.

[CincyDem]

1. Classic Cincinnati...birthplace of American Reform Judaism.

As every rabbi in Cincinnati, he supports the existence of Israel and condemned the 10/7 attacks. Guess that’s Zionism today.

[Richard D]

2. "Zionist" has become PC . . .

. . . for any number of antisemetic slurs.

[Shipwack]

4. Anti-Zionist is not the same thing as anti-Semitic. nt

[Richard D]

5. How do you...

... define "Zionism?"

[Shipwack]

6. Zionism has many definitions.

TL;DR anti-Zionism is against a political philosophy; anti-Semitism is bigotry.

The definition of Zionism depends on who you talk to. However, there is general agreement that Zionism is a philosophy that says that Jewish people need their own country, and that country has a right to defend itself. Zionism is a political philosophy. The devil is in the details (where is this country, what are its borders, what is self-defense, etc). The problem for me (and others) is how the government of Israel implements those goals. For example, purposely killing 15 people in an aid convoy (that had been properly identified) merely because there was a suspicion that a Hamas sympathizer was with them was wrong, and a warcrime.

Antisemitism is a prejudice against people who are of the Jewish faith, and/or those of Jewish ancestry. It doesn't care where they live in the world. It doesn't care if a person practices conservative Judaism, reform Judaism, or is a non-practicing person with Jewish ancestry.

What bothers me is when I criticize the actions taken by the Israrali government, or it's policies, and being told I'm anti-Semitic. There are people of Jewish faith that are against the actions of the people currently in power, or are even explicitly Anti-Zionist. Does that mean they are anti-Semitic?

I know nothing about this rabbi, and don't have time to research his beliefs. If he merely advocated that Israeli has a right to exist, then excluding him was wrong. If he advocates that the safety of Israel requires the death of every Palestinian man, woman, and child, I can understand why people might not want him associating with their cause.

[Richard D]

7. Well...

... Really Zionism is simply the right of Israeli Jews to live in their country and to have self determination and the absolute right to protect the citizens of that nation--Jews and non-Jews.
I recommend reading this:

https://open.substack.com/pub/futureofjewish/p/israel-doesnt-care-what-you-think

[Shipwack]

8. That's what I said.

This discussion won't go anywhere useful. I'm ending it here. Have a good day!

[Behind the Aegis]

3. "Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right; here I am stuck in the middle, a Jew!"

“It’s one thing to go to a rally expecting different people with disagreeing viewpoints to show up as their full selves, and for that to create discomfort and to live with that discomfort,” Jun said. “It’s another thing for us as a Jewish community to be told, ‘You cannot show up as your full selves.’”