U.S. Rep. Jared Golden recently voted “yes” on H.R. 894, a bill whose purported aim to is to condemn antisemitism.
The crux of the bill, promoted by the American-Israel lobby (AIPAC), is the statement that “anti-Zionism is antisemitism.” AIPAC is Golden’s top campaign contributor.
All decent people can agree that hating or hurting people based solely on their religion or ethnicity is wrong. Think of the six year-old Palestinian-American boy recently stabbed to death in Illinois, and the three Palestinian college students shot in Vermont.
But H.R. 894 fails to condemn attacks on Arabs.
Now H.R. 6578 calls for the creation of a commission with subpoena power to “study acts of antisemitism.” Golden will undoubtedly support this bill, too.
Someday I may be dragged before a McCarthy-like congressional commission and asked, “Do you now or have you ever criticized Israel or supported Palestinian rights?”
In November I was arrested at Jared Golden’s Bangor office, where I was protesting his support for Israel’s relentless bombardment of Gaza.
I’m just one of many Jews standing up for Palestine. I do not hate anyone for their religion, ethnicity or nationality.
What I hate is the premise of Zionism, used to justify the violent expulsion of 750,000 Palestinians in 1948, and the Zionist premise that created an exclusively Jewish apartheid state, where Palestinians are denied basic rights, and this genocidal war on Gaza that is clearly intended as a final solution to eradicate the Palestinians.
I detest Zionism. I’m not antisemitic.
Jamila Levasseur, Waldo
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