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My Inconvenient Jewish Fear

(Times of Israel) Debra Messing - I've spoken out, marched, signed petitions, testified before Congress, and shown up for communities facing injustice, violence, and inequity, for people who felt unseen or unsafe. For 25 years, no one has questioned my commitment to social justice. But now, when the people being threatened are my own, when I speak out against calls for the extermination of Jews, I am suddenly contemptible. Every post I share on social media, no matter how apolitical, is inundated with hateful comments. I did not expect to see the shadow of antisemitism growing in places I had always trusted. In rooms that had always felt safe. Among people who say they stand for the vulnerable. Leaders who once stood for all marginalized people suddenly grew quiet when the hate was directed at Jews. Progressives often speak about listening to the lived experiences of those who have been hurt. But when Jewish people speak about our fear, our trauma, our history, our murdered families, we are too often met with silence. Or suspicion. Or conditional solidarity. Some say "Globalize the intifada" is a call for justice. But for those of us who know what the word intifada has meant in practice, it's historical and personal. It's the bombing of a Jerusalem cafe and the murder of a bride the night before her wedding. It's a school bus full of young children snuffed out by a suicide bomber. These are not metaphors. These are memories for many Jews. This language that references mass civilian murder means death to Jews everywhere. Hate has always found a way to survive. What troubles me is the way it is being rationalized. Dismissed. The way it is reframed as something noble by those who should know better. Jewish safety and progressive values should never be in conflict. I still believe in the progressive vision. But if it can't make space for my community, then it's not what it claims to be. The writer, an Emmy Award-winning actress, is the executive producer of the documentary "Oct 8," and a lifelong human rights activist.
2025-07-22 00:00:00
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