1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

I am deeply disappointed to be represented by someone who is so staunchly pro-Israel that they cannot accept criticism of Israel’s actions, and wrongfully conflate protests against those actions with broad antisemitism. They are NOT the same. One can be Jewish and still condemn Israel’s state violence against the Palestinian people. The protests on college campuses are largely peaceful and nondestructive. Yes, they are critical of Israel’s right-wing government, the outrageous genocide it is perpetrating with our own government’s support, and of their universities’ financial investment in Israeli and military interests. Again, one can be devout in one’s Jewish identity and faith and still protest this violence if one considers “Never again” to encompass all humans and not just a specific set of Jews. Jewish trauma is being used by right-wing bad actors to remove our right to protest and to curtail our free speech. The Antisemitism Awareness Act has enormous repercussions for our right to protest AT ALL, and is only framed as a means to “protect Jews” as a transparent facade to sucker Democrats like you into supporting it. Do you not know that Christian Republicans only support Israel because of either their own financial investments in military-industrial interests, or because of Evangelical apocalyptic teachings (which rely on Israel but it does not go well for the Jews in that story…), or both? It is absolutely not because they care about Jewish people. Do you not know why fascists want to crack down on our right to protest, even while crying that it’s politically correct libs who want to end free speech? I’m truly angry to be represented by someone who is failing to stand up for our fundamental American rights and who is so willing to be a pawn in their game. It is Democrats supporting things bad policies this that will cause millions of young people to NOT vote in November. If there is any hope of getting out the youth vote against Trump, there needs to be a serious reconsideration of your approach on these issues, because at the moment this makes the two mainstream parties look very much the same.