Washington State Democrats blamed Israel for a surge in antisemitism, stirring sharp pushback and accusations that their platform spreads misinformation instead of confronting the real culprits.
Every abuse pattern includes a blame game that shifts responsibility onto the victims, and that distortion is dangerous when it touches a volatile issue like antisemitism. Since the October 7, 2023, terror attacks in Israel, antisemitic incidents have climbed worldwide, including shootings at public celebrations and harassment of Jewish students on campuses. Those facts demand clear-eyed responses, not political finger-pointing that muddles causes and effects.
In Washington state, the party platform points a finger at Israel for contributing to the rise in antisemitism rather than at the terrorists who carried out mass violence or the extremist movements that cheer them on. That stance ignores the context of attacks and the bad actors who seed hatred.
There has been a dramatic resurgence in antisemitism in recent years on all sides of the political spectrum, due in part to actions taken by the Israeli government. History shows us the dangerous repercussions suffered when collective action to combat antisemitism and promote understanding is not taken. We must ensure that the Jewish community is protected from misinformation, harassment, and violence.
https://x.com/HoffmanJess/status/2072081413663604910
Calling for protection from misinformation is fine in theory, but you cannot insist on truth and then promote a political narrative that blames the Jewish state for every backlash. For years some on the left have labeled Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide,” a claim repeated so often it becomes accepted as fact in many circles. That repeated charge fuels anger and dehumanizes Jewish people, even when the term is used inaccurately.
There is also language in the platform that tries to address Palestinians and their rights, which raises eyebrows when a U.S. state party writes about foreign policy as if it were a foreign government.
“Under a section on foreign policy, the platform states that ‘we recognize Israeli and Palestinian civilians should have security, recognition of a life free from terror, violence, corruption, incitement or collective punishment,'” the screenshot says. “In its calls for a ‘diplomatic solution,’ the party accuses the Jewish state of ‘mass civilian casualties, destruction, displacement, and starvation of Palestinians in Gaza and West Bank.'”
That wording blurs a distinction between criticizing specific policies and assigning collective blame that can be exploited by extremists. When a political document characterizes a democratic ally in broad, accusatory terms, it hands ammunition to activists and ideologues who want to demonize an entire people. Political leaders ought to be precise, especially on issues that so easily inflame sectarian sentiment.
The platform goes further by denouncing forms of Zionism in sweeping ideological terms, language that crosses from policy debate into identity politics.
“We reject racist political ideologies rooted in supremacy, including forms of Zionism, that perpetuate settler colonialism, occupation, apartheid, displacement and unequal treatment under the law,” the screenshot says.
Labeling a national movement that seeks a homeland for a persecuted people as a “racist political ideology” is provocative and will predictably stir outrage. That kind of rhetoric risks encouraging bad actors who already harass and threaten Jewish communities by offering a veneer of legitimacy to their grievances. Responsible politics should distinguish legitimate critique of policy from broad-brush condemnations that feed prejudice.
How convenient.
When political leaders spend years amplifying extreme allegations about Israel, and then turn around to blame those allegations for rising antisemitism, the result looks like a party blaming its own smoke for the fire it started.
The country needs honest debate about foreign policy and security, plus firm condemnations of violence and antisemitism from every corner of the political spectrum. Plain talk and accountability would do more to protect Jewish Americans than platitudes that shift blame away from the real sources of hatred.
