Who are the “social justice warriors” calling for death to Jews in the streets of New York City? Would it be tolerated if it was any other group that was targeted?

My heart is physically aching after scrolling through my Facebook news feed today.

It’s no different than any other day. For the past for years of being a member, I cannot think of one single day where a new shocking video or photo or news article showing some sort of anti-Semitic, anti-Zionist content wasn’t present in my Facebook feed. But at 3:55 a.m., when all I wanted to do was check my phone and go back to sleep, I ended up feeling completely broken-hearted and weary.

I am repulsed by the hypocrisy of the world we’re living in. Remove religion. Remove whatever opinions you might have on who’s entitled to live in Israel. How is it that thousands upon thousands of people burn flags, chant death wishes and yet go to sleep at night believing themselves to be social justice warriors?

Why is it OK to incite violence under any circumstance? On what grounds have they decided that basic human respect and decency doesn’t apply anymore to the Jewish people, regardless of their political stance on Israel?

It is beyond me that there is an entire movement that spends all of its waking hours preaching that the IDF and the Jews and the State of Israel are guilty of crimes and persecution of the Palestinian people, and in the same sentence they encourage and support violence and terror attacks against civilians.

I am a religious Jew. Of course, I can sit here and tell you that in fact, the IDF is the most humane army in the world. We have religious convictions that literally do not permit anything else. That’s why it is named the Defence Forces, because that is its sole purpose for existing.

But my main point of contention is not that there is disagreement about the State of Israel. The thing that rips my heart to shreds is that somebody could have so much hate in their hearts for a group of people that they call for their deaths in the streets of New York City.

And nobody says a word.

What if these were protests against the LGBTQ community? Or against Native Americans? There is not a single other group of people on this earth that movements of this nature protesting against their very rights to live and breathe and exist would be tolerated. The social justice warriors would swoop in and shut them down.

When exactly did Jewish people become a sub-human category not worthy of any respect or decency?

The truth is that historically, there was always anti-Jewish persecution and disrespect. But at those times, nobody cared about social justice. Or at least, nobody pretended too.

Calling Out the Pro-Palestinian Activists

I’m calling out all of the pro-Palestinians. There aren’t enough words in the English language to express the sorrow that I feel, that one person, let alone an entire movement, could have so much hate in their hearts that they cannot see that clear as day, what they are advocating for is terrorism.

You cannot ask for respect and in turn burn our flags.

You cannot accuse Israel of war crimes against your people and yet celebrate and encourage the terror against our own.

You cannot agonize over “needless civilian bloodshed” from the IDF’s necessary raids to prevent that terrorism, when you in turn encourage and revel in the murder and physical violence against our civilians, including: Stabbings in holy places of worship and breaking and entering into innocent people’s homes and murdering entire families, men, women and children.

When addressing crowds, they do not say Zionists. They say JEWS. It is outright anti-Semitism. It is a crime, and it is painful.

I walk through the streets of Jerusalem amidst the tension surround Trump announcing that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital, and I am fearful. Truly, I fear that though I am nothing but a teenage girl going about my life and minding my own business, I might be targeted and attacked simply because I dare to exist in Israel as a Jew.

My life could be taken, and crowds of people would celebrate. That fact should shock and horrify people. Instead they brush past it or condone it or try and justify it in some way.

There is no justification for this animalistic, savage hate that so many people have against my religion and my country.

We have beating hearts, and families, and exist day to day, same as anybody else.

We are human beings, and we are being sentenced to death because of our faith.

Article by Beth Oziel

Beth Oziel is a recent high school graduate living in Toronto, Canada. Passionate about Jewish and social issues, she is currently working on getting a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Communications.