Criticism of Israel

[Shusha]

I understand what you are saying but I think it is more likely to build barriers. In the current climate it is being used to stifle legitimate criticism..

I disagree. I think it is being used to thinly disguise antisemitism as legitimate criticism. But it should be easy enough to test, as I have suggested in this thread. Any legitimate criticism of Israel, like any country, would focus on specific actions, rather than characterizations.

The anti semites are easy enough to spot.

Well, yes and no. It would seem easy enough. But even today, on this thread, one poster suggested that calling for the genocide of the Jewish people depends on the "context" and the "interpretation". That one seems as clear cut to me as it can possibly get.

People struggle a LOT with understanding that applying a higher standard to Israel than the standard applied to all other states is a form of antisemitism. This is obvious to me, not so much to others.

They tend to use the same tropes and are generally crazy.

And this is why definitions are useful. Which tropes? What is "crazy"? By defining those things, rather than waving vaguely at them, we can begin to understand what antisemitism looks like.

But people who have a problem with land stealing on the west bank have a legit beef.

I'd argue that "land stealing" is a characterization, rather than an action. And that the act of characterizing it as "land stealing" is itself a barrier to fruitful conversation. The characterization shapes and frames the parameters of the dialogue. What if we readjusted the lens, and it turns out that Israel isn't stealing anything?

Be specific about the action you are calling out. What do you actually have a beef with here? Is it that Israel might choose to apply sovereignty over territory where Israelis live, even though she hasn't? Is it that Israelis aren't permitted to live in certain places? Where? Why? Is it that any territory which might eventually belong to a State of Palestine must be free of Israeli citizens or Jews?

Note: I wouldn't say that claiming Israel is "stealing land" is antisemitic, of itself, in isolation, even though it is a double standard. Mostly this particular claim is made based on repeating sound bytes without understanding the full legal scope of the conflict.

Trying to silence them by throwing the anti semite label around is disingenuous.. Its just a way to silence dissent.. Legit dissent.

No one is trying to silence them. Look at all of us right here holding dialogue on this thread, discussing antisemitism and what it looks like. Indeed, as Coyote will surely tell you if she see this, I have been begging for years to engage in constructive dialogue and criticism about Israel. So many here just want to throw slurs and demonizations around.