The recent opinion piece claims antisemitism threatens American democracy, but what truly threatens it is the weaponization of that term to silence legitimate criticism of Israeli state violence. Zionism — a political ideology, not a religion — is increasingly used to shield a nation-state from accountability, conflating anti-Zionism with antisemitism in ways that chill free speech and target activists, especially Palestinians and their allies.
This conflation erases the voices of Jews who oppose apartheid and occupation, while stifling the open debate essential to democracy. On campuses and in communities, this trend now undermines academic integrity itself. Toxic reasoning disguised as expertise in “ethics” is polluting public discourse, making our institutions complicit in censorship. At the University of Arizona and beyond, students and colleagues face intimidation, surveillance, and professional retaliation simply for supporting Palestinian rights.
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Democracy demands that we resist all forms of racism, including antisemitism — and also defend the right to critique any government, including Israel’s.
Katie Careaga
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
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