In order to assist you in the extremely important moral imperative of avoiding even the smallest hint of antisemitism, here is the official U.S. State Department definition of antisemitism. Or rather, the official partial definition, since the definition is not limited to the examples included, which will no doubt be expanded in the future as needed.
Contemporary examples of antisemitism in public life, the media, schools, the workplace, and in the religious sphere could, taking into account the overall context, include, but are not limited to:
Defining Antisemitism, Office of the Special Envoy To Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, 10 March 2024
- Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.
- Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.
- Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.
- Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust
- Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
- Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.
- Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.
- Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.
- Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.
- Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.
- Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.
Well, I’m relieved they provided this useful, if incomplete, clarification. We definitely won’t be doing any of that and we definitely won’t be doing that here! I’m absolutely certain the merest thought of contemplating any of that hasn’t even begun to speculate about the merest possibility of crossing anyone’s mind here.
I can’t help but wondering, though. Do you think there is a single self-help book about winning friends and influencing people ever published that recommends calling the police every time someone doesn’t believe something you say, trying to get someone fired every time they don’t like your tone of voice, or seeking to get them ejected from their house if they happen to criticize something you’ve done?
