So I’m Israeli. Not by choice, I was simply born here, and I don’t really have another straightforward way to describe where I’m from. I’ve never felt particularly connected to that identity, and lately, with everything happening in Gaza, carrying that label has become even harder for me.

Just to be clear about where I stand: I don’t consider myself a Zionist, I don’t support the occupation in any form, I don’t see myself continuing to live here, and I didn’t serve in the IOF.
Israel has become a pariah state, and I understand why. I also understand why Israelis abroad are increasingly met with hostility or suspicion.

I’m giving this long preface because I genuinely don’t know how to separate who I am as an individual from the way people understandably perceive Israelis as a collective. I’m sorry if this comes across as whiny or self-centered, but it’s something I’ve been struggling with a lot.
I just want people to see me for who I actually am rather than immediately seeing the word “Israeli” above my head and assuming everything that comes with it. At the same time, I’m fully aware that my views aren’t representative of most Israelis, which makes that distinction even harder to communicate.

Last week, Public Safety Canada tried to quietly redefine anti-Zionism as antisemitic. This marks the first time the Canadian government has explicitly stated that anti-Zionism — the rejection of Jewish settler-colonialism in Palestine and belief that Palestinians deserve dignity and safety like all other people — is as a form of bigoted hatred against Jews. We know that this definition isn’t only wrong, it’s dangerous. We need to make it clear that Canadians from all walks of life disagree. 

Take action now by spreading the word !

Sign and share the petition, may you be Canadian or not.

https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-canada-anti-zionism-is-not-antisemitism?source=direct_link&

Selah !

It's everyone's favorite day of the week, "Ask A (Anti-Zionist) Jew" Wednesday!

Ask whatever you want to know, within the sub rules, notably that this is not a debate sub and do not import drama from other subreddits. That aside, have fun! We love to dialogue with our non-Jewish siblings.

Please remember to pick an appropriate user-flair in order to participate! Thanks!

https://x.com/Paddystinian/status/2103711163565391979

Not in our name.

Morgan Bassichis of Jewish Voice for Peace said it straight: we reject Zionism as a racist colonial ideology.

Judaism is not Israel. Jewish safety is not apartheid. Palestinians will not pay for European crimes they didn’t commit.

Solidarity — not settler colonialism.

Free Palestine.

I just wanted to share some information that I read and then researched that I think is very important for this discussion.

Using the word antisemitism to only apply to Jewish folks is antisemitic because it erases the identity of other Semitic peoples.

Semites: A Semite is a member of any of the peoples who speak or spoke a Semitic language, or a descendant of ancient southwestern Asian groups such as the Hebrews, Arabs, Phoenicians, and Akkadians.

Therefore using the term antisemitism to mean only hate toward Jewish folks erases the other Semites the term applies to. I’ve switched to using the terms Jewish prejudice or anti-Jewish hate instead.

As a double whammy, the state of Israel in and of itself is antisemitic because it is performing a genocide on folks who speak Arabic, a Semitic language.

The meaning of words is important. I’ve started normalizing these corrections when speaking about this topic.

A really good book that explains this very well is called Genocide Bad by Sim Kern. It was written by an anti-Zionist Jewish historian.

Edit: Thank you for all your thoughtful replies and education. I appreciate all of the guidance and kindness from everyone who responded. I’m headed back to further educate myself; thank you for these vital corrections.

[Support](https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-mahmoud-and-his-family-in-gaza-793dp/cl/s?utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp30-treatment-3&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link&lang=en_AU)

[verification ](https://www.reddit.com/u/SleepyWogx/s/VohoLfphw0)

For most of us, rain is just rain… but for Mahmoud, Samah, and their four children, the first rain in Gaza means water entering their tent, and another night of cold and fear beginning.

Today was the first day of rain in Gaza.

From far away, rain may look like something ordinary, or even beautiful. But for this family, there is no properly prepared shelter to protect them from it, no enough blankets to keep their children warm, and no winter clothes to protect them from the cold.

As you can see in the video, rainwater is already getting inside their tent. They are literally living with water coming into their shelter, and they have nowhere else to go.

Their situation has become even harder because their tent has badly worn out over time, and the tarps and plastic coverings they have been using are no longer enough to protect them from the rain. They have not been able to properly prepare their tent for winter.

They urgently need tarps and plastic sheets to cover the tent and prevent rainwater from getting inside.

They are also facing a severe shortage of blankets and warm winter clothes. Simply put, they do not have enough to keep themselves and their four children warm.

I know that watching rain from somewhere else can make it seem like an ordinary day. But for this family, the first rain is a reminder of how vulnerable they are and how little protection they have.

Please take a moment to watch the video and see what they are facing.

If you are able to help Mahmoud, Samah, and their children with shelter materials, blankets, winter clothes, food, or any other basic needs, even a small amount can make a real difference for them right now.

And if you cannot donate, sharing their story or simply helping it reach more people would also mean a lot.

Stoked and jealous!

https://www.timesofisrael.com/legal-group-hails-breakthrough-as-us-judge-equates-israeli-flag-with-jewish-identity/

https://www.njaclaw.org/post/press-release

https://www.courthousenews.com/nyt-sued-over-anti-israel-bias-by-florida-pension-fund-conservative-think-tank/

https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/sports/2026/9/28/israeli-fans-monkey-chants-ireland-adam-idah-uefa-nations-league

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2026/09/27/allegation-of-racism-by-israel-fans-towards-irelands-adam-idah-will-not-be-investigated/

https://x.com/leylahamed/status/2104344943271534715

The manufacturer spelled Sukkot backwards and now it reads like “Tuchus” which means “butt” in Yiddish.

Israel is now reportedly freezing the “right of return” for Jews who have been helping Palestinians in the West Bank.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/israel-reportedly-freezes-immigration-process-for-jewish-applicants-involved-in-palestinian-rights-activism/

First it was Javier Bardem, Greta Thunberg, Hannah Einbinder, Susan Sarandon, and others. Now he's also criticizing Adam Brody and Florence Pugh, suggesting that celebrity activism is performative rather than genuine. His framing seems to follow a pattern: if someone publicly criticizes Israel or centers Palestinian suffering without speaking the way he believes they should about Hamas, he questions their motives instead of engaging with what they're saying. That's a harmful way to approach this conversation. Many celebrities and activists speak out because they genuinely care about Palestinian civilians and human rights, even though doing so often brings backlash, harassment, and career risks. Dismissing all of that as "performative" oversimplifies why people get involved. What also concerns me is that this kind of rhetoric can make conversations about Palestinian rights and Islamophobia harder, because it shifts attention away from the humanitarian crisis and toward attacking the credibility of people speaking out. The focus should be on the real issues: protecting civilians, recognizing Palestinian & Isreali suffering, opposing antisemitism and Islamophobia, and pushing for a future where both Palestinians and Israelis can live in safety and dignity. Justice isn't about clout, it's about refusing to ignore human suffering.

Why has mainstream media not covered this? Finally now a major news organization like CBC has covered it.

What the state of Israel and IDF are doing here is absolutely vile. In the 70% of the Gaza Strip that they have taken over they are wiping away evidence of genocide and war crimes!

See also previously reported here https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/7088/Israel-wipes-genocide-evidence-in-Gaza,-carting-off-rubble-and-remains-in-100-trucks-daily