Of course criticism of Israel isn't anti-semitic unless...

[DemocratSinceBirth]

you invoke anti-semitic tropes in doing so.

[leftynyc]

1. I have no idea

why this is such a difficult concept.

[femmocrat]

3. I have no idea....

what a “trope” is! Is it like a meme?

[Decoy of Fenris]

8. A "trope" is a regularly or consistently applied theme or concept in media. nt

[leftynyc]

9. Here is the definition

a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression.
"he used the two-Americas trope to explain how a nation free and democratic at home could act wantonly abroad"

[femmocrat]

10. Thanks.

I did look it up, but wondered if it was some “new” term that we are using now. LOL

[DemocratSinceBirth]

4. Some of us manage to do so

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=11807877

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=11807893

[Dennis Donovan]

2. Is an anti-Semitic "trope" pointing out AIPAC's donations?

AIPAC is a Political Action Committee, not a religion or a belief.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. Perhaps it was saying support for Israel is "all about the Benjamins".

[Dennis Donovan]

7. She should've been specific about the Political Action Committee.

Got it.

[democratisphere]

5. Depends who is interpreting what. Steering clear of this one.

[Perrenial Voter]

11. Since Arabs are also Semites, many of Israel's actions

could be accurately described as anti-Semitic. If you study the early history of Israel, you'll see a history of extremely effective propaganda that effectively deflects from what should be the real issues by. For example, there was a famous incident in which Zionist militias forced resident Arabs in Haifa onto boats and into exile. When an Arab leader was asked what would happen if they defeated the Zionist militias he said that the Jews who were born in Palestine would be allowed to stay and those that were foreigners would suffer the same fate as the Arabs in Haifa. However, the propagandists declared to the world that he said they would "drive them into the sea," and that has been used ever as proof that Arabs would not tolerate Jews. In a similar way, they insist that Israel is a Jewish state, which carries all of the implications of any ethnic- or religious-state: the exclusion of or second-class citizenship for minorities. When Arabs say that they can accept a secular Israel but not an ethno-nationalist Jewish state, they call them anti-Semitic, but it would more accurate to call Israeli policies anti-Semitic, with discrimination against and persecution of Arabs.

[Codeine]

12. A silly argument.

Anti-Semitic is a word with a specific meaning, regardless of the more general definition of the root word. Arguing that it means hatred or prejudice against all Semitic peoples is like arguing that swastikas are okay because they were around before the Nazis.

Words and symbols have the meaning we have collectively ascribed them, and that particular term refers to discrimination, hatred, or prejudice directed at Jews.