Antisemitism, Anti-Zionism, and Anti-Capitalism: Untangling Leftist Prejudice

I examine various contemporary and historical issues through the lens of social, political, and moral critique. I cover the history of antisemitism at UCLA, distinguishing between legitimate criticism of Israeli policy and anti-Zionism that devolves into antisemitic tropes, and note that modern antisemitism often originates from liberal or leftist political spheres. I give an ethical and rhetorical analysis of conservative figure Charlie Kirk's controversial statements regarding LGBTQ+ and especially transgender individuals, comparing his language to that used by some conservative Muslim clerics, and concluding that while his speech is highly problematic and can lead to harm, it does not justify violence against him. Two of my related podcasts argue that the pro-Palestinian–antisemitic alliance is often rationalized through a leftist anti-capitalist ideology, which falsely casts Israel as a capitalist-colonial oppressor. I refer to another of my podcasts, which analyzes the historical context of Shylock from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice to understand the centuries-old stereotype of the Jewish money lender and the theme of revenge in antisemitic persecution.