According to her bio on Twitter, Rebecca Vilkomerson is the Executive Director for the Jewish Voice for Peace and focuses on Israel/Palestine, racial and economic justice. So when we read her lengthy thread on why she’s ‘saddened’ that white Jewish women aren’t thrilled with the Women’s March and their fairly blatant anti-Semitism we were a little surprised.
Disgusted?
Maybe.
Yeah, it’s not good.
Here’s the thread:
I cannot begin to express how much it saddens (and angers) me that white Jewish women, many of whom identify as progressive, are playing the role of spoilers of the @womensmarch. I'm not talking here about anyone specific, but about a general trend 1/ https://t.co/ucQxVwTVSa
— Rebecca Vilkomerson (@RVilkomerson) December 24, 2018
Awww, evil white Jewish women! For shame!
Antisemitism is rearing its head in this country, joining other virulent forms of bigotry-in particular anti-Black racism, islamophobia, and anti-immigrant forces –which are sadly ever present and systemic in our society. 2/
— Rebecca Vilkomerson (@RVilkomerson) December 24, 2018
It’s rearing its head in the ranks of the Women’s March. *shrug*
The leaders of the @womensmarch have–contrary to lots of irresponsible reporting–been incredibly responsive to Jewish women's concerns. Over and over, in ways large and small, they have incorporated concerns about antisemitism into the Women's March's work and principles. 3/
— Rebecca Vilkomerson (@RVilkomerson) December 24, 2018
Irresponsible reporting.
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.
Did she just call all of this fake news?
The only leader that i know personally, @lsarsour, has shown up over and over and over for Jewish communities, since long before the Women's March, and ever since. 4/
— Rebecca Vilkomerson (@RVilkomerson) December 24, 2018
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Oh boy.
Her principles-of justice, fairness, human dignity, liberation & freedom for all-are abundantly clear through her acts & her words. She walks the walk more than just about anyone i know. It is truly remarkable especially given the vitriol she faces no matter what she does 5/
— Rebecca Vilkomerson (@RVilkomerson) December 24, 2018
And so what if she’s an anti-Semite, she has principles of justice and fairness and stuff.
@TamikaDMallory and @msladyjustice1 are long-standing leaders in their own communities and are inspirations in others. They are in the positions they are in because they have been doing the hard, thankless, slogging ESSENTIAL work of organizing for many many years. 6/
— Rebecca Vilkomerson (@RVilkomerson) December 24, 2018
K.
To demand that the leaders of the Women's March continuously prove themselves on antisemitism is inflicting harm–to them personally, the movements they are leading, and to the possibility of truly intersectional organizing. 7/
— Rebecca Vilkomerson (@RVilkomerson) December 24, 2018
Nobody is asking them to do anything other than disavow open anti-Semite, Louis Farrakhan. This isn’t complicated.
And history has way too many examples of ways brave and outspoken leaders of color that have been torn down and destroyed 8/
— Rebecca Vilkomerson (@RVilkomerson) December 24, 2018
Huh?
None of us are perfect. In the Jewish community, I think its fair to say most if not all of us are probably in relationships with people who have expressed problematic racist views 9/
— Rebecca Vilkomerson (@RVilkomerson) December 24, 2018
Holy crap.
All of us in our own communities have complicated relationships to navigate. The level of demand and vitriol directed at Womens March leaders for behavior that we tolerate among ourselves should at the least give us pause 10/
— Rebecca Vilkomerson (@RVilkomerson) December 24, 2018
we white Jews especially need to recognize that centering our own status as victims here is a power move, as well as a way to avoid self-reflection on our relative status in a white supremacist world 11/
— Rebecca Vilkomerson (@RVilkomerson) December 24, 2018
‘We white Jews …’
that doesn't mean no critique allowed–but it does mean do it with compassion, as true allies and partners, with an assumption of good faith, with an awareness of our capacity to do harm, and an appreciation of the importance of a broad, strong, intersectional movement. END RANT
— Rebecca Vilkomerson (@RVilkomerson) December 24, 2018
So you blame Jewish women for the women's March cozying up to antisemites and radicals? You're an idiot then.
— Jeanne Nicholson ? (@JeannesTweeting) December 24, 2018
How dare those Jewish women not adore these antisemites?! https://t.co/fxGo390WXW
— Jewtropolis Yitz (@MeerkatYitz) December 24, 2018
The nerve.
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