We’re so grateful to Katie Halper, host of the Katie Halper Show, for joining KK&F to share her perspective on how, in mainstream and social media, allegations of antisemitism have become widely weaponized as a cudgel against Palestinian liberation. How has this weaponization resulted in the actual political oppression of many Jewish activists across the world for their anti-Zionist beliefs, and what’s the political cost? Watch below:

Earlier this month, Congress (led by Republicans, assisted by many Democrats) passed a bill conflating anti-Zionism with antisemitism. (The vote was 311-14; 92 Dems voted present.) Beyond attacking the chant “From the river to the sea” as an antisemitic slogan — failing to make any case for how “Palestine will be free” necessitates the oppression of Israelis, while Israel is built on the colonization and oppression of Palestinians — the bill ‘contained language saying that the House “clearly and firmly states that anti-Zionism is antisemitism.’”

What does this mean for the massive cohort of Jewish activists organizing for a free Palestine? It means that under the guise of protecting Jews in America from the “hate speech” of Palestinian liberation, many Jews will in fact be marginalized and silenced for their political beliefs and activism. The Anti-Defamation League’s treatment of Jewish Voice for Peace as a hate group means that an organization tasked with preventing attacks on Jewish people will be putting them at risk of those attacks on the basis of their opposition to an oppressive colonial ideology.

Katie’s here to talk to us as an advocate of Palestinian liberation about the weaponization of antisemitism she’s observed, why it matters, and what we can do about it. We hope you’ll enjoy this essential and timely conversation. You can tune in tomorrow through Spotify, Pandora, Apple Podcasts, and more.