While I think this is a really important conversation to initiate, I don't think you can talk about Jewish privilege without recognizing how it operates in the issue of Israel/Palestine and discourse about the conflict in the U.S. Because Israel and Zionist communities in the U.S. focus so strongly on what is best for Jews, it is almost only Jewish perspectives on Israel and the occupation that are taken seriously. Take for example how JStreet would not allow Palestinian speakers at their conference let alone at most events, but will let Jewish speakers talk about Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions. Similarly, Israel grants Jews many privileges that it does not allow to go to Palestinians, such as the Jewish-specific "Law of Return" to any Jew regardless of familial or legal attachment to Israel- while millions of Palestinian refugees around the world are prevented from returning to where their families came from within Israel. There is much more to say about this and I hope readers will engage with this core element of Jewish privilege today.
While I think this is a really important conversation to initiate, I don't think you can talk about Jewish privilege without recognizing how it operates in the issue of Israel/Palestine and discourse about the conflict in the U.S. Because Israel and Zionist communities in the U.S. focus so strongly on what is best for Jews, it is almost only Jewish perspectives on Israel and the occupation that are taken seriously. Take for example how JStreet would not allow Palestinian speakers at their conference let alone at most events, but will let Jewish speakers talk about Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions. Similarly, Israel grants Jews many privileges that it does not allow to go to Palestinians, such as the Jewish-specific "Law of Return" to any Jew regardless of familial or legal attachment to Israel- while millions of Palestinian refugees around the world are prevented from returning to where their families came from within Israel. There is much more to say about this and I hope readers will engage with this core element of Jewish privilege today.