The House of Representatives is trying to pass a resolution making the term “Free Palestine” an official antisemitic slogan.

Republican Representative Gabe Evans from Colorado introduced the resolution in the wake of the attack on a gathering for Israeli hostages in Boulder this week. Mohammed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian national, has been charged for the attack, during which he yelled “Free Palestine,” according to the FBI.

“Whereas, while shouting ‘Free Palestine,’ an antisemitic slogan that calls for the destruction of the state of Israel and Jewish people, Mohammed Sabry Soliman attacked the peaceful demonstrators with homemade Molotov cocktails,” the resolution reads. House Republicans are expected to vote on the nonbinding resolution next week.

  • Professorozone@lemmy.world
    2·
    2 days ago

    Typical Internet. It’s the right to free speech. If horrible people don’t have the right to say what they want, then it’s not free speech. Period.

    I don’t appreciate being incorrectly associated with these horrible people just because I believe in rights.

  • CPMSP@midwest.social
    54·
    3 days ago

    This coming from the same motherfuckers that brought you classics like:

    “We have to let the Nazis march in the park this weekend, freeze peach”

    And

    “The klan is just a bunch of good 'ol boys, they never hurt nobody”

    • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
      22·
      3 days ago

      And “Jews will not replace us,” elon’s nazi salute, nazi flags at their rallies, and “oh no, you’ve got it all wrong! I was totally born in 1988, that’s why it’s in my username. Ignore the 14.”

    • RedditIsDeddit@lemmy.world
      7·
      3 days ago

      Honestly, as much as I hate the opinions of Nazi’s and Klansmen, I still support their rights to free speech. That’s how it works. Otherwise you are doing the same “I’m free you are not” bullshit.

      • Bytemeister@lemmy.worldEnglish
        16·
        3 days ago

        I also support the community ostracizing them and individuals punching them in the face for being Nazis and Klansmen.

      • Professorozone@lemmy.world
        9·
        3 days ago

        Why were you down voted for that? It’s ridiculous. It’s literally a paraphrasing of Thomas Paine saying, “I may not agree with what you say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.” FFS. That IS freedom of speech.

        • Liljekonvalj@feddit.org
          7·
          3 days ago

          Because it’s not that black or white. The Nazis and kkk murder innocent people. They don’t only express themselves, they kill. Its not so simple. Yeah sure, if they don’t act violent trying to fulfill their fantasy- they can express their opinion. But that’s not really what’s going on. Therefore you can’t really compare the two. It’s a naive thing to do, to compare them. Because they are completely different. The Gaza protests are not violent. Hamaz is violent. America created Israel, Israel murders Palestinians. But the protests are peacefull. It’s a very dicy issue, but it’s not the same. The question of freedom of speech is there. Other than that, it’s very different.

            • Darleys_Brew@lemmy.ml
              2·
              2 days ago

              You’re saying right wing (Racist, sexist, homophobic, etc…) speech has as much right to be heard as any other speech. Can you back that up with examples, please?

              • Professorozone@lemmy.world
                2·
                24 hours ago

                I’m supposed to provide examples of horrible speech that has the right to exist? WTF?

                The first amendment DOES have limitations. I think yelling “fire” in a crowded theater is often cited.

                Also platforms can control that speech because they own the platform and can forbid it as part of their terms. And I wish they would.

                If you can’t see that suppressing the speech of people who think opposite of you is exactly what they would do to you, then there’s not much I can say. I can explain it to you, but I can’t understand it for you.

                • Darleys_Brew@lemmy.ml
                  2·
                  17 hours ago

                  Can you elaborate on what you’re trying to say? Cause it really comes across as though you’re saying hate speech has a right to be said as much as any other speech…

                  We don’t have the first amendment, so that doesn’t really feel relevant to me.

      • Charlxmagne@lemmy.world
        5·
        3 days ago

        Inciting violence is not within that criteria, hate black ppl, jews, men, women, muslims or immigrants all you want, you’re just showing the world how much of an ignorant uneducated dickhead you are but groups like the nazis do incite real violence against real people. Some people also manipulate real facts to suit their narrative.

        We need to let people be clowns and treat them as such, laugh at them and if they’re wrong their lies will be debunked. Stopping people from saying something won’t change their mind, it’ll convince them they’re right. And if you can’t argue against the opinion instead of silencing it you were probably wrong.

    • ImADifferentBirdEnglish
      10·
      3 days ago

      This is just the right wing weaponizing accusations of antisemitism even as they, themselves, are antisemitic.

    • ZeffSyde@lemmy.world
      5·
      3 days ago

      Saving people a quick search.

      What is meant by semitic people?

      Semitic describes a group of languages — including Hebrew and Arabic — as well as the people who traditionally speak them. Semitic is rooted in the Biblical name Shem, the son of Noah, who is traditionally thought of as the direct ancestor of the Jews and Arabs.

      • acargitz@lemmy.caOP
        3·
        3 days ago

        “Semites” as a description of a set of people is as much antiquated a terminology as the word “Aryans”. In fact it was Ernest Renan that first made that distinction in the 19th century to specifically frame history as a tension between Semites and Aryans (cf Hannah Arendt). It’s of course just a bunch of scientific racism bollocks. And it is precisely because of that that the term “antisemitism” has always meant hatred of Jews in particular (in the “Jews vs Aryans” sense).

        The only term that persists in the sciences today is the term “semitic languages”, which is basically similar to “indo-european languages”, and which of course has nothing to do with antisemitism.

  • grte@lemmy.ca
    70·
    4 days ago

    Next up, Republicans prepare bill declaring “Black Lives Matter” is racist against white people.

        • ImADifferentBirdEnglish
          7·
          3 days ago

          People who say things like this usually act like black and brown lives don’t matter.

          Which is the crux of the problem.

        • prole
          3·
          3 days ago

          Which is literally the message of “black lives matter.”

          • Vegasvator@lemmy.todayEnglish
            1·
            3 days ago

            Black lives matter means all racial groups lives matter? Wouldn’t that imply all racial groups are black?

            • prole
              1·
              2 days ago

              I know it might be difficult to grasp, but no.

              The point of the slogan is to bring attention to the fact that, in countless ways, black lives are currently treated as if they matter less. On a systemic level. So before you say I’m calling you racist, that’s not what’s happening.

              It might make more sense if you mentally add the word “too” at the end of it. “Black Lives Matter too” is pretty much the gist of it.

              • Vegasvator@lemmy.todayEnglish
                1·
                2 days ago

                So you saying “black lives matter” really means “black lives matter just as much too”. That’s quite the stretch. Black lives matter website says nothing close to your claim.

  • _thebrain_@sh.itjust.works
    41·
    3 days ago

    You would think they would start with an easier one like “heil Hitler” being antisemitic, but they seem perfectly okay with that one.

      • KumaSudosa@feddit.dk
        3·
        3 days ago

        Realistically let’s start with actual control over Gaza and the West Bank and access to, you know, stuff like food, water, medicine, education, and other things considered “human rights” when it’s related to the right people. Abolishing illegal settlements would be welcomed as well.

        Israel should’ve never existed but it does and it will continue to do so.

  • acargitz@lemmy.caOP
    43·
    4 days ago

    Remember kids, this is cheapening the word anti-Semitism and making it more and more meaningless. In the long run, this will hurt Jews. (Who do you think will be blamed by the fascists for US imperial over-extension?)

  • hexdream@lemmy.world
    28·
    4 days ago

    Didn’t Orwell have something to say about redefining words and phrases. Well, even if he didn’t, yikes.

    • Omnifarious@lemmy.worldEnglish
      16·
      4 days ago

      You have been cordially invited to the Ministry of Love good citizen. A black van with blacked-out windows will be arriving soon.

    • prole
      2·
      3 days ago

      He sure did… Controlling language as a means of eventually controlling thought.

      I always thought that part of the book seemed boring and far-fetched in my teens and 20s.

      Boy was I wrong

  • mhague@lemmy.world
    19·
    3 days ago

    Look guys, if the people who go around blaming Jews for trying to replace white people say Free Palestine is antisemitic, who are we to argue? I never knew space lasers could be so Jewish until the authorities on antisemitism enlightened me. Was it not a nutcase conservative who taught you the power of a few parenthesis? They’re the experts here.