Representative Andy Levin (D-Mich.) said during a February 1 webinar that anti-Semitism can’t be truly beaten until “Palestinian human rights are respected.”
Haaretz reported that Levin, who is Jewish, was speaking on a webinar hosted by the progressive Jewish group IfNotNow titled “How Should Biden Fight Antisemitism.” Levin said that he has been calling for the United States to combat the Israeli occupation of the Palestinians, comparing it to how minority rights have been constantly infringed upon in Myanmar. According to the BBC, thousands of the Rohingya Muslims have been killed since 2010; Mymanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has denied that the Myanmar military has committed genocide against the Rohingya.
“Injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere,” Levin said. “Unless Palestinian human rights are respected, we cannot fight antisemitism.”
Liora Rez, director of Stop Antisemitism.org, denounced Levin’s remarks in a statement to the Journal. “Neo nazis and radical Islamists quite frequently hold Jews in America responsible for the Israel/Palestinian conflict,” she said. “For a sitting U.S. Congressman to mirror this horrific rhetoric does nothing but feed the Jew hating machine. Andy Levin should be ashamed of himself!”
Other Jewish Twitter users criticized Levin’s comments.
“Jews around the world get violently murdered, harassed, and attacked because a two state solution was rejected by the Palestinian leaders from time immemorial?” a Twitter user with the pseudonym Claire tweeted. “Would @RepAndyLevin please contact the families of these victims to let them know that’s why they lost loved ones?”
Jews around the world get violently murdered, harassed, and attacked because a two state solution was rejected by the Palestinian leaders from time immemorial?
Would @RepAndyLevin please contact the families of these victims to let them know that's why they lost loved ones? pic.twitter.com/ULNbirS8b9— Claire (@Claire_V0ltaire) February 3, 2021
Blake Flayton, an avowed progressive Zionist student at George Washington University, similarly tweeted: “The manic and irrational hatred of the Jewish people, what we call antisemitism, has nothing to do with the behavior of Jews. @RepAndyLevin seems to be arguing that antisemitism would be mitigated if only those darn Jews acted better. He’s dangerously wrong.”
Um. No, Congressman. The manic and irrational hatred of the Jewish people, what we call antisemitism, has nothing to do with the behavior of Jews. @RepAndyLevin seems to be arguing that antisemitism would be mitigated if only those darn Jews acted better. He’s dangerously wrong. pic.twitter.com/ckSVqbSaKc
— Blake Flayton (@blakeflayton) February 3, 2021
IfNotNow, on the other hand, hailed Levin as a progressive champion against anti-Semitism, tweeting that Levin “sees our struggles as connected and wants @POTUS to appoint a Special Envoy who recognizes the threat of the far-right.”
We need progressive champions to fight antisemitism in Congress.
It's clear that we have one in @RepAndyLevin — someone who sees our struggles as connected and wants @POTUS to appoint a Special Envoy who recognizes the threat of the far-right. https://t.co/r9cpZZQSsr
— IfNotNow🔥 (@IfNotNowOrg) February 3, 2021
