Progressive except for Palestine is a lie

Progressive except for Palestine or PEP is a well known phenomenon. Sufferers of PEP are often champions of human rights in all areas except for one. They are on the side of Blacks, immigrants, gays, and even Muslims (as long as they aren't Palestinian). They fight for equal rights in Darfur, Tibet, on Native American reservations, and in our inner cities. Just don't ask them about the people that have suffered through 60 years of Israeli occupation. That's where their love of humanity runs out.

Trump is experimenting with another type of cognitive dissonance, encouraging racism in his white Christian base, while exempting Jewish people from that toxic mix of emerging hatred. Racist except for Jews, or REJ. The more our president stirs up his fascist base, the more they turn to vandalizing Jewish cemeteries and threatening to blow up synagogues. But that's OK, because he reminds the nation that he is the "least antisemitic person" that the world has ever seen. Let's hope that the alt right movement, Trump's power base, is listening.

The problem is that one can't be for human rights for some people and not for others. Trump, for all his promises and Jewish son-in-law, won the election by appealing to white Christian bigots. He is their man in the White House now, and the gloves are off for anyone different: Blacks, gays, Latinos, Asians, Muslims, and yes, Jews. 

Progressive except for Palestine is a lie. Racist except for Jews is too.   


Fred Nagel