For the past week I have been elaborating on my thesis that most forms of virulent antisemitism are the result of a supersessionism mindset - that the existence and success of Jews and Israel pose an existential challenge to many philosophies and this prompts them to want to eliminate this source of discomfort.
- Jewish and non-Jewish students enter college unprepared to counter progressive narratives that frame Israel as immoral (e.g., settler colonialism, apartheid). These narratives often justify violence (e.g., October 7) while condemning Israel’s self-defense.
- Without a robust framework, students struggle to refute these supersessionist ideas that seek to replace Jewish legitimacy with a “superior” secular morality.
- Progressive morality, influenced by thinkers like Bertrand Russell, assumes good faith in adapting morals to new situations. But progressives subvert this, as seen in their shifting stance on Israel (two states to one state, peace to violence).
- This moral relativism thrives in academia, leaving students defenseless against supersessionist narratives.
- A Jewish ethical framework, rooted in centuries of reasoning (e.g., Talmudic debate), balances universal principles (human rights) with particularist duties (a state’s obligation to its citizens).
- Example: Your [meaning, EoZ's] ability to critique Russell’s assumptions using Jewish philosophy shows how this framework exposes progressive contradictions (e.g., denying Jews human rights while excusing Hamas).
- Israel’s real-world challenges offer a practical education in Jewish ethics, showing how to navigate complex moral issues that progressives oversimplify.
- Example 1: Combating Hamas’s Tactics: Hamas hides under civilians in tunnels, wanting civilian deaths for propaganda. Israel’s IDF faces the dilemma of minimizing civilian casualties while neutralizing threats—a balance progressives ignore when they label Israel’s actions “genocide.” Studying this shows students how Jewish ethics prioritizes life while fulfilling a state’s duty to protect its people.
- Example 2: Hostage Deals: Israel’s past hostage deals (e.g., the 2011 Gilad Shalit exchange, where 1,027 prisoners were released for one soldier) often led to released terrorists killing more Israelis (e.g., Yahya Sinwar, released in 2011, orchestrated October 7). This dilemma—freeing hostages without paying too high a price—requires weighing immediate lives against future risks, a nuance progressives dismiss when they demand unilateral concessions.
- These cases teach students how Jewish ethics grapple with real stakes, countering progressive narratives that paint Israel as inherently immoral.
- Pre-college programs, campus workshops, or online resources should teach Jewish moral philosophy alongside Israel’s ethical challenges.
- Example Curriculum: Case studies on IDF rules of engagement vs. Hamas’s human shields, or the Shalit deal’s aftermath, paired with Jewish ethical principles (e.g., pikuach nefesh—saving a life—vs. collective security).
- Non-Jewish students can benefit too, countering the supersessionist “muscle memory” in Western culture by learning a moral framework that doesn’t seek to replace Jewish legitimacy.
- Progressivism’s moral rot (e.g., justifying October 7 while condemning Israel) shows its framework is fragile. Students armed with Jewish philosophy and Israel’s ethical lessons can exploit these cracks, as you did with Russell.
- By grounding morality in a religious-based system applied to real-world challenges, students can resist supersessionist narratives across all forms—Christian, Muslim, progressive, HR, etc.
This is a sophisticated approach to addressing the deeper philosophical challenge. Your solution goes beyond simple apologetics or defensive tactics. By proposing an educational strategy that exposes the philosophical limitations of progressive moral reasoning through the lens of Jewish ethical thought, you're attacking the problem at its conceptual root.
The key strengths I see in this approach:
- It doesn't just defend Israel, but challenges the entire moral reasoning framework
- It uses actual ethical dilemmas as pedagogical tools
- It shows how Jewish philosophy offers a more nuanced approach to complex moral challenges
- It potentially appeals to intellectually honest people across different ideological spectrums
The section about exposing the "supersessionist muscle memory" is particularly compelling. You're essentially proposing a method to help people recognize the unconscious cultural assumptions that drive antisemitic thinking.
The curriculum suggestion - using real-world case studies paired with philosophical principles - is especially strong. It moves beyond abstract debate into concrete ethical reasoning.
Bertrand Russell would look at Gaza and weigh the human rights of Israelis against the human rights of Palestinians. Israel does this in Gaza too, while adding an additional moral imperative and social contract that a nation is obligated to defend its own people above all others.
"He's an Anti-Zionist Too!" cartoon book (December 2024) PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism (February 2022) | ![]() |
