Yair Wallach

"They"? the entire Jewish population of LA? the USA?

calling anyone "disingenuous" is an ugly thing to say, I don't understand why you follow me if you think I'm a liar

This gets into the question of how useful ethical language is in politics. I generally prefer not to make ethical arguments because I think they already assume common understanding and knowledge about the world which doesn't necessarily exists.

Jewish Groups Are Backing a War Americans Don’t Want And they’re setting up American Jews to take the blame.

PS this thread is following @joshnathankazis.bsky.social piece, and some critical responses to it jewishcurrents.org/jewish-group...

Limor Son Har Melech and her husband Yehuda in their Purim costumes.

Death, occupation, ethnic cleansing, colonisation: this is the Israeli government's version of Zionism and Judaism, 2025. This is Kahanism. This is the hegemonic state ideology in Israel. Only a minority of Israeli Jews pursue it (25-40%) but there's no coherent political alternative.

Limor Son Har Melech and her husband Yehuda in their Purim costumes.

Her husband dressed up as the right wing's political project:
-Occupation (gun)
-Expulsion (airplane that will take Palestinians away)
-Settlement (house)

Limor Son Har Melech and her husband Yehuda in their Purim costumes.

Purim costumes:
MK Limor Son Har Melech, deputy speaker of the Knesset and member of Jewish Power (Ben Gvir's party), dressed up as an executioner, to celebrate the death penalty law her party are pushing (with government support, to apply only to Palestinians).

מניח שזה בגלל שהם הסכימו לדרישת הפנטגון לאפשר להם לבנות סוכני בינה מלאכותית שהורגים בני אדם בלי ביקורת אנושית
להבדיל מאנתרופיק שסרבו ולכן הם עכשיו אויבי האומה האמריקאית

But if you're not convinced by all these, please consider the risks of this going all wrong for the US and becoming an antisemitic rallying cry: the Jews are to blame. This is playing with fire.

8/8

I think people should oppose this war because it's illegal, because it's led by two liars who are trying to solve domestic political problems by launching a war, and because it has no clear goals and strategy.

7/

There's no easy solutions for these questions. But I think it's fair to ask people to consider how their rhetoric and positions could play out and could be hijacked or turned against Jews more generally.

6/

And let's just note that pro-Israel Jewish groups already do this regularly - they accuse Jews critics of Israel that their critique is aiding antisemitism, creating a fertile ground for antisemitism, etc. That while the criticism may not be antisemitic, it plays into the hands of antisemites.

5/

It's an uncomfortable conversation, which could sound like victim blaming. But it was a common and widespread discussion among Jewish circles in the late 19th and early 20th century. They thought Jews had agency and believed "does this help antisemitism or helps to counter it" was a valid one.

4/

Some people would say: well antisemitism is antisemitism, it's always wrong and it's always the antisemite's fault.

But the question is: do Jews have agency here? Can their choices make it easier or harder for antisemites to push their claims? Should that figure into what Jews do?

3/

To state the obvious, such accusations against US Jews would be wrong; it is wrong to blame individuals or groups just based on their ethnicity/religion. Even if some mainstream Jewish organisations take a supportive stance towards the war - which they have.

2/

If the war ends up as a debacle for the US, it is clear that Israel is going to be blamed, and by extension also American Jews, and Jews in general, in a manner surpassing similar accusations regarding the Iraq war. The infrastructure for antisemitism is just far more developed and mainstreamed.

1/

One protestor was arrested, stripped naked and searched. For holding signs.

The target, we are told, was an IRGC base nearby. But they knew there was a school and they knew that children were there.

Which air force is responsible for the Minab attack which killed close to 200 girls? No clear info so far.

Given the location in south east Iran it is likely the US - as Israeli attacks have focussed on western parts of Iran. But either way, we need to know who is responsible for this atrocity.

In the short term, whether it fizzles out or ends with US humiliation, the Islamic Republic likely "wins" this war by simply surviving. Whether it survives the aftermath, or in what form it does, are different questions.

2/

I see three scenarios

1. Coup in Iran, new leadership reaches out to the US - low probability
2. War drags on until oil prices + the markets force the US to end it - most likely
3. Major US casualty event, probably leads to escalation then end of war - probable

1/

The Israeli police brutally dispersed a small anti-war demo yesterday in Tel Aviv.

Nothing makes me feel more middle aged than the spotify app. I can't figure it out. Everything is jumping at me. And I just want to listen to my podcast 😭

Jewish Groups Are Backing a War Americans Don’t Want And they’re setting up American Jews to take the blame.

"American Jews need a united anti-war front that can present a real alternative to the establishment propaganda, and can contest in a forceful way the notion that this is a war American Jews want." from @joshnathankazis.bsky.social

jewishcurrents.org/jewish-group...

Some states do manage to keep their republican spirit and commitment to meritocracy even when under attack.

One of the worst massacres I can remember

A senior Hezbollah official says the recent attacks have left the group with “no option but to return to resistance”.⁠ .⁠ Israel wanted open war, “so let it be an open war”, said Mahmoud Qmati, adding that “the era of patience has ended.”⁠

Not clever. Not. Clever

The strike on Minab was an hour after the first set of strikes. Do you know that it was Israel and not the US? If you have reliable information, please share

So the US asked Israel to launch the attack on Iran [which the two countries planned together], in order to give the US war dubious legal cover. Once Israel attacked, Iran was likely to retaliate against the US, ergo US attack on Iran is defensive. QED.

Suez, the slapstick version.

Given that US public public opinion does not support this war, we are one "major incident" away from this becoming a disaster for Trump. The Iranians seem to be shooting at everything at this point, and it seems that's exactly what they're trying to achieve.