My inconvenient Jewish fear | Debra Messing – The Blogs – The Times of Israel

Years ago, I stood on a stage in Ohio, holding a microphone and wearing a campaign button. I had been invited to speak on behalf of a presidential candidate, someone I believed represented the best of what America could be. It wasn’t the first time I’d done that. I’ve campaigned for nearly every Democratic nominee in my adult life. That’s how deeply I believe in the promise of progressive politics. We are taught that movements built on justice always expand. And for most of my life, that’s what I felt. I’ve spoken out, marched, signed petitions, testified before Congress, and shown up for communities facing injustice, violence, and inequity, for people who felt unseen or unsafe. I’ve done it because I believe deeply that we all deserve dignity and protection. For 25 years, no one has questioned my commitment to social justice. But now, when the people being threatened are my own, when I speak out against calls for the extermination of Jews, I am suddenly contemptible. Every post I share on social media, no matter how apolitical, is inundated with hateful comments. It’s devastating. I’ve always known antisemitism existed on the far right. It’s been there in plain sight.
Read More