Rantz: Seattle has an antisemitism problem. It’s not surprising

Progressive and Socialist Seattle spoke up after terrorist organization Hamas invaded Israel to rape, kidnap, and murder innocent civilians, including children and the elderly. Unsurprisingly, they sided with Hamas.

Seattle and the greater Puget Sound have long had a problem with antisemitism, but only Jews felt comfortable saying anything. Media members mostly stay away unless they can tie it to white supremacy; then, suddenly, they care about Jews. Politicians won’t get involved because they either share the Radical Left’s viewpoint or are too scared to slight those who hate Jews.

If you call out antisemitism as it relates to Israel, the antisemites will gaslight and browbeat you by pretending they only criticize governmental policy. This claim is sometimes half-true. They hope you don’t notice they only criticize policies encouraging Israel’s defense and existence.

More from Jason Rantz: Kirkland Hamas rally celebrated terrorist attacks against Israel

Anti-Semitism everywhere

The Seattle Democrat Socialists of America chapter promoted a Jew-hating event in Kirkland on Sunday afternoon. They called for the destruction of Israel, chanting, “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “long live the intifada.” Local media coverage outside of KTTH did not mention that.

Socialist city councilwoman Kshama Sawant represents Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. She doesn’t view Hamas as a terrorist organization and argues against the U.S. providing aid to Israel. Along with the Seattle LGBTQ Commission, Sawant used taxpayer dollars to screen an antisemitic documentary accusing Israel of “pinkwashing,” a term that claims Israel only supports LGBT rights in order to hide human rights abuses against Gazans. They ignored the fact that every member of the Commission would be tossed from rooftops should they step foot in Gaza.

Seattle congresswoman and grandmother to the Squad Pramila Jayapal is notoriously antisemitic, most recently calling Israel a “racist state” (a common claim from anti-Semites). But she also voted against condemning the Boycott Divest Sanction (BDS) movement, which blames Israel for every problem in the Middle East, and she routinely partners with the anti-Semitic caucus of Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar.

Comfortable to be antisemitic

There’s something about the culture of western Washington that allows hate mongers to feel comfortable celebrating Jewish murder and rape. Locals feel more comfortable expressing their horrific views.

Real Change News extremist Guy Oron referred to Hamas terrorists as “Palestinian resistance fighters.” He said he hopes that the murderers and rapists “will inspire more empathy to the plight of Palestinians who have lived under constant terror and occupation for the last 75 years. Today is a natural consequence of continued oppression — people will always fight back.” He offered his “hope that all the blood that is spilled today will not be in vain.”

Far-left activist Genette Cordova, the Director for Advocacy at No More Under, compared Hamas terrorists raping rave-goers next to the dead bodies of their friends to slaves fighting slave owners.

University of Washington club Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return (SUPER UW) posted aggressively pro-Hamas messages on its Facebook page celebrating the terrorist attack from “resistance fighters.” It condemns UW for “inviting zionist academics to speak on campus” and offering study abroad opportunities in Israel.

You can only feel comfortable posting something like this in an area that embraces anti-Semitism.

I hope that the attack by Palestinian resistance fighters will inspire more empathy to the plight of Palestinians who have lived under constant terror and occupation for the last 75 years. Today is a natural consequence of continued oppression — people will always fight back.

— Guy Oron (@GuyOron) October 7, 2023

Normalizing Jewish hate

King County Office of Law Enforcement Oversight director Tamer Abouzeid spent the weekend posting messages (his own and others) justifying the terrorist attacks. He was appointed to his position by the King County Council.

All but one council member ignored requests for comment.

After saying she’d get back to me, Claudia Balducci cowardly went silent. Sarah Perry read my messages but ignored them. Dave Upthegrove was likely working to protect him, as he’s done in the past, hoping the media wouldn’t pick up the story. He’s probably right.

The only local leader to speak out is Reagan Dunn. He did the right thing and called for Abouzeid’s resignation.

NEW: Tamer Abouzeid (@TamerLikeHammer) is an appointed King County director who spent the weekend siding with terrorist organization Hamas. It's not the first time.

As children and women were murdered, raped, and/or kidnapped, he was reposting Hamas-sympathizers and his own…

— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) October 9, 2023

Disinterest permeates

If it’s not blatant antisemitism, it’s general disinterest to the plight of Jews.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell was quick to support Ukraine, publicly commenting on the day Russia invaded. He and his team couldn’t muster the energy to offer any comment on Israel. Instead, Harrell reposted a statement from the group U.S. Mayors. His office said that he signed onto the statement, but that implies he had something to do with it being drafted. It’s attributed to three mayors of other cities who actually wrote the statement. Harrell’s office is just saying he agrees with it but wouldn’t explain why his office couldn’t put out a statement like it did with Ukraine or any other cause that wouldn’t upset the progressive base. Remember that the next time he claims to care about the Jewish community (so long as they’ll vote for him).

Other local and statewide leaders were silent about the terrorist attack. That was a 180 from their reaction to Russia invading Ukraine. They don’t want to upset their anti-Semitic Progressive base, and, to them, condemning terrorism they support is controversial.

More from Jason Rantz: Resignation calls after director defends terrorism against Israel

Explaining the hate

It seems hard to believe anyone would side with Hamas, given their barbaric crimes against civilians. Yet, plenty of locals are lining up to say they stand with “Palestine,” which doesn’t actually exist. What they’re telling you is that they don’t think Israel exists because Jews are on stolen land.

Of course, that position is historically ignorant, but given these activists are predominantly socialist, we can’t expect too much from them. But it does help to understand why these activists will side with terrorism: they love an occupiers/occupied narrative.

They hate Israel and as much as they hate the United States. They see Jews as privileged and powerful and Palestinians as oppressed. It doesn’t matter that Hamas hates women and the entire LGBT community. That they’re fighting powerful Israel (and it’s capitalist system) that excites them. When these people see Jews, they see oppressors — which explains why they hate us so much.

Radical Progressives get away with their hate because they represent a large piece of the base that Democrat lawmakers need to placate in order to get their vote or, at the least, prevent from organizing against their campaigns. They used the same strategy when dealing with Antifa violence they pretended wasn’t happening. Appeasing violent, bigoted, hate mongers is, of course, immoral but it keeps Democrats in power.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3-7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Check back frequently for more news and analysis.

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