tokenizing | #TranslateHate
tokenizing
theme \ ˈtō-kə-ˌnī-ziŋ \
: symbolically including a representative of a minority group or groups to give the appearance of inclusivity
WHEN IT’S ANTISEMITIC:
Tokenizing occurs when a small number of unrepresentative Jewish voices are portrayed as speaking for the entire Jewish community. Despite the fact that more than 80% of American Jews agree that “caring about Israel is an essential or important part of what being Jewish means to them,” in many progressive circles, the only Jewish voices allowed to participate are anti-Zionists, the small fraction of Jews who actively opposes the continued existence and safety of Israel.
Another example of tokenizing is only allowing “token,” “non-white” Jews to speak about antisemitism and denying that “white-passing” or “white-identifying” Jews can be victims of discrimination (see gaslighting).
litmus test
A litmus test is an evaluation in which a single factor is decisive. A growing number of social justice groups have made vocal opposition to the State of Israel a litmus test, especially for Jews, who are presumed to have suspect views on Israel. This poses a painful dilemma for many progressive Jews who are supporters of progressive politics and causes, but also, like the vast majority of American Jews, are supportive of the existence of the State of Israel. They must compromise their own sense of Jewish identity in order to gain acceptance into progressive circles. These tests additionally put Jews who have multilayered racial and ethnic backgrounds or are members of the LGBTQ communities, amongst other groups, from feeling they can be both fully Jewish and also part of these communities.
Other anti-Zionist Jewish groups, such as Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), pass the “litmus test” and therefore appear to represent the Jewish community in these spaces. By only allowing some Jewish voices to participate in causes and speak about their experiences, far-left progressives inappropriately create a good Jew-bad Jew dichotomy. The “good” Jew is meant to represent progressive values and embrace the anti-Zionist discourse, while the “bad” Jew expresses support for Israel. In addition, these actions oversimplify the nuances of the discussion; being pro-Israel does not mean the rejection of liberal sociocultural values or pro-Palestinian rights.
In all, this behavior forces many Jews to hide or change parts of their identity to be able to share or participate in many progressive movements. This is not only inappropriate, but it is also a disservice to those causes.
