Yesterday, I received a bit of flack from some people for my post on new Daily Show host Trevor Noah, in which I called him out for his ostensibly anti-Israel views, as well as pointing out some of his “anti-Jewish” tweets.
The main arguments were along the lines of:
“Were the jokes in poor taste? Sure, but he is an equal opportunity offender and they do not make him anti-Israel or antisemitic.”
“You are being such a paranoid Jew! He should not be judged on one tweet and photo.”
“Piling on him like that does not help, and hating on him may lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy and cause him to hate Israel and Jews. Reach out to him instead.”
As usual, I am open to the opinions of others especially when put forward in a respectful way.
Regarding the first argument, you will note my opinion of him not being a fan of Israel (to say the least) was predicated not just by a “joke” tweet in which he basically characterized us as war-mongers, but by an Instagram photo and caption not meant as a joke.
In case you opine he merely posted what he saw without expressing any views on the matter, I posit this, along with the tweet, create the presumption he is anti-Israel. Furthermore, many of the comments to the photo thank him for his support of “Palestine”, and he certainly doesn’t respond to clarify he was not taking a position.
I personally did not dwell on the “Jewish” tweets, but they are certainly troubling – even if meant purely as jokes – and certainly more so given his ostensible opposition to Israel.
Regarding argument two, am I a “paranoid Jew”? I do not think so. I am not one to cry antisemite at the drop of a hat. If it quacks like a duck, I prefer to see it as a duck, rather than be an emu myself, with my head in the sand. Especially when the duck has a large following of others, ready to cross the road with him.
As for the last argument, that is a legitimate tactic. My personal approach was to quickly call him out on the anti-Israel things, more for the benefit of those who may otherwise hang off his every word, and perhaps get him to understand the impact of his words. If others want to reach out to him, go for it. If someone is fickle enough to “become anti-Jewish or anti-Israel” because of criticism, so be it.
