I am a feminist activist and I don’t want our Jewish sisters to be left on the side of the road

On Saturday 25 November I was at the demonstration in Nantes against violence against women. What struck me was the fact that in the speeches we have not a word for the victims of October 7th. Or maybe I heard wrong. May the large pro-Palestinian procession know how to chant the famous slogan with a big smile (and appropriately) “solidarity with women all over the world, in Gaza and Congo, in Sudan and Rojava”.

By apparently excluding the victims of October 7th from the list, the violence of saying is hidden behind this slogan and its sequel “Jewish women are not women. They are not our sisters, we don’t defend them”. I almost left, but I didn’t want this march to be confiscated from me by activists who can’t see beyond their shoes.

We must speak without hesitation about what women in Gaza suffer, but also about the crimes and violence committed by Hamas.

Since its beginning in Paris, I have always experienced this march as a moment of joy in being together with a common voice. There I felt like I was excluded at every step and scolded. What drives me crazy is that no one seemed to react. But what could I do alone? I would have been booed.

Read also: To go or not? These readers justify their choice to participate or not in the march against anti-Semitism

I’m not perfect, but I try to strive for the best

I will never give up supporting a woman who is a victim of violence, whatever it may be. This is intersectionality. I distance myself from those who slide towards anti-Semitism, this is another thing.

I’ve been asked to take my lessons, but why don’t you take your own on something so basic? I don’t understand such a simple thing as defend ALL women victims of violence – the goal of this day – is unattainable.

I have the impression, despite everything, that from Saturday 25 November there is a beginning of awareness. Groping. I saw press releases from feminist organizations organizing the march asking people not to target feminists on this issue. I also received a private message on Twitter from an activist who told me to shut up, that Sandrine Rousseau and Rokhaya Diallo took a stand in favor of this recognition, so “ Okay, let’s stop dividing intersectional feminists“.

But in fact, if we don’t pose the problem we move forward, it has nothing to do with our left-wing movements. There is unease in our movements on Jewish issues and anti-Semitism. Saturday’s march proved this once again. Accusing someone who has had a bad experience of wanting to divide or be exploited is not wanting to see that there is a problem.

Don’t let the far right and racists win

And it undoubtedly makes me angry, but above all Above all it puts me in a state of immense sadness. We feel alone. It also makes me feel like I’m shrinking, becoming a communitarian. I feel like I’ve been going crazy for the last month and a half. Am I being stupid?

Is asking for just a little dignity being a horrible colonialist supporting a far right government? It’s me “exploited” ? Am I right-wing? Not enough left? It’s a stupid thought, but it scares me.

What tires me is also being afraid. I don’t want to be afraid when I go to a demonstration. I ask myself the question of the reasons for this fear. Why should I be afraid to participate in protests or express a position as simple as “every victim counts” ? Is it in my head? The fact that something is finally happening after Saturday’s demonstration tells me that no, I’m not the only one with a problem, it’s not just in my head.

How to explain this reluctance? I think that some feminists are afraid of getting hurt by supporting Jews. For being bad intersectional feminists if they don’t exclusively support Palestine. Social networks also mean exposing yourself to violence and harassment. Activism isn’t always about being very smart. If we are sure of our compass, we support all women victims of violence. In any case, you never please everyone. So you might as well be proud and confident in your values.

There is also the fear on the part of left-wing feminists of being co-opted by the French far-right and the Israeli far-right government. The ties between the French left and the Palestinian people are very strong and even the crimes of October 7th took several weeks to emerge, in the midst of the drama in Gaza. It may have been an imperceptible moment. But it can’t be today anymore after what happened on Saturday.

On the other hand, there is whatwe can simply call it anti-Semitism. I don’t know what else to call it. I’ve had thoughts like this before in my life “no, but the Shoah is fine… You are not the only ones and it is not just the Shoah”. Well, it’s the same thing. Jews are often accused of self-victimization. As Illana Weizman points out in her latest book, anti-Semitism is unique in that Jews are considered superior, while other forms of racism are inferior. Therefore, seeing Jews as victims simply seems impossible in the eyes of some.

I’ve already heard other activists say it too “yes, but if you talk about anti-Semitism it will turn against you”. But then, what should we do? Do we keep our mouths shut and continue to suffer? I don’t want to be silent anymore. Although speaking out and exposing myself publicly through this testimony is not an easy decision to make. In this, Illana Weizman’s book gives me some courage. This is for all the times I didn’t answer.

Today I would like us to have the courage to express our support for the women victims of October 7th. I expect global recognition of everyone’s sentences. We unreservedly support Esther, raped by Hamas, and Hind, who gave birth under rubble and bombs.

Recognize the violence suffered by all women

I want us to discuss, to remember that we have solid foundations that must be intangible and that do not question the humanity of the other. A woman who is a victim of violence must be defended, whoever she is. This is the basis. If we fail to do so, we participate in a history that gives fodder to our enemies: the far right and racists. And incidentally we participate in the anti-Semitic and racist climate.

Anti-Semitism is violent. It’s even more so when it comes to people who should educate themselves on these issues and who sometimes even pat you on the back and tell you they don’t understand what you’re talking about. Move on, nothing to see.

I hope everyone educates themselves a little more as we ask everyone to educate themselves on all other forms of racism as well. We all have to earn it.

I insist on this. We all have something to gain! As Illana Weizman says, being united we can only lift each other up.

I also want to say to feminists: you are abandoning the Jewish community, who finds himself orphaned, rejected or who, in the worst case scenario, ends up in the arms of the right. It’s up to you to choose whether you want to leave divided or divided if you want to create a united bloc against racists and against sexist violencewhich is full of calls for war and war crimes against women.

* The name has been changed.

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