From: garym@mcgath.com   
      
   In 2024 there were a couple of antisemitic incidents connected with   
   fannish awards and conventions. I haven't heard of anything on that   
   scale recently, but it's something to be aware of. I've written a blog   
   post on the issue.   
      
   https://garymcgath.com/antisemitism-in-sff-fandom/   
      
   Here's the content of the post, without links:   
      
      
   In 2024, there were some disturbing actions in science fiction/fantasy   
   fandom against people who are from Israel or support its existence. I’ve   
   blogged about some of them before. Vancouver Comics Arts Festival banned   
   an artist for being Israeli. A statement by the convention berated the   
   earlier organizers for their “ignorance” in inviting someone who had   
   served in Israel’s armed forces in the early 2000s. The CRIT awards put   
   a blanket exclusion on nominating anyone who supports Zionism (i.e.,   
   supports the existence of a Jewish state). Both sets of bigots got   
   slapped down and are now being less public, but they’ve shown that the   
   problem exists in fandom.   
      
   I’m not Jewish, but I’m part of northeastern filk fandom, which has a   
   heavy Jewish component. Till recently, I was the only non-Jewish officer   
   of MASSFILC, and at one point I was the token goy on a con committee.   
   I’m aware of the issues. There have been online discussions by Jewish   
   fans about the hostility they’ve experienced.   
      
   Clear lines are important. It isn’t antisemitism to criticize Israel’s   
   conduct in Gaza or even to think establishing the modern nation of   
   Israel was a bad idea. But it is to ban people for being Israeli or   
   supporting Israel’s existence, especially when that’s the only category   
   that’s banned.   
      
   How much of this is happening? I haven’t found other documented   
   incidents besides those two, but I’m inclined to think that where there   
   are two that have gotten attention, more must be hiding out of view. The   
   Vancouver event banned the artist because of “activists protesting the   
   individual’s presence in a manner that caused concern for the safety of   
   our volunteers, staff, and exhibitors.” Banning people “for their   
   protection” is disgusting, but it tells us that other people were acting   
   dangerously. Or maybe that the organizers invented a threat where there   
   wasn’t one; that happens too. I’ve run into a claim that Tel Aviv is in   
   “occupied Palestine,” in the context of a Worldcon bid, since withdrawn,   
   for that city. (Hebrews or Judaeans or whatever they were called at   
   different times have lived in that area continuously since a rather   
   large number BC.)   
      
   The parts of fandom I’ve involved in skew toward older people who are   
   well read, and the antisemitism seems to come more from younger fan   
   groups. Antisemitism has lately been increasing in younger demographic   
   groups. A lot of people in that demographic also like to call anyone   
   they disagree with a “Nazi.” Make whatever sense you can of that.   
      
   I’m not advocating panic, but in fandom we need to recognize bigotry   
   when we see it and call it out.   
   --   
   Gary McGath    http://www.mcgath.com   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)