His views have already come a long way, I was more using it as illustrative of communication being a big part of the problem here. He experienced a lot of cruel antisemitism in his life, that makes people see things with blinders on because he is reasonably afraid of history repeating itself.

Sort of a side tangent about definitions. I was always taught, by someone that was previously pro Israel, Zionism is simply the desire of return to the homeland. Which is a very watered down dishonest definition hiding the nationalism of a desire for an ethostate. If someone thinks it means just returning home, then their view of others calling it evil makes it feel like antisemitism, even if it’s not. People can’t communicate because the laymen’s words often get used in 100 different ways that don’t match. I think that’s often one source of miscommunication even among well meaning people. Another is that the anti Israel movement is peppered with actual anti-Semites poisoning the well. I’ve protested against Israel, but as a Jew it can be very uncomfortable, I’ve repeatedly met actual anti-Semites that way. I think these things make it very easy for people dug in to see antisemitism everywhere.

I see that reaction from my father all the time. He’s a lefty, progressive, but talk about Israel and you have to tread very carefully. He hates the Likud and present day genocide, but is suspicious of the motives of a lot of the outside criticism.

The answer to this of you hear someone say this earnestly is: Why would they have a slightly lower GPA? If anything usually when equally qualified candidates go head to head the white person still has a statistical advantage, even with organizations that have DEI in their mission. This would imply people in disadvantaged groups usually have to be more qualified to get hired.

IIRC: He helped close down the poorest school in his city district instead of funding and fixing it. Championed broken windows policing that in part led to things like George Floyd and poor people I know getting massive fines for things like chipped paint on their house, leading to foreclosures and a debtors system with the city. Worked to kick out small businesses in favor of corporate chains. Tried to push poor people into neighboring districts and suburbs. Etc. Nothing he ever put his hands on helped people. I think it was very likely he was being paid under the table by business interests to do this stuff. If not, he is still a royal piece of shit.

When the revolution comes, he’s on the short list of people to punch in the face.

Don Samuels is a corrupt garbage human, it should never have been that close regardless of your view of our Israel policy.