Below is Yuli Edelstein, Knesset speaker, prisoner of Zion who spent years in the gulag (repressive labor camps where millions died), celebrating Sigd with the Ethiopian Jewish community.

Both Ethiopian & Russian Jews faced immense persecution quite recently. Today they are free https://twitter.com/YuliEdelstein/status/1198563576644034560

There's a lot to criticize about Israel & both Russian & Ethiopian Jews have a lot to criticize.

But this state was built as a refuge. For millions of persecuted Jews, from Morocco to Uzbekistan and from Ukraine to Ethiopia, who had no where else to go, Israel opened its doors.

Why do I bring them up? Because while some criticism of Israel's policies is thoughtful and grounded in ending the occupation & advancing two states, much of what passes for criticism is context-free animus, with no grounding in even very recent history.

Those who despise Israel don't need to know about centuries of ghettoes, expulsions, pogroms, forced conversions, second class or no class status, or forced assimilation.

(though it would be nice if you did take some time to learn!)

You just need to know that as recently as the 1990s, Jews from the Former Soviet Union and Ethiopia still suffered persecution *because they were Jews* and still needed a home.

Do you really believe the politics of our world has changed for the better since the 90s?

Criticize Israeli policies. Rally for change. Believe me, a lot of Jews are right there with you.

But ground the bad with the good.