Since October 7th, so many people in my community have felt deeply betrayed by parts of the political left. We have seen prominent voices such as Hasan Piker deny that atrocities like rape even happened and excuse or minimize acts of terror. For what it is worth, I even voted for him in a poll as “Antisemite of the Year,” because unlike someone like Candace Parker, whose antisemitism is blatant and easy to call out, his is subtle, palatable, and therefore far more contagious.
The rise in antisemitism is undeniable. Every Jewish person I know, both online and offline feels afraid in a way I have never seen before. What makes that fear even deeper is the sense of betrayal. Many Jews, myself included, have always leaned left. We have supported civil rights and stood shoulder to shoulder with marginalized communities. I have even defended people in debates when others questioned their right to exist, whether that was about trans rights or other issues. But when it came to Jews being murdered, threatened, and terrorized, far too many of those same people went silent. Or worse, they cheered.
We are such a small community. And yet in the middle of all that, Contrapoints/Natalie chose not to ignore us. She could have easily stayed quiet like so many others. Instead of repeating what people pressured her to say, she spoke with reason, nuance, and compassion. That took courage. That showed true strength of character.
Let me be clear. I am not a blind supporter of Israel. Israel is not innocent in all of this. But what we are talking about here, the hatred, the dehumanization, the rhetoric, goes far beyond criticism of a government. It is hatred toward Jews. Plain and simple.
I have enjoyed Natalie’s content for years and I feel proud that I have. I wish she did not face attacks for calling out clear and obvious hatred of Jews. Honestly, I would not have blamed her if she had chosen to look the other way. This is her career. This is her livelihood. But she did not. And that matters.