Protest Israel, Not Judaism
My claim: Jews are mostly smart and humane. They will find their way to the right position except insofar as advocates tell them to f*ck off.
The chief form of f*ck off is conflating Jewry with Israel, or with Zionism, thus implicitly with the massacre in Gaza and the routine atrocities on the West Bank. That of course is precisely the project of the Israeli government. Zionism used to be diverse, mostly before I was born, sad to say. Now it isn't; it's mostly bad. In fact, it is not even predominantly Jewish.
There is no Jewish lobby. There is an Israel lobby, and AIPAC is its pinnacle. AIPAC delenda est.
Our ham-handed comrades have trouble avoiding references to Judaism when protesting Israel, but as above, that they are the same thing must not be conceded. In a similar vein, references to “Zionists” can slide into allusions to Jews in general and be disturbing. We are concerned with the actions of a state, or really all the states including the U.S. that enable Israel and its depredations, not simply with an ideology.
I've always been uncomfortable about protests at peoples' private residences. Way back, protesters put a giant condom over Jesse Helms's house. That's when it may have started. In general we protest what individuals do in their work, not in their families. Once again, it blurs the distinction between the target's supporting Israel and his or her Jewish family. Rather than exclusively protesting around places and people that can be identified as Jewish, stay on Israel. Maybe mix it up by hitting some Christian Zionist church, or a defense contractor.
The anti-war movement is advancing, but it needs some tuning up.
American non-orthodox Jewish identity hinges on the Shoah, Israel, and properly embalmed fish. The Shoah is receding with time, and kids these days don't like pickled herring. So there isn't much left other than Israel. Which means very complicated feelings for any Jew near the left end of the spectrum.
The best metaphor I've heard is that of the drunken racist uncle. But he does a great job of reading the Hagaddah on Passover, and nobody else can do it right. He has done kindnesses in his time, before the booze. He goes to Seder, right? He's still family, isn't he?
It's terrible.