My Jewish friend
objects to the word “occupation."
“It’s antisemitic,” she says.
I ask Google,
"What does antisemitism mean?"
It answers:
Discrimination against Jews.
So, now I ask:
“Why is it so hard to criticize Israel then?”

Israel is a country run by a government.
Judaism is a religion.
I embrace all religions.
The entity that is killing my loved ones,
expelled my ancestors,
prevents me from traveling
to visit my homeland or even to study,
is that Judaism or Israel?

And by the way,
when it kicks me out of my home
and lives there instead,
that is occupation.
You say you don’t like that word?
If you break international law
and nothing changes,
how can you be upset
when I call it what it is?