June 17, 2023
We have become unwitting pawns in a conflict between rival intactivist factions. Last month an intactivist blog reported that Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon, founder of the anti-circumcision group Bruchim, had once promoted the Antisemitism in Intactivism page, which the author claimed is affiliated with Circumcision Choice.
The Conte News author made several statements about Circumcision Choice. He began by calling us a "pro-circumcision anti-intactivist organization." This label is half true, half false. Circumcision Choice is pro parents choice. We support a parent's decision whether she chooses to circumcise or not to circumcise her infant son. We are certainly against intactivism, a movement that is overwhelmingly based on dishonesty, hysteria, and malice.
He stated that "Circumcision Choice has engaged in counter-protests against intactivist events, published critical articles targeting prominent intactivist figures and concepts, and faced allegations of harassment." The first two statements are undeniably true. Circumcision Choice team members have confronted the Blood Stained Men or held counter-protests in San Francisco (2016), Chicago (2017), Austin (2018), New York City (2018), Orlando (2018), Salt Lake City (2019), Bowling Green KY (2019), and Philadelphia (2021). We have published several fact-based articles that offer critical analysis of intactivist claims and individuals associated with the movement.
Intactivists have also accused Circumcision Choice of harassment, but this complaint has no merit. Examples of the alleged harassment include (1) responses by Circumcision Choice fans when intactivists attack us on our Facebook page, (2) donations our administrators made to the AAP and ACLU in honor of intactivists, and (3) the aforementioned fact-based articles about intactivists, who appear to believe that they should be above criticism.
Conte News falsely claimed that Circumcision Choice is affiliated with Antisemitism in Intactivism. While we have a great deal of respect for that Facebook page, Circumcision Choice has no affiliation or connection to that page. None of our administrators is involved with Antisemitism in Intactivism, and none of their administrators is involved with our Facebook page or this website. While we would welcome Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon promoting Circumcision Choice, his link to Antisemitism in Intactivism doesn't accomplish that purpose.
Regarding Ungar-Sargon, we agree with his assessment that the intactivist movement is infected with antisemitism. However we disagree with his views about the circumcision procedure, and we fervently oppose his ultimate goal to criminalize infant circumcision.
The author claims that Circumcision Choice "targeted" filmmaker Brendon Marotta after he posted, "Jewish men have the right to share their feelings against circumcision." Apparently Conte News believes that a comment with mild sarcasm constitutes "targeting." We previously addressed this accusation in our post "Marotta misleads and goysplains in classic case of projection." Neither goy nor goysplaining is a racial slur. The author cited our post, claiming that we "double downed" - but failed to provide any contrary argument or information to refute our post. Merely repeating an accusation doesn't constitute a refutation.
The author wrote that "Circumcision Choice has favorably cited 'hit pieces' against Marotta by Bruchim and other intactivist organizations fighting against the antisemitism in the movement." The author cited his own post that criticized Ungar-Sargon for a 2022 post in which the Bruchim founder called Marotta a "racial separatist." Apparently Conte News considers valid criticism of the intactivist movement a "hit piece" - even when offered by other intactivists.
Of further note, the author previously defended Marotta against Ungar-Sargon's accusation that the filmmaker was a racial separatist because he had appeared on Stefan Molyneux's podcast. The author expressed skepticism that Molyneux is a “Eugenicist and White Nationalist" - despite the fact that Molyneux has been permanently banned from YouTube, Twitter, and PayPal for promoting racism, misogyny, antisemitism, and white supremacy conspiracy theories.