Re: The New Anti-Semitism
- From: "princeandy" <andy@xxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2006 10:48:50 GMT
"Visual Purple" <DoreenDotan@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1143019261.613647.314740@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I found this on a message board and would like to share it with others:
The charge of new anti-Semitism is primarily applied to groups on the
Left, and is described as drawing its vocabulary and arguments from an
opposition to Zionism and to the state of Israel. Gerry Gable,
publisher of the anti-fascist Searchlight magazine has said that "a lot
of anti-semitism is driven by the left. There are elements who take up
a position on Israel and Palestine which in reality puts them in league
with anti-Semites.
So the point is that semites/jews are heavily involved with the right wing,
and are deiven by the right consisting of zionists and Israelis, who
naturally enough support Israel and zionists.
No you are saying dont oppose zionists and their nefarious plans against
America and for Israel because the Jews/zionists will then say you are an
anti semite.
They might even get real nasty and say you are not a semite you are a stupid
loyal American, or Englishman or Australian etc.
And we have labelled anyone who is with us right wing, see now you do not
have to have any nasty rightwing beliefs, you just join us
Jews/zionists/Israelis.
So anyone with different ideas that used to be right wing policies, or with
their loyalties wrongly directed to their country of residence is now left.
It's becoming more pervasive. A lot of hatred is
being built up by people who really should know better."
Proponents of this model argue that anti-Zionism may function as a
proxy for traditional anti-Semitism, thereby allowing anti-Semites to
espouse a socially acceptable opposition to the Israeli state and its
ideology, rather than a socially unacceptable religious or ethnic
hatred.
So for the sake of the 6m, the people you have been used to listening to
without question, whatever a Jewish academic said since Einstein taken as
gospel.
Dont join the left. Stay with the rightwing as that is where you will find
the people you want to follow, the jews/zionists/Israelis.
Proponents further argue that some grievances against Israel,
stemming from the Arab-Israeli conflict, have become anti-Semitic in
character and are manifested by hostility toward Jews in general. As
Daniel Lazare has commented, in a paraphrase of August Bebel:
"Anti-Semitism is the anti-Zionism of fools..."
You are also a fool if you do not fall back in line and follow your betters
the jewish/zionist/Israeli alliance.
Britain's Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks expressed this view when he argued
that "the new antisemitism - and it is new - is a global phenomenon
conveyed by Internet, e-mail, television and video, and we do not yet
know how the new communications media will affect its spread. ...
Of course it has nothing to do with the mistaken idea that the masses in the
western democracies have brains enough to figure that they are beibg
shortchanged for the benefit of Jews/zionists/Israelis.
They certainly have not the brains to realize that nazi Israel is a deadly
drain on their resources and a great danger to their freedoms.
So one can only put it down to anti semitism. Yo cannot possibly think it is
a judgement of jewish/zionist/israeli actions as we have established the
control that absolutely forbids any discussion about their betters the
jews/zionists/israeli on pain of jail, ostracism, ridicule and even possibly
non acceptance as a human being by jews/zionists/israelis which is the next
thing to God.
It is
coming simultaneously from three different directions: first, a
radicalized Islamist youth inflamed by extremist rhetoric; second, a
left-wing anti-American cognitive élite with strong representation in
the European media; third, a resurgent far right, as anti-Muslim as it
is anti-Jewish.
In The Case for Israel, Alan Dershowitz describes a definition of
anti-Semitism as "taking a trait or an action that is widespread, if
not universal, and blaming only the Jews for it.
Of course the Pallies are to blame for moving and living in Palestine while
the Jews were away in another of their unsucvcessful land grabs in Europe.
That is what H!tler
and Stalin did, and that is what former Harvard University president A.
Lawrence Lowell did in the 1920s when he tried to limit the number of
Jews admitted to Harvard because 'Jews cheat.'
Well wonder what you call using a huge exaggeration of WWII casualaties for
sympathy and monetary gain, threatening any person that discusses your
failings and self centred addiction to everything going to your group to the
detriment and expense of all the others.
So does the below make you good Americans or trustworthy citizens? We hav
all had our moment of rotten untrue accusations, but because the Irish were
not rtreated right at some time do they use that to acheive special
priveleges and compensation only for their group.
Most of the population goes on with life trying their best to get along with
their neighbours and loyalty to their country of residence.
You are whingeing and whining when you no longer have cause to even bring up
these matters except as history and try to use them to prove some non
existence bias as the problem is that the rest of us are tired of
contributing to the best of everything for Jews/zionists/israelis while we
struggle along in an impoverished country , missing ogn services, schools,
homes for vets, mentally ill just to ensure your group is not felling that
there might be some dislike for the ideas you are trying to push down our
collective throats.
When a distinguished
alumnus objected on the grounds that non-Jews also cheat, Lowell
replied, 'You're changing the subject. I'm talking about Jews.' So,
too, when those who single out only the Jewish nation for criticism are
asked why they don't criticize Israel's enemies, they respond, 'You're
changing the subject. We're talking about Israel.'"
That attacks on Israel may serve as a cover for anti-Semitism
NO!!! THE ATTACKS ON ANTISEMITISM SERVE AS A COVER UP FOR ISRAEL, USE OF OUR
ARMED FORCES TO FURTHER JEWISH/ZIONIST/ISRAELI AMBITIONS FOR MORE QUITE
UNDESERVED LAND LAND AND MORE LAND. NOT TO MENTION OIL AND OIL REVENUES.
has been
accepted by official governmental bodies in Europe and the United
States. For example, in 2005, the European Monitoring Centre on Racism
and Xenophobia (EUMC), part of the Council of Europe, tried to define
more clearly the relationship between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism as
part of a general effort to track anti-Semitism. The EUMC developed a
working definition of anti-Semitism that defined ways in which
attacking Israel or Zionism could be anti-Semitic, the definition
states:
"Examples of the ways in which anti-Semitism manifests itself with
regard to the State of Israel taking into account the overall context
could include:
Denying the Jewish people right to self-determination, e.g. by claiming
that the existence of a state of Israel is a racist endeavor.
OF COURSE IF IT IS SEEN TO QUITE CLEARLY BE A RACIST ENDEAVOUR, THEN THIS
WHOLE FAL DE ROL IS CLEARLY CLAIMING ANTI SEMITISM TO DIVERT ATTENTION FROM
A RACIST NAZI ISRAELI GOVERNMENT. NOT TO MENTION THE CONSTANT PRESSURE OF
ANY JEW/ZIONIST/iSRAELI TO USE WHATEVER INFLUENCE THEY HAVE IN WESTERN
DEMOCTRACIES ONLY TO SKEW POLICY FOR THEMSELVES AT THE COST OF DEPRIVING THE
REST OF THE COUNTRY AND THEIR COUNTRYMEN OF ANY ADVANTAGES THEY SHOULD BE
ENJOYING IN THE RICHEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.
Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or
demanded of any other democratic nation.
Using the symbols and images associated with classic anti-Semitism
(e.g. claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize
Israel or Israelis.
Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the
Naz!s.
Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the State of
Israel.
NOBODY IS HOLDING JEWS ANYTHING, YOU ARE CONSTANTLY STATING YOUR SUPPORT FOR
ISRAEL, JEWS WHO SUPPORT ISRAEL , YOU PUT YOURSELF IN A SEPARATE DISTINCT
GROUP BY BY DIVIDING THE WORLD YOURSELVES INTO PRO AND NON SUPPORTING
THEREFORE ANTI SEMITIC GROUPS.
However, criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other
country cannot be regarded as anti-Semitic."
In his article "Human Rights and the New Anti-Jewishness", Irwin
Cotler, Canada's Minister of Justice, writes that "classical or
traditional anti-Semitism is the discrimination against, or denial of,
the right of Jews to live as equal members of a free society;
YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN FREE REIN AS EQUAL MEMBERS OF WESTERN DEMOCRACIES AND
YOU HAVE USED THAT FREDOM TO LIE AND MISREPRESENT TO SUPPORT ONLY MATTERS
IMPORTANT TO YOUR GROUP WHILE LABELLING THE NATURAL DISTASTE FOR SUCH A
SELFISH OUTLOOK AS ANTI SEMITISM.
the new
anti-Semitism - incompletely, or incorrectly, (referred to) as
"anti-Zionism"... - involves the discrimination against, denial of,
or assault upon the right of the Jewish people to live as an equal
member of the family of nations. What is intrinsic to each form of
anti-Semitism - and common to both - is discrimination. All that
has happened is that it has moved from discrimination against Jews as
individuals - a classical anti-Semitism for which there are indices
of measurement
EVERY DIFFERENT GROUP HAS EXPERIENCED THIS TYPE OF THING WITHOUT GOING TO
THE EXCESSES SHOWN BY THE JEWISH/ZIONIST/ISRAELI GROUPS IN CRYING FOR
SYMPATHY ONLY TO BEND POLICY INTO GIVING ALL TO THE JEWISH/ZIONIST/ISRAELI
GROUP AT THE EXPENSE AND LOSS FOR ALL THE NON JEWISH/ZIONIST/ISRAELIS.
(e.g., discrimination against Jews in education,
housing, or employment) - to discrimination against Jews as people
- a new anti-Semitism - for which one has yet to develop indices of
measurement.
yOU'RE AGAIN DIGGING UP THE OLD SHIBOLETHS WHICH EVERY GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL
IN ALL THE COUNTRIES HAve at some time experienced without turning into
selfcentred self intterested only groups or individuals.
Cotler identifies distinct categories to illustrate the scope,
character and specific instances of the new anti-Semitism. He describes
them as Genocidal, Political, Theological, Cultural, Anti-Israel,
Economic and State-sanctioned. Broadly, he asserts that anti-Semitism
has expanded from the hatred of Jews to include hatred of Jewish
national aspirations,
No just judgement of your high handed claims and aspirations which you are
complaining about as anti semitism because no one is any longer so impressed
by your empty rhetoric tjhat they belive or are convinced by your very
faulty logic.
the hatred of Israel's status as a sovereign
nation,
No hatred, THE BLOODY PLACE IS A NAZI HELLHOLE AND NY PERSON LIKE YOU WHO
SUPPORTS IT AGAINST YOUR OWN FELLOW CITIZENS IS AND ANY DISLIKE YOU
ENCOUNTRER FOR SUPPORTING THOSE NAZI PRACTICES IS BECAUSE YOU ARE A NAZI
SUPPORTER AND HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR SEMITISM.
and the denial of its right to an equal role in the global
community of nations. Cotler identifies distinct indices by which this
prejudice may be manifested, ranging from the state-sanctioned
theological anti-Semitism of some Islamic governments to the Cultural
anti-Semitism which he perceives in the European elite. He also
stressed that such prejudice may be overtly manifested (in the case of
anti-Semitic rhetoric) or subtly manifested through diplomatic
pressure, or by the economic boycott of Israeli businesses and their
trade partners.
State of the controversy
Opponents
Opponents of the concept of New anti-Semitism assert that:
Antipathy toward Israel's policies, its character as a Jewish state, or
even its existence, does not necessarily amount to anti-Semitism.
People may have legitimate reasons to criticize or condemn the actions
of any state, and Israel is as subject to this as any other.
There are Jewish groups and Jewish individuals who hold views critical
of Israeli policy; some of these (though far fewer) even question the
legitimacy of Israel's character as a Jewish state. Some Haredi groups
regard the state of Israel and Zionism as secularist heresies, and a
few fringe organizations, most notably Neturei Karta, have called for
the creation of a unitary state of Palestine in the region. A minority
of secular and non-Haredi Jews also oppose the state of Israel and
Zionism from a standpoint of anti-nationalism. Former Knesset member
Tamar Gozansky is one such figure, while prominent Jewish intellectuals
such as Hannah Arendt and Martin Buber articulated similar views in the
mid-twentieth century.
Many left-wing groups within mainstream Israeli politics hold views
regarding some Israeli government policies similar to those criticized
as anti-Semitic when expressed by left-wing groups outside Israel.
A frequent target for accusations of new anti-Semitism - the
socialist Left - maintains a principled stand against any form of
bigotry.
Accusations of anti-Semitism may be used to discredit those who
criticize the actions of the Israeli government.
Comparing Israel with regimes known for repressive policies is
commonplace within Israeli politics as well, with right-wing Zionists
comparing Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, and Ariel Sharon to Adolf
H!tler.
Palestinians and their sympathizers have reasons to oppose Israel
independently of its connection to the Jewish people. Some of these
sympathizers bear ill will toward the Jewish people, while others do
not.
Frivolous accusations of anti-Semitism could undermine the struggle
against more serious examples of it.
Proponents
Proponents of the concept of the new anti-Semitism respond to these
objections as follows:
It is no coincidence that criticism against Israel is:
Out of any proportion to the size of the conflict, whether measured in
number of individuals affected, the size of the territory in dispute,
or by the magnitude of alleged transgressions;
Characterized by a double standard, in which Israel is held to a higher
standard than any other state in a comparable situation;
Replete with persistent exaggerations, distortions and outright
falsehoods.
While it is certainly possible to criticize Israel without harboring
anti-Semitic motivations, it is reasonable to assume that those who
hate Jews also hate Israel.
Whether or not anti-Zionists harbor anti-Semitic attitudes, they should
still be held responsible for promoting anti-Semitic prejudice.
The fact that some Jews are anti-Zionists does not provide immunity
against anti-Semitism.
Religious anti-Zionists base their opposition on convictions that
ultimately call for the return of Jews to Eretz Israel.
Just as all those who are critical of Israel aren't anti-Semitic, Jews
who are critical of Israel have different reasons for their views.
Even so, Jews are not exempt from misguided attitudes and self-loathing
neuroses.
Vocal elements within both the secular and religious Arab world employ
anti-Semitic images, canards, and stereotypes for political purposes.
The left wing is no more immune from bigotry than any other group.
There is ample evidence that the hostile popular opinion against Israel
is correlated with blatant anti-Semitic acts.
Anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism
Anti-Zionism is a term that has been used to describe several very
different political and religious points of view (both historically and
in current debates), all expressing some form of opposition to Zionism.
Many commentators, particularly those supportive of Israel, believe
that criticisms of Israel and Zionism are often disproportionate in
degree and unique in kind, and attribute this to anti-Semitism. In
turn, critics of this view believe that associating anti-Zionism with
anti-Semitism is intended to stifle debate, deflect attention from
valid criticisms, and taint anyone opposed to Israeli actions and
policies. They point out that, during debate over the establishment of
the State of Israel, most notably, many Hassidic Jews considered this
manifestation of Zionism heretical. Today, the number of anti-Zionist
Jewish groups worldwide is small.
There are examples of leading Zionists, while stating that criticism of
Israel is not anti-Semitism, conflate anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism.
Abraham Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is on the record
saying "The harsh but un-deniable truth is this: what some like to call
anti-Zionism is, in reality, anti-Semitism - always, everywhere, and
for all time... Therefore, anti-Zionism is not a politically legitimate
point of view but rather an expression of bigotry and hatred." Foxman
believes that it is Anti-Semitic to criticize "the occupation by the
Jews of Palestinians" if one does not also criticize the "Indian Hindus
and their occupation of Muslim Kashmir", or similar military
occupations. The World Union of Jewish Students looks at the dictionary
definitions of anti-Semitism and Zionism and concludes that "According
to these definitions it seems that anti-Zionism is Antisemitism".
Nevertheless, it distinguishes between opposition to Israeli policy and
anti-Zionism: "Can a person oppose the actions of the State of Israel,
without denying its right to exist? The answer appears to be clearly
yes."
Natan Sharansky has suggested that anti-Semitism masquerading as
anti-Zionism can be distinguished from legitimate criticism of Israel
if it fails the "3D" test. In Sharansky's words:
"The first D is the test of demonization. ...Jews were demonized for
centuries as the embodiment of evil. Therefore, today we must be wary
of whether the Jewish state is being demonized by having its actions
blown out of all sensible proportion. For example, the comparisons of
Israelis to Naz!s and of the Palestinian refugee camps to Auschwitz...
can only be considered anti-Semitic..."
"The second D is the test of double standards. For thousands of years a
clear sign of anti-Semitism was treating Jews differently than other
peoples, from the discriminatory laws many nations enacted against them
to the tendency to judge their behavior by a different yardstick.
Similarly, today we must ask whether criticism of Israel is being
applied selectively... It is anti-Semitism, for instance, when Israel
is singled out by the United Nations for human rights abuses while
tried and true abusers like China, Iran, Cuba, and Syria are ignored.
Likewise, it is anti-Semitism when Israel's Magen David Adom, alone
among the world's ambulance services, is denied admission to the
International Red Cross."
"The third D is the test of delegitimation. In the past, anti-Semites
tried to deny the legitimacy of the Jewish religion, the Jewish people,
or both. Today, they are trying to deny the legitimacy of the Jewish
state, presenting it, among other things, as the last vestige of
colonialism. While criticism of an Israeli policy may not be
anti-Semitic, the denial of Israel's right to exist is always
anti-Semitic. If other peoples have a right to live securely in their
homelands, then the Jewish people have a right to live securely in
their homeland..."
Despite some acceptance of the general principle that anti-Zionism may
be used as a proxy for anti-Semitism, descriptions of specific
political groups as examples of the new anti-Semitism have been
challenged by critics. Although it is usually conceded that right-wing
anti-Semites have latched onto aspects of the Arab-Israeli conflict,
and that Arab anti-Zionism has led to a growth of anti-Jewish as well
as anti-Israeli sentiment in the Arab world, critics argue that claims
of a new anti-Semitism have largely, or even primarily, been used to
deflect legitimate criticism of Zionism, of Israel, or of the Israeli
government.
Manifestations of the new anti-Semitism
False allegations about Israel and Jews
Proponents of the new anti-Semitism say that one of its manifestations
involves false allegations made about Israel and Jews, with the intent
of stirring up hatred against them. This section lists examples used to
support that claim.
Perhaps the most notable case was the so called "Jenin massacre"
allegation, in which it was claimed that in Jenin in 2002, Israeli
Defense Forces committed atrocities "horrific beyond belief," according
to United Nations special envoy Terje Rød-Larsen , and "massacred"
500-3000 innocent Palestinians during Operation Defensive Shield. Two
weeks after the press promoted the Jenin massacre allegation,
international reporters uncovered that no massacre had taken place in
Jenin. Fatah lowered its estimate of the death toll to 56 people, the
majority of whom were combatants, as were the 23 IDF soldiers killed
during the battle. The "Jenin massacre" story sparked waves of
anti-Israeli protests and violent attacks against Jews in Europe.
The role of the media in reporting these events was highly
controversial. Many Western media outlets were criticized as having
deliberately misled their readers, and some reporters were accused of
fabricating information to demonize Israel. However, reports by the
Western media of a "massacre" in Jenin were generally presented as
eyewitness accounts, and not as undisputed facts. The BBC, for
instance, conveyed reports of a "massacre" from some international
observers, but did not take a position as to whether or not such events
had occurred. Some reporters noted that it was difficult to ascertain
what had actually happened in Jenin following the end of Israeli
military operations there, as foreign observers were not initially
given access to the city.
In the Arab media, conspiracy theories involving Jews abound. The
Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a text debunked many years ago as a
fraud perpetrated by Czarist intelligence agents, continued to appear
in the Middle East media, quoted not as a hoax but as a factual source.
In 2002 and 2003, two television series appeared that dramatized the
events of The Protocols. One was a Syrian production, sponsored in part
by the government of Syria, that aired on Hezbollah satellite
television in Lebanon and throughout the Middle East; the other, a
41-part series, was produced and aired in Egypt. The presentations
emphasized blood libel and the alleged control by the Jewish community
of international finance. The clear purpose of the programs was to
incite hatred of Jews and of Israel. Copies of the Protocols and other
similar anti-Semitic forgeries were readily available in Middle Eastern
countries, former Soviet republics and elsewhere.
Another widely disseminated conspiracy theory holds that Jews were
behind the 9/11 attacks. This accusation is usually supported by the
false false claim that 4,000 Jews or Israelis who worked at the World
Trade Center did not show up for work on the day of the attacks,
supposedly a sign that they were warned by a complicit Israeli
intelligence agency. (See also 9/11 conspiracy theories.) These
allegations were renewed after the October 2005 bombings in Amman,
Jordan, when it was revealed that the Israeli government had issued a
routine warning to its citizens in Amman before the bombings took
place.
Such media channels often broadcast globally and incite attacks against
Jews. On December 2004, the French court banned Hizbullah's TV channel
Al-Manar after repeated anti-Semitic attacks and allegations such as
"Zionist attempts to transmit AIDS to Arab countries."
Straw-man anti-Semitism
One claim made by some opponents of Israel and/or the notion of a new
anti-Semitism is that defenders of Israel describe any criticism of the
State of Israel as anti-Semitism. This claim is then used to criticize
defenders of Israel as unreasonable, or attempting to stifle legitimate
debate.
However, proponents of the view that there is a New anti-Semitism point
out that no groups supportive of Israel officially hold, or have ever
held, such a position. One popular understanding of this issue can be
found in a statement by the Anti-Defamation League:
"Criticism of particular Israeli actions or policies in and of itself
does not constitute anti-Semitism. Certainly the sovereign State of
Israel can be legitimately criticized just like any other country in
the world. However, it is undeniable that there are those whose
criticism of Israel or of "Zionism" is used to mask anti-Semitism."
(Anti-Defamation League website.)
In his speech given at the University of California, Berkeley on April
29, 2004, Law Professor at Harvard University Law School Alan
Dershowitz said, in particular: "Show me a single instance where a
major Jewish leader or Israeli leader has ever said that criticizing a
particular policy of Israeli government is anti-Semitic. That's just
something made up by Israel's enemies."
Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
.
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- The New Anti-Semitism
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- The New Anti-Semitism
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