Israel/Palestine
Related: About this forumJews Fretful as Israeli Actions Stir Bias
http://forward.com/opinion/317923/israeli-study-finds-jews-fretful-as-israeli-actions-stir-bias/DetlefK
(16,423 posts)"The real shocker of the cabinet meeting, though, was what wasnt covered in the briefing: namely, the most explosive of the assessment reports 12 chapters, Relations of the Communities and Israel. It describes dramatic changes detected in the past year, mostly for the worse, in Diaspora Jewish attitudes toward Israel, its government policies and its military actions.
In part the changes reflect shock at Israels behavior, both in the domestic arena and in warfare. In part theyre due to discomfort and inability to explain Israels actions when asked by non-Jewish friends and family. And in part theyre due, particularly among European Jews, to the increase in frequency and severity of anti-Jewish attacks whenever Israel takes military action against its neighbors."
...
"But it found that many Jews do not accept the assumption that the current government of Israel is making every effort to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians. Significant numbers conclude that some of Israels armed conflicts could be avoided. That undermines the degree of Jewish support for Israel during those conflicts, though the extent is not clear."
...
"Far more alarming, the report says that Israels wars have a strong, direct impact on the relationships of Diaspora Jews to their surrounding communities and societies. Mainstream Jewish community leaders in several countries told the institute that there is an automatic tendency for the surrounding non-Jewish society to view Jews as representatives of the pro-Israel position.
This has the direct result as the institute initially noted last year, the current report points out of increasing the frequency and severity of harassment/attacks on Jews in various places around the world."
...
"In a way, the reticence is understandable. Drawing a causal link between European anti-Semitism and Israeli behavior between any anti-Semitism and any Jewish behavior, for that matter is taboo in current Jewish discourse, to the point that suggesting it is itself treated frequently as an anti-Semitic act. It must have been frightening for scholars operating in this environment to stumble across first-hand testimony that the link is real. Even more frightening when theyre preparing to face an Israeli cabinet some of whose ministers view criticism of Israeli military actions as tantamount to treason."
(emphasis mine)
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I was also chastised here on DU for suggesting that the anti-jewish attacks in Europe are a result of Israel's actions.
libodem
(19,288 posts)My phone doesn't let me do that very well.
I can't help but think that the stories citing a rise in antisemitic activities in Europe may be related and Jews living abroad face the backlash.
The source site is very interesting. It's like modern anthropology.
DetlefK
(16,423 posts)I live in Germany. Before the latest Gaza-campaign there was no note-worthy anti-semitism mentioned in the media. (Apart from the usual Neo-Nazi rantings.) Anti-semitic violence was mentioned maybe once a year. (Violence as in damaged property or graffiti. I can't recall a news-story where a Jew was beaten up for being a Jew.)
And after the Gaza-war suddenly Europe seemed to erupt with anti-semitism.
Coincidence? Or anti-israelism instead of anti-semitism?
libodem
(19,288 posts)The impact on Dispora Jews should be considered before the aggressive moves are made in Gaza. It does not improve popularity when you mistreat your citizen enemies. It makes one look bad to be cruel to the underdog.
Response to libodem (Reply #5)
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bemildred
(90,061 posts)libodem
(19,288 posts)Kind of a given. But it's nice to see the paperwork.
bemildred
(90,061 posts)In a negative context as well as a positive one. It's like they are supposed to be separate when the blame is handed out, but the same when the objective is support.
aranthus
(3,385 posts)Since before there was an Israel. But it's not conflating. Israel is the Jewish state and is hated for that. And Israel does things that are considered wrong and is hated for that. And it's also used as an excuse to hate Jews worldwide. It's a river that runs both ways.
bemildred
(90,061 posts)aranthus
(3,385 posts)I'll quote the relevant sentence. "And Israel does things that are considered wrong and is hated for that." How does that equate to a belief that nobody could reasonably object to Israeli policies? Did I say that was bigoted? I think the implication is that it is not, even if some the criticism is misplaced (and some is spot on). There are two factors at work here. Some of the criticism of Israel is entirely legitimate. But you should also accept that a large part of the criticism of Israel is based in antisemitism.