Global anti-Semitism demands a united response

The recent desecration of a Jewish cemetery in south Ottawa should be a wake-up call. The beast of anti-Semitism is back.

In Europe, politicians who deny the Holocaust or trivialize the massacre of Jews are elected to the European Parliament.

The Swedish left-wing paper, Aftonbladet, recently published an article claiming that Israeli soldiers kidnap and kill Palestinians to extract and sell their organs. This is the blood libel first put into circulation in the middle ages in England by anti-Jewish priests.

Another of the old anti-Semitic stereotypes is that of the secret cabal or lobby manipulating events behind the scenes to the profit and interest of Jews. A U.S.-based website called "Uncle Semite" has just published a 19-volume "catalogue of Jewish names" with 220,000 listed so that they can be sent anti-Semitic e-mails.

In Britain, the leader of the anti-Jewish National Party has been elected to the European Parliament. There, alongside openly anti-Semitic MEPs from Hungary, France, Belgium and Italy, he enjoys parliamentary immunities and lavish allowances and expenses to spend peddling his poison.

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Hey, where'd everybody go? :shrug:

though many Jews may not embrace Israel's actions and policies.

that it's hard to say for sure, imo.

I do notice however that people who I'd never consider anti-Semitic, are very anti-Israel, and it does begin to flavor their off-hand snark and such in a seemingly anti-Semitic way. And they are not particularly pro-Palestine, just really angry at Israel, angry at the huge military and monetary connections we have with them and so on.

It may be mis-directed, but to flatly say it is anti-Semitism first, and now there's a vent for it, is entirely inaccurate based on what I'm seeing and hearing and reading.

However, I note that your article is regarding Canada, and I have no knowledge of how Canadians are or are not connected politically, militarily, or financially to Israel.

I'm neither condemning nor condoning this apparent chicken/egg issue, just noticing it.

The creation of Israel just added another target for anti-Semites. Politically, there are those whose anti-Israel bigotry is just that bigotry against Israel and may or may not involve anti-Semitism. Then, there is also legitimate criticism of Israel which doesn't involve either anti-Israel bigotry nor anti-Semitism. The issue isn't "chicken/egg" the issue is conflating.

and this isnt even an I/P discussion. the same thing happens in the GLBT forum when somebody posts instances of anti-gay activity.

I give up. "sigh"

If DU were to post the screen names of the rec and unrec, it will eliminate the abuses.

People unrec threads just on the basis that they don't like the poster, without giving one thought to the article posted. BTA is getting a taste of what many of us have experienced in the past.

I consider the number of unrecs as a progressive badge of honour.

roll my eyes at people who get wound up over this function but when the topic is of this nature on a progressive board it's kind of creepy.

and if that's the way it is going to be, two can play that stupid game.

As I said, it has nothing to do with the merits of the article.

Not only does it demonstrate that, it shows you, like so many, cannot address the issues of anti-Semitism without making it about YOUR partisan views on Israel. Of course, it doesn't surprise me giving your genocidal remarks and your desire for the destruction of Israel.

and I have used it in this particular case for the reason stated, despite the merits of the article that you posted.

The unrec system is a sham and diminishes the conversation.

As to your points, Israel has the right to exist, but so does a Palestinian state (assuming the Palestinians can govern themselves without having a civil war).

The settlements on the West Bank don't have a right to exist!

While there has always been anti-Semitism, only a fool would think there is no correlation between the I/P conflict and the rise of anti-Semitism.

The unrec system is a sham because of posters like yourself, so don't bitch about it being broken when you do the very thing you claim to dislike. Just because you believe others might abuse the system doesn't excuse your abusing it.

So you are no longer a One-Stater? I am shocked!

A binational state is one option.

Frankly BTA, don't you think it is better for Israel to just do what we won't do in Afghanistan, and just withdraw unconditionally from the Occupied Territories? Such a momentous event would split the Palestinians, much as Pakistan was when Bangladesh split from that country. You will have two separate Palestinian states. One more secular on the West Bank, while the one in Gaza is run by religious wackos. They'll be so busy fighting among themselves that they won't have time for Israel.

United response, I mean.

There was an incident in Florida where a Messianic synagogue (they are not Jews, they are really Christians that practice some trappings of Judaism) was defaced because they were "Jews."

Interesting that the Canadian parliament has taken up the issue:

What does that have to do with Arabs being Semites? Nothing.

than other forms of bigotry. In part it's because the dumber, more sentimental lefties pretty much automatically make saints of the poor and villains of the well-off--and Jews do tend to be well-educated and materially successful. It's particularly ironic that anti-Semitism should find any sort of haven on the left, as Jews in the US, Canada, the UK, and Europe have on balance been progressive in general, and active against racism in particular.

The world wants to pretend that anti-semitism went away after WWII. It didn't, not here, not in Europe or anywhere else.

It's amazing how much anti-semitism I've seen from people who are "liberal/progressive" and when they are called on it, they use the usual excuses.

My advice, don't let them sneak it in! What they do nowadays is weld it on to criticism of Israel.

I wasn't aware that it had disappeared.

There have been neo-Nazi and similar parties in Europe & elsewhere since forever - the defeat of Hitler marginalized them and destroyed most of their power, but it did not end them. Where Nazi parties are banned, they re-emerge under other names. Fortunately, they represent a minority but a nasty one,

In some places, open antisemitism is getting worse; in others, it appears to be reducing. In most countries the extreme-righties don't have real power; but they still peddle too much poison around. Nick Griffin and his equally revolting Europaean far-rightie pals do enjoy the lifestyle and pay of being Euro-MPs: particularly ironic as they hate the EU as much as they hate Jews, Muslims and immigrants. Talk about being paid to bite the hand that feeds you!

Mostly, it is part of a general xenophobia, rather than specific to Jews; but it easily feeds on antisemitic myths. The main thing that has changed is that the internet gives ready access to all sorts of sites, good and bad. It can be used to improve links between different groups, and to fight antisemitism and other racism:

e.g.

www.searchlightmagazine.com

www.engageonline.org.uk


On the other hand, it is terribly easy these days to click on antisemitic (and other racist) conspiracy sites, generally ones that shriek that they are telling you the TRUTH. I don't really want to advertise such sites, but can't resist noting that there is or was one called 'Extraterrestrial Jews'. I suppose we own all the banks on Mars, as well as everywhere else!

because the OP is an unabashed apologist for Israel's crimes and the Occupation.

A balanced view is one in which anti-Semitism is condemned at the same time that Israel's apartheid is condemned. To do one without the other smacks of the same hypocrisy of the pro-lifers that oppose abortion while cheerleading the death penalty, American imperialism, and the health industry.

That many U posts because of the posters, not the content itself. Which is what I have been saying since that function was introduced, and why I routinely go around and R threads that have "less than 0" and, yes, responding to abuse with abuse.

After reading some posters brag about how they used the system, well, two can play the same game.

next time I explain how cowardly the U system is. At least you admitted it. Most do not.

...cannot be used as justification for anti-Semitism, either against Israeli citizens or against Jews anywhere else in the world.

And no, (though this shouldn't need to be said) there is no justification for anti-Semitism on any grounds, either against Jews or Arabs.