Anti-Semitism`s Return - By Gabriel Schoenfeld

[Jim Sagle]

Posted 3/31/2004

<snip>

To anyone with even a modest acquaintance with current events, it is readily apparent that the Islamic world is today the epicenter of a particularly virulent brand of anti-Semitic hatred. But it is far less apparent how and why this came to be the case. Uncovering the origins of Islamic anti-Semitism, and the reasons why this quadrant of humanity has proved so eager both to consume the poison and to peddle it, is one major and absolutely crucial element of the story I have aimed to tell.

But the passions roiling the Islamic world are hardly the end of the matter. For anti-Semitism has also reawakened dramatically in Europe, where it was long thought to be completely dormant if not entirely extinct. And it is also making unprecedented headway in new precincts in the United States, a country where it has never before found truly fertile soil.

<snip>

In attempting to account for these developments, I have reached a set of conclusions about why events are unfolding as they are. Some of these conclusions are obvious and familiar; they revolve around the way certain perduring myths have time and again served to fuel suspicion and fear and hatred of Jews. But some of my conclusions are far more surprising, even counterintuitive.

One is that, today, the most vicious ideas about Jews are voiced primarily not by downtrodden and disenfranchised fringe elements of society but by its most successful, educated, and “progressive” members. This is true in the Islamic world, and it is even truer in the West. One is less likely to find anti-Semites today in beer halls and trailer parks than on college campuses and among the opinion makers of the media elite.

More at http://www.thejewishpress.com/news_article.asp?article=3574

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. I reckon the author is too young to remember the birth of the

John Birch society and the burning of synagogues in the 70's most prominently in Atlanta.

While ha makes many charges, he is short on specifics and even shorter on DEFINING what he considers anti-semitic. It certainly could be argued that arab hatred is anti-semitic.
If an author is going to toss around inflammatory terms, then specificity is a must.

[Jim Sagle]

2. I don't think there really is anything unclear about what he writes.

He's primarily talking about anti-Jewish agistation and violence.

[damnraddem]

4. He says absolutely nothing about what he means by ...

'left-wing anti-semitism.' The only reference to violence is the statements about the hardening of building against terrorism. Then, just like Dubya, he insinuates that a wide swath of political speech as somehow related to terrorism. One horrible issue is that Jewish people and organizations are the targets of terrorism, simply because they are Jewish -- that is the most-despicable face of anti-semitism. But this writer obscures that by giving no specifics as to what he means when he discusses 'left-wing anti-semitism,' which he claims to be so different from the "old" 'right-wing anti-semitism.' But his true intent does come through -- when one notes that he smears some Jews as anti-semitic.

[Jim Sagle]

6. A lot of speculation and mind-reading in your post.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

12. The same could be said about Gabriel Schoenfeld's article.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

10. This article is nothing more than sloppy generalizations void of specifics

[leesa]

15. But why is anti-semitism anti-Jewish, since ME Muslims are semites?

Most of what this person describes as "anti-Jewish" is the world responding negatively to what the government of Israel is doing...stealing land and launching constant attacks of terrorism against the Palestinians and other neighbors. The government of Israel is definitely anti-semitic!

[sir_captain]

29. Your question is really irrelevant

Yes, the technical definition of semite differs from its usage in the term "anti-semitism" but since everyone knows what anti-semitism is referring to, it doesn't matter. There are lots of words and symbols which have changing meanings based on use (the swastika and the word Jihad are just a couple of examples.)

[Spider Jerusalem]

9. I'm sorry, but...

it CANNOT be argued that hatred of Arabs is "anti-Semitic"; the appropriate term would have to be "anti-Arab". The term "anti-Semitic" refers, and has ALWAYS referred, expressly to hatred, prejudice and bias directed at Jews. Consult any dictionary published in the past hundred years; NONE will give a definition of "anti-Semitism" that includes prejudice toward Arabs.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

13. Hmmm...that's interesting. How do you explain the definition of Semite?..

<http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/Semite>

Definition: a member of a group of Semitic-speaking peoples of the Near East and North Africa; of or relating to or characteristic of Semites; "Semite peoples"


Synonyms: Semitic

See Also: Arab, Arabian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Caucasian, Chaldaean, Chaldean, Chaldee, Phoenician, White, white person

========================

Stands to reason that the term anti-Semitic refers to anyone from the regions described above, not just the Jewish people.

[Jim Sagle]

18. Except that it doesn't. English is a funny language.

[Spider Jerusalem]

26. In response to #13 and #15, here.

This, from Wikipedia.

"...the term anti-Semitism is reserved for hostility towards Jews. It is a euphemism for anti-Jewish coined in the late 19th-century to rhetorically objectify discrimination against Jews as a matter of race rather than of religion. Discrimination or violence against other groups who are ethnically Semitic is not described as anti-Semitism, except in an ironic sense."

[damnraddem]

3. Same old, same old.

More of the old 'self-hating Jews' crap: "Paradoxically, because Jews are so heavily overrepresented on the Left, one finds a significant contingent of Jews who are themselves promoting nakedly anti-Semitic ideas."

No specific example given of the claimed 'left-wing anti-semitism.'

Was the author afraid to admit that he was equating anti-Zionism, or even any criticism of Israeli actions, with anti-semitism.

And one problem is that there really is anti-semitism afoot in the world -- something that this article obscures.

[Jim Sagle]

5. The article obscures nothing and illuminates much.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. Yet it talks about a dramatic reawakening of anti-Semitism

in Europe. If anything, it seems on its way down, albeit too slowly:

Unfavourable ratings of Jews:
France 1991 14% 2004 11%
Germany 1991 24% 2004 20%
Russia 1991 26% 2004 25%

http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=206

For comparison, all are greater than unfavourable ratings of Christians, but less than unfavourable ratings of Muslims (for which the same goes for Britain and the US too).

Now, it may be he's referring to anti-semitic acts (hate speech, violence) rather than attitudes; but since he talks about 'ideas', 'tolerance', and an 'intellectual movement', I think he means the latter. The figures don't seem to support him.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Aussie_Hillbilly]

11. Indeed

Great article! Thankyou for posting this Jim. Really. :)

"...the most vicious ideas about
Jews are voiced primarily not by downtrodden and
disenfranchised fringe elements of society but by its most
successful, educated, and “progressive” members."

Indeed. The Left has a long history of anti-semitic whining about action Israel takes to secure God's gifts.


This strand of anti-Semitism, having
proliferated several branches of its own -- socialist,
populist, liberal -- is today supplanting its right-wing
cousin to become the dominant form of anti-Semitism in
the West.

Yes. Socialist, populist, liberal - all code words for left-wing fascism. As Stalin's actions proved.


Paradoxically, because Jews are so heavily
overrepresented on the Left, one finds a significant
contingent of Jews who are themselves promoting
nakedly anti-Semitic ideas.

These traitors need to be re-educated. They must not be allowed to imperil Israel's manifest destiny by their cheap appeals to "Human Rights" and (laughably) "Justice".


“A grossly delusional view of the world, based on
infantile fears and hatreds, was able to find expression
in murder and torture beyond all imagining. It is a case-
history in collective psychopathology, and its deepest
implications reach far beyond anti-Semitism and the fate
of the Jews.”

A perfect description of the ruling ideology in a Middle Eastern society.


I am forwarding copies of this article to my friends. All DUers should read it too. It is very revealing.

[NewHampster]

14. To continue this - The definition of Semite

anti Semitic refers to the Semite peoples.

from dictionary.com

3 entries found for semite.
Sem·ite n.

1-A member of a group of Semitic-speaking peoples of the Near East and northern Africa, including the Arabs, Arameans, Babylonians, Carthaginians, Ethiopians, Hebrews, and Phoenicians.

2-A Jew.

3-Bible. A descendant of Shem.

[Jim Sagle]

19. Antisemitic = antiJewish. PERIOD! Check THAT in the dictionary.

[Cassandra]

22. A Google a day keeps ignorance away

http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=7908&tocid=0&query=anti-semitism&ct=

" The term anti-Semitism was coined in 1879 by the German agitator Wilhelm Marr to designate the anti-Jewish campaigns underway in central Europe at that time. Although this term now has wide currency, it is a misnomer, since it implies a discrimination against all Semites. Arabs and other peoples…"

There weren't a lot of Arabs available in Europe for the Germans to be upset about at that time.
Why does this have to be explained several times a year, every year?

[shekina]

16. a thread about this subject

and not once was The Passion mentioned. I'm impressed. Not that I'm implying The Passion is anti-semitic, cause it isn't.

[Malikshah]

17. Question

Why does this topic continue to arise every year about the same time.

I have seen countless articles concerning this topic as of late.

It seemed familiar and I realized that come April, May this topic tends to be revisited.

This is not an attack on the topic or denying the existence of anti-semitism. Rather it's a serious question as to why this occurs every year like clockwork.

[Cassandra]

21. Passover?

[BillZBubb]

20. It's funny, I haven't seen much evidence of anti-Semitism rising.

I have seen a lot of people very upset witht the actions of Sharon and the Likudniks--and the fools that support them. Is that anti-Semitism? Gosh, then maybe I'm an anti-Semite?

[Cassandra]

24. I see a rise in the number of people...

who are willing to aim slaps at Jews in general when they mean to criticize some Israelis in particular.

As a white person, I don't personally experience much racism, but I'm not likely to go over to black people and tell them they're imagining things.

[NewHampster]

25. Then I guess you might be

and yes, to many Jews being anti-Israel is anti Jew. Be against their policies and against their stupid right wing government if you want, but if you are against Israel's right to exist then you are against my people's right to exist.

And that is exactly where I rub against it in the "liberal" "progressive" communities that accept palestinians preaching radicalism, war and terror against the "Zionist Jews". I've distanced myself from what I thought were a good group of people because their board is becoming an anti Israel place rather than Anti-Bush. Just like Spain, are the terrorists maybe winning here too?

And don't ever tell a Jew you don't see anti-semitism. Sort of like a white guy telling a person of color that you know what its like to be brown.

I've spent most of my life without the slightest concern but there is a bad feeling deep in my soul that has grown stronger and stronger over the last few years. That feeling is coming from the millions of my fellow Americans who deep down in their souls keep wondering, "would 9/11 have happened if we didn't support Israel", "would the terrorists leave us alone if we abandoned Israel".

Think about that for a bit.

[charlie]

27. Terrorists won in Spain?

Oh, brother. How do you figure that? If Aznar's party had won, you'd be copacetic, secure in your comfort that Spaniards made the correct choice against terrorism?

[BillZBubb]

28. Duh! Did I ever say I was against Israel's right to exist?

You response is a crock of shit. My experience in everyday life is that I see no RISE in anti-Semitism. That's my experience and that's what I posted.

Did I say there is no anti-Semitism? NO. More baloney from you. Straw-man nonsense.

You come across as another sorry soul who supports whatever policy the Israeli government pursues--and implies that anyone who dares question the insanity of the current government there is an anti-Semite. That is disgusting. The problem is not people wondering if we'd get hit by terrorists without Israel. The problem is Israel's current policies are barbaric and unjust.

The terrorists lost in Spain--Aznar got canned. If we get rid of Bush* they'll lose here too. Get rid of Sharon and they lose in Israel.

Sharon is just as much a terrorist as Arafat. Think about that for a bit.

[MrSlayer]

23. When did it go away?