What is antisemitism?

[OneSheep]

With all the latest accusations of antisemitism coming from the media about Ilhan Omar’s comments about AIPAC and concerning pressure to have “allegiance” to a foreign nation, it is good for people to have a frank conversation about what is, and what is not, antisemitism.

Let’s pay attention to our affiliations and emotions while we come up with a truly relevant definition/description, shall we?

 

[anon1212376]

The fact that there are states passing laws that require loyalty oaths to Israel, and that Congress has introduced legislation that prohibits criticism or boycott of Israel, is very alarming. I don’t care one way or the other about Israel vs. its enemies. But any criticism of the state of Israel automatically gets the Thought Police on your case.

Too many Christians, especially in America, bow to the golden calf that is Israel. What have they done for us? Before our alliance with them, we had little to no enemies in the Middle East.

I do not hate Jews simply for being Jewish. But the fact that the Holocaust happened does not make them immune to criticism. Other peoples have been victims of hatred and genocide; Ukrainians, Armenians, Tutsis, Poles, Chinese, Native Americans, etc. The Jews, however, seem to think that the fact that someone hated them once upon a time means they are the eternal underdogs.

 

[Beryllos]

In Israel it is possible to criticize Israeli policy, even harshly, but not here in the USA.

 

[HopkinsReb]

In Israel it is possible to criticize Israeli policy, even harshly, but not here in the USA.

There are loads of folks in the US who criticize Israel’s very existence and are suffering no consequences. I’m not quite sure what you’re talking about.

 

[STT]

The fact that there are states passing laws that require loyalty oaths to Israel, and that Congress has introduced legislation that prohibits criticism or boycott of Israel, is very alarming. I don’t care one way or the other about Israel vs. its enemies. But any criticism of the state of Israel automatically gets the Thought Police on your case.

Too many Christians, especially in America, bow to the golden calf that is Israel. What have they done for us? Before our alliance with them, we had little to no enemies in the Middle East.

I do not hate Jews simply for being Jewish. But the fact that the Holocaust happened does not make them immune to criticism. Other peoples have been victims of hatred and genocide; Ukrainians, Armenians, Tutsis, Poles, Chinese, Native Americans, etc. The Jews, however, seem to think that the fact that someone hated them once upon a time means they are the eternal underdogs.

Great post.

 

[Beryllos]

I’m not quite sure what you’re talking about.

When Israel used phosphorus incendiary shells on civilian neighborhoods in Gaza, where was the outrage? Which US politicians dared to say “war crime”?

Luckily for the people of Gaza, the debate continued in Israel and a few years later the policy was changed for the better:

IDF to stop using white phosphorus for smokescreens - The Jerusalem Post

 

[HopkinsReb]

When Israel used phosphorus incendiary shells on civilian neighborhoods in Gaza, where was the outrage? Which US politicians dared to say “war crime”?

Doesn’t answer my question. What are these supposed consequences?

 

[Beryllos]

For US politicians, I believe the consequences are to be scorned and ridiculed as a anti-Semite, bigot, and hater, no matter how sensitive, reasoned, and delicate the criticism.

 

[HopkinsReb]

For US politicians, I believe the consequences are to be scorned and ridiculed as a anti-Semite, bigot, and hater.

So what, exactly, do you think will happen to Omar for this?

And, if being “scorned and ridiculed as a[sic] anti-Semite, bigot, and hater” is such a huge millstone about a political career, how is Trump president?

For crying out loud, Israel can’t do any good in the eyes of a good chunk of the American political establishment. To pretend, in a thread about a politician’s criticism of Israel, that all the politicians are too scared to criticize Israel is asinine.

Israel’s certainly not perfect. But they’re also in a really tough situation: all their neighbors would love to see them wiped off the face of the earth. Their next-door neighbors have a nasty habit of slaughtering innocent people for the “crime” of being Jewish.

 

[gracepoole]

I don’t foresee this thread going anywhere positive…

I also don’t see a genuine conversation about what antisemitism is taking place so far. Instead, within fewer than 10 posts, an argument over Israel vs. the Palestinian National Authority has broken out. That’s particularly sad because antisemitism itself is on the rise worldwide. Antisemitism is hatred of Jews and consequently it often includes hostility toward them. Antisemitism can also become anti-Zionism but the two are not essentially synonymous.

FWIW, OP, I’d gently suggest that any American who claims to understand the full scope of what’s taking place between the two sides is extremely naive.

 

[Beryllos]

To pretend, in a thread about a politician’s criticism of Israel, that all the politicians are too scared to criticize Israel is asinine.

You don’t see it? The nail that stands up gets pounded down.

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[anon1212376]

I’m not saying I agree with anti-Semites, but there are a lot of accusations involving them. Examples of these include
(again, this is what Anti-Semites allege):

the Jews have been kicked out of 109 countries throughout human history.
the Jews have encouraged relativism, multiculturalism, race-mixing and open borders to get people to abandon their own race or ethnic heritage (while simultaneously insisting on preserving Jewish identity and an ethnostate).
The Jews have promoted pornography, usury, left-wing politics, feminism, and white guilt
The Jews have an inappropriate amount of influence within business, government, media, entertainment, etc., given their small population.

 

[HopkinsReb]

HopkinsReb:

To pretend, in a thread about a politician’s criticism of Israel, that all the politicians are too scared to criticize Israel is asinine.

You don’t see it? The nail that stands up gets pounded down.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

I see criticism of her, sure. But she does not seem to have been pounded down, as she has been saying antisemitic things for quite some time. There are major political organizations in this country headed by pals of Farrakhan. Shoot, we have past presidents who have chummed around with the guy, who refers to the Jews as “termites.”

If you think criticizing Israel carries a death sentence in American politics, I suggest you broaden your selection of news sources.

 

[Saxum]

Any criticism of Israel or the Jews is seen as anti-semitic by some people.

 

[anon1212376]

I once read some Holocaust survivor (his name escapes me) said: “an anti-Semite used to mean someone who hated Jews. Now it means someone whom Jews hate”.

 

[HopkinsReb]

Any criticism of Israel or the Jews is seen as anti-semitic by some people.

Criticism of “the Jews” is antisemitic. Criticism of certain Jews or groups of Jews is not necessarily antisemitic, but criticizing “the Jews” in general, like the poster earlier who claimed that THE JOOS are using the media to push interracial relationships, is antisemitic.

Likewise, criticism of the blacks, the whites, the Asians, etc. is racist.

 

[Saxum]

I think the Holocaust survivor is right.

 

[gracepoole]

Israel is a state with policies and governance. Jews, on the other hand, do not have a hive mind and they do not think and act uniformly. Claiming that they do is a cornerstone of bigotry.

 

[Beryllos]

Let’s pay attention to our affiliations and emotions while we come up with a truly relevant definition/description, shall we?

Sorry, OneSheep. We’re getting further and further off-topic. I will endeavor to come up with a relevant definition of anti-Semitism.

 

[anon1212376]

I do not think that it is antisemitic to point out that many in high places of Wall Street, Washington, Hollywood, and Silicon Valley are ethnic Jews. It’s merely a statement of fact.

Which begs the question: why do they have that amount of power and influence, given their share of the population?

Again, it is not out of hatred that I ask these questions. One does not even need to believe in a conspiracy theory (i.e. they are all working together) to think that one ethnicity has too much representation within society’s largest spheres of influence.