October 3, 2024
Since I last looked at this attempt — Israel pulled off a rather brilliant attack on hezbollah — which will unfortunately negate a peaceful solution to the conflict, and, which killed a number of innocents. Not for the first time. Iran responded and has now made itself fair game. Oh yes, Donald Trump also placed the onus of an election loss partly on Jews — which sounds kinda antisemitic?
So, back to the issue of antisemitism…
To guide the IHRA (the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) in its work, the following examples of antisemitism may serve as illustrations:
1. A Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.
2. Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.
3. Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.
4. Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g., gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II’s Holocaust.*
5. Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
6. Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.
7. Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.
8. Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.
9. Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.
10.Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.
11.Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.
This is alotta stuff to keep track of — and much of it impossible to enforce. How can these examples of antisemitism be impressed upon Gentiles? An argument or prosecution here or there is not going to do it.
Regarding Point 4 — I can see how a Jew who doesn’t know me might consider my questions concerning the scope of the Holocaust — antisemitic. But I simply wanted the numbers for my own edification and/or to put vacuous reports on the pre-war population of European Jews to rest. Similarly, my original question (which Point 5 covers) could also be construed as antisemitic — but I have a statistician’s interest — not an antisemite’s. Don’t forget that 3-of-the-4 big sociologists (Marx, Durkheim and Simmel) were Jews.
I can definitely see how each of the 11 examples quoted are examples of antisemitism — but is there no room for discussing them in a civil, scholarly fashion? I mean, couldn’t I have an educated (sober) discussion on Example #10 without being considered antisemetic? What prompted someone at some point in time to make this assertion?
The line between data gathering and antisemitism seems razor thin.
Listening to Piers Morgan accuse Roger Waters of being antisemitic is not necessarily a fait accompli. There are times that Waters has seemed antisemitic — with little or no sympathy towards Israel’s precarious position in the Middle East. But is demanding Israel to pay restitution to thousands of innocent Palestinians — whose schools, hospitals and refugee camps were bombed — an antisemitic request — or simply a humanitarian one?
Considering the number of Roger’s concerts and contracts that have been canceled make the former seem more likely.
But Mr. Waters doesn’t see himself as an antisemite. Heck! The Pink Floyd oeuvre may have been devalued by $100,000,000 because of his socio-political posture.
I hope I have at least vindicated myself and not set myself up to be negatively judged in Antisemitism IV — where I will compare Jews who have spent most (or all) of-their lives in Israel — to what I term the generic American Jew.