Monday, May 25, 2015

The anti-semitism v anti-Zionism question revisited

Because of recent information I was given*** I was prompted to update my chart on the "anti-semitism v anti-Zionism" debate. Clearly the two things have nothing in common .....



Antisemitism
Anti-Zionism



Official Definition
Hatred of Jews
Hatred of the Jewish state
What vociferous proponents really want
Physical destruction of the entire Jewish race
Physical destruction of the entire Jewish state
What is the core belief
The Jews are the root cause of most suffering in the world
The Jewish state is the root cause of most suffering in the world
What it based on
The singling out and demonization of Jews based on a set of complete lies about the political, economic, social and religious behaviour of Jews
The singling out and demonization of the Jewish state based on a set of complete lies about the political, economic, social and religious behaviour of the Jewish state
How is it currently sustained
Continued and incessant lies about Jews – much of it emanating from Muslim countries and academia - promulgated in the media and on the web – that is rarely if ever challenged
Continued and incessant lies about the Jewish State – much of it emanating from Muslim countries and academia - promulgated in the media and on the web– that is rarely if ever challenged
Typical media presentation
Cartoons of big fat Jews who control the world and eat non-Jewish babies; cartoons of Jews killing non-Jewish children.
Cartoons of big fat Jews who control the world and eat non-Jewish babies; cartoons of Jewish soldiers killing Arab children
Who currently are the most virulent proponents
Muslims,  left-wing political activists, Black panthers, right-wing extremists, racists, self-hating Jews
In Muslim countries Pew surveys report 96% of the population ‘hate Jews’
Muslims,  left-wing political activists, Black panthers, right-wing extremists, racists, self-hating Jews
In Muslim countries Pew surveys report 98% of the population ‘hate Israel’
Most common beliefs
·         Jews are baby-killers;
·         Jews did 9/11
·         Jews control America, Britain, France (add any country you like, including even Arab ones)
·         Jews control the world banking system, the United Nations (add any international organization you like)
·         Jews bake the blood of Christian children in their Passover matzos;
·         Zionists are baby-killers;
·         Zionists did 9/11
·         Zionists control America, Britain, France (add any country you like, including even Arab ones)
·         Zionists control the world banking system, the United Nations (add any international organization you like)
·         Zionists bake the blood of Arab children in their Passover matzos;
Tactic 1: Deligitimization
The message that the Jews are a depraved, illegitimate, ‘invented’ race. Denial of Jewish history including its origin in the Middle East.
The message that the Jewish State is depraved, ‘invented’ and illegitimate. Denial of Jewish history including its origin in the Middle East.
Tactic 2:Boycott
In the 1930s the Nazi singled out Jews – and Jews only – for economic, cultural, political, and academic boycott (antisemites still do this informally)
Singling out the Jewish State - and only the Jewish State – for economic, cultural, political, and academic boycott
Economic boycott in practice
Boycott Jewish businesses; vandalise Jewish-owned shops and their products, including daubing Swastikas and Stars of David.
Boycott Jewish owned Israeli businesses; vandalise Jewish-owned Israeli shops and their products, including daubing Swastikas and Stars of David.
Cultural boycott in practice
In Nazi Germany Jewish artists, performers, writers and sportsmen were not allowed to perform, while books, art, and plays sympathetic to Jews were banned
Jewish Israeli artists, performers, writers and sportsmen are not allowed to perform, while books, art, and plays sympathetic to Israel are shut out or shut down
Use of the Law
In the 1930s special Nazi laws introduced to both outlaw Jewish-owned businesses and criminalise attempts by anybody else to work with them
Special EU and Arab laws introduced to outlaw Jewish-owned Israeli businesses and criminalise attempts by anybody else to work with them
Secondary boycott tactics
In Nazi Germany Non-Jews visiting Jewish houses and businesses were publicly vilified and threatened to be boycotted themselves if they did not cease their interaction with Jews
In today’s West Non-Jews visiting the Jewish state and doing business with it are publicly vilified and threatened to be boycotted themselves if they do not cease their interaction with the Jewish state
Labelling and taxes
The Nazis forced Jews to wear the yellow star while Muslim countries have always forced  Jews to pay a ‘dhimmi’ tax
The EU now forces Israel to put a special label on goods produced by Jewish-owned businesses (and only Jewish owned businesses) and also imposes additional taxes
Typical everyday behaviour
·         Criticizing Jews for certain character traits (such as meanness, aggressiveness, deviousness) that are actually more prominent in other ethnic and religious groups
·         Criticizing Jews for their genuinely good character traits (such as intelligence and business acumen) as in ‘The Jews use these traits to trick and steal from non-Jews’
·         Criticizing the Jewish State for certain character traits (such as meanness, aggressiveness, deviousness) that are actually far more prominent in most other countries
·         Criticizing the Jewish State for their genuinely good character traits (such as intelligence and business acumen) as in ‘The Zionists use these traits to trick and steal from the Arabs’
Beliefs about the Holocaust
The holocaust is exaggerated to gain sympathy for Israel. The only real holocaust was committed by Zionists against the Palestinians
The holocaust is exaggerated to gain sympathy for Israel. The only real holocaust was committed by Zionists against the Palestinians
What especially angers proponents
·         Jews defending themselves from attack; 
·         Any Jewish success in science and culture
·         The Jewish state defending itself from attack;
·         Any Israeli success in science and culture
What they have never heard of or must never be mentioned
The total destruction of Jewish communities in Muslim lands after the establishment of Israel
The total destruction of Jewish communities in Muslim lands after the establishment of Israel
About the killing of Jews by Arab terrorists
If it really happens then the Jews must have had it coming to them
If it happens at all it is a natural reaction against Zionist crimes
About violence generally
Jews are legitimate targets for violence
Zionist Jews are legitimate targets for violence
Who are their heroes
Hitler, George Galloway, Saddam Hussein, Ahmedinejad and any other Muslim bigot you can think of -  because they “stood up to the Jews”
George Galloway, Saddam Hussein, Ahmedinejad and any other Muslim bigot you can think of – because they “stood up to the Jews Zionists”
Mandatory reading
Protocols of the Elder of Zion, anything by Gilad Atzmon
Protocols of the Elder of Zion, anything by Gilad Atzmon
Popular phrase
“Jews back to Palestine”
“Jews out of Palestine”
What happens if they ‘win’
Millions of Jews were killed in the Holocaust, but it did not help the Nazis in any way at all
Millions of Jews will be killed, but it will not help the Palestinians in any way at all
What is their current most hated thing in the whole world
The State of Israel
The State of Israel

For an alternative spin on this see:  Why anti-Zionism has nothing to do with antisemitism

*** I was told that the Streetwise organisation (whose website says that it "works nationally with Jewish schools and Community organisations, enhancing the personal safety and personal development of young Jewish people to support their safe, physical, and emotional wellbeing") had provided training at a Jewish school in London in which students were told  that "anti-semitism was completely different to anti-Zionism". I now believe this was was a misunderstanding. After writing to Streetwise asking "In what way are you preparing Jewish students, for example, for the tsunami of hatred they will face when they go to University given that 100% of the hatred will be dressed up as anti-Zionism rather than what it really is?" I recieved the following response:

At Streetwise we use CST's antisemitic incidents and antisemitic discourse reports as the basis for discussing antisemitism, and the related and often overlapping problems of anti-Zionism and anti-Israel hate. The CST reports do not say that anti-Zionism is completely different to antisemitism; and this is not what was said in the session that you refer to.

Our specific work with 6th formers includes an antisemitism campus-preparation session in partnership with CST. This highlights the types of antisemitic hate crimes that young Jewish people may face on campus, as well as how to respond and report such incidents to the relevant authorities. 
I am very happy to put the record straight on this. I believe that Streetwise are providing an excellent and very important service for the Jewish community. I will be looking into the CST material.

See also:  

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:47 am

    Personally I think you should alter the "Typical everyday behaviour" section to:

    · Criticizing Jews for certain character traits (such as meanness, aggressiveness, deviousness) that are actually present in all other ethnic and religious groups

    · Criticizing the Jewish State for certain character traits (such as meanness, aggressiveness, deviousness) that are actually present in all other countries


    There are mean, aggressive and\or devious Jews and Israelis, just as there are mean, aggressive and\or devious people all over the world. To try and say that Jews or Israelis are the least mean, aggressive or devious people in the world is wrong - unless there is some peer reviewed research that proves they are...

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  2. Anonymous7:08 am

    I agree with anonymous (I'm a different "anonymous"), but I'd change it to

    · Criticizing Jews for certain character traits (such as meanness, aggressiveness, deviousness) that are equally present in all ethnic and religious groups

    · Criticizing the Jewish State for certain character traits (such as meanness, aggressiveness, deviousness) that are present to an equal, if not greater, extent in all states

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  3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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