The Difference of Words…
Posted by Henric C. Jensen on June 23, 2007
There’s a clear difference between legitimate criticism of Israel and Anti-Semitism:
Clear criticisms of Israeli policy & its backers | Antisemitic ideas often repeated by activists with no anti-Jewish intentions | Lines emerging directly from neonazi & antisemitic organizations |
Israel has a repeated & ongoing record of human rights offenses. | “Israel is a worse humans rights violator than most or all other countries.” | “Israel is the root of the world’s problems.” |
Many Israeli soldiers justify their actions toward Palestinians by saying they’re ‘just following orders.’ | “Israelis are just like Nazis.” | “Israel is worse than the Nazis,” “This wouldn’t have happened if the Nazis were successful,” etc. |
The Zionist movement has included elements of racism from its early days, such as the claim that Palestine was “a land without a people for a people without aland.” Major Zionist factions have implemented conscious, intentional racist policy. Regardless of individual Zionists’ intentions, Zionism as a whole has had racist & oppressive results for the Palestinian people. | “Zionism is racism.” | “The Zionist conspiracy is behind this,” “Zionism is the root of the world’s problems today,” etc. |
AIPAC,* weapons lobbies & others give U.S. politicians incentives to push anti-Palestinian policies, & attempt to silence &intimidate both Jews & non-Jews who raise alternatives. | “The ‘Israel Lobby’ is what is pushing America off track &away from its true interests,or caused us to go to war.” | “Israel /The Zionists /The Jews /The Jewish Lobby…is controlling the U.S./ the world.” |
In this issue, as in so many, the corporate media provide one-dimensional, sensationalized coverage, usually biased toward whatever side the U.S. government is backing – when they cover it at all. | “The media, controlled by Zionists, never talks about the plight of the Palestinians.” | “Zionist control of the media is part of a vast web of Zionist power over banks & world governments, in their conspiracy to rule over humanity.” |
Lack of a resolution between Israel & Palestine is one of several major regional conflicts preventing justice & stability in the Middle East. Outside powers such as the U.S. & Europe have played & play a role in sparking & perpetuating these conflicts. | “The Israel-Palestine conflict is the root of violence & instability in the Middle East / of America’s bad relationship with Arab countries.” | “Everything would be better if Israel was destroyed,” etc. |
I agree with most of the statements in the LEFT column – I am not sure about the role of the US in the media coverage in Europe – nor am I sure that the US and/or Europe as such have directly fuelled the conflict – to me it seems more like they have been opportunists and used the situation to their advantage after the fact. Any way – the above table is exactly what I have tried to convey in discussions with violent Anti-Semites and Anti-Semitic statements – criticism of Israel is ok – when it is warranted – but don’t cross the line into Anti-Semitism, knowingly or unknowingly.The above Table is from “The Past Didn’t Go Anywhere,”
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