Why The Rise In Anti-Semitism In Europe?
Grandiose Jewish Narcissism And Zionism
10/29/02 1:58:27 PM
Alfred M. Lilienthal
Commentary -- Alfred M. Lilienthal : Why The Rise In Anti-Semitism In Europe?
Sunday, October 27 2002 @ 07:39 PM GMT
Any time that we hear that Jews are "suddenly" being persecuted, we have to
ask what is really going on. Are their opponents attacking them only
because they are Jews?
By Dr. Alfred M. Lilienthal
WASHINGTON (PINA) - An op-ed piece by Abraham Foxman, head of the Anti-
Defamation League, entitled "Europe's Anti-Israel Excuse" appeared in the
Washington Post on June 26, 2002. Foxman claims to believe that the growing
criticism in Europe of Israeli misconduct somehow equals a resurgence of anti-
Semitism similar to the dark Hitler era. For that matter, he makes an even far
wider claim that this supposed new rise in the old anti-Semitism is somehow
central to all human experience:
"Throughout history a constant barometer for judging the level of hate and
exclusion vs. the level of freedom and democracy in any society has been anti-
Semitism -- how a country treats its Jewish citizens. Jews have been
persecuted and delegitimized throughout history because of their perceived
differences. Any society that can understand and accept Jews is typically more
democratic, more open and accepting of 'the other.' This predictor has held
true throughout the ages."
Here in Foxman's own words, we have a prime example of the kind of egocentric
and grandiose preoccupation with his Jewishness that tends to give other Jews
a bad name. What hogwash that throughout all of human history and throughout
all the societies that have ever existed, the world has somehow revolved
around the status of "The Jews!"
This claim of unique Jewish specialness is preposterous and offensive. If the
Irish, the Chinese, the Arabs, the Catholics, the Buddhists, or any other
ethnic or religious group made such a ridiculous universal claim about
themselves, we would likely find it both disgusting and laughable. Foxman
makes this absurd statement, but if we dare to say it is absurd, immediately
he would counter that we are anti-Semitic to say so.
A half century ago there were only a few of us Jews in America who were
willing to be openly anti-Zionist and publicly question Israel's brutal
conduct toward the Arab inhabitants of Palestine. Rabbi Elmer Berger and I
used to tangle with the Anti-Defamation League even way back then. We were
labeled self-hating Jews, and our criticisms of Zionism were thus largely
dismissed. Berger passed on from this world in 1996, but I am still around to
attempt to refute the many distortions of Abraham Foxman and the present ADL.
Fortunately, I am no longer alone in my old age to make these challenges!
Younger Jewish people in America and Europe and throughout the world are now
bravely and eloquently speaking out. The Washington Post printed on July 6,
2002 the following Letter to the Editor by a Board Member of "Jews for Peace
in Palestine and Israel":
As an American Jew, I am outraged by Abraham Foxman's irrational conclusions
from the Anti-Defamation League's poll on anti-Semitism in Europe [op-ed, June
27]. Although attacks on synagogues are undoubtedly troubling and cause for
concern, Foxman's assessments of the trends associated with these attacks are
so contrived as to be utterly puzzling.
If 45 percent of those Europeans polled think that most Jews have a strong
loyalty to Israel, they are right -- from an early age, we are taught that
Israel is a homeland to Jews, and thus most Jews develop a strong connection
to it. This perception being accurate, how is it that those who have noticed
can be categorized as anti-Semitic?
By the same token, Foxman reports that 62 percent of those polled see the
outbreak of violence against Jews as a result of anti-Israel sentiment, not
anti-Jewish feelings. Yes, criticism of Israeli policies is on the rise. But
how is this tantamount to anti-Semitism? If I criticize the government of
Zimbabwe, am I somehow a racist?
Many Jews, myself included, are highly critical of Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon's policies, as they feed into an endless cycle of violence that
threatens Jewish and Arab lives. We are long overdue for a serious
intellectual inquiry as to how the president of a leading American Jewish
organization can falsely equate criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism, or, as
I prefer to more accurately call the phenomenon, anti-Jewish sentiments. Our
cousins the Arabs are Semitic too.
Foxman made other charges that call for further challenge:
"During the past year and a half a troubling epidemic of anti-Jewish hatred,
not isolated to any one country or community, has produced a climate of
intimidation and fear in the Jewish communities of Europe. Never, as a
Holocaust survivor, did I believe we would witness another eruption of anti-
Semitism of such magnitude, in Europe of all places. But the resiliency of
anti-Semitism is unparalleled. It rears its ugly head in far-flung places,
like Malaysia and Japan, where there are no Jews."
You don't say! Foxman doesn't even bother to ask himself why, all of a
sudden out of the blue since sometime late in the year 2000, there has been
this supposed outburst of what he sees as a dramatic rise in anti-Semitism.
Could it by any chance have anything to do with the vicious policies of Ariel
Sharon -- beginning with his armed intrusion in September of 2000 to lay
symbolic claim to the "Temple Mount" area upon which the Al-Aqsa Mosque and
the Dome of the Rock have been built for centuries? Of course some
Palestinians as well as Muslims in other regions would perceive Sharon's
intentional provocation as equivalent to an act of war against Islam.
Foxman also dares not look too closely at the fact that Malaysians and
Japanese would indeed have no reason to have a negative opinion of Jews
whatsoever unless they were witnessing the misbehavior of "The Jews" in Israel
and in the Occupied Territories toward the Palestinians. What is on the rise
is a clear worldwide condemnation of Israeli war crimes and Sharon's
diabolical plans for ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians from Gaza and the
West Bank.
Next we see Foxman refer to "the incredibly biased reaction against Israel
seen in the poll -- despite the fact that Israel under former prime minister
Ehud Barak offered the Palestinians an independent state"
How many more times do we have to continue to be bombarded by this outrageous
Zionist lie about the "generous offer" that Barak supposedly made and that
Arafat supposedly refused at Camp David! Professors Francis Boyle and Jeff
Halper have written extensively about these deceptions for anyone who cares to
know the truth.
Finally Foxman says, "It is time for Europe to assume responsibility for a
situation of its own making. The combination of significant, openly expressed
anti-Jewish bias together with irrational anti-Israel opinions creates a
climate of great concern for the Jews of Europe. It is not surprising that in
such an atmosphere Muslim residents feel free to attack Jewish students and
religious institutions not because they are Israelis but because they are
Jews."
Rather I say: It is time for Zionists to assume responsibility for a situation
of their own making. Once they enter aggressively into the political realm as
Foxman has done and turn their whole religion into a debating society over the
rights and wrongs of Israel, they should expect people to criticize! And I
don't think the anti-Israel opinions of many European leaders and their
countrymen are at all irrational. People do have the right to oppose both
Israel and the Zionist Jews in Europe and America who support Israel as if it
were their own nation.
Of course Jews are likely to be resented when they appear to go against the
best interests of the country in which they are living in favor of the
interests of another country. Because the Zionist Jews are responsible for
mixing up religion and nationality in this abnormal manner, even non-Zionist
Jews may find our loyalty to our own nations questioned. I warned about this
danger long ago in my article, "Israel's Flag Is Not Mine," which appeared in
the Reader's Digest in 1949.
Again, any time that we hear that Jews are "suddenly" being persecuted, we
have to ask what is really going on. Are their opponents attacking them only
because they are Jews? Or is the anger directed at them as promoters of
Israel? The more that the media identifies the state of Israel as "the Jewish
state," all the greater is the probability that innocent Jews in Europe and
other regions will be unfairly blamed for the wrongs of the present Israeli
government and military.
Activities of the state of Israel are wide and complex, and some of them
deserve severe condemnation. Immediately the Zionist organizations such as the
Anti-Defamation League label any opposition to Israeli misconduct as anti-
Semitism. It is not anti-Semitism that is growing by leaps and bounds against
Jews for being Jews. It is anti-Israelism that is on the rise! And rightfully
so.
My advice is that Jews, who think like Foxman does about their unique Jewish
specialness, should rejoin the human race. We need to stop isolating ourselves
and relating ourselves to "The Jews" down through the ages, or to "The Jews"
who happen to live in Israel, or to "The Jews" who have set up the illegal
settlements on Palestinian land. When other Jews are wrong, we should say so.
When Israel is wrong, we should say so. Only from this commitment to truth and
justice will peace eventually come to the Middle East.
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