Posted by Eugene Volokh:
The Effects of Modest Amounts of Anti-Semitic Speech and Unfair Anti-Israel
Sentiment on American Jews and Israel:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_05_27-2007_06_02.shtml#1180717872
American Jews naturally worry about anti-Semitic speech, for the
obvious reason that it could lead to [1]anti-Semitic murder, other
crimes, job discrimination, and more. They also worry about unfair
criticism of Israel, because it could undermine American help for
Israel, American trade and professional exchanges with Israel, and the
like.
But it seems to me there are also contrary effects. American help for
Israel -- especially private help -- is also undermined by any decline
in American Jews' emotional connection to Israel, a decline that can
stem from (1) growing assimilation, (2) a declining sense that Israel
is unfairly embattled, and (3) a declining sense that Jews are
unfairly embattled and need Israel as a defender and retreat of last
resort. Likewise, what most undermines these days the welfare of the
American Jewish community as an independent community (rather than
just as individual people)? My sense is that the answer is
assimilation and declining sense of common fate, rather than an
unwillingness to identify as Jews for fear of ostracism or violent
reprisal (a fear that was more serious some decades ago).
Modest amounts of anti-Semitic speech and unfair criticism of Israel,
it seems to me, can strengthen American Jews' self-identity as Jews,
and thus indirectly support both the preservation of the American
Jewish community as a community, and strengthen support for Israel.
Feeling embattled as a group tends to strengthen group solidarity.
Hearing unfair criticisms for Israel tends to strengthen the sense
that Israel is unfairly embattled and deserves more support. Feeling
some fear of anti-Semitism reminds American Jews of the value of
preserving American Jewish institutions. And it reminds American Jews
of the value of protecting Israel, in case one day American Jews may
need refuge somewhere just like European Jews once did. ("[2]Home is
the place where, when you have to go there, They have to take you
in.")
If anti-Semitic speech became too common, these
community-strengthening effects may be decreased (for instance, if
American Jews became afraid to be publicly identified as Jews) or
might be swamped by harmful effects (again, such as violence,
ostracism, discrimination, or fear suffered by individual Jews). But
my sense is that at modest levels, the existence of this speech in
America is a net positive (not an unalloyed positive, but a net
positive) both for Israel and for the American Jewish community. And
we are talking these days about such modest levels, if one looks at
the big picture of Jewish existence in America today.
So far I have tried to be purely descriptive: I have tried to describe
what I think is an existing phenomenon, a phenomenon that is positive
for Israel and for the American Jewish community as a community. (I
should say that I'm a relatively assimilated Jew who doesn't care as
much about the American Jewish community as a community as some do;
I'm much more concerned with the welfare of individuals, Jewish or
not, than with the welfare of the community. Still, even I see some
value, so long as anti-Semitism does exist, in America and elsewhere,
in protecting Israel and preserving American Jewish institutions.)
Now, though, let me shift to the prescriptive: I think that this
phenomenon ought to further strengthen American Jews' support for free
speech, including for free speech by anti-Semites and unfair, bigoted
critics of Israel. (I think we should support such free speech even
without this phenomenon, but I hope this phenomenon strengthens such
supprot in others.)
Anti-Semitism, whether Muslim, white nationalist, or otherwise, is out
there. Suppressing such speech might diminish anti-Semitism in some
ways (for instance, if the suppression is effective and stops the
persuasive or attitude-reinforcing effect of such speech), or it might
increase anti-Semitism in some ways (for instance, for making the
anti-Semites look sympathetic in some people's eyes, or making people
who are from the same community as anti-Semites feel embattled and
hostile to those who are seen as persecuting them). But on balance,
the main effect of such suppression, if it is effective, will be to
make American Jews feel more complacent. And publicly identifying and
condemning such speech will remind American Jews that there is
anti-Semitism out there, that it must be fought -- and that fighting
such anti-Semitism and protecting against its most harmful effects is
one reason that both Israel and American Jewish institutions need
support.
Naturally, there are limits to this. Certainly no-one should foment
anti-Semitic speech or conduct, or blow it out of proportion, or
tolerate leaving actual anti-Semitic violence unpunished. Increasing
group solidarity is not the most important thing.
But if you think that increasing group solidarity is on balance one
important thing (either as an end or as a means), the First Amendment
rights of American anti-Semites help you rather than hurt you. You
shouldn't be demanding speech codes; you should be shipping in more
video cameras (and of course demanding protection from violence for
those who use them), and publicizing the bad speech that you find.
Free speech is valuable because it informs people -- and it informs
people not just when the listener hears and believes the facts the
speaker says, but also when the public learns more about the speakers.
Publicly visible anti-Semitic advocacy is, at least in America today,
an important informational tool: It informs American Jews of the value
of Jewish institutions, and it presents this information in an
especially emotionally effective way. Again, not in my view the best
reason to support free speech, or even close to it. But those who
don't share my views about the broader moral and instrumental value of
free speech should, I think, consider this more immediate instrumental
value.
References
1. http://www.cnn.com/US/9908/12/california.shooting.03/
2. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/robertfros100246.html
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