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Last update - 13:02
12/09/2008

Jews attacking Jews

By Antony Lerman

Tags: anti-semitism, israel

When I first started professionally monitoring and
studying anti-Semitism almost 30 years ago, there was, broadly
speaking, a shared understanding of what it was. True,
historians differed over a precise definition - quite
understandably, given that the term was coined only in the
1870s, and was then used to describe varieties of Jew-hatred
going back 2,000 years. There was also a degree of political
manipulation of the phenomenon, with both the right and the
left blaming each other for causing it.

Data on
anti-Semitic incidents then were often crude and sometimes
deliberately misinterpreted to generate aliyah (immigration to
Israel), and controversy was developing about whether
anti-Zionism, or extreme vilification of Israel, was
anti-Semitism.

We Jews knew who the enemy was. Since
Jews do not cause anti-Semitism, we fought those who peddled
theories of the world Jewish conspiracy, Holocaust denial,
blood libels. Except at the very margins, we didn't fight
Jews.

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How things have changed. Today, bitter arguments
rage about what constitutes anti-Semitism. When Jew-hatred is
identified, it's mostly in the form of what many call the "new
anti-Semitism" - essentially, anti-Zionism. Others (this
writer included) fundamentally dispute that anti-Zionism and
anti-Semitism are synonymous.

But whatever position
you take, it's clear that a revolutionary change in the
discourse about anti-Semitism has occurred: Practically no
discussion about current anti-Semitism now takes place without
Israel and Zionism being at its center. Judging by the vast
number of books, pamphlets, articles and conferences on the
subject, this trend is widely welcomed.

The equation
"anti-Zionism = anti-Semitism" has thus become the new
orthodoxy, and has even earned the seal of approval of the
European Union. Its racism and anti-Semitism monitoring center
(the Federal Rights Agency) produced a "working definition" of
anti-Semitism, with examples of five ways in which anti-Israel
or anti-Zionist rhetoric is anti-Semitic. The 2006 report of
the U.K.'s All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Anti-Semitism
urged the adoption of the EU definition, and the U.S. State
Department's 2008 report "Contemporary Global Anti-Semitism"
is also based on it.

The redefinition of anti-Semitism
has led to a further radical change in confronting the
phenomenon. Many Jews are at the forefront of the growing
number of anti-Israel or anti-Zionist groups. So, perceived
manifestations of the "new anti-Semitism" increasingly result
in Jews attacking other Jews for their alleged anti-Semitic
anti-Zionism.

Anti-Semitism can be disguised as
anti-Zionism, and a Jew can be an anti-Semite. In principle,
therefore, exposing an alleged Jewish anti-Semite is
legitimate. But if you read the growing literature that does
this - in print, on Web sites and in blogs - you find that it
exceeds all reason: The attacks are often vitriolic, ad
hominem and indiscriminate. Aspersions are cast on the
Jewishness of individuals whom the attacker cannot possibly
know. The charge of Jewish "self-hatred" - another way of
calling someone a Jewish anti-Semite - is used ever more
frequently, despite mounting evidence that it's an entirely
bogus concept.

Anything from strong criticism of
Israel's policies, through sympathetic critiques of Zionism,
to advocacy of a one-state solution for the Israel-Palestine
conflict, is defined as anti-Zionism, when none of these
positions are prima facie anti-Zionist. Many attackers endow
their targets with the ability to bring disaster and
dissolution to the Jewish people, thereby making it a national
and religious duty for Jews to wage a war of words against
other Jews.

I realize that many readers will regard
these attacks as fully justified. But think for a moment about
who benefits. Can it really help the fight against
anti-Semitism to place the fantasy of the anti-Semitic Jew at
its center? There are many issues about which Jews should
argue robustly with each other, but the attack by Jew on Jew
is acrimonious and demeaning - Can it do us any good? I would
say no to both questions, for overwhelming reasons.

Serious discussion of current anti-Semitism -
rational, objective, academically grounded - is virtually
nonexistent. It is being replaced by internecine Jewish
political battles and endless controversies over the alleged
anti-Semitic implications of comments on Israel by public
figures. Practically the entire business of studying and
analyzing current anti-Semitism has been hijacked and debased
by people lacking any serious expertise in the subject, whose
principal aim is to excoriate Jewish critics of Israel and to
promote the "anti-Zionism = anti-Semitism" equation. The new
EU-approved definition fundamentally subverts the term because
to warrant the charge of anti-Semitism, it is sufficient to
hold any view ranging from criticism of the policies of the
current Israeli government, to denial of Israel's right to
exist - without having to subscribe to any of the elements
that historians have traditionally regarded as constituting an
anti-Semitic view. And it puts out of bounds the perfectly
legitimate discussion of whether increased anti-Semitism is a
result of Israel's actions.

This is no basis on which
to develop effective policies to combat anti-Semitism.

It's a long way from the oft-repeated mantra that
"anti-Semitism is not the Jews' problem, but that of the
non-Jews," to this war against Jews who allegedly offer
comfort to, or are themselves, anti-Semites. So far, indeed,
as to suggest that we have lost our way.

As befits a
time when fear is in vogue, we have successfully widened the
pool of our enemies - as if by doing so, we are somehow going
to be safer.

Antony Lerman is director of the
Institute for Jewish Policy Research in London. He writes here
in a personal capacity.

Bookmark to del.icio.us

Forgotten
peace

French
FM: I fear distracted world may forget Mideast peace
process.

Settlers
vs. Shin Bet

Daniela
Weiss: Shin Bet behind attack on left-wing advocate prof.
Sternhell.

1.

Is
it blasphemous to call right-wing Jews "anti-Semites"...???

13:18

|

Swiss (Dino)

12/09/08

2.

The
problem is

13:27

|

Chris Linthwaite

12/09/08

3.

Plenty
of Criticism

13:36

|

OpenYour Eyes

12/09/08

4.

Plenty
of Criticism, Continued

13:39

|

Open Your Eyes

12/09/08

5.

NO
MATTER HOW "BOGUS" A CONCEPT IS

13:58

|

indrajaya

12/09/08

6.

Freud
on this issue is cardinal

13:59

|

Lacanian

12/09/08

7.

Labelling
all criticism as anti-Semitic helps no one

14:47

|

gearoid

12/09/08

8.

WE
found out about self-hatred at birth

15:02

|

dyinglikeflies

12/09/08

9.

A
good Jew, or a good citizen of the world?

15:12

|

Harvey

12/09/08

10.

Jewish
self-haters are the allies of Arabs.

15:17

|

Jean Van Daem

12/09/08

11.

Well
Obviously...

15:19

|

Yosemite

12/09/08

12.

Another
Thing...

15:26

|

Yosemite

12/09/08

13.

"Self"
"hatred" is quite "normal" - exists all over the nature

15:32

|

17

12/09/08

14.

Is
it that simple No 3? Feels a bit defeatist!

16:05

|

Harvey

12/09/08

15.

Jews:Zionism
as White:White Supremacy

16:17

|

Ahimaaz

12/09/08

16.

Good
work

16:34

|

Nick Ferriman

12/09/08

17.

#
2 Chris Linthwaite -

16:40

|

17

12/09/08

18.

Jewish
self haters are as old as Judaism

16:59

|

Arie

12/09/08

19.

On
Jwish self haters

17:04

|

Arie

12/09/08

20.

STRENGTH;
AGGRESSION

17:20

|

Soggy liberal

12/09/08

21.

"the
fantasy of the anti-Semitic Jew?"

17:51

|

messy

12/09/08

22.

Unfortunately
the antisemitic Jew is not a fantasy

17:52

|

McQueen

12/09/08

23.

Error,
my last post was to No 8, not you No 3

17:57

|

Harvey

12/09/08

24.

how
do some manage to make a simple thing into a mess...

17:59

|

felix

12/09/08

25.

Religious
reason

18:07

|

Nach

12/09/08

26.

Where
are the self-hating Americans, self-hating Brits?

18:35

|

Michael

12/09/08

27.

If
a Jewish group reports on Jews to our mortal enemies as

18:44

|

Chaim

12/09/08

28.

A
new definition of anti-Semitism

18:47

|

Yonatan

12/09/08

29.

#1
Dino. Jew hatred was rarer when Israel had self respect.

18:51

|

Chaim

12/09/08

30.

So
much navel gazing

18:55

|

Marilyn

12/09/08

31.

Quite
simple...

19:03

|

Gray

12/09/08

32.

#
29 Chaim

19:09

|

17

12/09/08

33.

a
conversation...

19:10

|

Rob of melbourne

12/09/08

34.

#
29 Chaim

19:28

|

Swiss (Dino)

12/09/08

35.

Think
about this

19:32

|

Janice

12/09/08

36.

Haaretz
that is what you do when you do not post pro Israel and p

19:44

|

Big Sur

12/09/08

37.

Another
British Uncle Tom

19:45

|

Pleeeze!

12/09/08

38.

Its
more complicated

19:46

|

R`fael Moshe

12/09/08

39.

Chaim:
#27 Actually, it`s the other way around

19:56

|

Gray

12/09/08

40.

No
real confusion

20:33

|

THK

12/09/08

41.

Examples
which prove this DOES exist

20:44

|

ZISD

12/09/08

42.

27,
you are right, ignore rantings of Gray 30

20:45

|

Harvey

12/09/08

43.

#16
Inherently absurd

21:08

|

ZISD

12/09/08

44.

"Nice
work if you can get it"

21:12

|

Gray

12/09/08

45.

Gray
- it is very inappropriate to be so disrespective

21:28

|

17

12/09/08

46.

Are
the Haredim self-hating for being antizionist?

21:31

|

Dovo

12/09/08

47.

The
Biggest Jewish Self Hater

21:36

|

Yosemite

12/09/08

48.

Jews
Attacking Jews

21:40

|

Yosemite

12/09/08

49.

We
Should Really Hate Ourselves

21:46

|

Yosemite

12/09/08

50.

NOTHING
bogus about self hating liberal Jews

22:18

|

David

12/09/08

51.

michael
26

22:36

|

potobac

12/09/08

52.

Jewish
self-hatred

22:37

|

Zachary

12/09/08

53.

There
are some lines not to cross

22:39

|

Mark B.

12/09/08

54.

Lerman
is so incredibly far off base

23:43

|

Slibovitz

12/09/08

55.

Nick
Ferriman

23:46

|

Wally

12/09/08

56.

The
Jewish anti-Semite is as old as Judaism

23:46

|

Slibovitz

12/09/08

57.

Criticism
of Israel often crosses the line

23:51

|

Slibovitz

12/09/08

58.

Yes
there are anti-Semites, real ones!

23:57

|

Slibovitz

12/09/08

59.

#28
Yonatan, the problem with your new definition

00:45

|

Ben Alofs

13/09/08

60.

#
32 17, pretty bad feeling, isn`t it.....????

01:19

|

Swiss (Dino)

13/09/08

61.

#39
Gray. Following your perverse reasoning, Churchill was a...

02:13

|

Chaim

13/09/08

62.

Read
Z Word for the right response

02:15

|

Myrna

13/09/08

63.

#
60 DINO - My friend,

02:36

|

17

13/09/08

64.

Self-hating
Jews have been with us for a very long time.

04:37

|

Ronald

13/09/08

65.

Ben
Alofs

05:09

|

Pt

13/09/08

66.

Ben
Alofs

05:20

|

Wally

13/09/08

67.

Ben
Alofs

06:10

|

Avi

13/09/08

68.

MUSLIM
ATTACK MUSLIMS

06:37

|

indrajaya

13/09/08

69.

#68,
Muslims attacking Muslims are terrorists

10:50

|

Cipora Julianna Kohn

13/09/08

70.

#59
Ben Alofs - What you ignore (Part 1)

10:57

|

Yonatan

13/09/08

71.

#59
Ben Alofs - What you ignore (Part 2)

11:09

|

Yonatan

13/09/08

72.

#59
Ben Alofs - What you ignore (Part 3)

11:14

|

Yonatan

13/09/08

73.

The
conclusion to #28 and its relationship to the present article

11:20

|

Yonatan

13/09/08

74.

Expanding
the definition of antisemitism to include Jews

11:32

|

Yonatan

13/09/08

75.

#59
Ben Alofs - What you ignore (Part 1)

11:47

|

Yonatan

13/09/08

76.

LERMAN:
"WHAT I AM AN EXAMPLE OF DOES NOT EXIST"

12:26

|

Freethinker

13/09/08

77.

#indrajaya

14:00

|

Sarah

13/09/08

78.

cipora
69

16:21

|

potobac

13/09/08

79.

lerman

22:22

|

j10

13/09/08

80.

Legitimising
real anti-Semitism

23:39

|

Tony Greenstein

13/09/08

81.

Legitimising
anti-Semitism

23:48

|

Tony Greenstein

13/09/08

82.

Haaretz

03:55

|

Yosemite

14/09/08

83.

To
Harvey

04:30

|

Tug

14/09/08

84.

Anti-ism

06:52

|

Robert Bennett

14/09/08

85.

Does
Lerman think that there are no Jewish antisemites?

07:10

|

David

14/09/08

86.

#78,potobac,
you did not read my post

07:51

|

Cipora Julianna Kohn

14/09/08

87.

#80,
Robert Bennet, yes there is

08:42

|

Cipora Julianna Kohn

14/09/08

88.

Gray,
#39

09:05

|

Michael

14/09/08

89.

Maybe
Lerman is yet another ""Peace" Now" traitor

09:09

|

Yaakov K.

14/09/08

90.

for
yonatan

09:14

|

dani.a

14/09/08

91.

Half-
truth Chomsky, Norman Finkelstein et al.

10:35

|

Shalom Freedman

14/09/08

92.

Lerner

10:52

|

j10

14/09/08

93.

It
is obvious that Israel boosts anti-semitism

11:04

|

Keith T.

14/09/08

94.

antisemitism

11:24

|

rabbi Tchaitin

14/09/08

95.

#83
Numbers?

11:52

|

Robert Bennett

14/09/08

96.

anti-Semitism;
modern definition

15:53

|

American in NY

14/09/08

97.

Good
indeed!

16:51

|

kafferlover

14/09/08

98.

#96,
ANY

06:17

|

Cipora Julianna Kohn

15/09/08

99.

CJK

14:07

|

American in NY

15/09/08

100.

#99,
ANY

08:49

|

Cipora Julianna Kohn

16/09/08

101.

#86
Cipora etc.

20:11

|

Margaret

16/09/08

102.

A
new definition of anti-Semitism

12:02

|

Gordon Ross

07/10/08

103.

"Equal"
claims

12:49

|

Gordon Ross

07/10/08

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