Bay Area takes on 'progressive' anti-Semitism

[oberliner]

Three years ago, Jonathan Bernstein received an e-mail from a distraught political activist in the San Francisco Bay Area concerned about rising anti-Semitism among fellow political progressives.

"The growing acceptance of anti-Semitic rhetoric is so commonplace it is not even recognized as anti-Semitism," wrote the activist, who went on to list a number of anti-Semitic incidents in her community that had left her rattled.

Despite her opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq, the woman had not attended a recent anti-war rally due to her reluctance to support the group organizing the protest.

"We've gotten calls for help like that almost weekly here for the last three years," said Bernstein, director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) office in San Francisco. "With each case we've helped put out fires by trying to get the right person to speak out about whatever the issue is."

On Jan. 28 the ADL will try to do more than just douse fires when it convenes Finding Our Voice, a daylong conference in San Francisco aimed at empowering Jewish progressives to respond to anti-Semitism on the left.

http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=17137

Edit: Posted this in GD. Not sure if I should've posted it here instead.

Curious to get the thoughts from the I/P regulars on this article.

[Englander]

1. The rest of the article spells it out -

Some Jews on the left view groups like the ADL and AIPAC with skepticism, believing they deliberately blur the line between anti-Semitism and legitimate criticism of Israeli policy. Others are staying away from the conference out of fear that association with it could cost them credibility in the progressive community. "We've all had to break out of our comfort zones to put this together, including myself," Bernstein said.

But for some, the ADL hasn't broken out enough.

Two prominent Bay Area Jewish organizations active in the progressive movement -- Tikkun and Jewish Voice for Peace -- were not invited to co-sponsor the conference. Two others were invited to participate but declined, citing concerns about the agenda.

Rabbi Michael Lerner, the founder of Tikkun and perhaps the most well-known Jewish progressive in the country, will be in Washington on the day of the conference protesting the Iraq war.

A spokesperson for Jewish Voice for Peace, a liberal advocacy group working on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, said: "From our perspective, you cannot get to the roots of anti-Semitism in the progressive movement without honestly addressing the severe human-rights violations that Israel engages in every day. Judging by the lineup, that kind of honest examination is not likely to happen at this conference."

[pelsar]

2. yes that definitly spells it out..

you cannot get to the roots of anti-Semitism in the progressive movement without honestly addressing the severe human-rights violations that Israel engages in every day.

blaming anti semitism on israeli policies within the "progressive movment"..what that means is that those in the "progressive movment" arent to bright and cant tell the difference between a states policies and a religious group........so whos dumber?..the writer who believes the progressives are that dumb? or the "progressives" who are that dumb?