Excusing hostility to Israel’s right to exist -- "Left" anti-semitism...

[Behind the Aegis]

“Left” anti-semitism is no myth

The charge of “anti-semitism” is thrown at critics of Israel by the crassest of the uncritical, and sometimes paranoid, apologists for Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians?

This is true.

And therefore? Therefore, there is no anti-semitism; where just and valid criticisms are made of Israel, there can be no anti-semitism, even if the conclusion from the criticism is that the Israeli Jewish nation should be destroyed; and therefore, there is no anti-semitism in the stark root-and-branch antagonism to Israel which dominates the hard left, and is now spreading rapidly through the rest of the left.

That is what David Clark argued in the Guardian (6 March), under the headline: “Accusations of anti-semitic chic are poisonous intellectual thuggery”. He is a former Blair government adviser — and what did he do in that capacity to help the Palestinians? But he is hot and strong now against Israel.

His core argument is that what is denounced as left-wing anti-semitism is not anti-semitism, because it is thoroughly justified. It is not a self-betrayal by the left, but the result of a proper application of its good, basic, traditional instincts.

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Beware....this is a LONG article!!!

[DemFromMem]

1. Really good piece

But it's not Jewish DUers who need to be seeing this as much as the wackos at the P/I forum.

[Behind the Aegis]

2. I cross-posted in GD...

...although, to some, anything considered "pro-Israeli" popping up in more than one forum is "spamming." :crazy:

[voter x]

3. or it will be classified

as "zionist" propaganda...much like any dissenting opinion we may have.

the gd and gdp forums need a thorough cleaning. I purposely stay away from I\P because of the already underlying froth of hatred that appears there every week.

[DemFromMem]

4. It is fun baiting the anti-Israel types though

You can so easily lure them into a silly rant and almost always get them to accidentally reveal their true anti-Semitism. Then you can make then have conniptions when you point out their bigotry. That really freaks them out because unlike right wing anti-Semites, these folks actually care about being labeled racists and bigots and they like to hide behind anti-Zionism to avoid accusations of being supportive of hate groups.

Then enjoy hitting the alert button. It's like a game :-)

[voter x]

5. a little messed up

but, yes, it is fun to watch.
:mad: :grr: :nuke:

:evilgrin:

[Behind the Aegis]

6. LOL! You bad!

The past week has been out of control. I have only seen a few people openly call another poster an anti-Semite for having an anti-Israeli opinion, but they way some posters are wailing and gnashing their teeth you'd think it was happening ever post. What I see more of is them bitching about being called an anti-Semite when not ONE person in the thread has said anything to that extent or giggling like little freaks about how that is what will happen. The fact is we are the ones being labeled! When we post anything to the contrary or don't condemn Israel in every post, we are accused of playing the anti-Semitism card...that has become VERY old!

However, you are correct that a few anti-Semites have revealed themselves and sport the lovely new granite avatar! :)

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Meshuga]

7. It's funny when some try to use the...

...argument "we are anti-Zionists and 'Zionist' is not equal to 'Jew'" and then, by accident, they slip and forget to camouflage their language and type the word "Jewish" by accident in their posts.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

11. Notice this particular example

The OP calls for the end to killing from all sides. See how this person replies:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1690487&mesg_id=1697795

I've hit alert but it's still there.

[Behind the Aegis]

12. I need to say "thank you."

THANK YOU!

I did a wee little search...s/he uses that term on 5 other posts, and called Bush, the "American Jew President," as if! All we can do now is sit and wait, and hope the right thing is done.

[meti57b]

8. There's no difference.

Antisemitism is when someone hates Jews. Antizionism is when someone hates the world's only Jewish nation, ... a nation formed when no other nation would take in the Jewish refugees who survived the Holocaust in Europe.

[voter x]

10. ding ding ding

You get the prize....

(funny how gentile definitions of Anti-semitism and Zionism never seem to equate with judaism)

:party:

[Misskittycat]

13. This has bee a really tough week or so on DU. What disturbs me

the most is the wholesale lack of knowledge about the complex history of the middle east, particularly anything before 1967. I've avoided posting at all except for once or twice, because the ignorance is so appalling my head wants to explode. BTW, one of the two posts I made was to second the suggestion of David Fromkin's excellent historical work, A Peace to End all Peace. Somewhere in my house I have an old copy of the original 1989 or 1990 edition. I looked for it yesterday but can't find it. There is a newer, 2001 edition out now that I should really buy. I've looked on ebay and amazon for used copies.

I wish there was a bit more correction of the historical inaccuracies being regularly posted, but I don't have the nervous system for it. I nominate -- almost anyone but me.

[madaboutharry]

14. I know what you are saying.

It is too tiresome to try to educate some of these people. They don't care about history. If you read carefully what they write it is easy to see that the know nothing about the middle east and will swallow any anti-israel statements anyone makes, regardless that no one can verify it. That is a problem inherent in the internet, there is no fact checking.