What’s behind the ‘new anti-Semitism’?

[chequita guevara]

While AIPAC certainly isn't a global conspiracy, ala the Elders of Zion, it certainly is true that not only do they have a disproportionate amount of influence within the halls of government, they are also fairly immune to criticism. Any and all criticism of AIPAC is immediately denounced as antisemitism ala the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. The media is afraid to touch the story because the label antisemitic is poison in this country. Once it touches you, you're done. Even Jews aren't immune.

AIPAC is effectively the lobbying arm of the Likkud party. The only criticism of Israel allowed is that it isn't being forceful enough. Anyone who would advocate Labor positions in the U.S. or would quote from Ha'aretz is denounced as an enemy of Israel.

It is the third rail of American politics.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Spiffor

Because, as learned as they were, they were bigots. and they wanted to use a more pompous word for their bigotry to sound more scientific. Remember that the 19th century was the high time of pseudo-scientific justifications for racism.

Also consider that as the term was coined in the 19th Century, racism against Arabs wasn't considered unacceptable. As fellow whites, European Jewry should have been immune to racism and instead been able to partake in the persecution of the lesser peoples.

[notyoueither]

Ahhh! I read half a Pekka post!

I need therapy. Give me pills.

[GePap]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


Also consider that as the term was coined in the 19th Century, racism against Arabs wasn't considered unacceptable. As fellow whites, European Jewry should have been immune to racism and instead been able to partake in the persecution of the lesser peoples.

What Spiff posted from wiki would point to the creators of the term antisemitism using the word to describe something they specifically advocated, not at all something they found hateful.

[chequita guevara]

Hm.

[GePap]

Having had a class with Walt and havig spoke in person with Mearshimer, calling them antisemites is absurd.

One thing from the article confused me: WTF is the "moral authority of the Holocaust"????

[Berzerker]

Maybe because the only semite people living among Europeans were Jews.

They weren't too learned if they didn't know most semites aren't Jews.

Anti-semite has historically, since the 19th century was applied only to the Jews.

To have a superficial semantical argument about this is stupid.

When people are accused of anti-semitism and they are semites, it aint a semantical argument.

Why are you an idiot?

Thats all you got...impressive... Calling Arabs anti-semitic is pretty idiotic.

Seriously, Berz, you're pressing a ridiculous line of argument. Yes, Arabs are semites.

Not according to the definition people here insist on using.

The term is idomatic, not literal.

Like that aint lost on the millions of semitic people who aren't Jews?

But it is an older (admittedly faulty) term that has survived.

I pointed out the fault, why that inspires the BS in this thread is another matter.

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by GePap
WTF is the "moral authority of the Holocaust"????

At a time when the values and identity of the West are in a state of flux and confusion, the one solid moral baseline we have is the Holocaust. This can partly be seen in the regularity with which Godwin's law is asserted.

Despite the steps made towards establishing Israel prior to WW2, and whatever one thnks of that cause personally, the Holocaust enhanced the case for a place for Jewish people to live in safety from the existential threat of extermination.

What the author seems to be saying is that by accusing Israel of Nazi-like behaviour itself, the WW2 experienced is being reversed so that the moral compass points away from this attempt to provide a haven for Jews, rather than towards it.

Next : WTF is a 'moral compass'?

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Berzerker
When people are accused of anti-semitism and they are semites, it aint a semantical argument.

From wiki, again...

Despite the use of the prefix "anti," the terms Semitic and anti-Semitic are not directly opposed to each other (unlike similar-seeming terms such as anti-American or anti-Hellenic). To avoid the confusion of the misnomer, many scholars on the subject (such as Emil Fackenheim) now favor the unhyphenated antisemitism[9] in order to emphasize that the word should be read as a single unified term, not as a meaningful root word-prefix combination.

[Provost Harrison]

So are they still trying to play the Holocaust card to claim that the Israeli state is above criticism? Whatever good will Israel had has now completely evaporated. Welcome to being like the rest of the world!

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
So are they still trying to play the Holocaust card to claim that the Israeli state is above criticism? Whatever good will Israel had has now completely evaporated. Welcome to being like the rest of the world!

No they're not, but people like you are accusing them of this.

[Berzerker]

From wiki, again...

That cleared it up And millions of non-Jews are still classified as semites, so are they anti-semitic if they dont like Jews?

[Elok]

Originally posted by Berzerker
That cleared it up And millions of non-Jews are still classified as semites, so are they anti-semitic if they dont like Jews?

According to this sense of the word, yes. They can coin another meaning for anti-semitic if they prefer, that's hardly unprecedented in the English language.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Berzerker
That cleared it up And millions of non-Jews are still classified as semites, so are they anti-semitic if they dont like Jews?

They are antisemites if they don't like Jews, duh. That's the definition of the word.

I'm not aware of an anti-semitic racism (notice the hyphen), i.e a racism that goes against all semitic people, but no further. In any case, if anti-semitic racism would exist, it would be pretty absurd for a semite to support it.

Just like it's absurd for a Jew to be an antisemite.

[Edan]

Originally posted by Spiffor


Just like it's absurd for a Jew to be an antisemite.

Between bigotry and hypocracy, it's the hypocracy that's absurd?