Anti-Semitism vs. Anti-Zionism
July 23rd, 2007As you well know, there is not a good attitude to Israel within Muslim societies. Here I don’t want to enter this debate, explore the roots of the problem or propose any solution; but I want to focus my attention on something which came to me as a surprise.
I used to believe that all of those Muslim analysts, who oppose Zionism, don’t offend Jews as a whole (i.e. are not anti-Semitic). Now I’m not that sure of this idea. You may want to know why; if so, follow this post.
Since about 7 years ago, by the beginning of my university studies, I was obsessed with Mideast conflict. Reading the articles and analysis of both sides (if we assume that there are only two sides in this conflict, which may be rather simplistic) and following the news, was part of my routine program. You know, there are too many groups in Iran (mostly, if not wholly, related to hardliners) which are bonded to this subject, and I have attended some of their seminars, meetings and workshops.
As said above, most of the anti-Zionist analysts (either in Iran or else) claim that they respect Jews, but the only thing they can never stand is Zionism. Yeah, it may be possible in theory, for we see even some Jews (some orthodox ones) who oppose Zionism. (Again, this is not my aim to judge if they are sincere, if such a thing is rational, etc).
Meeting some of these so-called Iranian anti-Zionist analysts helped me get a better grasp of their actual beliefs. Yeah, one may refuse to state his innermost feelings and thoughts in a public seminar, for reports and reporters may make many problems. Then when you get into the depth of his mind, you may find something completely different from what gets out of his mouth. Without referring to any special figure or case (for it may make problems), now I think that anti-Semitism is in the root of some of these anti-Zionism movements.
How can we find such an argument in their statements? It’s not that complicated. Though they first claim that ‘respectable Jews also do exist’ and divide Jews as being ‘bad’ or ‘good’ (a completely black and white view indeed), after a while they (either implicitly or explicitly) state that ‘if a Jew is a True Jew, he/she is bad’. Believe it or not, I saw some of them who even try to find a historical pattern of conspiracy done by (true) Jews to eliminate Islam. This kind of conspiracy theory is what I call anti-Semitism.
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I think that it is easy to brush off any criticism of Israel as anti-Semitism because Israel describes itself as a “Jewish State,” even though there is a large minority that is not Jewish and is Christian and Muslim.
I do think there is some anti-Semitism, but I also believe the majority of criticism is merely an expression of anger against oppressive Israeli government policies and practices which violate human rights. If more Israelis would address these issues themselves — they don’t — there wopuld probably be less anger, and criticism would not be mislabeled as “anti-Semitism” as it often is by anti-Arab bigots like, for example, Sean Hannity and Alan Dershowitz.
I also think that Arabs and Palestinians especially, and Muslims have a responsibility to speak out against those who engage in anti-Semitism or engage in Holocaust revisionism or Holocaust denial. I don’t think whether or not the Holocaust did or did not take place is 1) a legitimate issue of discussion in the Arab-Israel conflict, and 2) is a legitimate question at all. The Holocaust did take place. Six million Jews were murdered intentionally by the Nazis, but so were some 20 million other people including Russians, Slavs, gypsies, disabled, Pols and more. Just because one Palestinian leader doesn’t mean one can cast aspersions against all Palestinians; Hajj Amin Al-Husseini tried to align himself with the Nazis during World War II — an expected alliance given the fact that 1) no one knew the exterminations were taking place at the time, and 2) the enemy of my enemy is my friend, is a Biblical saying among Jews, Christians and Muslims.
Just my thoughts.
Ray Hanania
I consider myself semitic, by the way
I believe that these stories about the jews beeing bad by nature and making plots to eliminate islam are just like urban myths, they are fed by fear and powerlessness. The easiest way to express those feelings is to set a whole ugly story to explain them. Of course there are extremist ideas on both sides, but I agree with Ray when he says that a majority of criticism is simply due to anger.
MM, Right on!
Ray points out a few issues that I would like to explore; being critical of Israel doesn’t make you anti-Israel or anti-Zionist but critical of Israel. To deny Jewish nationalistic goals is the same as denying any people’s nationalistic goals.
That said, using the Holocaust for anything other than the Holocaust is simply annoying. And Ray, this is untrue: “an expected alliance given the fact that 1) no one knew the exterminations were taking place at the time” and you know it. Countries and orgs knew of the killings and did nothing about it. And if you don’t think Al-Husseini knew, you are being naive.
Anti-Zionism is not the same as anti-Semitism, but people who are anti-Semitic may hide behind anti-Zionism, or people who are anti-Zionists may also be anti-Semitic. But there is a difference: Zionist refers to one’s political philosophy and Semitic refers to one’s ethnicity. To say that the two are inherently equivalent is like saying anti-communism is the same as racism against Russians.
Fair and legitimate criticism of Israel for legal and human rights abuse is not anti-Semitism.
However …
Anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism when it becomes a raison d’etre, a cause celebre, an obsession, or when Israelis are singled out and demonized for behaviors that regional non-Jews commit against Palestinians and each other with impunity.
Anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism when people with no connection to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict go out of their way to feel hate and rage toward Israel for religious or political reasons while feeling little anxiety toward criminal behavior by non-Jews.
When you first stop to check whether the perpetrator of a crime is an Israeli (Jew) before deciding how much you’re going to care about a human rights issue … that’s when anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism.
When you deny that Jews have an ancient, ancestral, indigenous, precolonial connection to Israel, Jerusalem, and the West Bank/Judea & Samaria/Palestine, that’s when anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism.
If you feel that Jews should be permanently disinherited from their lands, deny that Jews belong to the region, think you can boss Jews around and order them to go to Europe or wherever suits you, or feel anguish over the thought of Jews having power over your lives, lands, and holy sites while demanding your own power over the lives, lands, and holy sites of Jews, then anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism.
When anti-Zionism is driven by an institutionalized bias against the very concept of (uppity) ethnic minorities gaining too much empowerment, and that Jews deserve to be hated because they are not entitled to the same level of control as are other groups, then anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism.
When a nation demonstrates elitist country club behavior against Israel alone, and where Israelis are not allowed to live or travel freely and openly to nations that open their doors to the citizens of the worst violators of human rights on the planet, that is where anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism.
Where Jews are not safe or allowed to openly identify as Jews because of a social and political climate in solidarity with Palestinians, that is where anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism.
Denial that Jewish ethnic and cultural rights are on par with the rights of other regional groups is when anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism.
Thanks.
Well done. It’s a fact that Islamic clerics have been anti-Zionism so far! specially in The Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and other countries.
For example, what Ahmadi Nejad (IRI president) said about Israel is anti-Zionism but in the deep root is anti-Semitism because if somebody wipe a country from the planet! so what will happen to people inside of the country? A country means with it’s people.
In Islamic countries as much as a country show their hatred towards Israel, they would recognize the country as a good Muslim country. it’s kinda a competition between them. IRI
Well done. It’s a fact that Islamic clerics have been anti-Zionism so far! specially in The Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and other countries.
For example, what Ahmadi Nejad (IRI president) said about Israel is anti-Zionism but in the deep root is anti-Semitism because if somebody wipe a country from the planet! so what will happen to people inside of the country? A country means with it’s people.
In Islamic countries as much as a country show their hatred towards Israel, they would recognize the country as a good Muslim country. it’s kinda a competition between them which I think in the deep root it comes from anti-Semitism.
i agree with what nearly all have said here (excluding Ray). there is a difference between being anti-semetic, criticising israel and being anti-zionist and the ones before me have already cleared that out.
the middle east conflicts (not only in israel) are usually connected and there are more than two sides in those conflicts, as the original poster Mohammad suggested.
The point that Mohammad M. makes can be summed up in this way: anti-Zionism within Iran has become infused with traditional anti-Semitic notions such as the blood libel and the notion of Jews as intrinsically bad (a notion that is reinforced by the Koran… you know the part where it is written that Muslims get fewer laws from God because they are less bad than Jews?)
My experience was that the meld of anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic notions in Iran came from the best educated. Now why would that be?
Tori, I don’t think so the meld of anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic comes from best educated?! actually it comes form Islamic schools and people who graduated there. we do have lots of them in IRI.
I think so any discriminates comes from uneducated people. I had educated friends from all over the world with different religions, we didn’t have problem because we could talk and discuss about almost everything.
I think people in Islamic or better to say, religious schools, they don’t get educated. they do repeat a religion over and over and over again in a same manner as it was in old days! there is no invention, no creativity, so what the hell is these schools for? Just to preserve their reliigon and spread it with all poisons and lies.
[...] Anti-Zionism Vs Anti-Semitism – an excellent [...]
” if somebody wipe a country from the planet! so what will happen to people inside of the country?”
It seems unlikely that all the Israelis who came from neighbouring countries or from Iran would be welcomed back and treated as equal citizens. Many of them are in Israel precisely because they were driven from their homes in the first place.
ROFL
lwj
(laughing with Jina)
If you want to be considered anti-Zionist and not anti-semitic, there’s one easy way: propose a credible alternative Jews might take instead of Zionism. Credible, as in doesn’t require fairies riding unicorns to show up and implement with wands and fairy dust. Credible, as in a Jew might buy into it.
I won’t hold my breath. I’ve yet to see such a thing coming from any Muslim. So, I remain a Zionist.
Ray, if you’re going to speak of Haj Amin, you should not whitewash his record. He knew there were exterminations going on. He helped implement them.
You come to this “anti-Semitic” conclusion because you fail to distinguish Zionism, Judaism, and the Jewish people. “Jewish” is a very vague term. It is perfectly rational to criticize a religious belief, and often times people (including the ADL) justify Zionism on religious grounds as if they are now clear from any criticism. And it is ludicrous. Years ago pogroms and the Spanish Inquisition were justified on a religious basis. Religion and people’s personal faiths are not a legitimate, fact-based, or ethical way to justify any political movement such as Zionism. So whether or not they are “true Jews” is irrelevant. If Judaism espouses Zionism, and they claim to truly follow Jewish doctrine (which they might not) then it is not anti-Semitism, because it simply criticism of political (Zionism) and religious (Judaism) ideology — like criticizing Islamic fundamentalism by pointing out Jihad. It doesn’t man you’re an anti-Muslim for disagreeing with them on issues of religion. The same should apply to Jews. It is not anti-Jewish to criticize Judaism or elements of Judaism, and the same should be applied to Zionism which is a subsequent political ideology.
Amith, It would be anti-Muslim to suggest that Muslims kill Christian children so that they can use their blood in rituals… or to claim that the destruction of the world trade centers in New York were part of some vast worldwide Islamic plot and that there were no Muslims working in the towers that day, wouldn’t it? These are exactly the types of charges that define anti-Semitism. And there are people all over the world who make them.
against Jews (I meant to add)
i would like to say judaism is completely separte thing from zionism one is a regloius thing of a gruop of people the other is a nationalist/racist ideloghy called zionism.
juadism should not be confused with zionism one is is relgoius thing the other is like natinalist/racist thing commonly called zionism thses days.