Posted on 12/11/2002 7:03:19 PM PST by SeenTheLight
Once again Chronicle columnist Annie Nakao has produced a column of monumental folly. She’s now decided to take on Israel and the question of anti-Semitism, as it pertains to the Rainbow Grocery boycott. And who do you think she consulted for this important discussion? None other than Michael Lerner, editor of Tikkun magazine, and as Nakao puts it “the conscience of leftist Jews in the Bay Area.” With impressive credentials like that, it’s no wonder that Nakao went straight to Lerner for expert advice on her column "When anti-Semitism is the wrong term."
Lerner’s critics, who, Nakao points out, call him a “self-hating Jew out to destroy Israel,” are right on target. But this time around, Lerner is correct in being opposed to the Rainbow Grocery ban, because, he says, “It’s an economic boycott of the whole society.” His conclusion, however, that calling boycott advocates anti-Semitic “is totally illegitimate,” is a ridiculous statement.
Nakao poses the question, “Is it possible for both Jews and non-Jews to be critical of Israel these days and not be anti-Semitic? I hope so. I pray so.” Well, she’d better keep praying, because the answer to that question is no. Being critical of Israel in and of itself is not anti-Semitic. However, the left’s fixation on Israel as the root of all evil in the Middle East and indeed, throughout the world, is decidedly anti-Semitic. When countless nations around the world commit atrocities and aggressions against their neighbors, why is it that the left focuses exclusively on democratic Israel? What about China attempting to erase Tibet’s culture, and Syria’s occupation of Lebanon? What, other than anti-Semitism, can this obvious double standard be attributed to?
Nakao points out, with some alarm, that “charges of anti-Semitism are rife, in public life, on university campuses, even at home” without any reference to the world events that are a real cause of concern for Jews. Since the attacks of 9/11, anti-Semitic rhetoric from the Muslim world and consequently from the left, has been ratcheted up several notches. It’s not a pleasant experience to open up the newspaper everyday and see that Jews everywhere are under attack. From conspiracy theories that accuse Jews of being behind 9/11, to Palestinian students handing out flyers on campuses that charge Jews with using the blood of Muslims in their food, to Israelis being blown up on a daily basis, this is hardly a great time to be Jewish.
Let’s not forget that Israel is a Jewish state, so to be anti-Israel might just have a little something to do with being anti-Semitic. Many Arabs are up front about their hatred of Jews. But the left tries to disguise their bigotry by couching it in anti-Israel terminology. Why don’t they just come straight out and admit to their prejudices? The fact is, the left isn’t for peace in the Middle East or anywhere for that matter, they’ve simply chosen sides.
Which leads us back to the Rainbow Grocery boycott of Israeli products. I’ll leave the details up to others to explain, but suffice to say that employees in two of the largest departments in the coop health food store have been boycotting Israeli products for about a year now. Nakao seems to feel the need to defend these people from any charges of anti-Semitism. Well, I’ve got news for Ms. Nakao: It isn’t going to work. We know anti-Semitism when we see it, and we’re not going to take it laying down. In fact, some of us are already boycotting Rainbow Grocery and we’re planning a protest at the store to show our opposition to their unfair boycott. Stay tuned for the details...
No doubt Ms. Nakao is associated with the ultra-leftist JACL (Japanese American Citizens' League), also headquartered in San Francisco.
The term "Useful Idiot" comes to mind also, when it comes to Lerner.
Thanks for the ping! Great article!
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