Posted on 11/20/2003 12:57:03 PM PST by SJackson
Anti-Semitism was not born with Israel and its propaganda; it is much older. This origin of the concept of anti-Semitismus dates back to the 1870s in Germany, when it was first used to describe the ideological hostility toward Jews in Europe. Some historians even attribute it specifically to a writer who founded a league to limit the impact of Jews in 1871, as he considered that they infiltrated society to corrupt and undermine it by sowing the seeds of its deterioration. Basically, the concept of "anti-Semitism" occurred in a specific context hostile to Jews.
It is meaningless to ignore the idiom's context and say that racism against Arabs is a form of anti-Semitism because they are Semitic people. For racism against Arabs does not need to be a form of anti-Semitism for it to be refused. Anti-Semitism is not the only recognized kind of racism. Anti-Semitism was attributed to the European hostility for religious, racial, national and social reasons.
Anti-Semitism is a historical social phenomenon that cannot be denied. It was the most dangerous and horrible form of racism in Europe. The civilization Bush and his supporters like to claim they belong to, i.e. the Judeo-Christian tradition, considered to be the mother of liberal democracy, is also the origin of anti-Semitism and the holocaust place.
Certain Zionist historians try to attribute anti-Semitism to the Middle Ages in Greece and Rome; they consider that any reticence to a foreign culture or religion, including Judaism, is a form of anti-Semitism. Hostility toward Jews was not due to the fact that they are Jews but because they are strangers representing a strange culture. The Judaism religious culture itself includes alibis mentioned in the Torah to exterminate "infidel" peoples.
Anti-Semitism is a specific kind of hostility toward the other that is different proper to the relation between the Christian Europe and its Jewish citizens. Some historians claim that it goes back to the beginning of the Crusades, and the discrimination against them prevailed during the Middle Ages in the form of ostracism and exclusion.
A historian might insist that the religious hostility toward Jews was the introduction to anti-Semitism that became racial, national or social, all the more that the social anti-Semitism exploited the social demagogy that impoverish the middle classes in the interests of the value of the bourgeoisie.
Although anti-Semitism is a modern phenomenon different from eth religious hostility, yet, one cannot separate the non-religious aspects of the anti-Semitism from the religious theological tradition in the Middle Ages. In this culture, Jews are those who refuse the fact that the New Testament completes the Old one. Jewish religious trends considered Christianity a false messianic, a direct denial and an absolute opposition to Judaism for it came to end the historical Jewish mission.
It is necessary to note that France, which is currently accused of anti-Semitism, was the first country to grant Jews legal equality in 1791. However, the Jewish enlightenment itself created the modern anti-Semitism because it called for the deterioration of the prevailing values, traditions and social hierarchy. No doubt that the modern anti-Semitism brought the most horrible forms of racism, with the Jews' mass extermination and the Nazi holocaust.
Neither the Islamic culture nor the other Eastern cultures bore hatred toward the Jews as much as anti-Semitism did. Although Eastern cultures are not innocent of the many massacres their history witnessed, they did not create the anti-Semitism. Israel's attempt to encompass the Islamic culture as part of anti-Semitism is a political effort aimed at playing the role of the victim in the actual conflict with the Arabs.
But we should also mention that the modern Arab policies were affected with the European political thought and hence, with some anti-Semitism ideas albeit they did not adopt them. When Zionism used the holocaust to justify the Naqba, some people thought that the retaliation should be to ignore or minimize it. In the 1967 defeat, there was a need to justify it so they aid that the opponent was a real international devil.
Mixing the Jews with the Zionists is what Israel wants in order to justify why it is not differentiating between criticizing Zionism and anti-Semitism. Criticizing oneself is not contradictory to these truths: 1- anti-Semitism is a European phenomenon that led to the Nazi holocaust. 2- The widest spread form of racism in the Western countries is the hostility to Arabs and Muslims and not anti-Semitism. 3- Not all who are anti-Semitic are anti-Israel for some of them deal with it and consider it as a model of a militarily cultured nation. 4- The Western political and ideological traditions that opposed anti-Semitism and called for equality are today criticizing Israel and its occupation. The Israeli propaganda is hostile to many trends that refuse the anti-Semitism.
Hence, Israel chooses the people it wants to punish for anti-Semitism according to its interests, and it accuses others of anti-Semitism while it has no proof at all they are.
Many organizations in the world were established to account those who are anti-Semitic. Ever since the majority of the organized Jewish Diasporas in the world were united in solidarity with Israel, there is a trend to transform every criticism against Israel into a form of anti-Semitism.
This is one of the reasons why the Palestinian issue is complicated. Israel complains about the international concern with the Palestinian issue. The truth is that the international concern with the Palestinian issue should be seized by Palestinians through a liberation and democratic speech even though anti-Semitism. In fact, any solidarity step toward the Palestinians should be accompanied with compensation to Israel or else, it would be accused of anti-Semitism.
The Palestinian issue was born from the international concern ever since the Balfour promise. Without it, there wouldn't be a Palestinian cause or it would have been settled a long time ago just like any other colonial cause. However, the Palestinian cause was born specifically when other people took their independence and was even more aggravated when other issues wee settled. Hence, the Palestinian people are not to be envied for the international concern.
It is no longer possible to separate these two issues and set away the international concern. We only hope we can. The pivotal question is how to deal with it in a way that refuses anti-Semitism as a source to prove the justice of the Palestinian cause and refuses as well Israel's attempt to use anti-Semitism to silence any voice raised against Israel and its practices and refuses to liberate it from racism.
I assume the is MK Azmi Bishara, the Knesset member awaiting trial for incitement. I’m not sure I follow his line of reasoning, other than Europe bad, Israel bad, Arabs oppressed.
Sorry for all the pings. 1871 is just six years after 1865, and this stuff was not just going on in the US but Europe as well.
Not true. Our Constitution was ratified two years earlier declaring that there be no religion test for holding public office.
The Jews, as a class violating every regulation of trade established by the Treasury Department and also department orders, are hereby expelled from the department [Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi] within twenty-four hours from the receipt of this order.Anti-semitic? Tolerant? Racist?Post commanders will see that all of this class of people be furnished passes and required to leave, and any one returning after such notification will be arrested and held in confinement until an opportunity occurs of sending them out as prisoners, unless furnished with permit from headquarters.
No passes will be given these people to visit headquarters for the purpose of making personal application for trade permits.
By order of Maj. Gen. U.S. Grant.
Yeah, usually they just go with the "I'm a semite, I can't be antisemitic nonsense". I'm assuming this is the same Bishara, though the site doesn't note it.
That lasted what, a week month, before Lincoln rescinded it?
Lincoln revoked the order on 4 Jan 1863. Thus it was in effect for almost 3 weeks. Illinois Rep. Elihu B. Washburne wrote to Lincoln 6 Jan 1863 supporting Grant's order.
Let Us Get The Historical Record...STRAIGHT, Here and Now...
ANTI-JEWISH, ANTI- GOD Hatred began when the satan - also known as the Serpent/hasatan led Adam and Eve to believe: The LIE (that they would surely Not die if they ate of the forbidden fruit of the Tree of GOOD and EVIL).
Their SIN and WILLFUL DISOBEDIENCE against GOD would forever separate Adam and Eve from (GOD) their Creator.
The LORD GOD, The HOLY ONE of ISRAEL called out to ADAM and asked: "Where Are You?"
It was at that moment, that Adam truly realized that he had Sinned Against GOD and Disobeyed HIM.
That same SIN entered into the heart of Cain when he murdered his brother Abel.
From Cain comes ALL the peoples who would become the ENEMIES of GOD for ALL Generations...The Seed of AMALEK.
It is in THE BIBLE, go and Read ALL About it!
Those who Hate the Jewish People also Hate GOD The Almighty Living GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
And...NO, The GOD of The JEWS and Real CHRISTIANS is NOT the Same PAGAN moon "god" that the Islamic Demonic Mohammadians stick their Behinds Up in the air to worship....NEVER was and NEVER will be.
Anyone who says that The LIVING GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is one and the same with the PAGAN moon "god" of ISLAM is.....IGNORANT and ARROGANT, in total Denial and does Not have THE TRUTH in him or her.
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