“Judeophobia Explains the Pro-Palestinian Hysteria of the European Left”

Proche-Orient ^ | October 2, 2002 | Marc Tobiass

[BenLurkin]

The far left and the far right are but two sides to the same thin evil coin.

[Dems_R_Losers]

After the Holocaust, after Auschwitz, that is, after the ultimate stage in the destruction of the Jewish soul—a process which lasted for centuries in Europe—Europe is shattered, many of its elements are dead, but it also has a bad conscience; it knows it is guilty. Since then, Europe has looked for and found in the Palestinian cause the expiation for its guilt. It is from this that the uncritical and Manichean attitude toward the Palestinian cause emerges—it is, primarily, the last heroic (European) adventure. Further, the more the Jews are presented as being the evil party, the bad ones, the less difficult it is to carry the responsibility and the guilt. This is a process of collective psychology. From such a perspective, there essentially is no difference between France, for example, and Spain… It is unbelievable how Europe continues to hate its Jewish soul, even after it has expelled it!

This is so profound, I had to read it several times. I have thought much the same for years but never been able to articulate it. I hope this book has some serious impact.

[TheMole]

The general idea here - that some Europeans ego-trip on the Palestinian cause and demonize Israel because it frees them from guilt about the Jews - has been expressed by some noted French intellectuals, including I believe Jean-Francois Revel and Alain Finkielkraut, neither of whom I would describe as leftist. The phenomenon of Europeans continuing to hate Jews and blame their problems on Jews even after Jews no longer live there has been called "phantom limb" anti-Semitism, using the analogy of an amputee who still feels pain from an amputated part of his body.

[Celtjew Libertarian]

There's a flip side to this. There is a certain point where individual Jews come to accept this hatred as a fact of life -- as something constant, unchangeable in the short-run, and quite possibly permanent. They stop apologizing for being Jewish and for doing what is necessary to survive as Jews. It combines the best aspect of Ayn Rand -- I will live my life for myself -- and throws a religious aspect -- And for God -- on top of it.

I think the majority of Israeli Jews have come to feel it. I think it is a growing attitude among American and other diaspora Jews. I like to think I have it -- I am certainly developing it. And it scares the excrement out of the Anti-Semites.

[monkeyshine]

BTTT some good posts here already, FYI & for your flag list.

[dennisw]

THANKS!

[dennisw]

Here's some Spanish Eurocrats meeting with Yassir about a year ago. They came to the West Bank to console their besieged hero.

.

Spain's Foreign Minister Josep Pique, right, pauses as in the background an unidentified member of the Spanish delegation kisses Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, left, following their meeting in Arafat's headquarters in the West Bank town of Ramallah, Thursday Jan. 17, 2002. Pique is on a week-long tour of the Middle East in an European diplomatic effort to search for new ways to revive the Mideast peace process. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

 

[Cacique]

good piece

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

Exactly. The left has always been anti-semitic, from the Bolsheviks on down to all of their ideological progeny. I'm not sure one has to look all that far for an explanation. Being leftist or liberal means that man has all the answers and there is no need for God. Jews are an embodiment of the opposite point of view and Israel in particular, by its very existence, points to the existence of a God. I'm not saying that all anti-semitism stems from leftist ideology, as there are economic and other reasons, but I am saying that if you show me a leftist ideology or organization, I'll find you anti-semitism. And there should be no big mystery as to why this is so. Fundamentalist Christians are equally despised. And Europe, is largely leftists, although there has been some trend in the opposite direction. And yes, the Nazi's were more left than right.

[jimt]

Whatever idiot invented the term "Judeophobia" should be incarcerated for life and forced to recite the dictionary daily. I'm so sick of phony phobias I could puke. We don't need another.

[dennisw]

Whatever idiot invented the term "Judeophobia" should be incarcerated for life and forced to recite the dictionary daily.

His heart is in the right pace but the word "Judeophobia" is stupid and actually makes Jews look bad

[machman]

Anti-facist bttt.

[philosofy123]

Anti Semitic/Judeophobia.... The facts are: the great majority of the Jewish people live safely and prosper greatly in the West. The venomous anti Jewish propaganda is mostly coming from the Moslem Arabs. That is simply a political response to their continued defeats every time they mess with Israel.

Radical Islamic teachings became the norm in all these Arab countries, and their population carried that hate to the West. Saudis petrodollars, and the Ayatollah's monies helped propagate that hate throughout the world.

I would not sour our relation with the Europeans over their siding with the Palestinians. This situation is about to be resolved soon, especially if the Israelis managed to put a bullet between Arafat's eyes. The West, including Israel must take on the challenge of making HATE RELIGIOUS PREACHING AGAINST OTHERS a crime against humanity. That concept MUST be addressed. The US should face that fact heads on with the Moslem nations, even if we must sponsor a UN forum to shed lights on the root cause of the terrorists’ movement around the world. Remember, the UN forum on Zionism as a racist movement in South Africa? We should not dance around the contemporary Islamic preaching of hate.

[kapn kuek]

You seem phobiaphobic!!

[kapn kuek]

The West, including Israel must take on the challenge of making HATE RELIGIOUS PREACHING AGAINST OTHERS a crime against humanity

Who decides what is hateful speech and what is factual speech? The speech police?

[philosofy123]

"Who decides what is hateful speech and what is factual speech? The speech police?"

Now that is a stupid question!If your priest, Imam, or Rabbi stand in a house of worship and askes the believers to kill the non- believers, or to hate and force convert the non-believers. Mr. PC, does that that look like a fair definition of a hateful preaching?

[kapn kuek]

If your priest, Imam, or Rabbi stand in a house of worship and askes the believers ... to hate and force convert the non-believers. Mr. PC, does that that look like a fair definition of a hateful preaching?

I'm not sure; I'm not the speech police. If you pray for conversion of muslims, is that hate speech? If you express feelings that demoncrats should be jailed for spitting on boy scouts carrying the American flag, is that hate speech? If your priest leads the congregation in prayer to end abortion, is that hate speech? If your religion teaches that homosexuality is a sin, is that hate speech? Would you say that James Carville spews hate speech with every breath he takes?

Are you willing to draw up a list of hate speech crimes? I still say that one mans hate is another mans truth.

I am guilty of a lot of hate speech according to our left-wing friends. How long before they have the power to arrest me for expressing my feelings? Where do you draw the line?

[A_perfect_lady]

Bump to read later

[A_perfect_lady]

Exactly. The left has always been anti-semitic, from the Bolsheviks on down to all of their ideological progeny. I'm not sure one has to look all that far for an explanation. Being leftist or liberal means that man has all the answers and there is no need for God. Jews are an embodiment of the opposite point of view and Israel in particular, by its very existence, points to the existence of a God. I'm not saying that all anti-semitism stems from leftist ideology, as there are economic and other reasons, but I am saying that if you show me a leftist ideology or organization, I'll find you anti-semitism. And there should be no big mystery as to why this is so. Fundamentalist Christians are equally despised. And Europe, is largely leftists, although there has been some trend in the opposite direction. And yes, the Nazi's were more left than right.

The Left also hates Jews and Protestants for their successful capitalism. Judaism allows for earning interest, Protestantism in America has shaped itself into an equally prudent force. Catholicism, Islam, and Socialism do not allow for these things.