Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., October 07, 2008 Tishrei 8, 5769 | | Israel Time: 14:35 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
Last update - 13:02 12/09/2008
Jews attacking Jews
By Antony Lerman
Tags: anti-semitism, israel

When I first started professionally monitoring and studying anti-Semitism almost 30 years ago, there was, broadly speaking, a shared understanding of what it was. True, historians differed over a precise definition - quite understandably, given that the term was coined only in the 1870s, and was then used to describe varieties of Jew-hatred going back 2,000 years. There was also a degree of political manipulation of the phenomenon, with both the right and the left blaming each other for causing it.

Data on anti-Semitic incidents then were often crude and sometimes deliberately misinterpreted to generate aliyah (immigration to Israel), and controversy was developing about whether anti-Zionism, or extreme vilification of Israel, was anti-Semitism.

We Jews knew who the enemy was. Since Jews do not cause anti-Semitism, we fought those who peddled theories of the world Jewish conspiracy, Holocaust denial, blood libels. Except at the very margins, we didn't fight Jews.
Advertisement
How things have changed. Today, bitter arguments rage about what constitutes anti-Semitism. When Jew-hatred is identified, it's mostly in the form of what many call the "new anti-Semitism" - essentially, anti-Zionism. Others (this writer included) fundamentally dispute that anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism are synonymous.

But whatever position you take, it's clear that a revolutionary change in the discourse about anti-Semitism has occurred: Practically no discussion about current anti-Semitism now takes place without Israel and Zionism being at its center. Judging by the vast number of books, pamphlets, articles and conferences on the subject, this trend is widely welcomed.

The equation "anti-Zionism = anti-Semitism" has thus become the new orthodoxy, and has even earned the seal of approval of the European Union. Its racism and anti-Semitism monitoring center (the Federal Rights Agency) produced a "working definition" of anti-Semitism, with examples of five ways in which anti-Israel or anti-Zionist rhetoric is anti-Semitic. The 2006 report of the U.K.'s All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Anti-Semitism urged the adoption of the EU definition, and the U.S. State Department's 2008 report "Contemporary Global Anti-Semitism" is also based on it.

The redefinition of anti-Semitism has led to a further radical change in confronting the phenomenon. Many Jews are at the forefront of the growing number of anti-Israel or anti-Zionist groups. So, perceived manifestations of the "new anti-Semitism" increasingly result in Jews attacking other Jews for their alleged anti-Semitic anti-Zionism.

Anti-Semitism can be disguised as anti-Zionism, and a Jew can be an anti-Semite. In principle, therefore, exposing an alleged Jewish anti-Semite is legitimate. But if you read the growing literature that does this - in print, on Web sites and in blogs - you find that it exceeds all reason: The attacks are often vitriolic, ad hominem and indiscriminate. Aspersions are cast on the Jewishness of individuals whom the attacker cannot possibly know. The charge of Jewish "self-hatred" - another way of calling someone a Jewish anti-Semite - is used ever more frequently, despite mounting evidence that it's an entirely bogus concept.

Anything from strong criticism of Israel's policies, through sympathetic critiques of Zionism, to advocacy of a one-state solution for the Israel-Palestine conflict, is defined as anti-Zionism, when none of these positions are prima facie anti-Zionist. Many attackers endow their targets with the ability to bring disaster and dissolution to the Jewish people, thereby making it a national and religious duty for Jews to wage a war of words against other Jews.

I realize that many readers will regard these attacks as fully justified. But think for a moment about who benefits. Can it really help the fight against anti-Semitism to place the fantasy of the anti-Semitic Jew at its center? There are many issues about which Jews should argue robustly with each other, but the attack by Jew on Jew is acrimonious and demeaning - Can it do us any good? I would say no to both questions, for overwhelming reasons.

Serious discussion of current anti-Semitism - rational, objective, academically grounded - is virtually nonexistent. It is being replaced by internecine Jewish political battles and endless controversies over the alleged anti-Semitic implications of comments on Israel by public figures. Practically the entire business of studying and analyzing current anti-Semitism has been hijacked and debased by people lacking any serious expertise in the subject, whose principal aim is to excoriate Jewish critics of Israel and to promote the "anti-Zionism = anti-Semitism" equation. The new EU-approved definition fundamentally subverts the term because to warrant the charge of anti-Semitism, it is sufficient to hold any view ranging from criticism of the policies of the current Israeli government, to denial of Israel's right to exist - without having to subscribe to any of the elements that historians have traditionally regarded as constituting an anti-Semitic view. And it puts out of bounds the perfectly legitimate discussion of whether increased anti-Semitism is a result of Israel's actions.

This is no basis on which to develop effective policies to combat anti-Semitism.

It's a long way from the oft-repeated mantra that "anti-Semitism is not the Jews' problem, but that of the non-Jews," to this war against Jews who allegedly offer comfort to, or are themselves, anti-Semites. So far, indeed, as to suggest that we have lost our way.

As befits a time when fear is in vogue, we have successfully widened the pool of our enemies - as if by doing so, we are somehow going to be safer.

Antony Lerman is director of the Institute for Jewish Policy Research in London. He writes here in a personal capacity.
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
Forgotten peace
French FM: I fear distracted world may forget Mideast peace process.
Settlers vs. Shin Bet
Daniela Weiss: Shin Bet behind attack on left-wing advocate prof. Sternhell.
  1.   Is it blasphemous to call right-wing Jews "anti-Semites"...??? 13:18  |  Swiss (Dino) 12/09/08
  2.   The problem is 13:27  |  Chris Linthwaite 12/09/08
  3.   Plenty of Criticism 13:36  |  OpenYour Eyes 12/09/08
  4.   Plenty of Criticism, Continued 13:39  |  Open Your Eyes 12/09/08
  5.   NO MATTER HOW "BOGUS" A CONCEPT IS 13:58  |  indrajaya 12/09/08
  6.   Freud on this issue is cardinal 13:59  |  Lacanian 12/09/08
  7.   Labelling all criticism as anti-Semitic helps no one 14:47  |  gearoid 12/09/08
  8.   WE found out about self-hatred at birth 15:02  |  dyinglikeflies 12/09/08
  9.   A good Jew, or a good citizen of the world? 15:12  |  Harvey 12/09/08
  10.   Jewish self-haters are the allies of Arabs. 15:17  |  Jean Van Daem 12/09/08
  11.   Well Obviously... 15:19  |  Yosemite 12/09/08
  12.   Another Thing... 15:26  |  Yosemite 12/09/08
  13.   "Self" "hatred" is quite "normal" - exists all over the nature 15:32  |  17 12/09/08
  14.   Is it that simple No 3? Feels a bit defeatist! 16:05  |  Harvey 12/09/08
  15.   Jews:Zionism as White:White Supremacy 16:17  |  Ahimaaz 12/09/08
  16.   Good work 16:34  |  Nick Ferriman 12/09/08
  17.   # 2 Chris Linthwaite - 16:40  |  17 12/09/08
  18.   Jewish self haters are as old as Judaism 16:59  |  Arie 12/09/08
  19.   On Jwish self haters 17:04  |  Arie 12/09/08
  20.   STRENGTH; AGGRESSION 17:20  |  Soggy liberal 12/09/08
  21.   "the fantasy of the anti-Semitic Jew?" 17:51  |  messy 12/09/08
  22.   Unfortunately the antisemitic Jew is not a fantasy 17:52  |  McQueen 12/09/08
  23.   Error, my last post was to No 8, not you No 3 17:57  |  Harvey 12/09/08
  24.   how do some manage to make a simple thing into a mess... 17:59  |  felix 12/09/08
  25.   Religious reason 18:07  |  Nach 12/09/08
  26.   Where are the self-hating Americans, self-hating Brits? 18:35  |  Michael 12/09/08
  27.   If a Jewish group reports on Jews to our mortal enemies as 18:44  |  Chaim 12/09/08
  28.   A new definition of anti-Semitism 18:47  |  Yonatan 12/09/08
  29.   #1 Dino. Jew hatred was rarer when Israel had self respect. 18:51  |  Chaim 12/09/08
  30.   So much navel gazing 18:55  |  Marilyn 12/09/08
  31.   Quite simple... 19:03  |  Gray 12/09/08
  32.   # 29 Chaim 19:09  |  17 12/09/08
  33.   a conversation... 19:10  |  Rob of melbourne 12/09/08
  34.   # 29 Chaim 19:28  |  Swiss (Dino) 12/09/08
  35.   Think about this 19:32  |  Janice 12/09/08
  36.   Haaretz that is what you do when you do not post pro Israel and p 19:44  |  Big Sur 12/09/08
  37.   Another British Uncle Tom 19:45  |  Pleeeze! 12/09/08
  38.   Its more complicated 19:46  |  R`fael Moshe 12/09/08
  39.   Chaim: #27 Actually, it`s the other way around 19:56  |  Gray 12/09/08
  40.   No real confusion 20:33  |  THK 12/09/08
  41.   Examples which prove this DOES exist 20:44  |  ZISD 12/09/08
  42.   27, you are right, ignore rantings of Gray 30 20:45  |  Harvey 12/09/08
  43.   #16 Inherently absurd 21:08  |  ZISD 12/09/08
  44.   "Nice work if you can get it" 21:12  |  Gray 12/09/08
  45.   Gray - it is very inappropriate to be so disrespective 21:28  |  17 12/09/08
  46.   Are the Haredim self-hating for being antizionist? 21:31  |  Dovo 12/09/08
  47.   The Biggest Jewish Self Hater 21:36  |  Yosemite 12/09/08
  48.   Jews Attacking Jews 21:40  |  Yosemite 12/09/08
  49.   We Should Really Hate Ourselves 21:46  |  Yosemite 12/09/08
  50.   NOTHING bogus about self hating liberal Jews 22:18  |  David 12/09/08
  51.   michael 26 22:36  |  potobac 12/09/08
  52.   Jewish self-hatred 22:37  |  Zachary 12/09/08
  53.   There are some lines not to cross 22:39  |  Mark B. 12/09/08
  54.   Lerman is so incredibly far off base 23:43  |  Slibovitz 12/09/08
  55.   Nick Ferriman 23:46  |  Wally 12/09/08
  56.   The Jewish anti-Semite is as old as Judaism 23:46  |  Slibovitz 12/09/08
  57.   Criticism of Israel often crosses the line 23:51  |  Slibovitz 12/09/08
  58.   Yes there are anti-Semites, real ones! 23:57  |  Slibovitz 12/09/08
  59.   #28 Yonatan, the problem with your new definition 00:45  |  Ben Alofs 13/09/08
  60.   # 32 17, pretty bad feeling, isn`t it.....???? 01:19  |  Swiss (Dino) 13/09/08
  61.   #39 Gray. Following your perverse reasoning, Churchill was a... 02:13  |  Chaim 13/09/08
  62.   Read Z Word for the right response 02:15  |  Myrna 13/09/08
  63.   # 60 DINO - My friend, 02:36  |  17 13/09/08
  64.   Self-hating Jews have been with us for a very long time. 04:37  |  Ronald 13/09/08
  65.   Ben Alofs 05:09  |  Pt 13/09/08
  66.   Ben Alofs 05:20  |  Wally 13/09/08
  67.   Ben Alofs 06:10  |  Avi 13/09/08
  68.   MUSLIM ATTACK MUSLIMS 06:37  |  indrajaya 13/09/08
  69.   #68, Muslims attacking Muslims are terrorists 10:50  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/09/08
  70.   #59 Ben Alofs - What you ignore (Part 1) 10:57  |  Yonatan 13/09/08
  71.   #59 Ben Alofs - What you ignore (Part 2) 11:09  |  Yonatan 13/09/08
  72.   #59 Ben Alofs - What you ignore (Part 3) 11:14  |  Yonatan 13/09/08
  73.   The conclusion to #28 and its relationship to the present article 11:20  |  Yonatan 13/09/08
  74.   Expanding the definition of antisemitism to include Jews 11:32  |  Yonatan 13/09/08
  75.   #59 Ben Alofs - What you ignore (Part 1) 11:47  |  Yonatan 13/09/08
  76.   LERMAN: "WHAT I AM AN EXAMPLE OF DOES NOT EXIST" 12:26  |  Freethinker 13/09/08
  77.   #indrajaya 14:00  |  Sarah 13/09/08
  78.   cipora 69 16:21  |  potobac 13/09/08
  79.   lerman 22:22  |  j10 13/09/08
  80.   Legitimising real anti-Semitism 23:39  |  Tony Greenstein 13/09/08
  81.   Legitimising anti-Semitism 23:48  |  Tony Greenstein 13/09/08
  82.   Haaretz 03:55  |  Yosemite 14/09/08
  83.   To Harvey 04:30  |  Tug 14/09/08
  84.   Anti-ism 06:52  |  Robert Bennett 14/09/08
  85.   Does Lerman think that there are no Jewish antisemites? 07:10  |  David 14/09/08
  86.   #78,potobac, you did not read my post 07:51  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/09/08
  87.   #80, Robert Bennet, yes there is 08:42  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/09/08
  88.   Gray, #39 09:05  |  Michael 14/09/08
  89.   Maybe Lerman is yet another ""Peace" Now" traitor 09:09  |  Yaakov K. 14/09/08
  90.   for yonatan 09:14  |  dani.a 14/09/08
  91.   Half- truth Chomsky, Norman Finkelstein et al. 10:35  |  Shalom Freedman 14/09/08
  92.   Lerner 10:52  |  j10 14/09/08
  93.   It is obvious that Israel boosts anti-semitism 11:04  |  Keith T. 14/09/08
  94.   antisemitism 11:24  |  rabbi Tchaitin 14/09/08
  95.   #83 Numbers? 11:52  |  Robert Bennett 14/09/08
  96.   anti-Semitism; modern definition 15:53  |  American in NY 14/09/08
  97.   Good indeed! 16:51  |  kafferlover 14/09/08
  98.   #96, ANY 06:17  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 15/09/08
  99.   CJK 14:07  |  American in NY 15/09/08
  100.   #99, ANY 08:49  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 16/09/08
  101.   #86 Cipora etc. 20:11  |  Margaret 16/09/08
  102.   A new definition of anti-Semitism 12:02  |  Gordon Ross 07/10/08
  103.   "Equal" claims 12:49  |  Gordon Ross 07/10/08
 Read & React
Security officials: Time running out on deal for Shalit release
Responses: 65
Lebanese union to sue Israel for 'claiming ownership' of falafel
Responses: 94
Avi Primor: It's time for the IDF to leave the West Bank
Responses: 32
The Holocaust, Tarantino-style: Jews scalping Nazis
Responses: 17
Hamas: Jewish Lobby in U.S. to blame for global financial crisis
Responses: 24


More Headlines
13:48 Hamas: Jewish Lobby in U.S. to blame for global financial crisis
13:45 Olmert meets Medvedev in bid to dissuade arming of Syria, Iran
13:25 Israeli security officials: Time running out on Shalit deal
12:07 Televised Hamas course teaches militants how to fight the IDF
13:27 Ariel Sharon told 1973 panel: IDF command was clueless during Yom Kippur War
14:18 Dutch lawyers seek arrest of Minister Ayalon for 'war crimes'
09:33 The Holocaust, Tarantino-style: Jews scalping Nazis
10:28 Burial artifact inscribed 'Son of High Priest' found near West Bank fence route
13:50 Arab MK to Dichter: Protect Arab drivers from stone hurling on Yom Kippur
09:34 Monastery atop Church of Holy Sepulchre in danger of collapse
04:23 Bedouins in Negev town decry Palestinian influx
12:08 VIDEO / Foreign Min. compiles report on likelihood of West holding talks with Iran
02:41 Syria marks 35th anniversary of Yom Kippur War with call for peace
05:28 Report: Former Chelsea coach Avram Grant may be Spurs-bound
02:55 Three months later, British authorities still caring for two Israeli children
Previous Editions
Special Offers
Advertisement
Fattal Hotel Chain
Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel.
Dial 013 for your long-distance calls
and get all your money back
US CITIZENS
Vote for real change. Request your ballot today!
Eldan Rent a Car
Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations
Jewish Singles Personal Ads
Find the love of your life on JDate.com
Israel's Premier Real Estate Website
www. israel-property.com
Hebrew Summer courses
From $39.95
Junkyard
Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |
Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel
birthright Israel | Search engine marketing
Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved