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Last update - 09:38 18/02/2008 Anti-Zionism as a form of racism By Bradley Burston, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Burston, Turin Book Fair  It has been a staple of public discourse for decades, that those who criticize Israel specifically because they love the country and believe in the more lofty and challenging and just of its ideals, are routinely pilloried for it, berated by rightists as self-haters and anti-Semites and destroyers of Zionism. Now meet a refreshing new phenomenon - bashing and negation of those same critics of Israel, but this time, the attacks are coming from Palestinians, other Arabs and Muslims, and their allies on the European ultra-left. The message is: We don't care what you think, we don't care what causes you care about and advance, we don't even care if you think just like we do - You're Israelis, and that's good enough for us - in fact, bad enough for us - reason enough, in short, to boycott you. We've seen it in the serial boycott obsession of elements of the British intelligentsia, who essentially seek to penalize and punish Israeli colleagues for little more than the original sin of being Israeli. It matters not at all to the boycott-bent if many of their targets are on-site leaders in the struggle for Israeli-Palestinian peace and reconciliation. Yes, we've come a long way from UN resolution 3379, adopted in late 1975, the declaration which determined that "Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination." Now we have Anti-Zionism as a form of racism. Actually, the clue to understanding the phenomenon may lie in the wording of the resolution itself, which included an explicit endorsement of the "elimination" of Zionism alongside "recognition of the dignity of peoples and their right to self-determination." The bottom line, of course, is that the very idea of a movement to found and foster a Jewish state is illegitimate, and, by very short extension, such a state in the Holy Land - or anywhere, for that matter - has by definition no right to exist. Though the resolution died a formal death when it was revoked in 1991, some of its spirit lives on. The most obvious and most widespread form is the rise of Islamist ideology, which in its most radical forms explicitly views the Jewish people in the Holy Land - and even in places like Buenos Aires - as a cancerous presence and a preferred target. In its more subtle forms, the resolution lives on in such phenomena as the recent response to a decision by the organizers of the Turin International Book Fair to declare Israel as its guest of honor. In an initial salvo, The New York Times reported, a local pro-Palestinian group "stormed the book fair offices in Turin, demanding that the invitation to Israel be rescinded." They distributed leaflets reading "We are appalled to see the world of culture take the side of those who methodically operate to annihilate Palestine and the Palestinians." It mattered not at all that among the authors to be most prominently featured at the fair are David Grossman, Amos Oz, and A. B. Yehoshua, writers closely identified with the search for peace with the Palestinians and for an Israel more closely committed to equality, democracy and human rights. In a further move to underscore the idea that the only good Israeli is an absent Israeli, Swiss Muslim academic and activist Tariq Ramadan and British-Pakistani author Tariq Ali, along with Italian ultra-leftists are calling for a boycott of the entire event, slated to coincide with May commemorations of the 60th anniversary of the founding of Israel. Perhaps most remarkable in the Book Fair controversy - and the most direct recognition of the inherent racism on the part of the boycott proponents - has been the response of a group of more than 30 Italian intellectuals and artists. In an open letter, they called on Italian President Giorgio Napolitano to preside over the opening of the fair, and to speak out "against any discrimination and blind intolerance towards the citizens and culture of Israel." Where does the line fall between legitimate criticism of Israeli policies on the one hand, and a racist anti-Zionism on the other? There is, in fact, such a line. It is racist to suggest that all peoples have a right to self-determination in the land of their ancestors, with the exception of the Jews. It is racist to maintain that Muslim historic and religious claims to Jerusalem and the Holy Land are absolute and date to antiquity, and at the same time to negate and dismiss Jewish historic and religious claims, to call Jews interlopers and usurpers and carpetbaggers in the land of their Bible, which is a sacred reference for Muslims as well. It is racist to declare Zionism as an evil before which all other evils in the world pale, and to argue that any act of violence against non-combatants is justified in the service of defeating Zionism. It is racist to take Israel and only Israel to task for its shortcomings in the areas of civil equality, sharing of resources, and the search for peace, while keeping silent or even taking pains to legitimize the same failures on the part of the countries and peoples one happens, as blindly as a pre-pubescent football fan, to support. To seek to silence and boycott Israelis as Israelis is to violate human rights and acts, in the process, to undermine the cause of the Palestinians. Fighting fire with fire is a tactic which, despite its dangers, often succeeds. Fighting racism with racism is a tactic which, despite its allure to the hothead, never does. ______________ Previous blogs: Sderot as Stalingrad, Hamas as blind Samson Barack Obama for Prime Minister of Israel This is how Islam ends What if the Hillary haters were right all along? The Qassam rocket as collective punishment Bookmark to del.icio.us   Best served cold Safed chief rabbi calls on state to exact 'revenge' against Arabs. The Jewish hurdle Obama: I disagree with aide who blamed 'NY, Miami' for failed peace talks.   1.   non stop 09:49  |  atilla karagözoğlu 18/02/08   2.   the europeans use it in that way 09:50  |  amnon reshef 18/02/08   3.   the irish and the other catholics are in a league 09:53  |  erez gerstein 18/02/08   4.   jews never get why they been hated ! 09:54  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 18/02/08   5.   THE LEFT ignores the Nazi outbursts in the Islamic media 09:55  |  PETER SM 18/02/08   6.   A lot of empty harrumphing from Bradley Burston 09:55  |  Clickfool 18/02/08   7.   the question is rather simple 09:56  |  yoav brom 18/02/08   8.   I want to see Israel punished by The God 09:56  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 18/02/08   9.   WHAT JEWS DO IN HOME ? 09:58  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 18/02/08   10.   sweden is held up as an example of humanity 09:59  |  r eitan 18/02/08   11.   has haaretz finally woken up to the real world ? 09:59  |  v hardman 18/02/08   12.   I DESERVE RESPECT HAARETZ. I AM ALWAYS DIRECT WITH MY NAME 10:01  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 18/02/08   13.   the question for the antisemitic european academics 10:03  |  assaf simhoni 18/02/08   14.   WHY JEWS FIGHT DIRTY AND DEEP ? 10:04  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 18/02/08   15.   when the europeans defend their anti zionism 10:05  |  gavish 18/02/08   16.   WHY JEWS STILL LIVE IN OTHER COUNTRIES ? 10:05  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 18/02/08   17.   WHY YOU GUYS LIVE ? WHO CREATED YOU ? 10:06  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 18/02/08   18.   Accurate description of fanatic Israel- hatred 10:09  |  Shalom Freedman 18/02/08   19.   EACH SECOND I LIVE WITH GREAT HATE TO HURT JEWISH WORLD 10:10  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 18/02/08   20.   Racisme versus Antisemitisme 10:11  |  Cord Henrik Kaldrack 18/02/08   21.   HAARETZ ! I SAID RESPECT ! DONT BE JERK ! PUBLISH MY OTHER POSTS 10:13  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 18/02/08   22.   clickfool you have been overusing "harrumping"a 10:13  |  shalom cohen 18/02/08   23.   WHY JEWSIH WORLD ALWAYS ???????? 10:15  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 18/02/08   24.   a void in the heart of europe 10:21  |  yisrael tal 18/02/08   25.   Attila and Clicky 10:23  |  Eldar 18/02/08   26.   Zionism Itself Is a Racist Doctrine 10:24  |  Mr. Knowtiall 18/02/08   27.   What a SIMPLISTIC analogy from the FOOL @ 6 10:25  |  Joe Moer 18/02/08   28.   For Shalom Cohen, on "harrumphing" # 22 10:34  |  Clickfool 18/02/08   29.   They say the problem is not the presence of Israelis 10:35  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 18/02/08   30.   Israeli people facing "collateral damage"....??? 10:35  |  Swiss (Dino) 18/02/08   31.   TO LIVE COWARD ALL THE WAY ! WHY ! WHAT IS THIS ? 10:36  |  ... 18/02/08   32.   Zionism is part of the problem, not of solution 10:38  |  ralph is back 18/02/08   33.   OTHERS ARE NOT LESS THAN YOU ! IN FACT MUCH INSANE 10:38  |  ... 18/02/08   34.   #3 Erez Gerstein and his insults of Irish 10:39  |  Mike McKenna 18/02/08   35.   #26 mr knowitall proves my point about proliferation 10:40  |  v hardman 18/02/08   36.   THEY SAY : SEX, DRUG, GUN BUSINESS ARE YOUR ARMS 10:41  |  ... 18/02/08   37.   CFOOL"Harrumphing" trumps saying"yes sir"when Arabs threaten you 10:42  |  PETER SM 18/02/08   38.   NO GOD HAS RIGHT TO FORGIVE YOU ! NO GOD 10:43  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 18/02/08   39.   YOU EXCEED INSANE LIMITS ! NO BRAVO. NO. 10:43  |  SHAME ON YOU 18/02/08   40.   Israel needs to be dezionized 10:44  |  Jens 18/02/08   41.   I DONT EVEN WANT TO HURT ANY OF YOU 10:44  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 18/02/08   42.   when the far left, the far right and radical Islam meet 10:44  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 18/02/08   43.   Better boycott than collective punishment 10:45  |  herod 18/02/08   44.   OUR ARMS NO NEED TO GET DIRTY WITH HURTING YOU 10:45  |  ... 18/02/08   45.   WE DONT CARE YOUR DEEP VAMPIRE CRYING ? YOU CRY TO HURT MUCH 10:47  |  WHY ? 18/02/08   46.   YOU ARE CARRYING A BLOODY FLAG SINCE 1000 YEARS 10:47  |  WAMPIRES ! 18/02/08   47.   Atilla Karagözoğlu 10:50  |  Dror 18/02/08   48.   MY WORDS ARE MY LETTER OF COMPLAINT TO THE GOD 10:52  |  ... 18/02/08   49.   WHAT TO TELL YOU MORE ? 10:55  |  ... 18/02/08   50.   Information for Joe Moer # 27 10:56  |  Clickfool 18/02/08   51.   MY HEART WHICH STILL TRIES HELP YOU 10:56  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 18/02/08   52.   SNOW, GREAT SNOW IN ISTANBUL NOW, ALL ROADS HALF CLOSED 10:58  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 18/02/08   53.   Eurabia and Euroleftism 10:59  |  Dror 18/02/08   54.   anti-zionism is not racism 11:02  |  mehmet 18/02/08   55.   true...true...true...mostly true...true...but wait?! 11:19  |  eric 18/02/08   56.   For Peter SM, spouting nonsense as usual # 37 11:19  |  Clickfool 18/02/08   57.   Who the hell ? 11:20  |  danny 18/02/08   58.   Atilla, you talk too much and think too little 11:22  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 18/02/08   59.   For Atilla, Nanook of the Middle East # 52 11:23  |  Clickfool 18/02/08   60.   mehmet and zionism 11:24  |  zvika 18/02/08   61.   political pressure 11:24  |  RW 18/02/08   62.   mehmet "israel`s greed." 11:26  |  zvika 18/02/08   63.   mehmet"today zionism is an imperialistic mentality" 11:28  |  zvika 18/02/08   64.   mehmet "no more need of explanations" 11:30  |  zvika 18/02/08   65.   Bradley Burston Zionism & Racism 11:30  |  Moshe BinNun 18/02/08   66.   For Dror on Atilla # 47 11:32  |  Clickfool 18/02/08   67.   atilla k 11:32  |  Get the Point 18/02/08   68.   Yes, Zionism is a form of Racism 11:33  |  El-Birawi 18/02/08   69.   mehmet "killing the arabs like flies"