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"Oy with the Holocaust already!"
Feb. 1st, 2009 11:58 amDid the title make you double-take?
Before I return to my studies I wanted to write about the fact that January has been a crappy month for my part of the world.
And for the world in general.
More precisely, the people.
I don't think I need to recount the War Frenzy that took over Israel.
I think it's important to emphasise the Antisemitic backlash that went on during that month around the world.
Demonstrating in front of Israel embassies and consulates is legitimate, necessary and if I weren't already in Israel protesting against the policies of my government, I'd be in front of an embassy myself were I not here.
Spray painting Synagogues and cemeteries with anti-Zionist messages is not legitimate. Attacking and harassing Jews and Israelis and excusing it because of a military operation that is happening, with these people not actually being a part of any of it, is not legitimate.
It's fucking racist!
This is not anti-Zionist critique. This is flat out Antisemitism. Using Israel's actions to promote an Antisemitic agenda is low, base and sickening.
And I won't have my critical agenda of my country co-opted, silenced and de-legitimised because racist assholes are using it in in order to promote hatred of me, my family, culture and history.
Fuck. That.
This is even without mentioning that the Catholic Church is not winning any friends by not at the very least admonishing the words of a Holocaust denying priest: Priest: Gas chambers were for disinfection - yes, indeed the gas chambers were indeed used for disinfection... to disinfect the Aryan race from the disease carrying, filthy, human shaped microbes... am I right?
The assault on Gaza has been used to excuse actual Antisemitic rhetoric.
To trivialise the Holocaust AND deny the unique position of the Palestinians by comparing the assault and the Occupation as being perpetrated "Jewish Nazis".
An insult to both our Houses.
This silences actual and real critique on Israel's policies.
Way back when in 2007, former Member of Knesset and former speaker of the Knesset Avrum Burg published a book under the Hebrew title Defeating Hitler, he was interviewed about it in Ha'aretz.
The book has been translated into English under the title The Holocaust is Over, We Must Rise From its Ashes.
You can read a fantastic review and analysis by Julia Glassman over at Feministe called “What is bad for the Jews is better for Zionism”.
Antisemitism is as real as any other from of racism, only Jews of certain heritage can "pass" and maybe not be directly affected by it their entire lives. It still doesn't mean that there is no "Othering" going on and that history doesn't affect how the rest of the world treats Israel as a nation of Jews.
Because we're still Jewish and there's something just not right about us.
I was going to end this with something light hearted, but I think I'll leave that for another day when I'm feeling less pissed off!
Before I return to my studies I wanted to write about the fact that January has been a crappy month for my part of the world.
And for the world in general.
More precisely, the people.
I don't think I need to recount the War Frenzy that took over Israel.
I think it's important to emphasise the Antisemitic backlash that went on during that month around the world.
Demonstrating in front of Israel embassies and consulates is legitimate, necessary and if I weren't already in Israel protesting against the policies of my government, I'd be in front of an embassy myself were I not here.
Spray painting Synagogues and cemeteries with anti-Zionist messages is not legitimate. Attacking and harassing Jews and Israelis and excusing it because of a military operation that is happening, with these people not actually being a part of any of it, is not legitimate.
It's fucking racist!
This is not anti-Zionist critique. This is flat out Antisemitism. Using Israel's actions to promote an Antisemitic agenda is low, base and sickening.
And I won't have my critical agenda of my country co-opted, silenced and de-legitimised because racist assholes are using it in in order to promote hatred of me, my family, culture and history.
Fuck. That.
This is even without mentioning that the Catholic Church is not winning any friends by not at the very least admonishing the words of a Holocaust denying priest: Priest: Gas chambers were for disinfection - yes, indeed the gas chambers were indeed used for disinfection... to disinfect the Aryan race from the disease carrying, filthy, human shaped microbes... am I right?
The assault on Gaza has been used to excuse actual Antisemitic rhetoric.
To trivialise the Holocaust AND deny the unique position of the Palestinians by comparing the assault and the Occupation as being perpetrated "Jewish Nazis".
An insult to both our Houses.
This silences actual and real critique on Israel's policies.
Way back when in 2007, former Member of Knesset and former speaker of the Knesset Avrum Burg published a book under the Hebrew title Defeating Hitler, he was interviewed about it in Ha'aretz.
The book has been translated into English under the title The Holocaust is Over, We Must Rise From its Ashes.
You can read a fantastic review and analysis by Julia Glassman over at Feministe called “What is bad for the Jews is better for Zionism”.
Antisemitism is as real as any other from of racism, only Jews of certain heritage can "pass" and maybe not be directly affected by it their entire lives. It still doesn't mean that there is no "Othering" going on and that history doesn't affect how the rest of the world treats Israel as a nation of Jews.
Because we're still Jewish and there's something just not right about us.
I was going to end this with something light hearted, but I think I'll leave that for another day when I'm feeling less pissed off!
