"Oy with the Holocaust already!"

[eumelia]

Did 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!

Comments

[cbr-paul.livejournal.com]

What kind of anti-Semetic backlash has been going on in Israel?
I know that in the UK there are definitely some quite strong feelings against the Israeli government and their actions, but with the exceptions of those on the far right, I have not heard of any media outlets or people expressing their disgust at the Jewish people themselves.

[mao4269.livejournal.com]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/uk-antisemitism-surge-since-gaza-attack-1229111.html

[cbr-paul.livejournal.com]

Good grief, the loonies! Mind you, I get the impression that this is the work of the far right lot who would look for any excuse to vent their hatred.

[mao4269.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's exactly the point.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

Does it matter what side of the political spectrum they come from?
Using Israel as an excuse to vent "classic" Jew-hatred is vile no matter from which direction it comes from. And it shouldn't be qualified by "oh this is just a bunch of loons".

[seilduksgata.livejournal.com]

I live in the UK and its definitely not just 'loonies'. Its becoming quite mainstream, just read the talkbacks for articles on Gaza on newspapers websites.

[kynn.livejournal.com]

Agreed; even people making the argument "Israel's policy is just going to increase anti-Semitism" are buying into the idea that oppression against Jews is caused by Jews.

Dehumanizing Jewish people is sadly far too common regardless of politics. This is part of the reason that I put so much emphasis on Israeli (and to some extent, worldwide Jewish) opposition to the occupation -- I don't do it to say these are "the good Jews" but rather to point out the diversity of opinion and take my cues from Jewish voices in criticism of Israel.

(I don't disagree with Palestinian criticism either, conceptually, of course! I just can't be as confident that it will be free of anti-Semitism.)

[kynn.livejournal.com]

...and I should also add that for me personally, I need to hear those Jewish voices offering legitimate criticism rather than illegitimate anti-Semitism, because the urges are there in me, as a white Christian American liberal who is anti-occupation.

I've never walked past a mosque and felt anger toward the Muslims there -- but last month as I rode my bike past the Jewish community center, knowing that they'd hosted a "support for Israel" rally, I found myself getting angry at ... I guess at the building, as silly as that sounds. That kind of free, undirected antipathy toward Jews and symbols of Judaism is proof of exactly why I need to be so careful -- it's easy for my emotions to lead me to the "culturally acceptable" and "justified by Gaza" bigotry of dehumanizing Jewish people.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

That kind of free, undirected antipathy toward Jews and symbols of Judaism is proof of exactly why I need to be so careful

Why do you think that happens? I'm interested where this sort of thing actually stems from.

[kynn.livejournal.com]

Western culture has a long history of otherizing Jewish people, that play on stereotypes. There are enough "grains of truth" that it feels easy to fall into some of those assumptions when it comes to Israel/Palestine, and I think those work on a subconscious level that even non-Jewish liberals who are opposed to anti-Semitism on principle may fall into.

For example, stereotype of Jews as both rich and greedy -- sees resonance in the conflict. "Israel receives a lot of money from the US" plus the contrast of Palestine's poverty vs. perceived Israeli wealth can reinforce this stereotype. The idea that Israel is primarily concerned with "grabbing land" (a gross over-simplification of the Occupation that holds sway among many in America who reject the dominant pro-Occupation view) plays too close to the "grabbing money" stereotypes of Jews.

I reject these views consciously, but I also know that society's stereotypes rattle around inside my head, and can easily come out if I don't guard my thoughts and words carefully.


(Also, Jewish identification with Israel among some non-Israeli Jews raises the impression that all Jews are supporters of Israel no matter what, and so all Jews are conflated with all Israelis and then with Israel's official positions. This is a misconception again; to blame it on vocal Jewish supporters of Israel is once more victim-blaming for anti-Semitism. And yet it persists among some people who support Palestine -- the idea that Jews have to "prove" they don't really support Israel "too much" or else be considered suspect.)

[lishablog.livejournal.com]

I only wish to ask you to remember that some of us American Jews both support Israel and are critical of her. When I was in the US I did so, and now that I am an Israeli I feel that I have even more options on both accounts.

Many of the people at that "support Israel" rally may well have been anti-occupation (as I am) and yet still felt the need to say, "But that doesn't mean that Israel is the devil spawn and always wrong." or some variation of that.

[lishablog.livejournal.com]

re-reading my comment it might sound like I'm coming down on your too hard. I apologize if it came out that way. I should have said "I appreciate your candor and your conscientious attempts to do the right thing" first. :)

[kynn.livejournal.com]

Okay, thanks -- not so much that I want The Cookie but my initial reaction was that I wasn't sure you read what I wrote, or maybe that I had miscommunicated poorly (and with privilege).

Thank you for the additional information about the "pro-Israel" rallies; I have never been to one because I did not think I would be welcome, and I have no intention to attend as a "counter-demonstrator."

[ephraim-oakes.livejournal.com]

wow, i wish this could get posted on racialicious or feministe (where they recently had a comment thread debating whether or not anti-semitism was actually a form of oppression). deracinating jews (yes, even ashkenazim) pisses me off. i feel like that is itself a form of anti-semitism because it's always used to frame the structures of power in simplistic, black-and-white terms.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

I unfortunately am not particularly networked.
If you know someone who knows some... let me know? :)

[kynn.livejournal.com]

Go to racialicious and drop an email to them; I can do so myself later today when I'm not at work.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

I'd really appreciate it if you could, I'm in the middle of exams and don't have much time myself.

Thanks in advance!

[kynn.livejournal.com]

Oh! Yeah, I didn't know, will do that. :) Good luck on the exams!

[pitbullgirl65.livejournal.com]

Hey! I followed you over from debunkingwhite.
It's so damn confusing. Doesn't Israel have a right to defend itself? I feel bad for the people of Gaza but it doesn't justify anti-semitism. I don't know enough to comment in depth on the situation, without sounding like a privilaged jerk.
OT: Your icon! :D

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

Of course Israel has the right to defend itself.
The question is, is this the way in which Israel will be safe? Almost everyone I spoke to, for and against, the operation agreed that the assault wouldn't stop the rockets and that it wouldn't be able get Hamas to capitulate control of the Strip?
So what was the point and how exactly is Israel safer?
Since the "cease fire" - more Israeli soldiers have been wounded and the rockets have continued to be fired - only Gaza infrastructure is now in debris and there are far more dead now than before.
The despair in Gaza has created an even greater breeding ground for future militants and in the Israeli South Sderot, Ashkelin, Rahat and other towns are still under fire and the Israeli government is lax in shielding against the rockets and material compensation.

So... what was the point?

Re OT: You can thank Eddie Izzard for the quote :)

[pitbullgirl65.livejournal.com]

Thank you, yes in that makes sense. Like ex president bush waging war to protect America *eyeroll*.
(I love Eddie Izzard too)

[seilduksgata.livejournal.com]

I found the situation really stressful - I was against Israel going into Gaza so unlike most people from my shul, I couldn't go to the pro-Israel 'peace rally' in London. On the other hand, I am very disturbed by the rhetoric used by the mainstream left wing protesters - it is totally disproportionate, uses unnecessarily emotive language (genocide, massacre, etc) and feeds into antisemitism. So I did not want to march with them either.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

Wow, that is bad.
That really is a "lose/lose" situation there.
So sorry about that.

[seilduksgata.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I know it hasn't been great for you either!

Its funny because if I was in Tel Aviv over the Gaza war I would definitely go to the protests there but I can't find a suitable equivalent over here. There is "Jews for Justice" and "Independent Jewish Voices" in the UK but they are really small groups. I joined them for one protest but it didn't feel totally right either...most people are to the left of me, supporting the boycott for example. It was a bit pointless in the end anyway because the group got no media coverage at all - nuanced perspectives obviously aren't what the media is hankering for.

Why is being Anti-Israel being Anti-Jewish?

[leoburrows.livejournal.com]

I disagree with most of what Israel has done recently. I think it's wrong, dangerous, evil and basically a bad thing. And I have written a lot about it.

But no where have I ever written anything I would consider Anti-Semitic.

Because while I think Israel is a dangerous country that is going to start World War Three, I in no way hold every Jewish person responsible for the actions of the Israeli government. Because that would be ludicrous.

It would be the same as saying that I, as a UK citizen, was responsible for the invasion of Iraq, or that Joe Smith, as a US citizen, was responsible for the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

But I've had comments (in various places) from people who don't accept that. Who see a verbal attack on the Israeli government (such as "Israel seems to be committing mass murder and no one seems to care") as an attack on all Jews, and consequently they just dismiss my words as "typical anti-Semetic rants".

Which leads me to wonder - why? Are people so ashamed of Israel's behaviour that they have to resort to logical fallacies to defend it?

Re: Why is being Anti-Israel being Anti-Jewish?

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

The conflation between Zionism and Judaism for one thing. If you are Anti-Zionist then you are Antisemitic.

Secondly, a large amount of Antisemitic rhetoric tries to disguise itself as actual criticism of Israel, making it legitimate.

So there's a double edged sword for you.

As a critic of Israel, there have been times where I was just appalled to see my own agenda co-opted by racists and Antisemites.
Saying "Israel needs to change" or "Change it's policies" or "Remove the seige and stop the Occupation" is not the same as "The Zionist regime should be abolished" change Zionist with Jewish and it sounds very incriminating, especially when a lot of times the rhetoric does say Zionist as code for Jewish.

Another problem is that there is encouragement of the conflation between Zionism and Judaism because then you can silence any criticism of Israel by shouting "Antisemite!" thus de-legitimising the whole argument.

Does that answer your question?