Anti-Semitism: One Jew's perspective about recent events (long read)
Given the press conferences from the "president", and the odious Holocaust remembrance statement from the White House, I figured I would strike while the iron was hot, meaning people actually seem to care about this topic. So, what is anti-Semitism? Well, the best way to start is to provide the dictionary definition, so, here it is:
hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group (Merriam-Webster)
Seems pretty straightforward, but unfortunately, it is not. It goes way beyond just calling Jews names like kike, Heeb, or yid. It is much more than spray-painting a swastika on a synagogue. I am hoping to shine a light on what this bigotry really is. There are those who refer to it as "the oldest hatred"; personally, I think that title goes to misogyny, but that is for another thread. Anti-Semitism has a long history, though. It has spread throughout the world in various forms and there are very common themes. In my opinion, one of the most odious of anti-Semitic stereotypes is Jews are a devious people who spread lies, disease, fear, and misinformation in order to better our own lives. This particular stereotype has taken on many forms over the millennia. We were accused of spreading the Black Plague. We were/are accused of starting and maintaining the slave trade. We are accused for destabilizing a host of countries (Germany, Russia, England, Spain, Greece, Japan, and, yes, even the US). We are accused of inciting racial tensions by "manipulating" the Civil Rights movement of the 60's. We are/have been accused of poisoning wells, food, and livestock. The list goes on and on. Just with just one stereotype, it is easy to see how it is morphed into a variety of hatreds.
DU'er, TygrBright wrote a piece entitled: Hate Jews, Love Israel: The Logic of American Anti-Semitism and as I explained in a comment, it would have been more aptly named, "Right-Wing American Anti-Semitism." However, some very good points were made:
In the (Christian) Millenialist view, "Israel" doesn't actually have much to do with Jews except insofar as it provides the catalyst for them, as Christ-killing sinners, to get What's Coming To Them when Payback Jesus finally shows up.
The "eggs/basket/drop" strategy is at the heart of the broader American neo-nazi racist version of anti-semitism. If Israel is the Jews' rightful homeland, then it's perfectly logical to convince them to get the hell out of America, and go there. Where, presumably, they and those other non-Aryan non-Christian people will annihilate each other, problem solved.
Finally, there's the more nuanced and sophisticated approach of the old WASP elite. The "gentleman's agreement" they've reached with Israel is, essentially, to be their proxy bulwark maintaining the established order in the Middle East. Their anti-Semitism is the most genteel and subtle of the lot.
This is an excellent breakdown of the right-wing's anti-Semitism. The entire piece is well worth a read, so do so, please. This piece is more about motivations, as opposed to actual examples, but they abound throughout the web, and I am sure most are familiar with a least a few examples from the above descriptions.
But, it is only part of the problem. While no where near as epic as right-wing anti-Semitism, there is anti-Semitism on the left. It, too, must be addressed, not ignored, and it must also be eradicated. A few weeks ago, a British MP claimed anti-Semitism was the fault of the Jews. This type of "blaming the victim" for their own attacks is commonly seen in the "what was she wearing" type of defense we get from those who try to blame the victim of rape for the actual rape. While it happens to all groups, the Jews seem to get the lion's share of the blame when it comes to anti-Semitism; as if somehow we brought it upon ourselves, thus one can see why scores of countries have routinely purged Jews from their borders over the past 2 millennia. And this belief leads directly to another stereotype which is shared by the right and the left, Jews are not loyal citizens. Long after Israel ceased to exist and long before it existed again, Jews have routinely been accused of having loyalties which were not to their leaders, crown, or country. The most obvious was during the lead up to the Second World War, when Jews of Germany were accused of bolshevism and supporting Russia, while Jews in Bolshevist Russia were accused of capitalism and supporting the US, and Jews of the United States were accused of supporting socialism and bringing down the US government.
This constant "Jews are not loyal" to their country is even more pronounced now that Israel exists. Any Jew who doesn't sufficiently or "properly" criticize Israel is considered suspect. The left delights in labeling Jewish legislators Mr. So-and-so (D-Tel Aviv) in order to indicate the lawmaker isn't really loyal to the US, but to Israel. Jews who aren't "on board" with things deemed "the correct answer" are automatically considered treasonous and not loyal to the US. The irony is the left is the group usually considered to be anti American and not loyal to the United States by the right and often complain, bitterly, about it. The right, especially the far-right, are notorious for publishing lists of Jews who are in the government (sometimes they aren't even Jews) in an effort to demonstrate two things, that Jews aren't loyal to the US and their is a not-so-secret Jewish cabal to control the US. Both sides, usually the fringes, share the idea that most, if not all, wars are fought for Israel or at her behest, and therefore, the Jews in power, a larger number compared to our very small overall percentage, is the proof Jews are not loyal to this country and control it through their ranks and the "Jew(ish) Lobby" (AIPAC).
Scads of examples exist about anti-Semitism. Using "Jew" to mean "Jewish" is one example.
- Behind the Aegis is a Jew. Behind the Aegis is Jewish. Both are correct and neither is offensive.
- Behind the Aegis is a Jew poster at DU. Behind the Aegis is a Jewish poster at DU. The latter is correct, while the former is a slur.
There are phrases one should avoid with the target of scorn or objection is Jewish, such as "I guess he got his 30 pieces of silver", which is a reference to Judas, and has a long history of implying Jews will sell out anyone for the right price. "She got her pound of flesh.", while this phrase seems to be an innocuous insult about exacting revenge, in truth it from the Shakespeare play, "The Merchant of Venice" and it is how the Jew, Shylock, was accused of wanting the flesh as payback. While not literal, it harkens back to the idea of Jews' love of so deep anything will be accepted as payment, and it touches on the ancient myth of the Blood libel. While I am talking about good ol' Bill, calling a Jew, 'shylock", is a big no-no. "Shyster" is OK, but the other is not, and again for historical reasons going back to the aforementioned play. All of these tie into the anti-Semitic theme about the love Jews have for money, to the point of willingness to betray and even take body parts as payment. Jews are portrayed as cheap and stingy. We hear it in the phrase "He Jewed me.", meaning the person was cheated. Of course, one can also demonstrate the Jews' craftiness with getting a good deal unfairly, but claiming, "Go to this auto dealer, you can Jew them on the price."
The Jewish "affair" with money harkens back to the pre-Middle Ages, when usury laws were "illegal", that is to say, it was illegal for Christians, but the Church wanted it's money, so it had the Jews handle the money; and a stereotype was born. One of the more egregious remarks came from the current "president" not along ago, when he said:
“Black guys counting my money! I hate it. The only kind of people I want counting my money are little short guys that wear yarmulkes every day.”
So when the "leader" of the free world says shit like this, there is a problem. Is it because he is afraid of his supporters as opined in this article posted at DU, Trump too afraid of his own base to denounce antisemitism posted by McCamy Taylor? Or is it he, like so many, doesn't really understand anti-Semitism, as recent searches increased after this two day ignore-fest of anti-Semitism completed, as shown in an article titled: Anti-Semitism searches surge after Trump press conference? But then again, given the past few interviews where he has refused to answer about the rise in anti-Semitism (one occasion bragging about his election win and his "some of his best friends are..." defense by invoking his daughter, the other where he actually told a Jew to shut up and sit down), it really begs the question: Does he really care about anti-Semitism? We know some of his supporters are loving it (Anti-Semites thrilled that Trump refused to denounce Anti-Semitism at presser posted by DetlefK). This, in my opinion leads to a larger question of, "Does anyone care?" That question is asked in an article I posted the other day: Is anti-Semitism on the rise? Does anyone care?.
Like any form of bigotry, anti-Semitism can be murky sometimes and there are quite a few myths (Five myths about anti-Semitism). It can depend on circumstance. It can depend on the speaker or audience. However, sometimes, it is in-your-face-straight-up bigotry!
- Do not accuse Jews of being more loyal to another country, including Israel, when your only proof is the person is a Jew! BIGOTRY!
- Do not accuse the "Jew(ish) Lobby" of getting us into war or controlling Congress. BIGOTRY!
- Do not accuse Jews of controlling the media. BIGOTRY!
- Do not accuse Jews of being responsible for anti-Semitism enacted against us! BIGOTRY!
- Do not excuse or otherwise downplay anti-Semitism by bringing up the sins of Israel! BIGOTRY!
- Do not claim anti-Semitism is not a "real" bigotry like racism, sexism, or homophobia! BIGOTRY!
- Do not "redefine" anti-Semitism to include others who aren't Jews, or to purposely water it down in order to exclude Jews. BIGOTRY!
- Do not call a Jewish person a "kapo". This is even dicey in the Jewish community, but if you aren't Jewish, do not compare a Jew to a Nazi sellout, or worse, a Nazi. BIGOTRY!
To show people just how real anti-Semitism is, one only needs to read FBI stats for the past several years, and it is easy to see, that Jews always top the list for anti-Religious crimes...ALWAYS! Even recently, Jews toped the list with this report from ThinkProgress, Hate incidents since Trump was elected. We are only about 2.3% of the US population, yet we make up an incredible amount of the victims of hate crimes, especially per capita. Anti-Semitism is real. Anti-Semitism is not going away. Anti-Semitism is a bigotry with no political boundaries. Anti-Semitism should always be reviled and confronted.
As a final note, if you are not Jewish, do not "'splain'" to us about anti-Semitism and tell us we don't understand it or know what we are talking about. No minority likes to be talked down to someone who is a privileged majority, and that includes Jews. It is always possible for people to be mistaken. It is always possible for Jews to be oversensitive to anti-Semitism, real or imagined. It is OK to disagree with Jews. It is OK to disagree with Jews about the anti-Semitism (or not) of a situation. However, how one does it makes all the difference. If you want to stop all forms of bigotry, be willing to stop anti-Semitism when you see it, too.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Bookmarking to give this the time that it needs later on tonight.
This really made my day. I even read to my husband while he was at work. I hope you enjoy the other articles too. believe it or not, this the pared down version! 
Give hubby and hug for me! 
your admirably concise and cogent OP!
to both you and TygrBright
which implies exactly that? 
The word "Semite" means something, and it isn't identical with "Jewish". Why not call it "anti-Judaism" instead?
Furthermore:
"Do not accuse Jews of being responsible for anti-Semitism enacted against us! BIGOTRY!
Do not excuse or otherwise downplay anti-Semitism by bringing up the sins of Israel! BIGOTRY!"
A certain segment of the left routinely points out that it is impossible for African Americans to be racist/bigoted against whites, as racism equals prejudice plus power. Applying the same logic to the Middle East conflict would imply that it is impossible for, say, a person in the occupied territories in the Gaza strip to be anti-Semitic in any meaningful sense. Would you agree?
There are two types who engage in it, those who really don't know, like Dr. Nick Rivera, when he complained about the use of the word "inflammable". And, then, well, I explained it in the OP. If someone professed to love children, their own or others, then someone came along and called them a "pedophile". The 'target" would likely freak the fuck out. It wouldn't matter if the person saying it turned around and said, "well, pedo- means "child" and -phile means "lover of", so I don't see what the problem is with using a word that is etymologically correct."
As for the second point, you addressed that well too. There is also the issue of personal racism verses the concept of societal and institutional racism. The conflation of anti-Semitism and objection to Israel/Israeli policies is something which happens both ways, but I more often see people "pre-emptively" complaining about "being called an anti-Semite", then I see people actually doing it.
ETA: I just thought about it and remembered I was confronted one time with "why use the term "homophobia", when it really means "fear of man" or "fear of sameness"?" 
What an outstanding example!
DURec for your OP
against other Semites. Much bigotry against Arabs exists in western countries and also in Israel or in Iran, where Arabs are a form of underclass.
If, now, in the context of discussions of anti-Semitism, an Arabic person who experiences discrimination were to point out "I'm a Semite", they would be linguistically correct to do so. But the OP would classify that as an instance of bigotry.
This is not an academic example. The only few times I have in fact seen this distinction become relevant in practice were precisely cases in which a person of Arabic origin attempted to claim the term "anti-Semitism" for themselves to describe a factually existing discrimination against them. If the OP classifies such as an act of bigotry one could then argue that this in turn is minimizing the experience of said individual. In short, the imprecise use of language can be problematic because some may see it as an attempt to downplay discrimination against other individuals against which discrimination also factually exists (as in "Semites, but not the kind that you are"
.
As for the second point: There have been plenty of threads on DU (seemingly by a faction that lost their shit because Bernie Sanders used the phrase "identity politics", but I digress...) where people have invoked white supremacy in an attempt to "provide a broader perspective" on, for instance, events like the assassination of police at a BLM protest or riots as a response to police violence. So no, it is not only about language. It is ultimately about the dynamics of power and violence. I'd be interested in the OPs take on said events. Should we ever acknowledge that such a broader perspective for attitudes or behaviors may exist? Or is it "bigotry against whites" to express that people in certain African American communities had solid reasons to engage in rioting?
While they would be correct to point out they are "Semitic" it doesn't change the meaning of "anti-Semitism". You claim it isn't an academic example, and you are correct, thus the use of the word "sophistry." It is a fallacious argument meant to distract and misinform. According to you, and those like you, if someone attacked Ivanka Trump, calling her a "filthy kike", she wouldn't be a victim of anti-Semitism because she isn't a "Semite". Not all victims of anti-Semitism are "Semites", because that isn't the meaning of the word. If you are so concerned about the imprecise nature of language, then would you mind, assuming you love children, being called a "pedophile"? After all, that word means "lover of children". Or, would you see it as "bullshit" trying to cast aspersions about you as a person, and changing the subject in order to take away from whatever argument you were making?
Discrimination against Arabs exists, it simply doesn't have a "fancy" name. All your argument is, well, nothing but a strawman. Do you use they same "logic" when someone uses the term "Islamophobia"? Surely you understand the word really means "fear of Islam" and not "discrimination, prejudice, and/or hate against Muslims"? Right?!
As for your last paragraph...jingling keys; unoriginal. You are trying to distract from another point I made and that is commenting on the "evils" of Israel doesn't change the nature of anti-Semitism. When anti-Semitism is committed, if your first comment is "but...but...Israel" it is a form of anti-Semitism, as much as an act of Islamophobia followed by "but...but...9-11" is Islamophobic (assuming you understand the meaning of that word). The concept is the person is trying to move the conversation from an act of bigotry, and in essence, blame the victim for said attack.
as a particularly insensitive derailment illustrative of the subject of the the OP.
excellent assessment 
How dare we speak out about a tepid, half-ass response after the FOURTH string of attacks.
Always so fun when non-Jews 'splain' to us the real meaning of anti-Semitism.
I appreciate reading a more in-depth teatise proving such.
This is an excellent resource and it's going to come in handy. Is it okay if I cite it elsewhere?
I frequently notice this tactic when I try to discuss anti-Semitism.
I find it odd that some folks insist on bringing up Jewish people and attempt to vilify THEM whenever we discuss anti-Semitism.
Why would anyone want to distract people from focusing on the fact that anti-Semitism and hate crimes are on the rise in Trump's Amerikkka? Why accuse Jews of bigotry when the subject is bigotry and hatred against Jews?
That's what Trump and other anti-Semitic bigots did on Holocaust Remembrance Day - they didn't acknowledge that Jews were the focus. They refused to even mention them by name and tried to deflect by bringing up others who were also killed in camps. In fact I believe the ADL called them out on it. Despicable.
That's actually the same thing racists do when confronted with facts about racism - they try to turn it around on POC. I find that's a common tactic whenever racism against Obama is discussed - the deplorables accuse the president of being the racist.
Whenever bigotry is the topic it seems there's always at least one person who will point their finger at the black/Jewish/Hispanic/Muslim man and claim HE'S the one who has a problem - even when it's being discussed on a liberal forum.
Interesting.
We have a long way to go, my friend.
I'm happy to be back and thrilled to see you're still fighting the good fight.
