jamiroguy1 Posted December 31 Report Share Posted December 31 There Are Much Larger ThreatsCriticism of Israel is not Anti-SemitismBy MICHAEL NEUMANNJewish and non-Jewish commentators alike have deplored a recent upsurge in anti-Semitism. In Europe, journalist Andrew Sullivan says, "Not since the 1930s has such blithe hatred of Jews gained this much respectability in world opinion."Yet, Jews like myself and the Israeli journalist Ran HaCohen feel quite differently. He writes in Antiwar.com: "It is high time to say it out loud: In the entire course of Jewish history, since the Babylonian exile in the 6th century BC, there has never been an era blessed with less anti-Semitism than ours. There has never been a better time for Jews to live in than our own."Why would a Jew say such a thing? What is anti-Semitism, and how much of a danger is it in the world today?If both sides agree on anything, it's that the definition of "anti-Semitism" has been manipulated for political ends. Leftists accuse ardent Zionists of inflating the definition to include--and discredit--critics of Israel. Zionists accuse the left of deflating the definition to apologize for covert prejudice against Jews.It's a sterile dispute. Even in this age of intellectual property, no one owns the word. But the definitional sparring does have its missteps and dangers.Full articlehttp://www.counterpunch.org/neumann12302003.htmlMichael Neumann is a professor of philosophy at Trent University in Ontario, Canada. Professor Neumann's views are not to be taken as those of his university. His book What's Left: Radical Politics and the Radical Psyche has just been republished by Broadview Press. He is also a contributor to The Politics of Anti-Semitism. He can be reached at: mneumann@trentu.ca.This article originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djxeno Posted December 31 Report Share Posted December 31 Originally posted by jamiroguy1 There Are Much Larger ThreatsCriticism of Israel is not Anti-SemitismBy MICHAEL NEUMANNJewish and non-Jewish commentators alike have deplored a recent upsurge in anti-Semitism. In Europe, journalist Andrew Sullivan says, "Not since the 1930s has such blithe hatred of Jews gained this much respectability in world opinion."Yet, Jews like myself and the Israeli journalist Ran HaCohen feel quite differently. He writes in Antiwar.com: "It is high time to say it out loud: In the entire course of Jewish history, since the Babylonian exile in the 6th century BC, there has never been an era blessed with less anti-Semitism than ours. There has never been a better time for Jews to live in than our own."Why would a Jew say such a thing? What is anti-Semitism, and how much of a danger is it in the world today?If both sides agree on anything, it's that the definition of "anti-Semitism" has been manipulated for political ends. Leftists accuse ardent Zionists of inflating the definition to include--and discredit--critics of Israel. Zionists accuse the left of deflating the definition to apologize for covert prejudice against Jews.It's a sterile dispute. Even in this age of intellectual property, no one owns the word. But the definitional sparring does have its missteps and dangers.Full articlehttp://www.counterpunch.org/neumann12302003.htmlMichael Neumann is a professor of philosophy at Trent University in Ontario, Canada. Professor Neumann's views are not to be taken as those of his university. His book What's Left: Radical Politics and the Radical Psyche has just been republished by Broadview Press. He is also a contributor to The Politics of Anti-Semitism. He can be reached at: mneumann@trentu.ca.This article originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times. jamiroguy, are you sure you feel safe posting this....you could be labeled as a "racist jew hater"its funny how everyone always forgets that a semite is a member of a group of Semitic-speaking peoples of the Near East and northern Africa, including the Arabs, Arameans, Babylonians, Carthaginians, Ethiopians, Hebrews, and Phoenicians. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamiroguy1 Posted December 31 Author Report Share Posted December 31 I hate labels. Labels are used to sideline and defame people of ideas and cultures they don't like and wish to oppress. To some people on this board that's all they have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigpoppanils Posted December 31 Report Share Posted December 31 i never quite understood linking criticism of Israel to Anti-Semitismto me, it brought up two issues:1. What about Jews that criticize Israel? Does that mean they are Anti-Semetic Semites? 2. Using that logic, would criticism of other governments imply hating/discriminating against their entire populations as well?The second issue seems to be much more dangerous....anyone can be painted as a racist, ingorant person using that logic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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