Jewish Group
Related: About this forum(Jewish Group) It's hard for us on the Israeli left - liberal antisemitism makes it worse
(THIS IS THE JEWISH GROUP! RESPECT!!)he New York Times apologised this week for a cartoon published recently in its international edition. The drawing was of a blind Donald Trump, wearing a skullcap, led by the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was depicted as a dog wearing a star of David collar. The cartoon evoked caricatures of evil Jews misleading blind nations, of a kind popular in the German media during the Nazi era.
The reaction in both the US and Israel was first shock, then a furore. The cartoon couldnt have come at a worse time the San Diego synagogue shooting last weekend proved that antisemitism is still deeply rooted in the US. And it came just as Israel prepared to remember 6 million Jews on the national Holocaust Remembrance Day. For New York Times columnist Bret Stephens, the cartoon checked so many antisemitic boxes that the only thing missing was a dollar sign. The Jew in the form of a dog; the small cunning Jew leading a naive American; hated Trump depicted as blind and Judaised, a puppet of the Jewish state (as if Trump needs Netanyahu to make him act the way he does).
I found it shocking even more so when my five-year-old spotted my computer screen and asked what is the dog doing?. We havent discussed the Holocaust with my daughter yet. Were still figuring out how to let her know that half of her dads family is dead because of antisemitism. Living in a Jewish state, celebrating all the holidays and Shabat since she was born, Im not sure she yet knows that she is Jewish or even what a Jew is. I certainly dont want her indoctrinated into Netanyahus narrative that the whole world hates Israelis because were Jews.
But depictions such as the New York Times one and the ongoing antisemitism blindspot in the British Labour party make me wonder. They give the Israeli right a loaded gun confirming its basic assumption that any criticism of Israeli government policy is driven by hidden antisemitism.
Netanyahus rightwing government seeks constantly to convince the Israeli public of this narrative. The Israeli left, by contrast, constantly struggles to prove that it is valid to criticise Israel, and that those of us who oppose the Israeli governments policies are not self-hating Jews. In this context, an antisemitic political cartoon actually empowers the right.
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OregonBlue
(7,754 posts)hate your Likud hateful fascist government because they are hateful fascists, not because they are Jewish. That is what she needs to learn. Many people who love America hate the current corrupt fascist regime. We don't necessarily hate Evangelicals, just the ugly regime Evangelicals support.
Mosby
(16,365 posts)Nothing fascist about that.
Israelis don't need to "learn" anything, it's you that is conflating criticizing Israel with Antisemitism.
And FYI, the Likud party that you describe as "hateful fascists" is overwhelmingly made up of Jewish people of color who used to live in the Levant, Gulf and Mahgreb. Their family memories are of harassment, oppression, murder and expulsion. They have long memories.
Behind the Aegis
(53,991 posts)Nowhere did she say or imply the whole world hates Israel or the Jews. How presumptuous and arrogant to tell an Israeli and a Jew what she "needs to learn". Do you also tell other minorities or nationalities what they need to learn" according to your experiences?
BTW, this is the Jewish group.
OregonBlue
(7,754 posts)Christian. It doesn't follow that I hate Christians any more than it follows that everyone who dislikes the apartheid government of Israel hates Jews. Many people are capable of making a distinction between politics and religion. Especially on a site like DU. It's insulting to therefore assume that anyone who criticizes Israel is anti-Semitic. Yes?
Behind the Aegis
(53,991 posts)You obviously didn't understand the article or didn't read it. The repeated strawman you keep employing, is therefore insulting, especially in the Jewish group...
As one of the hosts of this group, do not make the assertion that any/all/every criticism is claimed to be anti-Semitism again.
grossproffit
(5,591 posts)EllieBC
(3,042 posts)There's nothing more offensive than gentiles telling Jews what antisemitism is.
Also, Israel is not a fascist government. I know that's the catchword of the last nearly 20 years to describe any government you do not like but that's not how things work.
MosheFeingold
(3,051 posts)But your short post has a lot of antisemitic elements to it:
Let me parse:
"The whole world does not hate Israelis or Jews. Many of us hate your Likud . . . "
The key word here is "your". I have no idea who the "your" is you refer to. The author? I don't know her nationality, but she is writing in a British paper. She could be Israeli. She could be English. If the "your" refers to us Jewish frequent posters, well, I believe we are all Americans. Sadly, Donald Trump is our president. The Likud is not "our" government.
"hateful fascist government because they are hateful fascists, not because they are Jewish. That is what she needs to learn. Many people who love America hate the current corrupt fascist regime."
Well, this is over-the-top hyperbole and very similar to Arab activists who call all Israelis "Nazis." No, Israel has a very vibrant, open, democracy, including lots of Druze and Arabs (both Nazarene and Muslim) who are very happy to be citizens. The Likud is a pretty mild center-right party, made up of a good mix of Jewish, Druze, and other people largely relatively-recent victims of ethnic cleansing from the surrounding Muslim countries. It's not remotely fascist.
Now, that doesn't mean I agree with Likud. But that's a bit like calling Mitt Romney a fascist. No, he's a smug asshole who talks out of both sides of his mouth. So, perhaps not coincidentally, is Bibi Netanyahu.
But neither is a fascist.
Please be careful with this kind of hyperbole. People take it literally.
grossproffit
(5,591 posts)MosheFeingold
(3,051 posts)And received no answer.
AlexSFCA
(6,139 posts)with antisemitism whatsoever. This is a far right narrative that anyone who supports Israels government cannot be antisemite. Neonazi support Israel, they want all the jews move to Israel and they will support them in annihilating Palestine from the planet Earth. This is classic altright ideology. Also, many jews are atheists and do not support judaism so anti-christianity, anti-judaism and anti-islamism are often tolerable.
Behind the Aegis
(53,991 posts)Would you say, in a minority group,...
...any criticism (sic) of Obama and his policies have nothing to do with racism whatsoever.
...any critisism (sic) of Hillary Clinton and her policies have nothing to do with sexism whatsoever.
...any criticism (sic) of immigration and those policies have nothing to do with racism whatsoever.
...any critisism (sic) of the National Organization of Women and their policies have nothing to do with sexism whatsoever.
? Should I go on? While some criticisms are not anti-Semitic (or racist/sexist/bigoted), there are cases where such accusations of bigotry are, in fact, true. So to claim, "any criticism (sic) of Israel and its policies have nothing to do with antisemitism whatsoever.", is as myopic and incorrect as someone who were to claim that "any criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic."
Seems you have no understanding of anti-Semitism. Furthermore, your "claim", that "many jews are atheists and do not support judaism so anti-christianity, anti-judaism and anti-islamism are often tolerable." is just bizarre. It almost sounds as if you are saying anti-Semitism is acceptable. I also find it disturbing you do not capitalize "Jews" and "Judaism", both of which are proper nouns.
This is the Jewish group and if, for one moment, you think that anti-Semitism is acceptable (or tolerable), then please see yourself out of this space.
JudyM
(29,280 posts)Or the existence of anti-semitism in some of the fiery criticisms of Israel.
MosheFeingold
(3,051 posts)Is probably to strong a word, I believe.
I think you meant to say "some". Or at least I hope so.