ANTISEMITISM HISTORICALLY WAS BASED ON SPIRITUAL OOGA-BOOGA. ANTI-ZIONISM SEEMS LIKE A MENTAL DISORDER. THEY BOTH HAVE THE SAME AIM: USHERING IN GLORIOUS END TIMES BY DEFEATING THE DASTARDLY JEWS.
Excellent essay. So-called "anti-Zionists" find it convenient to claim that "Judaism" is a "religion" and, "mercy me, we would never be prejudiced against a religion!"
Scientific studies have confirmed unique genetic markers in modern day Jews that can be traced back thousands of years. These are found in both Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews, so they predate the split (which was due to conquerers--i.e actual colonizers--who expelled the Jews to different countries). One of these markers is found almost exclusively on the Y-chromosome of men with surnames related to the "Cohanim," the high priests of Israel (e.g., "Cohen," "Kahan," "Kagan," etc.). Based on mutation rates, scientists date the first appearance of this marker to a single ancestor who lived about 3,300 years ago. Remarkably, this would be consistent with the biblical Aaron, brother of Moses, whose descendants were the Cohanim. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/07/980714071409.htm
Religion is only one aspect of the Jewish people, who are also bonded by over 3,000 years of history, customs, language, lore, moral code and, yes, a particular land, Israel. I would propose that it's less an intertwined tree and vine, or set of conjoined twins, than it is a family home. Each aspect of Judaism is a room in that house. A given family member may choose to spend more, or all, of one's time in some rooms rather than others, and still be a member of the household.
Israel is the land on which that house has rested for over 3,000 years, since the kingdoms of Saul and David in the 11th century BCE. "Zionism" is simply the desire of the Jewish people to have self-determination in that indigenous land, home to its holiest places. It is inseparable from Judaism itself.
As an addendum, the fact that Constantine incorporated Christianity, the "underdog" religion of the Roman Empire, into the fabric of that same Roman Empire might have something to do with the continued scapegoating of Jews by the Romans--I mean Christians.
I agree, Patricia. Constantin had to stop the Ceaser is a god craziness if he were to save the empire. Solution: Convert to christianity. Problem: Romans killed their new god. Solution: blame the Jews.
Yes, for those who hate us, we are all the capitalists. We are also all the communists. We control all of the media*. We are responsible for all of the wars in the world.
Damn, this is all so exhausting and infuriating.
*Apparently, no one ever told this to the NY Times. CNN, Reuters, AP, Washington Post, BBC, Sky News, CBC, etc., etc., etc., because they continue to spew anti-Israel propaganda masquerading as "both sides" bullsh-t.
This is now my favorite of all your brilliant analyses. After many conversations with Christian extremists, I think I can answer the question of why Jews are so vehemently hated in countries dominated by Christians or Muslims. Both of these religions are based on Judaism, but depart from it in three major ways. 1. In defiance of the teachings of Jesus Christians insist that any deviance from male dominant procreative heterosexuality is the worse sin one can commit. Since antiquity Jews have accused (rightly I think) of being rather nonchalant about enforcing restrictions on sexual behavior, finding other violations of religious laws more important. (Jesus was such a Jew, insisting that his people not judge the woman taken in adultery and never saying a word about homosexuality.) Muslims not only prioritize policing sexual behavior but also forcing people to conform to binary gender norms. Compare this to Hinduism and it seems clear why India is the one country that has never had any policy of persecuting Jews. Hindu fundamentalists restrict sexual and gender expression but certainly aren't driven into frenzied rage about it the way they would about someone torturing a cow or defiling a temple. 2. Christians and Muslims are judged according to their efforts to proselytize, which have historically included forced conversions. Again look at the Hindu class system in India. Just like Jews they are born into an identity dictated by religion. 3. Despite the efforts of the early Protestants to get Christians to examine their lives and the motivations for their actions, this has never really caught on with most Christians, they prefer to obey religious authorities and demand that others do so also. Muslims have now, in my opinion surpassed the worst of past Catholic behavior, like the Inquisition. You are never to question what the religious leaders say and if you do, you must die. Hindus again are different. The religion isn't centralized and people worship various gods. The whole Jewish religion is based on the things we do best, introspection, criticism/self-criticism, argumentation about interpretations of texts, and deciding things for yourself. Even the most extreme Orthodox Jews argue about what is righteous and refuse to blindly obey. They go over holy writings like Constitutional lawyers debating what a law implies. I think these things are directly relevant to why eliminating us is so appealing to mentally unstable people. Crazy people often fixate on regulating other's sexuality, one of thousands of pop representations of this is Stephen King's novel Carrie, which launched his career. Mentally unstable people cannot bear that others may be experiencing sex and gender identification in ways different from the way they do. (The majority of Jews just don't seem to care much. I know I don't. I cannot imagine flying into a fit because an XY chromosome person is wearing a dress. And I'll bet the Haredi would be more bothered by the dress being immodest than who was wearing it.) And unlike Hindus, Jews have historically stood up for sexual and gender diversity and worked politically for sexual freedom in disproportionate numbers. As for religious intolerance, if we were all dead, the Christians and Muslims could fight it out for world dominance and the winners then kill all the Hindus and finally we'd have peace (except for the various sects killing each other). And finally everyone could just obey the authorities without having to think or question anything, They could just kill anyone who disobeys and no one would be around to protest this or ask them why conformity and obedience were their only values. Who wants a world like that? As you so wisely argue, Pat, crazy people do. They see it as bringing the stability and certainty they crave.
In a recent opinion piece that British sociologist David Hirsh published in the Jewish Chronicle about the full on mainstreaming of antisemitism, he observed that while Germany was allowed to denazify after the Holocaust, anti-Zionists insist on nothing less than Israel ceasing to exist, so really, the claim that anti-Zionism is not antisemitic rings extremely hollow.
1. It is time to retire the ambiguous term anti-semitism, and replace it with two more nuanced phrases: Jew-hate (extreme, exterministic, and explicit) and Jew-antipathy (subtle and often unconcious). Progressives associate anti-semitism with Nazis, Facists, and Right-wing fanatics, so by definition they can't be anti-semitic. But talking about Jew-antipathy can open the door to useful reflective conversations. And even Jews can harbour and admit to some degree of Jew-antipathy.
2. Anyone who believes in a two-state solution to this mess is, by definition, a Zionist (someone who accepts the existence of Israel as a refuge for Jews) even those who despise Likud-coalition policies.
3. Ask those who call for an end to the killing and destruction how they think that this can be achieved. If all they do is talk about Israeli actions, suggest that Hamas could stop the war simply by returning unilaterally all hostages and bodies of those they've killed, and ask them why that wasn't at the top of their list.
This makes anti-zionism anti-jewish conspiracy number six, with the five preceding ones, as described in the article. Each time, the perpetrators of the conspiracy of that times did not last. Yet they keep on trying. The very definition of madness. Or, an addiction. Or both.
Sometimes I wonder if Israel haters truly hate being called antisemites--or if perhaps they have a secret craving to be called that while also enjoying the pleasures of throwing temper tantrums that will put those accusing them of being antisemitic on the defense. I recently read an antisemitic post by Candace Owens that felt to me nearly like a "copy-paste" of accusations against Jews dating back to the middle ages, long before the IDF existed. I was wondering why she did not take more care to be more subtle. This did not seem to me to be to be the behavior of someone who takes great care to avoid being called an antisemite.
Candace Owens seems to have discovered all the major antisemitic tropes like they’re a revelation unique to her, like she’s exposing a scandal no one has noticed before. It’s her way of inflating the value of her reputation as a “truth” teller.
Excellent essay. So-called "anti-Zionists" find it convenient to claim that "Judaism" is a "religion" and, "mercy me, we would never be prejudiced against a religion!"
Scientific studies have confirmed unique genetic markers in modern day Jews that can be traced back thousands of years. These are found in both Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews, so they predate the split (which was due to conquerers--i.e actual colonizers--who expelled the Jews to different countries). One of these markers is found almost exclusively on the Y-chromosome of men with surnames related to the "Cohanim," the high priests of Israel (e.g., "Cohen," "Kahan," "Kagan," etc.). Based on mutation rates, scientists date the first appearance of this marker to a single ancestor who lived about 3,300 years ago. Remarkably, this would be consistent with the biblical Aaron, brother of Moses, whose descendants were the Cohanim. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/07/980714071409.htm
Religion is only one aspect of the Jewish people, who are also bonded by over 3,000 years of history, customs, language, lore, moral code and, yes, a particular land, Israel. I would propose that it's less an intertwined tree and vine, or set of conjoined twins, than it is a family home. Each aspect of Judaism is a room in that house. A given family member may choose to spend more, or all, of one's time in some rooms rather than others, and still be a member of the household.
Israel is the land on which that house has rested for over 3,000 years, since the kingdoms of Saul and David in the 11th century BCE. "Zionism" is simply the desire of the Jewish people to have self-determination in that indigenous land, home to its holiest places. It is inseparable from Judaism itself.
As an addendum, the fact that Constantine incorporated Christianity, the "underdog" religion of the Roman Empire, into the fabric of that same Roman Empire might have something to do with the continued scapegoating of Jews by the Romans--I mean Christians.
I agree, Patricia. Constantin had to stop the Ceaser is a god craziness if he were to save the empire. Solution: Convert to christianity. Problem: Romans killed their new god. Solution: blame the Jews.
Isn't "blame the Jews" always the solution? At least, according to the historical record...
Yes, for those who hate us, we are all the capitalists. We are also all the communists. We control all of the media*. We are responsible for all of the wars in the world.
Damn, this is all so exhausting and infuriating.
*Apparently, no one ever told this to the NY Times. CNN, Reuters, AP, Washington Post, BBC, Sky News, CBC, etc., etc., etc., because they continue to spew anti-Israel propaganda masquerading as "both sides" bullsh-t.
>> “Decolonize everything — start with Palestine.” <<
The Jewish response should be: "Yes! Decolonize everything! You guys go first."
This is now my favorite of all your brilliant analyses. After many conversations with Christian extremists, I think I can answer the question of why Jews are so vehemently hated in countries dominated by Christians or Muslims. Both of these religions are based on Judaism, but depart from it in three major ways. 1. In defiance of the teachings of Jesus Christians insist that any deviance from male dominant procreative heterosexuality is the worse sin one can commit. Since antiquity Jews have accused (rightly I think) of being rather nonchalant about enforcing restrictions on sexual behavior, finding other violations of religious laws more important. (Jesus was such a Jew, insisting that his people not judge the woman taken in adultery and never saying a word about homosexuality.) Muslims not only prioritize policing sexual behavior but also forcing people to conform to binary gender norms. Compare this to Hinduism and it seems clear why India is the one country that has never had any policy of persecuting Jews. Hindu fundamentalists restrict sexual and gender expression but certainly aren't driven into frenzied rage about it the way they would about someone torturing a cow or defiling a temple. 2. Christians and Muslims are judged according to their efforts to proselytize, which have historically included forced conversions. Again look at the Hindu class system in India. Just like Jews they are born into an identity dictated by religion. 3. Despite the efforts of the early Protestants to get Christians to examine their lives and the motivations for their actions, this has never really caught on with most Christians, they prefer to obey religious authorities and demand that others do so also. Muslims have now, in my opinion surpassed the worst of past Catholic behavior, like the Inquisition. You are never to question what the religious leaders say and if you do, you must die. Hindus again are different. The religion isn't centralized and people worship various gods. The whole Jewish religion is based on the things we do best, introspection, criticism/self-criticism, argumentation about interpretations of texts, and deciding things for yourself. Even the most extreme Orthodox Jews argue about what is righteous and refuse to blindly obey. They go over holy writings like Constitutional lawyers debating what a law implies. I think these things are directly relevant to why eliminating us is so appealing to mentally unstable people. Crazy people often fixate on regulating other's sexuality, one of thousands of pop representations of this is Stephen King's novel Carrie, which launched his career. Mentally unstable people cannot bear that others may be experiencing sex and gender identification in ways different from the way they do. (The majority of Jews just don't seem to care much. I know I don't. I cannot imagine flying into a fit because an XY chromosome person is wearing a dress. And I'll bet the Haredi would be more bothered by the dress being immodest than who was wearing it.) And unlike Hindus, Jews have historically stood up for sexual and gender diversity and worked politically for sexual freedom in disproportionate numbers. As for religious intolerance, if we were all dead, the Christians and Muslims could fight it out for world dominance and the winners then kill all the Hindus and finally we'd have peace (except for the various sects killing each other). And finally everyone could just obey the authorities without having to think or question anything, They could just kill anyone who disobeys and no one would be around to protest this or ask them why conformity and obedience were their only values. Who wants a world like that? As you so wisely argue, Pat, crazy people do. They see it as bringing the stability and certainty they crave.
In a recent opinion piece that British sociologist David Hirsh published in the Jewish Chronicle about the full on mainstreaming of antisemitism, he observed that while Germany was allowed to denazify after the Holocaust, anti-Zionists insist on nothing less than Israel ceasing to exist, so really, the claim that anti-Zionism is not antisemitic rings extremely hollow.
Three thoughts:
1. It is time to retire the ambiguous term anti-semitism, and replace it with two more nuanced phrases: Jew-hate (extreme, exterministic, and explicit) and Jew-antipathy (subtle and often unconcious). Progressives associate anti-semitism with Nazis, Facists, and Right-wing fanatics, so by definition they can't be anti-semitic. But talking about Jew-antipathy can open the door to useful reflective conversations. And even Jews can harbour and admit to some degree of Jew-antipathy.
2. Anyone who believes in a two-state solution to this mess is, by definition, a Zionist (someone who accepts the existence of Israel as a refuge for Jews) even those who despise Likud-coalition policies.
3. Ask those who call for an end to the killing and destruction how they think that this can be achieved. If all they do is talk about Israeli actions, suggest that Hamas could stop the war simply by returning unilaterally all hostages and bodies of those they've killed, and ask them why that wasn't at the top of their list.
This makes anti-zionism anti-jewish conspiracy number six, with the five preceding ones, as described in the article. Each time, the perpetrators of the conspiracy of that times did not last. Yet they keep on trying. The very definition of madness. Or, an addiction. Or both.
Sometimes I wonder if Israel haters truly hate being called antisemites--or if perhaps they have a secret craving to be called that while also enjoying the pleasures of throwing temper tantrums that will put those accusing them of being antisemitic on the defense. I recently read an antisemitic post by Candace Owens that felt to me nearly like a "copy-paste" of accusations against Jews dating back to the middle ages, long before the IDF existed. I was wondering why she did not take more care to be more subtle. This did not seem to me to be to be the behavior of someone who takes great care to avoid being called an antisemite.
Candace Owens seems to have discovered all the major antisemitic tropes like they’re a revelation unique to her, like she’s exposing a scandal no one has noticed before. It’s her way of inflating the value of her reputation as a “truth” teller.
Exactly! What a terrible abuse and exploitation of the Jewish people. Difficult to read or listen to her.
We need to be on the offensive with our own assertions of truth:
Islamism = Genocide
Palestinianism = Racism
Pan Arabism = Racism
End Muslim Genocide of Druze
I encourage readers to create new and powerful slogans.
Arabism = Racism
Great book on Catholic-promoted Jew-hate and persecution: Constantine's Sword by James Carroll
The KooKoo WooWoo Ooga Booga!
https://vimeo.com/351957236
(I gotz great affection fer sideshow folks but the "jooced" up tarantella twitchy-twitchy of the anti-zios did make me think of this clip!)
One of us one of us we accept…. You go girl get on with your bad self. https://youtu.be/39Bnk6VU53Y?si=f1wDku4ufqGQ5Woi
Woo-woo is still popular among Muslims.