Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Can Jews be Antisemitic?

My answer is yes, definitely, 100%.

My definition of antisemitism is based on four ideas:

Nationality: The antisemite denies that Jews are a nationality or people. He says, "Judaism is a religion, they have no right to a land or country. The idea of a Jewish country is racist"

Religion: The antisemite expresses a wish or desire to legally or illegally interfere with or restrict the practice or practices of the Jewish religion, expecially Orthodox Judaism. An example would be agitating for laws against kosher meat slaughter, or insisting that the separation between men and women at the Kosel (Western Wall) must be abolished.

Jewish actions: The antisemite expresses disapproval of the acts of individual Jews by pointing out that these people are Jews, and that there is some link, either explicit or implied, between this individuals behavior and Jews or Judaism as a whole.

Genocide: The antisemite believes that all Jews must be killed.

Clearly, Jews are not going to advocate genocide for the Jewish people, but individual Jews have been guilty of the first two, expecially when these individuals don't identify with their Jewish nationality or with Orthodox Judaism.

I don't mean to imply that any criticism of Israel or of Orthodox Judaism is antisemitic, but when it denies Jewish nationality or wants to interfere with the free practice of Judaism, it is antisemitic, even when it comes from a Jew.

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