Redefining antisemitism to protect Israel from scrutiny won’t make Jews safer
JVL Introduction
Julia Bard, in an enthusiastic review of Antony Lerman’s new book Whatever Happened to Antisemitism? endorses his analysis of the obsessive drive that Israel and its supporters have displayed to define a “new antisemitism” that protects it from criticism.
But she adds another dimension to this development, one arising out of the domestic politics, needs and priorities of the leaderships of different diaspora communities to assert control over “their” communities.
She points out, for example, how the Jewish Chronicle made strenuous efforts to keep young Jews away from the Anti-Nazi League in 1978 as part of a campaign to keep them away from “extreme Left-wing elements” and critics of Israel.
And she points to the danger of any argument that says that Israel’s behaviour is causing antisemitism which she argues, absolves antisemites – whatever political direction they come from – of responsibility for their own racism.
This article was originally published by Jacobin on Tue 13 Sep 2022. Read the original here.
Redefining Antisemitism to Protect Israel From Scrutiny Won’t Make Jews Safer
Israel’s supporters have sought to redefine antisemitism so that the term primarily refers to criticism of the Israeli state. This effort has been a great boon for Israel’s diplomatic propaganda — but a disaster for anti-racist struggles in Europe and the US.
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Thank you. I am very happy you are doing this. Restores my faith in humanity. Could have and should have led the charge against ethnic nationalism and the stupid, stupid, stupid, grotesque absurdity of the monoethnic nation state. But did the exact opposite, and you have nailed precisely how and why. The tiger, thus ridden, may be getting out of control.
This is a very good analysis, however, I would still encourage people to read Lerman’s book. For me the lack in Lerman’s book was that he only offered about two paragraphs on the Jerusalem Declaration and a huge amount on the IHRA. There was much to unpick and compare that went unsaid, but on the whole it was an excellent work and I will return to it again and again I am sure.
It is worth noting that Antony Lerman will be discussing the findings of his book at a Zoom meeting organised in London by the Jewish Network for Palestine (JNP) on Oct 1, 2022 17:00 London. Note that unlike some similar meetings this is a public Zoom meeting.
In order to attend this meeting by Zoom you can register in advance at
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMvdu6hqzspHdVQC6w9ijMF54-sTOlk7B7V
More information and an abstract is also available on JNP’s FB page at
https://www.facebook.com/events/1111707206218566