Hey, No Worries, Its Just Legitimate Criticism Of Israel, Right?

...or not. S'funny though when you think about it. A swastika-waving Neo-Nazi group produces a leaflet saying that if you join the US Army you are fighting for Israel and features a stereotypical bignosed Jew giving orders to a US soldier...this would no doubt be called anti-semitic in nature by all but the most rabid of commentators. And yet...

Waving flags of organisations dedicated to killing Jews and destroying Israel at a Leftist rally? That's 'showing solidarity with the poor oppressed Palestinians'.

Waving banners calling Jews 'Zionist pigs' with fanged demons wearing Israeli skullcaps in the background at a Leftist? 'Legitimate criticism'.

'No blood for Israel' signs at a Leftwing rally? 'Hey, that's because, you know, Israel, you know, leaned on the US somehow to invade Iraq, right? We have absolutely no proof of this but, well what about AIPAC and the Jewish, whoops, sorry Zionist lobby?'

Let me repeat, all these messages are Leftwing messages, found at every so-called 'antiwar' rally, found on every Leftist Blog such as the increasingly vile and more importantly openly anti-Jewish Daily Kos. Leftist opinion journals like Counterpunch carry this kind of material constantly...here's a subtle and tasty quote which puts me in mind of a cockroach running for the darkness at the mere thought of having the light shined on it...this is how Counterpunch writer
Arthur Neslen feels about the latest report (not suppressed this time thankfully) on anti-semitism from the EU.

'Anti-Semitism', its report began, 'is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred'. Such a perception could include stereotypical or dehumanising libels about, for example: "The power of Jews as a collective - such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions."

But it could also include a litany of lobbyist shibboleths, such as:

"Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination (e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor); Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation... Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis; Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel."

Uh-huh. So whilst he wouldnt dream of thinking of himself as an anti-Semite, Neslen feels that claiming the very existence of Israel is racist and that its actions are comparable to Nazism is legitimate criticism. Expecting Israel to behave to a totally different standard of behaviour than every other nation? Not at all unreasonable! Collective responsibility (hmmm, where have we heard that one before, could it be from Leftists like Neslen whining that the security fence which has so drastically reduced terror attacks on Israeli soil is 'collective punishment' for the Palestinians?) ? Perfectly fine and dandy - as long as it is only applied to the Jews.

Ironically, Neslen claims himself (without evidence of course) to have been a victim of anti-semitism from...you guessed it, the BNP! Who he then goes on to mention (broadly) supported Israel's efforts against Hezbollah in Lebanon - you'd think that might be food for thought for someone who is 'definitely not an anti-semite' but most definitely didnt express the same support for anyone but Hezbollah themselves...

Its when Neslen comments on Palestinian anti-semitism though, that his true colours really show through.

"Certainly, some Palestinians talk about 'Yehuds' in a derogatory fashion, cite libellous texts without forethought and make foolish statements about the Holocaust. But that's what happens to language when you step on someone's throat."

'A derogatory fashion'?!? Palestinian schools feature literature, teaching and posters with subtle and tasty quotes such as 'Killing a Jew brings you closer to God'. Libellous texts? Well, after the Koran, Mein Kampf is currently the bestselling book in the Arab world. And the PA is currently run by Mahmoud Abbas, a man whose doctoral thesis was, you guessed it, a denial of the Holocaust.

What kind of person can interpret the undeniably genocidal nature of the Palestinian attitude to Jews as 'talking about them in a derogatory fashion'? Only one kind, the same kind that genuinely believes that Israel is 'stepping on Palestinian throats' by protecting itself and that claiming the very existence of the world's only Jewish State is racist is perfectly legitimate.

At least the people who distributed the literature in Berkeley are honest about their racism and their hatred. The anti-semites of the Left dont even have that to commend them.

(Cross-posted at A Tangled Web)